The Specials
The Specials were the first band of the 2-Tone era in Britain during the late '70s and early '80s. Led by keyboardist Jerry Dammers, the band consisted of Terry Hall on lead vocals, Neville Staple on vocals and percussion, Lynval Golding on rhythm guitar and vocals, Roddy "Radiation" Byers on lead guitar, Sir Horace Gentleman (aka Horace Panter) on bass, and John Bradbury on drums.
During their active years from 1979 to 1981, The Specials released seven singles, two of which ("Too Much Too Young" & "Ghost Town") reached #1 in the UK charts. However, amidst widespread street violence in major cities across the country, they disbanded when "Ghost Town" topped the charts on July 11th, 1981.
Afterwards, Jerry Dammers and John Bradbury continued as The Special AKA until 1985. Horace Panter also remained involved to some extent. Roddy Byers left but made a guest appearance on one single. Meanwhile, Terry Hall, Neville Staple, and Lynval Golding formed Fun Boy Three.
![Album artwork for Specials [40th Anniversary Half-Speed Master Edition] by The Specials](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.roughtrade.com%2Fmedia%2Fthumbnails%2Fproducts%2Fa2d17072-62eb-4ef0-8f4f-9ed706015c35_thumbnail_1024.webp&w=3840&q=100 "The Specials - Specials [40th Anniversary Half-Speed Master Edition]")
