The Specials

The Specials

122626 fans

What makes a protest song? The Specials should know. First time around, back when the 70s were lurching into the 80s, they sang of racism, war, unemployment and the rough edges of urban life, and never in the same way twice. As the multiracial flagship of the 2 Tone movement, they made a political statement every time they stepped on stage. June 2021 saw the 40th anniversary of their last and greatest protest song, Ghost Town, a record that will retain its eerie power as long as there are concrete jungles, empty dancehalls and desperate spasms of violence.

It's fitting, then, that in 2021 the Specials are releasing Protest Songs 1924-2012, an unpredictable collection of unique takes which celebrates the long history and endless versatility of the form, from folk to post-punk, from righteous uplift to biting satire, and from Kingston to Alabama. It’s a potent reminder that there are no fixed rules to templates for a protest song. All that’s required is the combination of something that needs to be said with music that needs to be heard. “People have been using music as a vehicle for protest since time immemorial,” says bass-player Horace Panter. “Injustice is timeless.”

The album grew out of a very strange period during which, as we all know, nothing went according to plan. In February 2020, Horace got together with Terry Hall, Lynval Golding and co-producer Nikolaj Torp Larsen to start work on a reggae record — their first album since 2019’s chart-topping Encore. Within days, though, Lynval and Nikolaj fell ill with what they later realised was Covid-19, closely followed by Horace.

The album was put on ice as Lynval flew home to Seattle and Terry was unable to write lyrics. “Terry has to go away to write songs,” explains Horace. “He needs that physical separation from his house just to concentrate on the work and of course he wasn’t able to do that. It was weird for a good three months.”

During the first lockdown, the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis radiated shockwaves of protest and debate around the world. So when the band were able to meet again over the summer, Terry suggested that they make a different kind of record as a response to recent events.

“2020 was the year of protest, wasn’t it?” says Horace. “It was in the air. The hardest part of the whole record was deciding what songs to use.” Following the musical liberation of Encore, genre was no obstacle. Each song demands a different arrangement or tone of voice. “We thought, let’s throw out the musical constraints of the Specials. There’s not a tonic suit or Fred Perry in sight. We don’t want to deny our past, because that enables us to do what we do now, but we have our own creative minds to make up.”

The trio started by picking some personal favourites. The Mothers of Invention’s Trouble Every Day appeared on 1966’s Freak Out!, the first album that Horace ever bought. The apocalyptically sardonic Everybody Knows is by Leonard Cohen, one of Terry’s heroes, while Lynval was keen to sing Bob Marley’s deathless rebel song Get Up, Stand Up. Terry and Horace were both huge fans of their contemporaries Talking Heads, hence Listening Wind from Remain in Light.

Great protest songs may spring to life in a specific time and place but they hit upon a larger truth which enables them to resonate across the years and miles. “Trouble Every Day was about the Watts riots in 1965 but it immediately came to mind with what was happening in 2020,” says Horace, turning to an example from the Special’s own catalogue. “People in every major city in England think that Ghost Town was written about them.”

The Specials didn’t want to stick to the acknowledged classics, so they spent months combing YouTube, Spotify and books for songs they had never heard before, or had long forgotten. Certain themes emerged organically. Racism, of course, from Big Bill Broonzy’s angry 1938 blues Black, Brown and White to the Staple Singers’ stirring Freedom Highway, written for the marches from Selma to Montgomery in 1965. The Dixie Jubilee Singers first recorded the spiritual Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Us Around in 1924 but it was the civil rights movement that tweaked the lyrics and made it an anthem. Soldiers Who Want to Be Heroes is another example of a song that found its true calling after the fact. Written by the poet Rod McKuen in 1963, it was rerecorded three years later, during the dog days of the Vietnam war.

Folk singer Malvina Reynolds, best known for Little Boxes, provides two spiky odes to the contributions of ordinary people: I Live in a City and I Don’t Mind Failing in This World: “Don’t mind wearing the ragged britches/ ‘Cause those who succeed are the sons of bitches.” And because the Specials have always had a taste for black comedy, they’ve chosen two deliciously cranky songs of complaint by bluesman Jerry McCain (My Next Door Neighbor) and Wild Thing writer Chip Taylor (Fuck All the Perfect People). “Terry said, ‘I’ve found this song, listen to this,’” Horace remembers. “We all sat there open-mouthed.”

In May 2021, the Specials reconvened at Eastcote Studios in west London with their regular bandmates Nikolaj Torp Larsen on keyboards, Kenrick Rowe on drums and Steve Cradock on guitar. Hannah Hu, a young singer from Bradford, fronts Listening Wind and sings back-up on Freedom Highway and Everybody Knows. “We hadn’t played for a year and a half so to be all be playing in a room together at the same time was an absolute joy,” says Horace. “It was a big deal.” All being well, they’ll be back on the road from 28 August, putting songs from the new album in dialogue with their own.

It's human nature to feel like the problems we are dealing with right now are unique and unprecedented but we usually have more in common with previous generations than we think. The urge to rail against what is wrong with the world and suggest how it could be better is as old as song. Protest Songs 1924-2012 is an idiosyncratic version of that history, born out of extreme circumstances and guided by the personalities of Terry, Horace and Lynval. The story continues.

The Specials – Still Pissed Off.

