The Specials

The Specials: Protest Songs 1924-2012 review – genre-hopping calls to action
This selection of covers runs the gamut from Bob Marley to Frank Zappa and proves an excellent stop gap for the perennial activists
Damien Morris
26, Sep, 2021 @12:00 PM

Pork pie hats and politics: Coventry pays tribute to 2 Tone legacy
Major exhibition charts rise of record label that spawned musical and cultural movement in late 1970s
Jessica Murray Midlands correspondent
26, May, 2021 @1:45 PM

On the road with the trailblazing record label 2 Tone
Chalkie Davies’s 1979 shot of musicians from Madness, the Specials and the Selecter captures the cultural power of the emerging ska scene
Killian Fox
25, Apr, 2021 @6:00 AM

The Guardian view on two-tone nostalgia: the pride of Coventry | Editorial
Editorial: Britain’s city of culture for 2021 is rightly celebrating a musical movement that still carries a potent message
Editorial
11, Feb, 2021 @6:38 PM

Coventry to host Turner prize in city of culture year in 2021
City’s bid is ‘glimmer of hope’ for UK arts sector amid coronavirus crisis, say organisers
Lanre Bakare Arts and culture correspondent
21, Oct, 2020 @12:47 PM

The 100 greatest UK No 1s: 100-1
Look back on our complete countdown of the greatest UK No 1s, from the Beatles to Baby D, and So Solid Crew to Suzi Quatro
Ben Beaumont-Thomas, Alexis Petridis and Laura Snapes
05, Jun, 2020 @8:00 AM

The 100 greatest UK No 1s: No 2, The Specials – Ghost Town
The remarkable, dark power of this song, with its harrowing wail of a chorus, plunges you straight back into the anger, violence and despair of the early 80s
Alexis Petridis
04, Jun, 2020 @8:00 AM

The Specials review – veteran fighters strike a chord with young recruits
The highly influential band bring their 40-year campaign against injustice to a new generation of music fans
Caroline Sullivan
16, Apr, 2019 @11:42 AM

Ranking Roger obituary
Singer and frontman for the ska revival band the Beat
Peter Mason
27, Mar, 2019 @11:07 AM

The Specials reach No 1 in album charts for first time with Encore
Band’s latest release is their first album of new material in 37 years
Staff and agency
08, Feb, 2019 @8:41 PM

The Specials: ‘Respect people. Be kind to people. What else have we got?’
On the eve of their first album in four decades, 2 Tone’s finest talk to Miranda Sawyer and, further down, answer questions from readers and famous fans
Miranda Sawyer
03, Feb, 2019 @9:00 AM

The Specials: Encore review – a chequered mix of great and so-so | Alexis Petridis's album of the week
Terry Hall, Lynval Golding and Horace Panter are best when sounding both anthemic and doom-laden
Alexis Petridis
31, Jan, 2019 @12:00 PM
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