THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

372-Specials-Ghost Town.

1981-Number 1 single.

Best Bit-At 1.50. The song was hailed by the contemporary UK music press as a major piece of social commentary. All of the top three music magazines of the time (‘Melody Maker,’ ‘NME,’ and ‘Sounds’) awarded ‘Ghost Town’ the accolade of ‘Single of the Year for 1981.’

The Specials, who were also known as The Special AKA, (see also best songs 924) were formed in Coventry, England, in 1977. The classic lineup, and those who performed on ‘Ghost Town’ were, John Bradbury, (1953-2015) (drums) Roddy Radiation, (guitar) Jerry Dammers, (keyboards) Lynval Golding, (guitar) Terry Hall, (1959-2022) (lead vocals) Horace Painter, (bass) and Neville Staple (vocals.) This was the last song recorded by this lineup as musical differences led to Staple, Golding, and Hall, leaving in order to form ‘The Fun Boy Three.’ The Specials reformed in 1982 as ‘Special AKA,’ adding new members, and remained active for the next two years. There was a re-union in 1993 when Radiation, Staple, Golding, and Panter collaborated with Desmond Dekker (1941-2006) (see also best songs 122) on his ‘King of Kings’ Album. There was further activity between 1996-2001, and then in 2008 Terry Hall officially returned to the group. After the death of Terry Hall in 2022, Horace Panter confirmed that the Specials had ceased to be following Hall’s death. He stated, ‘It would be ludicrous to tour without Terry, so yes, that’s definitely the end of the Specials.’

The discography of the Specials includes nine studio Albums released between 1979-2021, and 25 singles released between 1979-2019, there are also five extended plays, (EP’s) one collaboration Album, 10 official compilation Albums, and six live Albums available. In the UK, five of their studio Albums have reached the top 40, with their eighth Album ‘Encore,’ reaching Number 1 in 2019. The Specials have had 10 top 40 hit singles, with ‘Too Much Too Young,’ (1980) and ‘Ghost Town,’ (1981) both making the Number 1 position. The Specials never managed to make a breakthrough in America as their danceable rhythms of ‘Ska,’ and ‘Rocksteady,’ with the energy and attitude of ‘Punk,’ never found a place on American radio, although their music would become an influence for many American bands when ‘Ska’ finally became popular in the States in the 1990’s, with the next generation of artists.

‘Ghost Town’ was issued as a stand alone single, on June 12th, 1981, it was written by Jerry Dammers, with the production being by John Collins, who also produced the songs two official ‘B’ sides, ‘Why?’ and ‘Friday Night, Saturday Morning.’ Jerry Dammers was born Jeremy David Hounsell Dammers, on May 22nd, 1955, in Ootacamund, Tamil Nadu, South India, in 2014 he received the ‘South African Order of the Companions of O. R. Tambo in silver award,’ (GCOT) a national honour, for his role in the anti-apartheid movement. Jerry Dammers has said, ‘It feels fantastic. It is a real honour to be considered for this, especially when I compare what little I did to the work of those who sacrificed their lives, I am humbled.’ As well as co-founding the Specials with whom he remained a member until 1981, he was also the founder of ‘2 Tone Records’ in 1979. Jerry Dammers has said that anti-racism was a key element in the forming of the Specials, with black and white, and multi racial group members being a statement of what they stood for. ‘2 Tone Records’ launched the careers of groups such as ‘Madness,’ the ‘Beat,’ and the ‘Selecter,’ and it was Jerry Dammers’ suggestions for the adoption of retro 1960’s ‘Mod/Rude Boy’ clothes which were a key element in starting the Ska revival of the late 1970’s, and the Two Tone Ska/Punk sound specifically. It was Jerry Dammers, with the assistance of Horace Panter, and graphic designer John ‘Teflon’ Sims, who developed the iconic ‘Walt Jabsco’ logo (a man in a black suit, white shirt, black tie, pork pie hat, white socks and black loafers) to represent the Two-Tone genre. The logo was based on an early Album cover photo of the Jamaican Reggae musician Peter Tosh, (1944-1987) and included an added black-and-white check pattern.

‘Ghost Town’ was partly influenced by recession hit Britain, and the long lasting effects it would leave. While on tour with the Specials Jerry Dammers observed what was happening, he has said, ‘In Liverpool all the shops were shuttered up, everything was closing down. In Glasgow there were little old ladies on the streets selling their household goods.’ Dammers has also said that the song had a personal meaning as well, ”Ghost Town’ was about the breakup of the Specials, it just appeared hopeless, but I just didn’t want to write about my state of mind, so I tried to relate it to the country as a whole.’ The lyrics ‘All the clubs have been closed down,’ refer to the ‘Locarno’ club in the band’s home city of Coventry, a venue where Neville Staple and Lynval Golding frequented. The building which housed the club is now ‘Coventry Central Library.’

The summer of 1981 saw many riots breakout all over the UK, some commentators linked those events with this song. Terry Hall said, ‘When we recorded Ghost Town we were talking about 1980’s riots in Bristol, and Brixton. The fact that it became popular when it did was just a weird coincidence.’ Also not everyone was pleased in Coventry, where some residents were angry at the characterisation of their city as a town in decline.

‘Do you remember the good old days before the ghost town? We danced and sang, and the music played in natty boom town.’