The Specials / Free 12 track Live CD in this weeks Sunday Times 5/07/2009

[funboy]

Plus and Interview with the band in the Culture Magazine

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/commercial/article6629512.ece

Funboy1

[jason]

This really is the end of The Specials legacy. The band that recorded
tracks like Rat Race and Ghost Town are now a freebie in a Sunday
Times supplement.

[Stav]

OK Jason. We all get it that you are not in favour of the reunion but give it a bloody rest will you. Im getting sick of reading your crap about how much you dislike them now. I missed them first time round and I am grateful to be able to them perform live again even if it is only 6 of them. I think at Brixton they were outstanding and At Glastonbury they were good also.

 

Give it a bloody rest.

---

From: jason <ja...@2-tone.info>
To: 2-tone forum <2-tone...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, 4 July, 2009 9:46:07
Subject: [2-tone-forum] Re: The Specials / Free 12 track Live CD in this weeks Sunday Times 5/07/2009

[jason]

On Jul 4, 12:12 pm, Stav <nuttyboys...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
> OK Jason. We all get it that you are not in favour of the reunion but give it a bloody rest will you. Im getting sick of reading your crap about how much you dislike them now. I missed them first time round and I am grateful to be able to them perform live again even if it is only 6 of them. I think at Brixton they were outstanding and At Glastonbury they were good also.
>
> Give it a bloody rest.
>

------------------------------------------------------------

Here's a suggestion Stav: If my post annoy so much, don't read them.

Believe it or not this is a forum, as in a place for open discussion.
Still seems to be an alien concept for some, but there you go.....

[Paul Rodgers]

I don't keep up with newspapers any more.

 

Is the Times still an intensely Tory rag?

 

If so this would give Jason good grounds for his latest rant.

 

 

 

Paul Rodgers

[Jon Russell]

I agree with Paul and Jason here. I’ve enjoyed the reunion for the pure nostalgia of it and whilst I can appreciate the arguments as to why it dented the bands reputation I didn’t feel it particularly harmed it. People wanted to see it, the timing was right politically and it’s been performed with energy, intensity and vigour that defies the bands age.

 

Having concert recordings given away in a Murdoch owned New Tory paper though gives the reunion as much credibility as Spandau Ballets or New Kids on the Block.

 

From: 2-tone...@googlegroups.com [mailto:2-tone...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Paul Rodgers
Sent: 04 July 2009 13:23
To: 2-tone...@googlegroups.com
Subject: [2-tone-forum] Re: The Specials / Free 12 track Live CD in this weeks Sunday Times 5/07/2009

 

I don't keep up with newspapers any more.

 

Is the Times still an intensely Tory rag?

 

If so this would give Jason good grounds for his latest rant.

 

 

 

Paul Rodgers

 

----- Original Message -----

From: Stav

To: 2-tone...@googlegroups.com

Sent: Saturday, July 04, 2009 12:12 PM

Subject: [2-tone-forum] Re: The Specials / Free 12 track Live CD in this weeks Sunday Times 5/07/2009

 

OK Jason. We all get it that you are not in favour of the reunion but give it a bloody rest will you. Im getting sick of reading your crap about how much you dislike them now. I missed them first time round and I am grateful to be able to them perform live again even if it is only 6 of them. I think at Brixton they were outstanding and At Glastonbury they were good also.

 

Give it a bloody rest.

From: jason <ja...@2-tone.info>
To: 2-tone forum <2-tone...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, 4 July, 2009 9:46:07
Subject: [2-tone-forum] Re: The Specials / Free 12 track Live CD in this weeks Sunday Times 5/07/2009

This really is the end of The Specials legacy.  The band that recorded
tracks like Rat Race and Ghost Town are now  a freebie in a Sunday
Times supplement.

<BR

[Paul Rodgers]

One of my friends (shall I name drop?) said to me a couple of years back that if you could have said to the 1985 (or was it 86?) Red Wedge Tour performing Suggs "you'll be giving CDs away free in the Mail On Sunday" in 20 something years" he would have told you "nah, go sober up, you silly Charlie" or words to that effect...

[Stav]

Jason.

 

I know this is an open forum. It is not an alien concept to me as I am on many forums. I know everyone is entitled to an opinion and I didnt mean to cause any offence. But, Every time the Specials do something, you slate them. As I am on a few forums, I dont look at who sent messages as I usually just press next when checking my emails.

You carry on slating them, and I will try my best to ignore it. But for someone that is meant to be a fan of The Specials, you dont act like it by slating there every move just because they have reformed.

