the Specials vs. the Special AKA
epidemic
Dailey) wrote:
> I just joined that BMG record club, and they sent me their little booklet of
> albums I can choose from. It has this 2-Tone collection, 2 cds, priced
> higher than in a store, but it's free for a new member such as myself. They
> list the artists on this as: The Specials, The Selecter, The Beat, Madness,
> Special A.K.A., etc. Is it just me, or weren't the Specials the same thing
> as the Special AKA? I thought the story was something like they were
> originally called the Specials but then they found out that name was already
> taken, so they called themselves the Special AKA, even though most people
> just called them the Specials <-- my cds say the Specials. Anyway, I know
> from looking at my This Are Two Tone cd that "Gangsters" is by the Special
> AKA, but "Rudi..." is by the Specials. So they are obviously the same, and I
> guess BMG didn't listen to the CD and find this out.
I have the 2-tone collection...A checkered past (I think thats what you're
talking about) and on the on the back specials songs are listed by either
the specials or the specials aka. Go fig. It isn't BMG, although BMG
does suck.
--
-epidemic
-http://www.tiac.net/users/epidemic
Barry Santini
> I just joined that BMG record club, and they sent me their little booklet
of
> albums I can choose from. It has this 2-Tone collection, 2 cds, priced
> higher than in a store, but it's free for a new member such as myself.
They
> list the artists on this as: The Specials, The Selecter, The Beat,
Madness,
> Special A.K.A., etc. Is it just me, or weren't the Specials the same thing
> as the Special AKA? I thought the story was something like they were
> originally called the Specials but then they found out that name was
already
> taken, so they called themselves the Special AKA, even though most people
> just called them the Specials <-- my cds say the Specials. Anyway, I know
> from looking at my This Are Two Tone cd that "Gangsters" is by the Special
> AKA, but "Rudi..." is by the Specials. So they are obviously the same, and
I
> guess BMG didn't listen to the CD and find this out.
>
> technically by Prince Buster. And a lot of other Specials songs are not
> originally by them. They did add lyrics to Gangsters, but "You're
Wondering
> Now" is basically the same as the Skatalites version. However, on my cds
it
> gives no credits to the original artists. Do I just have crappy versions
of
> them, or did they really not acknowledge where the songs came from?
>
> -Nate
>
> ""
The Specials are my favorite band, but I do have to agree they gave no
agknowledgement on the CD dust sleeves to the other bands. Oh well. . .
-alanna
>
James F. Dugan
>In article <dailen.11...@usenet.rpi.edu>, dai...@rpi.edu (Nate
>
>> I just joined that BMG record club, and they sent me their little
booklet of
>> albums I can choose from. It has this 2-Tone collection, 2 cds, priced
>> higher than in a store, but it's free for a new member such as myself.
They
>> list the artists on this as: The Specials, The Selecter, The Beat,
Madness,
>> Special A.K.A., etc. Is it just me, or weren't the Specials the same
thing
>> as the Special AKA? I thought the story was something like they were
>> originally called the Specials but then they found out that name was
already
>> taken, so they called themselves the Special AKA, even though most
people
>> just called them the Specials <-- my cds say the Specials. Anyway, I
know
>> from looking at my This Are Two Tone cd that "Gangsters" is by the
Special
>> AKA, but "Rudi..." is by the Specials. So they are obviously the same,
and I
>> guess BMG didn't listen to the CD and find this out.
>
>
>talking about) and on the on the back specials songs are listed by either
>the specials or the specials aka. Go fig. It isn't BMG, although BMG
>does suck.
>
>--
>-epidemic
>-http://www.tiac.net/users/epidemic
>
OK, the Specials were originally the Coventry Automatics, then they became
the Special AKA, which was their name when they released the 7'' Too Much
Too Young which is what the later Gangsters single is taken from. The
album version is different. Then they became the Specials. To make matter
more confusing, when Terry and Neville and Lynval left, they became the
Special AKA again, and released In the Studio.
Jim Dugan
_______________________________________
Welcome to the '90's. Knowledge is product.
NEWSPK
to make it sound better. The group changed it back after Terry left for
reasons i do not know. Later.
