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The single had two B-sides, each written by a different member of the Specials. "Why?" is a plea for racial tolerance and was written by guitarist Lynval Golding in response to a violent racist attack he had suffered in July 1980 outside the Moonlight Club in West Hampstead in London, which had left him hospitalised with broken ribs.
- Odd, Eerie Song
- Strange Music Video
- Not A Dance Track
It’s an odd, eerie song, nodding to pop convention and sitting wilfully outside of it. It’s included, in passing, in Dorian Lynskey’s beautifully written book on protest songs, “33 Revolutions Per Minute”, but unlike the band’s “Free Nelson Mandela” does not merit its own chapter. Perhaps because “Ghost Town” cannot be “placed”. It’s not explicitly...
Its audio-visual manifestation was also strange. The music video was directed by Barney Bubblesand filmed in the East End of London, Blackwell Tunnel and a before-hours City of London. Opening with upshots of brutalist grey tower blocks to the sound of those Hammond organ chords and flute, it seems as though there is no one in town but The Specials...
So what did those fight-ready Skinheads do in those small town discos when “Ghost Town” came on? Not moonstomping, not smooching. This was not a dance track. It wasn’t the “romantic” one the DJ played at the end of the night. When “Ghost Town” played, the Skinheads sang along with Terry Hall, smiled manically and screeched. They joined into to the ...
May 10, 2020 · Ghost Town was written by Jerry Dammers. Born in India, but raised in Coventry, he met future Specials founder member, Horace Panter, whilst studying art at Lanchester Polytechnic (later...
Formed in 1977, the group became pioneers of a cross-cultural sound that fused the languor of reggae music with the raw anger of punk. Meanwhile the founding by their chief...
Jun 17, 2011 · Released on 20 June 1981 against a backdrop of rising unemployment, its blend of melancholy, unease and menace took on an entirely new meaning when Britain's streets erupted into rioting almost...
Dec 25, 2023 · “Ghost Town,” released in 1981, was the second UK number one for The Specials. It also marked the end of their original lineup before they split into two. The song was a reflection of the major problems Britain was facing at the time, addressing issues such as urban decay, deindustrialization, unemployment, and violence in inner cities.
Jun 12, 2024 · The Specials' Ghost Town hit the top of the UK charts in the summer of 1981, marking the collapse of a country under strain and flagging frustrations and injustices that burn on to this day.