Top tracks

15
Ghost Town
The Specials
Stereo-Typical: A's, B's & Rarities
03:39
01
A Message to You Rudy (2002 Remaster)
The Specials
The Specials (2002 Remaster)
02:52
01
Man at C&A (Live from the Cathedral)
The Specials
Live from the Cathedral
04:07
Writer: Terry Hall - Jerry Dammers / Composers: Terry Hall - Jerry Dammers
09
Gangsters (Re-Recorded)
The Specials
Greatest Hits (Re-Recorded)
03:16
Composers: Jerry Dammers - Terry Hall - Lynval Golding - Stephen Graham Panter - Neville Egunton Staples - John Edward Bradbury - Roderick James Byers
02
Rat Race (Live from the Cathedral)
The Specials
Live from the Cathedral
03:24
Writer: Roddy Byers / Composers: Roddy Byers
22
Ghost Town (Live from the Cathedral)
The Specials
Live from the Cathedral
09:07
Writer: Jerry Dammers / Composers: Jerry Dammers
03
Friday Night, Saturday Morning (2021 Remaster)
The Specials
Ghost Town (2021 Remaster)
03:35
05
Embarrassed By You (Live from the Cathedral)
The Specials
Live from the Cathedral
03:44
Writer: Terry Hall - Horace Panter - Lynval Golding - Nikolaj Torp Larsen - Mark Adams / Composers: Terry Hall - Horace Panter - Lynval Golding - Nikolaj Torp Larsen - Mark Adams
08
The Lunatics (Live from the Cathedral)
The Specials
Live from the Cathedral
03:48
Writer: Terry Hall - Lynval Golding - Neville Staples / Composers: Terry Hall - Lynval Golding - Neville Staples
04
Friday Night Saturday Morning (Live from the Cathedral)
The Specials
Live from the Cathedral
04:14
Composers: Terry Hall
01
Ghost Town (Re-Recorded)
The Specials
Ghost Town - Greatest Hits (Re-Recorded Versions)
03:20
Composers: Jerry Dammers
08
It's You (Re-Recorded)
The Specials
Greatest Hits (Re-Recorded)
03:14
Composers: Kendell Smith - Thomas Lowry - Neville Staple - Sheena Staple
12
Get Up, Stand Up
The Specials
Protest Songs 1924 – 2012
04:07
Writer: Bob Marley - Peter Tosh / Composers: Bob Marley - Peter Tosh
09
Do Nothing (Live from the Cathedral)
The Specials
Live from the Cathedral
03:48
Writer: Lynval Golding / Composers: Lynval Golding
05
You're Wondering Now (Re-Recorded)
The Specials
Greatest Hits (Re-Recorded)
02:24
Composers: Skatalites - Andy - Joey
03
Vote For Me (Live from the Cathedral)
The Specials
Live from the Cathedral
05:16
Writer: Terry Hall - Horace Panter - Lynval Golding - Nikolaj Torp Larsen / Composers: Terry Hall - Horace Panter - Lynval Golding - Nikolaj Torp Larsen
03
Ghost Town (Re-Recorded)
The Specials
And Friends (Re-Recorded)
05:16
Composers: Jerry Dammers
02
Guns of Navarone (Live)
The Specials
The Specials (Deluxe Version)
02:20
17
Monkey Man (Live from the Cathedral)
The Specials
Live from the Cathedral
02:53
Writer: Frederick Hibbert / Composers: Frederick Hibbert
06
Blank Expression (Live from the Cathedral)
The Specials
Live from the Cathedral
02:20
Writer: Terry Hall - Horace Panter - Lynval Golding - John Bradbury - Roddy Radiation - Jerry Dammers - Neville Staples / Composers: Terry Hall - Horace Panter - Lynval Golding - John Bradbury - Roddy Radiation - Jerry Dammers - Neville Staples
07
10 Commandments
The Specials
Encore (Deluxe)
03:53
Writer: Terry Hall - Lynval Golding - Horace Panter - Nikolaj Torp Larsen - Saffiyah Khan / Composers: Terry Hall - Lynval Golding - Horace Panter - Nikolaj Torp Larsen - Saffiyah Khan
06
Fuck All The Perfect People
The Specials
Protest Songs 1924 – 2012
04:05
Writer: James Wesley Voight / Composers: James Wesley Voight
24
You're Wondering Now (Live from the Cathedral)
The Specials
Live from the Cathedral
04:19
Writer: Clement Seymour Dodd / Composers: Clement Seymour Dodd
06
Blam Blam Fever
The Specials
Encore (Deluxe)
02:46
Writer: Earl Grant - V E Grant / Composers: Earl Grant - V E Grant
04
The Lunatics
The Specials
Encore (Deluxe)
03:35
Writer: Terry Hall - Lynval Golding - Neville Eugenton Staple / Composers: Terry Hall - Lynval Golding - Neville Eugenton Staple
03
A Message to Rudy (Re-Recorded)
The Specials
Ghost Town - Greatest Hits (Re-Recorded Versions)
02:47
Composers: Robert Livingstone Thompson
09
Take It Easy
Desmond Dekker
King Of Kings
02:38
Writer: Hopeton Lewis / Composers: Hopeton Lewis
10
Blam Blam Fever (Live from the Cathedral)
The Specials
Live from the Cathedral
03:06
Writer: Winston Earl Grant / Composers: Winston Earl Grant
19
Too Much Too Young (Live from the Cathedral)
The Specials
Live from the Cathedral
03:37
Writer: Jerry Dammers / Composers: Jerry Dammers
20
B.L.M (Live from the Cathedral)
The Specials
Live from the Cathedral
07:06
Writer: Terry Hall - Horace Panter - Lynval Golding - Nikolaj Torp Larsen / Composers: Terry Hall - Horace Panter - Lynval Golding - Nikolaj Torp Larsen
05
Dancing Mood
Desmond Dekker
King Of Kings
03:04
Writer: Ray Whitley / Composers: Ray Whitley
01
Black Skin Blue Eyed Boys
The Specials
Encore (Deluxe)
03:17
Writer: Eddy Grant / Composers: Eddy Grant
18
Gangsters (Live from the Cathedral)
The Specials
Live from the Cathedral
03:18
Writer: Terry Hall - Horace Panter - Lynval Golding - Roddy Byers - Jerry Dammers - Neville Staples - John Bradbury / Composers: Terry Hall - Horace Panter - Lynval Golding - Roddy Byers - Jerry Dammers - Neville Staples - John Bradbury
