The Specials, Ramones & Show # 469

The Specials - Too Much Too Young



“Too Much Too Young” was a song found on The Specials debut full length album The Specials released in 1979. The song featured controversial lyrics, but despite this it was released as a single in the UK and reached number one on the UK singles charts. Lyrically the song was based on the Lloyd Charmers song “Birth Control”, The Specials took those lyrics and gave them a modern slant based on the economic situation and times in England in the late 70s. This song, as do many on the full length album build on early Jamaican/Reggae songs form the 60s, but added 70s Punk attitude and vigour.

Ramones - Commando



“Commando” was a song found on The Ramones second full length album Leave Home released in 1977 on Sire Records. This song had a military lyrical background as do many early Ramones songs. It is credited to Dee Dee Ramone and Johnny Ramone and barely tow minutes long. The version in this video comes from their live album It’s Alive that was released in 1979, but recorded in 1977 at the Rainbow, Theatre in London, England. It's Alive was also the name of a B-Horror movie from 1974, which is where the title orginates from.

This Week's Play List:

1. The Deadly Ones – It’s Monster Surfing Time
2. The Challengers – Back Beat
3. Dean Carter – Call of the Wild
4. Monomyth – Cigarette
5. Ketamines – Double Elevens
6. Primal Scream – Goodbye Johnny
7. Gogol Bordello – We Rise Again
8. Daniel Romano – Chicken Bill
9. Hurricane & Able – Call On You
10. Teenanger – Funeral March
11. Kitten Forever – Rat Queen
12. Dishrags – Carry On
13. Silicon Injection - Argo
14. Johnny Motel & The Fast Fucks - Knock Down Blues
15. Shark Week – Get High
16. Huevos Rancheros – Trouble A Brewin
17. Adam and The Ants – The Human Beings
18. True Lovers – Master’s Apprentice
19. Johnny Thunders – Downtown
20. The Gun Club – Like Calling Up Thunder
21. The Police – Peanuts
22. Ramones – Commando
23. Buzzcocks – Love You More
24. The Rolling Stones - Dear Doctor
25. The Specials – Stupid Marriage
26. The Specials - Too Much Too Young

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for August 13 Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

The Specials ... Raquel & Show # 385

In 1981, the UK Ska revival act The Specials had several songs featured in a movie entitled Dance Craze. At the time of the films release the label 2 Tone, which was owned by The Specials Jerry Dammers was in a declining state, the soundtrack to the film featured only 2 Tone artists, even charting at number five on the UK album charts. The soundtrack featured 15 of 27 tracks that were used in the film, one of the tracks not included on the soundtrack that is the main topic of discussion here is The Specials song “Raquel”. The song was released on a 1981 single release of The Specials song “Concrete Jungle”, the songs B-side was the then previously unreleased Specials song “Raquel”. Clocking in at about two minutes, the song is a fast paced Ska number, done in the vein of songs such as “Little Bitch” found on the 1979 debut album from The Specials. As a result of the Dance Craze soundtrack this exclusive seven inch single was released for promotional purposes and for years remained a hard to find single featuring this track “Raquel”, which was equally as hard to find. The song dates back to The Specials early days when they were known as The Coventry Automatics, it was also released on a cassette tape compilation album in 1981 with numerous other 70s Punk and New Wave hard to find nuggets titled NME C81, released by NME magazine in the UK. The track continued it’s hard to find status for about twenty years until a demo version of “Raquel” was released on The Coventry Automatics – Dawning of a New Era, which collects recordings from The Specials early days. In 1993, The Compact 2 Tone Story Box Set was released, which featured the song as it appeared on the 1981 B-side to “Concrete Jungle”, as well as all of the A and B-sides that the 2 Tone label released.

This Week's Play List:

1. Dan Sartain - I Don't Want To Go To The Party (Toerag Version)
2. Minutemen - Voodoo Slaves
3. Psycho Surgeons - Wild Weekend
4. Silent Movie Type - She Says
5. Johnny West - You Turn Me Off, I'm A Microwave
6. Pere Ubu - Misery Goats
7. Aztec Camera - We Could Send Letters
8. David Bowie - What In The World
9. Public Image Limited - Careering
10. The Stig – Who Are You
11. Huladog – R88
12. Jack Pine and The Fire - Lost In New Orleans
13. Sumner Brothers - Big Rock Candy Mountain
14. Le Butcherettes - I'm Getting Sick Of You
15. The Black Angels - Sunday Afternoon
16. The Ugly Ducklings - Hangman
17. The Specials - Raquel
18. The Love Me Nots - End of the Line
19. The Pointed Sticks - Splish Splash
20. The Libertines - I Get Along
21. Miesha & The Spanks - Night Danger Baby
22. The Jam – Going Underground
23. The Waldos - Golden Days

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for January 3. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Interesting and Controversial Moments on SNL & Show # 360

This week I thought I would visit three interesting and exciting moments in the musical history of the television program Saturday Night Live. While a whole radio show could be made out of the excellent musical performances that this show has produced over the years its beginnings, and numerous TV specials have been made surrouding such performances, i'm not sure if a radio program has focused on these performances.  Today I will focus on three moments, two of which created controversy with the show and the shows producer Lorne Michaels.