 

Like I said, we are all enititled to an opinion. You can air your views as much as you like. I only said give it a rest because I myself am fed up with reading all the negativity from you, but if everyone else enjoys it, Then you carry on.

 

No harm intended

 

Stav

---

From: jason <ja...@2-tone.info>
To: 2-tone forum <2-tone...@googlegroups.com>

Sent: Saturday, 4 July, 2009 12:26:29

Subject: [2-tone-forum] Re: The Specials / Free 12 track Live CD in this weeks Sunday Times 5/07/2009

[funboy]

I think it's great what The Specials are doing because they are giving
fans another chance to see them live in concert that didn't get the
chance first time round. and they are healing wounds between
themselves and if Jerry want's out that's up to him. this Reunion
won't last very long anyway because I'm sure the members want to get
back to doing there own thing and with no plans of new recordings they
can't go on playing the same songs for the rest of there lives. so
when it does end at least they will part on good terms this time.
regarding the free cd tomorrow The Specials Messages are in the Lyrics
so if only one person who hasn't herd of The Specials before learns
something from them that has to mean something.

Funboy1

[Brian Greene]

this is what I had to say about the sunday times (irl) editorial last sunday

http://search.twitter.com/search?q=sunday+times+briangreene

how well does this murdoch title fit with the specials message? the
medium is the message (Marshall McLuhan) meaning that the form of a
medium embeds itself in the message, creating a symbiotic relationship
by which the medium influences how the message is perceived. true blue
neo liberal immigrant skeptic capitalist loving sunday times.

the whole music industry biz model has been ruptured by technology,
helped along by debasing the product with free CDs on newspapers, the
fact that the specials have done a deal on a cover CD is no big thing,
but it shows that the medium choice was very poor indeed if they
bothered to care about the message & not the MON€Y.

if the Specials (as they are constituted now or managed) don't respect
their own message why would anyone respect them?

bfn bhg

[Paul Rodgers]

You'll be pleased to know that the whole issue of cover mounted CDs is being
reconsidered by the newspapers as apparently the CDs generate very little
(if any) extra revenue through sales..

From Music Week this week:



Mail On Sunday cools covermounts enthusiasm

Monday June 22, 2009

By Ben Cardew

The Mail on Sunday’s enthusiasm for giving away free music via covermounted
CDs appears to be on the wane, with new management conceding that its
recently launched record label may be sidelined and that CD promotions are
no longer its number one promotional tool.

The newspaper had under the previous management been regarded as the king of
CD covermounts. But, according to new Mail on Sunday managing director
Marcus Rich, Mail On Sunday Sounds (MOSS) may be mothballed and covermounts
will need to prove their worth as marketing tools in the recession while the
newspaper examines new tools.

Rich was appointed managing director of the paper in January. He replaced
Stephen Miron, who is now Global Radio chief executive and who became known
for his zeal in pursuing often controversial covermount promotions, such as
the paper’s giveaway of Prince’s Planet Earth album.

Rich, who was used to dealing with covermounts in previous roles at Bauer
Lifestyle Magazines and Bauer Advertising at Bauer Consumer Media, appears
to be less enthusiastic about the marketing benefits.

He also appears notably more conciliatory towards the industry than his
predecessor, who enjoyed a high-profile – if fractious – relationship with
the music industry. “The relationship with the music industry concerns me
because they are also advertisers. It is very important that the
entertainment category works with and supports the media,” says Rich.

However, he is not advocating a wholesale about turn on CD promotions and
confirms the paper will continue to give away CDs. “Covermounts in terms of
CDs continue to prove viable when it is a case of sampling customers and we
continue to look at different ways of marketing the title,” Rich explains,
adding the Mail On Sunday is currently doing fewer covermount CD promotions
as it is “testing other marketing channels”.

He adds, “They are appropriate to appropriate times and other marketing
channels are appropriate to appropriate times. There is a danger in anything
that you continue for a long time, whether it is price cuts or CDs, that the
consumer becomes a bit blasé.”

Rich acknowledges that CD promotions can be expensive for the paper – Prince
was said to have received more than $1m (£0.61m) for the Planet Earth
giveaway – and this is especially relevant in the current advertising
slowdown.

“We are always looking at ways to improve marketing efficiency. Each
promotion will be analysed in terms of its marketing potential and
promotional effect,” he explains. “They [CD covermounts] are relatively
costly but then all marketing channels are.”

There has recently been some movement in the newspaper world away from
physical covermounts, with the Sunday Times – arguably second to the Mail On
Sunday among UK papers in terms of CD giveaways – gifting a Noel Gallagher
live album via iTunes, while Upfront Promotions, which organised the Prince
deal, linked with iTunes to become its exclusive supplier of newspaper
digital promotions.