04
Leave It Out (Re-Recorded)
The Specials
Greatest Hits (Re-Recorded)
03:30
Composers: Kendell Smith - Thomas Lowry - Neville Staple - Sheena Staple
07
Doesn't Make It Alright (Live from the Cathedral)
The Specials
Live from the Cathedral
03:52
Writer: Terry Hall - Horace Panter - Lynval Golding - Jerry Dammers - John Bradbury - Neville Staples - Roddy Byers / Composers: Terry Hall - Horace Panter - Lynval Golding - Jerry Dammers - John Bradbury - Neville Staples - Roddy Byers
01
Sammy Dead
Desmond Dekker
King Of Kings
02:51
Writer: Eric Morris - Byron Lee / Composers: Eric Morris - Byron Lee
05
Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Us Around
The Specials
Protest Songs 1924 – 2012
03:46
Writer: Traditional / Composers: Traditional
10
I Live In A City
The Specials
Protest Songs 1924 – 2012
02:20
Writer: Malvina Reynolds / Composers: Malvina Reynolds
07
Running Away (Re-Recorded)
The Specials and Fun Boy Three
The Very Best of the Specials and Fun Boy Three (Re-Recorded Versions)
02:48
Composers: Kendell Smith - Thomas Lowry - Neville Staple - Sheena Staple
02
Call Me Names
The Specials
Guilty 'Til Proved Innocent! (Expanded Edition)
02:47
Writer: Roddy Byers - Lynval Golding - Neville Staple - Horace Panter - Harrington Bembridge - Adam Birch - Jon Read - Mark Adams / Composers: Roddy Byers - Lynval Golding - Neville Staple - Horace Panter - Harrington Bembridge - Adam Birch - Jon Read - Mark Adams
05
Bonediggin'
The Specials
Guilty 'Til Proved Innocent! (Expanded Edition)
04:39
Writer: Lynval Golding - Neville Staple - Horace Panter - Mark Adams - Harrington Bembridge - Adam Birch - Jon Read - Jack Marshall - Bob Mosher - Roddy Byers / Composers: Lynval Golding - Neville Staple - Horace Panter - Mark Adams - Harrington Bembridge - Adam Birch - Jon Read - Jack Marshall - Bob Mosher - Roddy Byers
03
Rude Boy's Out Of Jail (Re-Recorded)
The Specials
Greatest Hits (Re-Recorded)
02:13
Composers: Staples - Golding - Gentlemen
01
Freedom Highway
The Specials
Protest Songs 1924 – 2012
03:24
Writer: Roebuck Staples / Composers: Roebuck Staples
21
We Sell Hope (Live from the Cathedral)
The Specials
Live from the Cathedral
05:31
Writer: Terry Hall - Horace Panter - Lynval Golding - Nikolaj Torp Larsen / Composers: Terry Hall - Horace Panter - Lynval Golding - Nikolaj Torp Larsen
11
A Message To You Rudy (Live from the Cathedral)
The Specials
Live from the Cathedral
03:02
Composers: Robert Thompson
16
Concrete Jungle (Live from the Cathedral)
The Specials
Live from the Cathedral
03:51
Writer: Roddy Byers / Composers: Roddy Byers
10
Simmer Down (Demo) [Re-Recorded]
The Specials
Greatest Hits (Re-Recorded)
04:08
Composers: Bob Marley
13
A Message To You Rudy
Die Toten Hosen
"Trink aus, wir müssen gehen!“ + Bonusalbum "Alles muss raus!“
03:03
Writer: Robert Livingstone Thompson / Composers: Robert Livingstone Thompson
11
Soldiers Who Want To Be Heroes
The Specials
Protest Songs 1924 – 2012
02:51
Writer: Rod McKuen / Composers: Rod McKuen
01
Man At C&A (Re-Recorded)
The Specials
Greatest Hits (Re-Recorded)
02:50
Composers: The Specials
11
King Of Kings
Desmond Dekker
King Of Kings
03:00
Writer: Jimmy Cliff / Composers: Jimmy Cliff
09
Monkey Man
The Specials
Too Much Too Young
02:44
03
I Don't Mind Failing In This World
The Specials
Protest Songs 1924 – 2012
04:40
Writer: Malvina Reynolds / Composers: Malvina Reynolds
12
Stereotype (Live from the Cathedral)
The Specials
Live from the Cathedral
06:22
Writer: Jerry Dammers / Composers: Jerry Dammers
08
Embarrassed By You
The Specials
Encore (Deluxe)
03:05
Writer: Terry Hall - Lynval Golding - Horace Panter - Nikolaj Torp Larsen - Mark Adams / Composers: Terry Hall - Lynval Golding - Horace Panter - Nikolaj Torp Larsen - Mark Adams
09
Listening Wind
The Specials
Protest Songs 1924 – 2012
04:05
Writer: Brian Eno - David Byrne / Composers: Brian Eno - David Byrne
08
Trouble Every Day
The Specials
Protest Songs 1924 – 2012
05:04
Writer: Frank Zappa / Composers: Frank Zappa
03
Easy Snappin'
Desmond Dekker
King Of Kings
02:34
Writer: Theo Beckford / Composers: Theo Beckford
07
King Of Ska
Desmond Dekker
King Of Kings
02:53
Writer: Desmond Dacres / Composers: Desmond Dacres
11
Too Hot (Re-Recorded)
The Specials
Greatest Hits (Re-Recorded)
02:56
Composers: Cecil Campbell
04
Carry Go Bring Home
Desmond Dekker
King Of Kings
02:54
Writer: Justin Hinds / Composers: Justin Hinds
19
Gangsters
The Specials
Guilty 'Til Proved Innocent! (Expanded Edition)
03:54
Writer: Roddy Byers - John Bradbury - Jerry Dammers - Lynval Golding - Terry Hall - Stephen Graham Panter - Neville Staple / Composers: Roddy Byers - John Bradbury - Jerry Dammers - Lynval Golding - Terry Hall - Stephen Graham Panter - Neville Staple
12
Rude Boy Gone Jail (Demo) [Re-Recorded]
The Specials
Greatest Hits (Re-Recorded)
04:35
Composers: Staples - Golding - Gentlemen
02
Everybody Knows
The Specials
Protest Songs 1924 – 2012
05:23
Writer: Sharon Robinson - Leonard Cohen / Composers: Sharon Robinson - Leonard Cohen
03
Skinhead Symphony: Long Shot Kick de Bucket / Liquidator / Skinhead Moon Stomp (Live)