Elvis Costello & The Attractions – Less Than Zero/Radio Radio (1977)

In December of 1977, Elvis Costello & The Attractions appeared on Saturday Night Live as a last minute replacement for the Sex Pistols, who were unable to get passports. This is perhaps the most infamous appearance that a band had on the show. There have been a few reasons thrown around as to why the band were not supposed to play the song “Radio Radio”. It has been said that his US record label wanted Costello to play an already known song “Less Than Zero” for an audience for better promotional purposes of the American release of My Aim is True and This Years Model. Another reason given was that SNL producer Lorne Michaels did not want the song to be broadcast because of its lyrics which negatively portrayed the commercialized state of radio and media, and also that it would put the show off schedule. Regardless of what happened, in true Punk Rock fashion Costello stopped the band from playing “Less Than Zero” after a few bars and then launched into a furious rendition of the then unreleased “Radio, Radio”. Costello was banned from the show for 25 years, until 1989. Also in 1999 as part of SNL’s 25th anniversary The Beastie Boys began playing “Sabotage” only to be stopped by Elvis Costello, they then ran through an energy high version of “Radio Radio”.

The Replacements – Bastards of Young (1986)

In January of 1986, The Minneapolis Punk band The Replacements appeared on Saturday Night Live to promote their new album Tim, released on Sire Records. They got banned after their performance, but it was due to a few factors. For one, they showed up wasted for their performance, the second thing that occurred was apparently during the performance of this song and the second song (“Kiss Me On The Bus”) the band were uttering profanities. While they may have been off mic and not heard very clearly, this was most definitely due to their inebriations. The most obvious slip was apparently before the solo of “Bastards of Young” where singer Paul Westerberg said the F-word to the audience. As a result, the band were banned from Saturday Night Live. In re-runs of the episode this part was edited out. Paul Westerberg appeared on the program later on to promote his solo career, redeeming himself.

The Specials – Gangsters (1980)

The Ska revival act The Specials appeared on Saturday Night Live in 1980. This performance was not controversial per-se, but rather a highly energetic and fascinating live moment that occurred in the TV show’s history. This version of the bands then single “Gangsters” featured a band jumping around with excitement and guitar solos that grip you and suck you in. The band is clearly on playing excellently, they would also perform the song “Too Much Too Young” in a similar fashion. After watching this performance you can see and feel the energy of not only Punk attitude, but Rock and Roll.

This Week's Play List:

1. The Dundrells - Big Chunk of Fudge
2. The Cassettes - Reverberate
3. The Dials - Get Up and Dance
4. Planet Smashers - Hippopotamus
5. The Specials - Gangsters (Live SNL)
6. Bob Marley - Punky Reggae Party
7. King Tubby - Dub Seven
8. Arctic Monkeys - The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala
9. Hooded Fang - ESP
10. Pink Mountaintops - Single Life
11. Invasions - Rat Bastard
12. The Davey Parker Radio Sound - I Gotta Know
13. Chang A-Lang - Listen Up Buttercup
14. Young Circles - 2012
15. Audrey and The Agents - Don't Think Twice
16. Sloan - I've Gotta Know
17. Luger Boa - New Hot Nights
18. Dirty Pretty Things - Run Fatboy Run
19. Harlem - Gay Human Bones
20. Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Radio Radio (Live SNL)
21. The Replacements - Bastards of Young (Live SNL)
22. Motorhead - Too Late, Too Late
23. Nick Lowe - American Squirm
24. Magazine - My Mind Ain't So Open

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for July 12. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Ghost Town...Show # 157

The Specials formed in 1977, in Coventry, England. Before they got to the name The Specials, the band went by other names first The Automatics, The Coventry Automatics, then Special AKA. The band consisted of Jerry Dammers (keyboards/vocals), Lynval Golding (gutar/vocals), Roddy Radiation (lead guitar), Sir Horrace Gentleman (bass), John Bradbury (drums), and Terry Hall on vocals as well. After being seen by Joe Strummer of The Clash, they were offered an opening position on the bands On Parole UK Tour. Opening for The Clash generated interest in the band, which in turn generated interest in the band from major record labels. Instead of signing to a major label, Dammers would start his own record label known as 2-Tone. The labels design would be black and white checks, the band would adopt a unique fashion sense, one of the 60s rude boys, which featured Mohair/2-tone suits, hats, and loafers. It wouldn't be long before fans would be dressing the same way. 