One factor driving this has been environmental concerns over pressing 3m
CDs, many of which ultimately end up as landfill. Rich says this is not
particularly a concern at the paper, however, which last year launched a
campaign against disposable plastic bags. “One does the best they can to
ensure that there is less wastage,” he explains, adding that the paper has
“sophisticated techniques” to reduce wastage on promotions.

Rich also suggests that the paper’s record label, Mail On Sunday Sounds
(MOSS), launched last December to release a single by the ACM Gospel Choir,
may be mothballed. “It was an interesting scenario but now the primary issue
is the continued marketing of newspapers,” he explains.

Paul Rodgers



----- Original Message -----
From: "Brian Greene" <br...@doop.ie>
To: <2-tone...@googlegroups.com>

Sent: Saturday, July 04, 2009 11:40 PM
Subject: [2-tone-forum] Re: The Specials / Free 12 track Live CD in this
weeks Sunday Times 5/07/2009

[dwas]

I have said my piece about why i think Jason is wrong in the past but
he is entitled to his opinion.

I have never bought into this big thing about 'a message' and i think
the majority of fans don't.

Music should be 'Music' good or bad, if there is a message in a song
that hits a chord with someone then great!

But.....i loved The Specials because i enjoyed the music and still
do.

When i was 16 i used to go on about people selling out (but it is a
rather childish thing to go on about now).

I was too young to see them first time around and to have seen them
this time was an experience i never thought i would have.

Let's get one thing straight they have reformed for two reasons
only.......to have fun and make money.

Just let them do that.!

Dave

[jason]

On Jul 4, 11:40 pm, Brian Greene <br...@doop.ie> wrote:

> this is what I had to say about the sunday times (irl) editorial last sunday
>
> http://search.twitter.com/search?q=sunday+times+briangreene
>
> how well does this murdoch title fit with the specials message? the
> medium is the message (Marshall McLuhan) meaning that the form of a
> medium embeds itself in the message, creating a symbiotic relationship
> by which the medium influences how the message is perceived. true blue
> neo liberal immigrant skeptic capitalist loving sunday times.
>
> the whole music industry biz model has been ruptured by technology,
> helped along by debasing the product with free CDs on newspapers,  the
> fact that the specials have done a deal on a cover CD is no big thing,
> but it shows that the medium choice was very poor indeed if they
> bothered to care about the message & not the MON€Y.
>

------------------------------------------------------------

Well said Brian. By doing this Sunday Times supplement it is safe to
say that the Specials name and brand has been well and truly been
neutered and sanitised.

[Jon Russell]

The legacy of the Specials and Two Tone is its message. I don't see how anyone can strip the message out of Specials and still hold them in such high regard. You do that and you end up with Bad Manners or Judge Dread. Or far worse. Look what happened to UB40 when they ignored the message to go in search of the money. They ended up on a par with Mini Vanilli.

I wonder what Jerry Dammers thinks of Ghost Town being given away free to Sunday Times readers?

-----Original Message-----
From: 2-tone...@googlegroups.com [mailto:2-tone...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of dwas
Sent: 05 July 2009 13:54
To: 2-tone forum
Subject: [2-tone-forum] Re: The Specials / Free 12 track Live CD in this weeks Sunday Times 5/07/2009

[Paul Rodgers]

Regardless of the opinions on this, the free CD is in NEXT Sunday's Times.

Paul

[Jon Russell]

Although Mini Vanilli sounds like a plausible S Club Juniors kind of offshoot, it was in fact a typo. Sorry.

-----Original Message-----
From: Jon Russell [mailto:jr.jon...@gmail.com]
Sent: 05 July 2009 14:52
To: '2-tone...@googlegroups.com'
Subject: RE: [2-tone-forum] Re: The Specials / Free 12 track Live CD in this weeks Sunday Times 5/07/2009

The legacy of the Specials and Two Tone is its message. I don't see how anyone can strip the message out of Specials and still hold them in such high regard. You do that and you end up with Bad Manners or Judge Dread. Or far worse. Look what happened to UB40 when they ignored the message to go in search of the money. They ended up on a par with Mini Vanilli.

I wonder what Jerry Dammers thinks of Ghost Town being given away free to Sunday Times readers?