The Specials
The Specials (Deluxe Version)
06:38
02
B.L.M
The Specials
Encore (Deluxe)
05:05
Writer: Terry Hall - Lynval Golding - Horace Panter - Nikolaj Torp Larsen / Composers: Terry Hall - Lynval Golding - Horace Panter - Nikolaj Torp Larsen
07
My Next Door Neighbor
The Specials
Protest Songs 1924 – 2012
02:33
Writer: Jerry McCain / Composers: Jerry McCain
13
10 Commandments (Live from the Cathedral)
The Specials
Live from the Cathedral
06:54
Writer: Terry Hall - Horace Panter - Lynval Golding - Saffiyah Khan - Nikolaj Torp Larsen / Composers: Terry Hall - Horace Panter - Lynval Golding - Saffiyah Khan - Nikolaj Torp Larsen
02
Fat Man
Desmond Dekker
King Of Kings
02:43
Composers: Derrick Morgan
07
Monkey Man (Live At Le Bataclan)
The Specials
Encore (Deluxe)
02:38
Writer: Frederick Hibbert / Composers: Frederick Hibbert
04
It's You
The Specials
Guilty 'Til Proved Innocent! (Expanded Edition)
03:08
Writer: Smith - Neville Staple - Lowry / Composers: Smith - Neville Staple - Lowry
23
Breaking Point (Live from the Cathedral)
The Specials
Live from the Cathedral
04:23
Writer: Terry Hall - Horace Panter - Lynval Golding - Nikolaj Torp Larsen / Composers: Terry Hall - Horace Panter - Lynval Golding - Nikolaj Torp Larsen
14
Nite Klub (Live from the Cathedral)
The Specials
Live from the Cathedral
05:07
Writer: Terry Hall - Horace Panter - Lynval Golding - Roddy Byers - Jerry Dammers - Neville Staples - John Bradbury / Composers: Terry Hall - Horace Panter - Lynval Golding - Roddy Byers - Jerry Dammers - Neville Staples - John Bradbury
09
The Life And Times (Of A Man Called Depression)
The Specials
Encore (Deluxe)
05:27
Writer: Terry Hall - Lynval Golding - Horace Panter - Nikolaj Torp Larsen / Composers: Terry Hall - Lynval Golding - Horace Panter - Nikolaj Torp Larsen
03
Nite Klub (Live At The Troxy)
The Specials
Encore (Deluxe)
04:57
Writer: Lynval Golding - John Bradbury - Roddy Byers - Jerry Dammers - Terence Edward Hall - Stephen Graham Panter - Neville Staple / Composers: Lynval Golding - John Bradbury - Roddy Byers - Jerry Dammers - Terence Edward Hall - Stephen Graham Panter - Neville Staple
04
Black, Brown And White
The Specials
Protest Songs 1924 – 2012
02:57
Writer: Big Bill Broonzy / Composers: Big Bill Broonzy
17
Rat Race
The Specials
Guilty 'Til Proved Innocent! (Expanded Edition)
02:57
Writer: Roddy Byers - Roddy Radiation / Composers: Roddy Byers - Roddy Radiation
10
Ghost Town (Live At Le Bataclan)
The Specials
Encore (Deluxe)
05:40
Writer: Jerry Dammers / Composers: Jerry Dammers
06
Humpty Dumpty
Desmond Dekker
King Of Kings
02:40
Writer: Morris / Composers: Morris
03
Vote For Me
The Specials
Encore (Deluxe)
05:01
Writer: Terry Hall - Lynval Golding - Horace Panter - Nikolaj Torp Larsen / Composers: Terry Hall - Lynval Golding - Horace Panter - Nikolaj Torp Larsen
05
You Stood Me Up
The Specials
Rare Soul: Groove & Grind 1963-1973
02:43
Writer: The Specials / Composers: The Specials
13
Ghost Town (Extended 12" Mix) [Re-Recorded]
The Specials
Ghost Town - Greatest Hits (Re-Recorded Versions)
05:15
Composers: Jerry Dammers
15
Do The Dog (Live from the Cathedral)
The Specials
Live from the Cathedral
02:15
Writer: Rufus Thomas / Composers: Rufus Thomas
01
The Lunatics (Live at Coventry Cathedral, July 2019)
The Specials
Protest Songs 1924 – 2012
04:01
Writer: Terry Hall - Lynval Golding - Roebuck Staples / Composers: Terry Hall - Lynval Golding - Roebuck Staples
04
Friday Night, Saturday Morning (Live At Le Bataclan)
The Specials
Encore (Deluxe)
03:16
Writer: Terry Hall / Composers: Terry Hall
11
All The Time In The World (Live At The Troxy)
The Specials
Encore (Deluxe)
03:15
Writer: Hal David - John Barry / Composers: Hal David - John Barry
01
Gangsters (Live At Le Bataclan)
The Specials
Encore (Deluxe)
03:13
Writer: Terry Hall - John Bradbury - Lynval Golding - Roddy Byers - Jerry Dammers - Neville Staples - Stephen Graham Panter / Composers: Terry Hall - John Bradbury - Lynval Golding - Roddy Byers - Jerry Dammers - Neville Staples - Stephen Graham Panter
01
Bright Lights (2015 Remaster)
The Specials
In the Studio (Deluxe Version)
04:12
05
Breaking Point
The Specials
Encore (Deluxe)
03:55
Writer: Terry Hall - Lynval Golding - Horace Panter - Nikolaj Torp Larsen / Composers: Terry Hall - Lynval Golding - Horace Panter - Nikolaj Torp Larsen
10
We Sell Hope
The Specials
Encore (Deluxe)
04:33
Writer: Terry Hall - Lynval Golding - Horace Panter - Nikolaj Torp Larsen / Composers: Terry Hall - Lynval Golding - Horace Panter - Nikolaj Torp Larsen
01
Tears In My Beer
The Specials
Guilty 'Til Proved Innocent! (Expanded Edition)
03:30
Writer: Roddy Byers / Composers: Roddy Byers
01
Nite Klub (Film Soundtrack Version)
The Specials
Dance Craze (Deluxe Edition)
03:19
02
A Message To You, Rudy (Live At Le Bataclan)
The Specials
Encore (Deluxe)
02:51
Composers: Robert Thompson
01
A Message To You Rudy (Re-Recorded) [Sped Up]
The Specials
A Message To You Rudy (Re-Recorded) (Sped Up) - Single
01:58
Composers: Robert Livingstone Thompson
08
Racist Friend (2015 Remaster)
The Specials
In the Studio (Deluxe Version)
03:49