In 1979, the band released their first single on their label "Gangsters". The ska paced single would become a top ten hit. In 1979, the band would also release its first self tilted album, Specials. The 14 track album was produced by Elvis Costello, and it featured a variety of covers. "A Message To You Rudy" (Daddy Livingstone), "Monkey Man" (Toots and Maytals), and "Too Hot" (Prince Buster). The album was a ska revivalist album which featured British ska mixed with Jamacian Ska from the 60s, with the energy of punk. It started a Ska movement (other bands included in this were Madness, The Beat, and The Selector). The album would also blend in political ideas surrounding Britain at the time, most notably the track "Concrete Jungle" (borrowed from a line in a Bob Marley song), which described the violence in the cities of a Margret Thatcher run Britain. "Nite Klub" was a song obviously about the club scene in Britain, "Too Much Too Young" about teen marriage and pregnancy (also it was a #1 hit on the UK Charts), and "It Doesn't Make It Alright" an anti-racism song. The album is a ska classic.

The band would then tour, but also release a live EP called Too Much Too Young. More Specials came in 1980. This album would draw in more influences such as, New Wave, and Lounge. The actual album would reach # 5 on the UK Charts. The album would have guest appearances (Ronda Dakar, The Go-Gos, Lee Jay Thompson from Madness). "Enjoy Yourself" starts the album, it is a cover of a song from the 40s (it is a ska song with western sounding piano). "Man at C & A" is a reggae song slower featuring saxophone, building organs and horn sections. "Hey, Little Rich Girl" is a ska flavoured song featuring Lee Jay Thompson from Madness on Saxophone. Other greats include "Do Nothing" (a more pop influence track), "Pearl's Cafe" (a song featuring beach sounding keyboards), and "Stereotype" (an odd mix of ska and western cowboy sounding influence). While the group did bring in new influences on More Specials, the album proves to be just as vital as Specials.

In 1981 the band released the single "Ghost Town" a song about unemployment rates in Britain and race related violence. The song did so well it went to number one on the UK charts and stayed there for three straight weeks. After its release Neville Staple (the then drummer), Terry Hall (vocalist), and Lyvnal Golding (guitar) left the group to form Fun Boy Three. This would not stop Dammers from making music, he would add Stan Campbell (vocals) to the band and change the name of the band back to Special AKA. In 1984, In Studio would be released. The album would have some hits "Free Nelson Mandela" and "Racist Friend". The album was deeply political, after the final single was released "What I Like Most About You is Your Girlfriend", the group disbanded; Dammers would go on to pursue political causes.

Remaining members of Specials would go on to tour with The Beat to form The Special Beat a touring band, that formed in the early nineties. The Specials would also return in the late 90s to release three albums (minus Jerry Dammers). In 1996 Today's Specials was released, in 1998 Guilty Till Proven Innocent!, and in 2002 Conquering Ruler. The Song "Ghost Town" has been featured in some films, in Snatch (2000) and Shaun of the Dead (2004). Both films featured the song as some sort of introduction to either characters or the film. The Specials were a ska revivalist band that brought in the energy of 70s punk, they would later bring in more influences such as lounge, and new wave. The band still stands up as a great band (one of the best British Ska bands to come out of Britain) and their influence can be seen all over.

Play list:

1. The Saints – river deep mountain high
2. Radio Birdman – I-94
3. Teenage Head – you’re tearin' me apart
4. Gruesomes – what’s your problem?
5. Modernettes – I can only give you everything (live)
6. Standbys – withdrawn
7. Victims – disco junkies
8. Lurkers – I don’t need to tell her
9. Coventry Automatics – jay walker
10. The Specials – Friday night, Saturday morning
11. The Specials – international jet set
12. Madness – night boat to Cairo
13. The Beat – drowning
14. Toasters – night train to Moscow
15. Ugly Ducklings – gaslight
16. King Beez – Gloria
17. Bureaucrats – grown up age
18. Piranhas – green don’t suit me
19. Only Ones – city of fun
20. The Cure – I want to be old
21. The Damned – I fall
22. Ramones – swallow my pride
23. Ramones - gimme gimme shock treatment
24. The Clash – gates of the west
25. The Stooges – little doll

Videos:

A Message To You Rudy (OGWT 1979)
Gangsters Video
Ghost Town Video
Nite Klub (Live on Dance Craze 1980)
Friday Night, Saturday Morning Video
Monkey Man/Blank Expression (Live)