-----Original Message-----
From: 2-tone...@googlegroups.com [mailto:2-tone...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of dwas
Sent: 05 July 2009 13:54
To: 2-tone forum

Subject: [2-tone-forum] Re: The Specials / Free 12 track Live CD in this weeks Sunday Times 5/07/2009

[Jon Russell]

One way of bumping your circulation by a few thousand for two weeks in a row
I suppose.

Good thinking, Rupert.

-----Original Message-----
From: 2-tone...@googlegroups.com [mailto:2-tone...@googlegroups.com]

[jason]

On Jul 5, 2:55 pm, "Paul Rodgers" <pled...@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote:
> Regardless of the opinions on this, the free CD is in NEXT Sunday's Times.
>
> Paul

------------------------

I would presume that this CD scuttles the idea of any other official
release from the tour.

[jason]

>  Let's get one thing straight they have reformed for two reasons
> only.......to have fun and make money.
>
>  Just let them do that.!
>
>  Dave

-----------------------------------------------------------

That is exactly it. And good luck to them. Just don't dress it up as
anything else. 'This (is) our pension - simple as that' to quote
Neville Staple. The attempts to marry this tour with the current
recession and the supposed rise of the Far Right (the BNP may have got
2 MEPs elected but the actual number of vote didn't increase) is pure
marketing hype. The recorded intro to the Bestival performance was a
cringe worthy example of this.

[dwas]

It only seems to be a few fans that dress it up.......the guys are
only playing music!
The whole message thing gets blown up.....yes, there may have been a
message 30 years ago but
that was 30 years ago.....(whether it is relevant today or not is
neither here nor there).
Music is primarily made to be enjoyed as such, any message soon
becomes secondary.
Did people buy Ghost Town for the message or because it's a good
song!!!

Bad Manners & UB40 continued to make music long after they were
popular and relevant....i doubt very much The Specials
will be recording new material and so there is no comparison.

[Paul Rodgers]

I go to see them because I'm a big Terry Hall fan who has followed him since
The Specials. I hope he doesn't end up making new music under the name
Specials, because his writing style is now vastly different to what it was
30 years ago.

This may be their pension, but I hope it doesn't mean they retire now as
individuals. Looking forward a year or so I'd like to see Terry doing a solo
album, with The Specials reunion put away for a few years. Don't want them
to split up, but it is far too soon to even consider new material (they've
said this themselves).

Madness took 7 years of sporadic reformations to make a new album, which
didn't damage their reputation. It took them 17 years to make one which
properly enhanced it. In between they were a brilliant live band, playing
when they wanted to. No reason why The Specials can't do the same.

Paul Rodgers


----- Original Message -----

From: "dwas" <daves...@btinternet.com>
To: "2-tone forum" <2-tone...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, July 05, 2009 7:46 PM
Subject: [2-tone-forum] Re: The Specials / Free 12 track Live CD in this
weeks Sunday Times 5/07/2009

[jason]

>
> It only seems to be a few fans that dress it up.......the guys are
> only playing music!
> The whole message thing gets blown up.....yes, there may have been a
> message 30 years ago but
> that was 30 years ago.....(whether it is relevant today or not is
> neither here nor there).
> Music is primarily made to be enjoyed as such, any message soon
> becomes secondary.
> Did people buy Ghost Town for the message or because it's a good
> song!!!
>

-------------------------------------------------------

I can understand what you are saying. Some music has a message
attached to it and people can either listen to it or simply ignore
it. What makes 2 Tone stand out from the crowd was that the message
was far from subtle. The Specials were as much a political animal as
they were musical. Would Ghost Town still be held in such esteem today
if it had banal pop lyrics attached to it? If it had, it would have
simply been yet another reggae based tune to reach No1 in the charts.
A great tune, but just another one to add to the list. The lyrics and
timing to Ghost Town are it's crowning glory and ranks it along side
God Save The Queen by the Sex Pistols in terms of social commentary
and catching the mood of a large section of the population at a
specific moment in history.

[funboy]

The Specials / Man at C & A

Warning, warning, nuclear attack
Atomic sounds designed to blow your mind
World war three - Nuclear attack
Rocking atomically - This third world war - Atomic sounds

The man in black he told me the latest Moscow news about the storm
across the red sea
They drove their ball point views

I'm the man in grey, I'm just the man at C & A
And I don't have a say in the war games that they play

Warning, warning, nuclear attack
Shark attack to hit you on your back
World war three

The Mickey Mouse badge told the Ayatollah at his feet
You drink your oil you schmuck, we'll eat our heads of wheat

I'm the man in grey, I'm just the man at C & A
And I don't have a say in the war games that they play

Boom shakalaka boom
Nuclear nuclear, nuclear war
Warning, warning, nuclear attack
The boom never ban
Shark attack

Funboy1

[jason]

It's difficult to ignore the message behind Man at C & A. Chirpy
Chirpy Cheep Cheep it isn't.