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  • Discography
Albums
Live from the Cathedral
℗ 2026 Universal Music Operations Limited
10-07-2026
Live from the Cathedral
01
Man at C&A (Live from the Cathedral)
The Specials
Live from the Cathedral
04:07
Writer: Terry Hall - Jerry Dammers / Composers: Terry Hall - Jerry Dammers
02
Rat Race (Live from the Cathedral)
The Specials
Live from the Cathedral
03:24
Writer: Roddy Byers / Composers: Roddy Byers
03
Vote For Me (Live from the Cathedral)
The Specials
Live from the Cathedral
05:16
Writer: Terry Hall - Horace Panter - Lynval Golding - Nikolaj Torp Larsen / Composers: Terry Hall - Horace Panter - Lynval Golding - Nikolaj Torp Larsen
04
Friday Night Saturday Morning (Live from the Cathedral)
The Specials
Live from the Cathedral
04:14
Composers: Terry Hall
05
Embarrassed By You (Live from the Cathedral)
The Specials
Live from the Cathedral
03:44
Writer: Terry Hall - Horace Panter - Lynval Golding - Nikolaj Torp Larsen - Mark Adams / Composers: Terry Hall - Horace Panter - Lynval Golding - Nikolaj Torp Larsen - Mark Adams
06
Blank Expression (Live from the Cathedral)
The Specials
Live from the Cathedral
02:20
Writer: Terry Hall - Horace Panter - Lynval Golding - John Bradbury - Roddy Radiation - Jerry Dammers - Neville Staples / Composers: Terry Hall - Horace Panter - Lynval Golding - John Bradbury - Roddy Radiation - Jerry Dammers - Neville Staples
07
Doesn't Make It Alright (Live from the Cathedral)
The Specials
Live from the Cathedral
03:52
Writer: Terry Hall - Horace Panter - Lynval Golding - Jerry Dammers - John Bradbury - Neville Staples - Roddy Byers / Composers: Terry Hall - Horace Panter - Lynval Golding - Jerry Dammers - John Bradbury - Neville Staples - Roddy Byers
Access the complete album info (24 songs)
Protest Songs 1924 – 2012
℗ 2021 Universal Music Operations Limited
10-10-2020
Protest Songs 1924 – 2012
01
Freedom Highway
The Specials
Protest Songs 1924 – 2012
03:24
Writer: Roebuck Staples / Composers: Roebuck Staples
02
Everybody Knows
The Specials
Protest Songs 1924 – 2012
05:23
Writer: Sharon Robinson - Leonard Cohen / Composers: Sharon Robinson - Leonard Cohen
03
I Don't Mind Failing In This World
The Specials
Protest Songs 1924 – 2012
04:40
Writer: Malvina Reynolds / Composers: Malvina Reynolds
04
Black, Brown And White
The Specials
Protest Songs 1924 – 2012
02:57
Writer: Big Bill Broonzy / Composers: Big Bill Broonzy
05
Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Us Around
The Specials
Protest Songs 1924 – 2012
03:46
Writer: Traditional / Composers: Traditional
06
Fuck All The Perfect People
The Specials
Protest Songs 1924 – 2012
04:05
Writer: James Wesley Voight / Composers: James Wesley Voight
07
My Next Door Neighbor
The Specials
Protest Songs 1924 – 2012
02:33
Writer: Jerry McCain / Composers: Jerry McCain
Access the complete album info (14 songs)
Encore (Deluxe)
℗ 2019 Universal Music Operations Limited
01-02-2019
Encore (Deluxe)
01
Black Skin Blue Eyed Boys
The Specials
Encore (Deluxe)
03:17
Writer: Eddy Grant / Composers: Eddy Grant
02
B.L.M
The Specials
Encore (Deluxe)
05:05
Writer: Terry Hall - Lynval Golding - Horace Panter - Nikolaj Torp Larsen / Composers: Terry Hall - Lynval Golding - Horace Panter - Nikolaj Torp Larsen
03
Vote For Me
The Specials
Encore (Deluxe)
05:01
Writer: Terry Hall - Lynval Golding - Horace Panter - Nikolaj Torp Larsen / Composers: Terry Hall - Lynval Golding - Horace Panter - Nikolaj Torp Larsen
04
The Lunatics
The Specials
Encore (Deluxe)
03:35
Writer: Terry Hall - Lynval Golding - Neville Eugenton Staple / Composers: Terry Hall - Lynval Golding - Neville Eugenton Staple
05
Breaking Point
The Specials
Encore (Deluxe)
03:55
Writer: Terry Hall - Lynval Golding - Horace Panter - Nikolaj Torp Larsen / Composers: Terry Hall - Lynval Golding - Horace Panter - Nikolaj Torp Larsen
06
Blam Blam Fever
The Specials