News
mor...@yin.earlham.edu
epid...@tiac.net (epidemic) writes:
>In article <dailen.11...@usenet.rpi.edu>, dai...@rpi.edu (Nate
>Dailey) wrote:
>
>> I just joined that BMG record club, and they sent me their little booklet of
>> albums I can choose from. It has this 2-Tone collection, 2 cds, priced
>> higher than in a store, but it's free for a new member such as myself. They
>> list the artists on this as: The Specials, The Selecter, The Beat, Madness,
>> Special A.K.A., etc. Is it just me, or weren't the Specials the same thing
>> as the Special AKA? I thought the story was something like they were
>> originally called the Specials but then they found out that name was already
>> taken, so they called themselves the Special AKA, even though most people
>> just called them the Specials <-- my cds say the Specials. Anyway, I know
>> from looking at my This Are Two Tone cd that "Gangsters" is by the Special
>> AKA, but "Rudi..." is by the Specials. So they are obviously the same, and I
>> guess BMG didn't listen to the CD and find this out.
They explain this either in the booklet to "A checkered past" or in "The 2 tone
story". I can't remember which. Originally, the band was called "the
Automatics" (or "the Coventry Automatics", or something like that) until they
found out there was already a band by that name. At that point, they changed
the name to "the Special AKA the Automatics", and then dropped the second half
because it was too long. Hence, "the Special AKA". Then they released
"Gangsters". After Chrysalis picked them up, they changed the name to "the
Specials", except that for some reason they put out the live "Too much too
young" 7" as "the Special AKA". I don't remember WHY they did that; it might
have been some kind of contractual thing with the label. After the Specials
broke up, about half of them kept playing as the Special AKA, which is why so
much of the stuff on disc 2 of "a checkered past" is listed as "the Special
AKA" instead of "the Specials". No, I'm not a big history geek. I just
remember, is all. I haven't picked up the book in years, I swear to god.
Morgan.
PS. In "the 2 tone story", the author mentions running into a "rude girl"
who thought the "AKA" in "the special AKA" was the name of the kind of music
they played. Apparently, she had a giant "AKA" patch on the back of her parka.
ja...@uno.edu
In article <dailen.11...@usenet.rpi.edu>, dai...@rpi.edu (Nate Dailey) writes:
>I just joined that BMG record club, and they sent me their little booklet of
>albums I can choose from. It has this 2-Tone collection, 2 cds, priced
>higher than in a store, but it's free for a new member such as myself. They
>list the artists on this as: The Specials, The Selecter, The Beat, Madness,
>Special A.K.A., etc. Is it just me, or weren't the Specials the same thing
>as the Special AKA? I thought the story was something like they were
>originally called the Specials but then they found out that name was already
>taken, so they called themselves the Special AKA, even though most people
>just called them the Specials <-- my cds say the Specials. Anyway, I know
>from looking at my This Are Two Tone cd that "Gangsters" is by the Special
>AKA, but "Rudi..." is by the Specials. So they are obviously the same, and I
>guess BMG didn't listen to the CD and find this out.
>
>and here's another question: anyway, Gangsters (or "Al Capone") is
>technically by Prince Buster. And a lot of other Specials songs are not
>originally by them. They did add lyrics to Gangsters, but "You're Wondering
>Now" is basically the same as the Skatalites version. However, on my cds it
>gives no credits to the original artists. Do I just have crappy versions of
>them, or did they really not acknowledge where the songs came from?
>
>-Nate
>
As far as I know, The Specials started out as the Automatics, and that name was
taken. they changed their name to Specials AKA, then just the specials.
The reason that credit isn't given where it is due is two-fold. Firstly, the
songs are kind of standards, and there wasn't the royalty laws that there are
now. Joe "the Bus Boy"
>""
Glenn Higginbotham
As for the many names that they went under it seens like you get the
answer. If you want more details try the "Two Tone Story" by George
Marshall (A great book covering the two tone era's main players). As far
as crediting the original artists of the cover songs they DID! If you
get a hold of the original vinyl (TT5001 in the UK) you will see credit
given to the song writers. It IS odd that Chrysalis omited such info when they
re-issued the albums on CD here in the US. They did the same for More
Specials also. The vinyl (both US and UK-TT5003) has the proper credits
while the tape and CD don't(US at least). I noticed they did the same with
The Selecter's two albums. The original ones and not the crap to come out as
of late. Hope this answers your question. In BMG's defense they didn't
change the credits on that double disc set as far as the artists, it is
correct.
Glenn
*****************************************************************************
*****************************************************************************
Glenn Higginbotham Computer Science Major
Modesto, CA, USA California State Universtiy Stanislaus
e-mail: ghig...@altair.csustan.edu Turlock, CA
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none
>If you want more details try the "Two Tone Story" by George
>Marshall (A great book covering the two tone era's main players).
is this book still in press? I'd love a copy...
if its not, anyone want to work out a trade or something?
tyler