[Paul Rodgers]

Sometimes the message got a little bit lost in the midst of fucking horrible
lyrics.

Little Bitch springs immediately to mind.

I wonder what message Jerry was trying to let the world know that one? He
hates women with ginger hair tied in a bun? Pathetic.

Most of the time he was spot on, but once or twice he was just naive or just
plain stupid.

Paul Rodgers


----- Original Message -----

From: "jason" <ja...@2-tone.info>
To: "2-tone forum" <2-tone...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Monday, July 06, 2009 6:39 PM
Subject: [2-tone-forum] Re: The Specials / Free 12 track Live CD in this
weeks Sunday Times 5/07/2009


>

[jason]

On Jul 6, 6:45 pm, "Paul Rodgers" <pled...@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote:
> Sometimes the message got a little bit lost in the midst of fucking horrible
> lyrics.
>
> Little Bitch springs immediately to mind.
>
> I wonder what message Jerry was trying to let the world know that one? He
> hates women with ginger hair tied in a bun? Pathetic.
>
> Most of the time he was spot on, but once or twice he was just naive or just
> plain stupid.
>
> Paul Rodgers
>

----------------------------------------------------------

Well, he did say that he wrote all his lyrics from personal
experiences, so I take it the did know a particular woman who tied her
ginger hair back in a bun and was the ugliest creature under the sun..

[dwas]

On Jul 6, 3:49 pm, jason <ja...@2-tone.info> wrote:

I do agree Jason and perhaps Ghost Town was not a good example to
give!
I am speaking from a personal perspective from when i was growing up
and
also from taking a few non-fans to the recent gigs.

When i was a kid, none of us ever talked about a message in the music
it was just great music.
I think the message is/was only important to those individuals who
were/are
part of a movement or caught directly in the issues mentioned.

The media is largely responsible for keeping that message going and
for
making those records huge hits....God Save The Queen for example.

Many people, including fans that use the 2-tone sites, didn't know the
lyrics
(as seem on many forum threads over the years) and Man at C&A is a
fine
example. It has been my favourite song for 25 years but i never knew
the
proper lyrics til a few years ago.

Can i just thank all the main contributors to this forum over the
years for the
un-biased views posted. I find it difficult to post anything slightly
negative about
The Specials on the Specials2.com site without being sworn at!

[semi2tone]

hi everybody!
as i live in spain i can´t buy this newspaper and I was wondering if
someone from th uk could please buy a copy with the cd for me and send
it to me. I´ll pay both postage and the newspaper!!!
if someone would do this favour to me please send me an email:
el_s...@yahoo.es
thank you very much!!!!
josemi

> > Chirpy Cheep Cheep it isn't.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

[jason]

On Jul 9, 2:00 pm, semi2tone <mylifeislikeajig...@yahoo.es> wrote:
> hi everybody!
> as i live in spain i can´t buy this newspaper and I was wondering if
> someone from th uk could please buy a copy with the cd for me and send
> it to me. I´ll pay both postage and the newspaper!!!
> if someone would do this favour to me please send me an email:

> el_sem...@yahoo.es

> thank you very much!!!!
> josemi
>

------------------------------------------------

Don't worry. At least on blog site has promised to post the Sunday
Times live CD as soon as it is available so you will have no problem
getting hold of it.

[jason]

> I do agree Jason and perhaps Ghost Town was not a good example to
> give!
> I am speaking from a personal perspective from when i was growing up
> and
> also from taking a few non-fans to the recent gigs.
>
> When i was a kid, none of us ever talked about a message in the music
> it was just great music.
> I think the message is/was only important to those individuals who
> were/are
> part of a movement or caught directly in the issues mentioned.
>

-----------------------------------------------

I became aware that the Specials had a bit more to say than most bands
when I first heard the Specials debut album at the end of 1979. Do
the Dog was the track that did it for me. NONE of the punks bands
from Northern Ireland in the 70s ever sang lyrics like 'Who am I to
say? To the IRA To the UDA' (fear of being shot at may have been as
good a reason as any for not mentioning paramilitary groups in a
song). To me this was seriously edgy stuff. And when Smash Hits
published the lyrics of Too Much Too Young in January 1980 I knew
that this was no ordinary pop band.

Part of the reason I don't agree with the re-union is that sense of
excitement and edginess that went hand and hand with the band is lost
and can never be repeated.