Encore (Deluxe)
02:46
Writer: Earl Grant - V E Grant / Composers: Earl Grant - V E Grant
07
10 Commandments
The Specials
Encore (Deluxe)
03:53
Writer: Terry Hall - Lynval Golding - Horace Panter - Nikolaj Torp Larsen - Saffiyah Khan / Composers: Terry Hall - Lynval Golding - Horace Panter - Nikolaj Torp Larsen - Saffiyah Khan
Access the complete album info (21 songs)
Ghost Town - Greatest Hits (Re-Recorded Versions)
(P) 2009 Cleopatra Records
01-04-2009
Ghost Town - Greatest Hits (Re-Recorded Versions)
01
Ghost Town (Re-Recorded)
The Specials
Ghost Town - Greatest Hits (Re-Recorded Versions)
03:20
Composers: Jerry Dammers
02
Man at C&A (Re-Recorded)
The Specials
Ghost Town - Greatest Hits (Re-Recorded Versions)
02:51
Composers: The Specials
03
A Message to Rudy (Re-Recorded)
The Specials
Ghost Town - Greatest Hits (Re-Recorded Versions)
02:47
Composers: Robert Livingstone Thompson
04
Rude Boy's Outta Jail (Re-Recorded)
The Specials
Ghost Town - Greatest Hits (Re-Recorded Versions)
02:14
Composers: Staples - Golding - Gentlemen
05
Leave It Out (Re-Recorded)
The Specials
Ghost Town - Greatest Hits (Re-Recorded Versions)
03:31
Composers: Kendell Smith - Thomas Lowry - Neville Staple - Sheena Staple
06
You're Wondering Now (Re-Recorded)
The Specials
Ghost Town - Greatest Hits (Re-Recorded Versions)
02:25
Composers: Skatalites - Andy - Joey
07
Running Away (Re-Recorded)
The Specials
Ghost Town - Greatest Hits (Re-Recorded Versions)
02:48
Composers: Kendell Smith - Thomas Lowry - Neville Staple - Sheena Staple
Access the complete album info (13 songs)
And Friends (Re-Recorded)
(P) 2007 Cleopatra Records
15-01-2008
And Friends (Re-Recorded)
01
A Message To Rudy (Re-Recorded)
The Specials
And Friends (Re-Recorded)
02:47
Composers: Robert Livingstone Thompson
02
One Step Beyond (Re-Recorded)
Inspector 7
And Friends (Re-Recorded)
02:05
Composers: Cecil Campbell
03
Ghost Town (Re-Recorded)
The Specials
And Friends (Re-Recorded)
05:16
Composers: Jerry Dammers
04
Wild Child (Re-Recorded)
The Untouchables
And Friends (Re-Recorded)
04:16
Composers: Jerry Dammers
05
Simmer Down (Re-Recorded)
The Specials
And Friends (Re-Recorded)
04:08
Composers: Bob Marley
06
Too Hot (Re-Recorded)
The Specials
And Friends (Re-Recorded)
02:56
Composers: Cecil Campbell
07
Dance To The Music (Re-Recorded)
Fishbone's Angelo Moore
And Friends (Re-Recorded)
03:02
Composers: Sylvester Stewart
Access the complete album info (15 songs)
Greatest Hits (Re-Recorded)
(P) 2006 Fantastic Price Records
18-07-2006
Greatest Hits (Re-Recorded)
01
Man At C&A (Re-Recorded)
The Specials
Greatest Hits (Re-Recorded)
02:50
Composers: The Specials
02
A Message To Rudy (Re-Recorded)
The Specials
Greatest Hits (Re-Recorded)
02:47
Composers: Robert Livingstone Thompson
03
Rude Boy's Out Of Jail (Re-Recorded)
The Specials
Greatest Hits (Re-Recorded)
02:13
Composers: Staples - Golding - Gentlemen
04
Leave It Out (Re-Recorded)
The Specials
Greatest Hits (Re-Recorded)
03:30
Composers: Kendell Smith - Thomas Lowry - Neville Staple - Sheena Staple
05
You're Wondering Now (Re-Recorded)
The Specials
Greatest Hits (Re-Recorded)
02:24
Composers: Skatalites - Andy - Joey
06
Running Away (Re-Recorded)
The Specials
Greatest Hits (Re-Recorded)
02:47
Composers: Kendell Smith - Thomas Lowry - Neville Staple - Sheena Staple
07
Ghost Town (Re-Recorded)
The Specials
Greatest Hits (Re-Recorded)
05:16
Composers: Jerry Dammers
Access the complete album info (12 songs)
The Very Best of the Specials and Fun Boy Three (Re-Recorded Versions)
(P) 2001 Cleopatra Records
01-01-2000
The Very Best of the Specials and Fun Boy Three (Re-Recorded Versions)
01
Our Lips Are Sealed
The Specials and Fun Boy Three
The Very Best of the Specials and Fun Boy Three (Re-Recorded Versions)
03:46
Composers: Jane Weidlin - Terry Hall
02
Man At C&A (Re-Recorded)
The Specials and Fun Boy Three
The Very Best of the Specials and Fun Boy Three (Re-Recorded Versions)
02:52
Composers: The Specials
03
A Message to You Rudy (Re-Recorded)
The Specials and Fun Boy Three
The Very Best of the Specials and Fun Boy Three (Re-Recorded Versions)
02:49
Composers: Robert Livingstone Thompson
04
Rude Boy's Outta Jail (Re-Recorded)
The Specials and Fun Boy Three
The Very Best of the Specials and Fun Boy Three (Re-Recorded Versions)
02:15
Composers: Staples - Golding - Gentlemen
05
Leave It Out (Re-Recorded)
The Specials and Fun Boy Three
The Very Best of the Specials and Fun Boy Three (Re-Recorded Versions)
03:31
Composers: Kendell Smith - Thomas Lowry - Neville Staple - Sheena Staple
06
You're Wondering Now (Re-Recorded)
The Specials and Fun Boy Three
The Very Best of the Specials and Fun Boy Three (Re-Recorded Versions)
02:26
Composers: Skatalites - Andy - Joey
07
Running Away (Re-Recorded)
The Specials and Fun Boy Three
The Very Best of the Specials and Fun Boy Three (Re-Recorded Versions)
02:48
Composers: Kendell Smith - Thomas Lowry - Neville Staple - Sheena Staple
Access the complete album info (15 songs)
Guilty 'Til Proved Innocent! (Expanded Edition)
℗ 2018 UMG Recordings, Inc.
24-03-1998
Guilty 'Til Proved Innocent! (Expanded Edition)
01
Tears In My Beer
The Specials
Guilty 'Til Proved Innocent! (Expanded Edition)
03:30
Writer: Roddy Byers / Composers: Roddy Byers
02
Call Me Names
The Specials
Guilty 'Til Proved Innocent! (Expanded Edition)
02:47
Writer: Roddy Byers - Lynval Golding - Neville Staple - Horace Panter - Harrington Bembridge - Adam Birch - Jon Read - Mark Adams / Composers: Roddy Byers - Lynval Golding - Neville Staple - Horace Panter - Harrington Bembridge - Adam Birch - Jon Read - Mark Adams
03
Fearful
The Specials
Guilty 'Til Proved Innocent! (Expanded Edition)
02:19
Writer: Roddy Byers - Lynval Golding - Neville Staple - Mark Adams - Harrington Bembridge - Adam Birch - Jon Read - Horace Panter / Composers: Roddy Byers - Lynval Golding - Neville Staple - Mark Adams - Harrington Bembridge - Adam Birch - Jon Read - Horace Panter
04
It's You
The Specials
Guilty 'Til Proved Innocent! (Expanded Edition)
03:08
Writer: Smith - Neville Staple - Lowry / Composers: Smith - Neville Staple - Lowry
05
Bonediggin'
The Specials
Guilty 'Til Proved Innocent! (Expanded Edition)
04:39
Writer: Lynval Golding - Neville Staple - Horace Panter - Mark Adams - Harrington Bembridge - Adam Birch - Jon Read - Jack Marshall - Bob Mosher - Roddy Byers / Composers: Lynval Golding - Neville Staple - Horace Panter - Mark Adams - Harrington Bembridge - Adam Birch - Jon Read - Jack Marshall - Bob Mosher - Roddy Byers
06
All Gone Wrong
The Specials
Guilty 'Til Proved Innocent! (Expanded Edition)
03:52
Writer: Roddy Byers - Lynval Golding - Neville Staple - Horace Panter - Harrington Bembridge - Adam Birch - Jon Read - Mark Adams / Composers: Roddy Byers - Lynval Golding - Neville Staple - Horace Panter - Harrington Bembridge - Adam Birch - Jon Read - Mark Adams
07
No Big Deal
The Specials
Guilty 'Til Proved Innocent! (Expanded Edition)
03:23
Writer: Roddy Byers - Lynval Golding - Neville Staple - Horace Panter - Harrington Bembridge - Adam Birch - Jon Read - Mark Adams / Composers: Roddy Byers - Lynval Golding - Neville Staple - Horace Panter - Harrington Bembridge - Adam Birch - Jon Read - Mark Adams
Access the complete album info (19 songs)
King Of Kings
℗ 1993 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
01-01-1993
King Of Kings
01
Sammy Dead
Desmond Dekker
King Of Kings
02:51
Writer: Eric Morris - Byron Lee / Composers: Eric Morris - Byron Lee
02
Fat Man
Desmond Dekker
King Of Kings
02:43
Composers: Derrick Morgan
03
Easy Snappin'
Desmond Dekker
King Of Kings
02:34
Writer: Theo Beckford / Composers: Theo Beckford
04
Carry Go Bring Home
Desmond Dekker
King Of Kings
02:54
Writer: Justin Hinds / Composers: Justin Hinds
05
Dancing Mood
Desmond Dekker
King Of Kings
03:04
Writer: Ray Whitley / Composers: Ray Whitley
06
Humpty Dumpty
Desmond Dekker
King Of Kings
02:40
Writer: Morris / Composers: Morris
07
King Of Ska
Desmond Dekker
King Of Kings
02:53
Writer: Desmond Dacres / Composers: Desmond Dacres
Access the complete album info (12 songs)
Too Much Too Young (Live)
℗ 1999 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
11-01-1980
Too Much Too Young (Live)
01
Too Much Too Young (Live - Moonlite Club 1979)
The Specials
Too Much Too Young (Live)
02:07
Writer: Jerry Dammers / Composers: Jerry Dammers
02
You're Wondering Now (Live)
The Specials
Too Much Too Young (Live)
02:20
Writer: Clement Dodd - Roland Alphonso - Johnny Moore - Lloyd Knibb - Lester Sterling - Lloyd Brivett - Jerome Haynes - Joan Dennis - Donat Mittoo - Thomas McCook - Don Drummond / Composers: Clement Dodd - Roland Alphonso - Johnny Moore - Lloyd Knibb - Lester Sterling - Lloyd Brivett - Jerome Haynes - Joan Dennis - Donat Mittoo - Thomas McCook - Don Drummond
03
Skinhead Moonstomp (Live)
The Specials
Too Much Too Young (Live)
02:45
Writer: Monty Naismith - A.A. Ellis - Derrick Morgan / Composers: Monty Naismith - A.A. Ellis - Derrick Morgan
04
Doesn't Make It Alright (Live)
The Specials
Too Much Too Young (Live)
03:16
Writer: Jerry Dammers - Jeremy David Hounsell Dammers / Composers: Jerry Dammers - Jeremy David Hounsell Dammers
05
Long Shot Kick De Bucket (Live)
The Specials
Too Much Too Young (Live)
03:03
Writer: George Agard - Jackie Robinson - Sydney Crooks / Composers: George Agard - Jackie Robinson - Sydney Crooks
06
Blank Expression (Live)
The Specials
Too Much Too Young (Live)
02:06
Writer: Jerry Dammers / Composers: Jerry Dammers
07
Monkey Man (Live)
The Specials
Too Much Too Young (Live)
02:58
Writer: Frederick Hibbert / Composers: Frederick Hibbert
Access the complete album info (12 songs)
Singles
Gangsters (Live from the Cathedral)
℗ 2026 Universal Music Operations Limited
22-05-2026
Gangsters (Live from the Cathedral)
01
Gangsters (Live from the Cathedral)
The Specials
Gangsters (Live from the Cathedral)
03:18
Writer: Terry Hall - Horace Panter - Lynval Golding - Roddy Byers - Jerry Dammers - Neville Staples - John Bradbury / Composers: Terry Hall - Horace Panter - Lynval Golding - Roddy Byers - Jerry Dammers - Neville Staples - John Bradbury
A Message To You Rudy (Re-Recorded) (Sped Up) - Single
(P) 2023 Cleopatra Records
19-06-2023
A Message To You Rudy (Re-Recorded) (Sped Up) - Single
01
A Message To You Rudy (Re-Recorded) [Sped Up]
The Specials
A Message To You Rudy (Re-Recorded) (Sped Up) - Single
01:58
Composers: Robert Livingstone Thompson
02
A Message To You Rudy (Re-Recorded)
The Specials
A Message To You Rudy (Re-Recorded) (Sped Up) - Single
02:46
Composers: Robert Livingstone Thompson
03
A Message To You Rudy (Re-Recorded) [Slowed + Reverb]
The Specials
A Message To You Rudy (Re-Recorded) (Sped Up) - Single
03:30
Composers: Robert Livingstone Thompson
Ghost Town (Re-recorded - Sped Up)
(P) 2023 Cleopatra Records
24-04-2023
Ghost Town (Re-recorded - Sped Up)
01
Ghost Town (Re-recorded - Sped Up)
The Specials
Ghost Town (Re-recorded - Sped Up)
02:40
Composers: Jerry Dammers
02
Ghost Town (Re-recorded)
The Specials
Ghost Town (Re-recorded - Sped Up)
03:20
Composers: Jerry Dammers
03
Ghost Town (Re-recorded - Slowed + Reverb)
The Specials
Ghost Town (Re-recorded - Sped Up)
04:26
Composers: Jerry Dammers
Get Up, Stand Up
℗ 2021 Universal Music Operations Limited
21-09-2021
Get Up, Stand Up
01
Get Up, Stand Up
The Specials
Get Up, Stand Up
04:06
Composers: Bob Marley - Peter Tosh
Freedom Highway / Everybody Knows
An Island Records release; ℗ 2021 Universal Music Operations Limited
16-08-2021
Freedom Highway / Everybody Knows
01
Freedom Highway
The Specials
Freedom Highway / Everybody Knows
03:24
Composers: Roebuck Staples
02
Everybody Knows
The Specials
Freedom Highway / Everybody Knows
05:23
Composers: Sharon Robinson - Leonard Cohen