2 Tone Records

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2 Tone Records was an English record label that mostly released ska and reggae-influenced music with a punk rock and pop music overtone.

History

Jerry Dammers of the ska revival band The Specials started the record label in 1979. It spawned the 2 Tone music and cultural movement, which was popular among skinheads, rudies and some mod revivalists. The label stopped operating in 1986. 2 Tone Records signed The Selecter, Madness and The Beat, but they all left within two years. 2 Tone Records acts signed a contract that allowed them to leave the label after releasing just one single, which was unusual in the record industry. Madness and The Beat both took advantage of this clause; the former to sign to Stiff Records, and the latter to start their own label, Go Feet Records.

Although 2 Tone Records was closely identified with the ska revival, efforts were made to broaden the label's musical output, releasing recordings by artists such as singer-songwriter Elvis Costello and the funk-punk band The Higsons. Two bands that almost made it onto the label were UB40 and Dexys Midnight Runners.^{[citation needed]}

Jerry Dammers, with the assistance of Horace Panter and graphic designer John "Teflon" Sims, created artwork that was to become central to 2 Tone Records. The Walt Jabsco logo portrays a man in a black suit, white shirt, black tie, pork pie hat, white socks and black loafers. The fictional character was based on a photograph of Peter Tosh, a former member of The Wailers.^[1]

Artists

• The Apollinaires
• Bad Manners (only for Dance Craze)
• The Beat (aka The English Beat in the US)
• The Bodysnatchers
• Elvis Costello & The Attractions (only for one unreleased single, CHS TT7)
• The Friday Club
• The Higsons
• JB's Allstars
• Madness
• Rhoda Dakar
• Rico Rodriguez
• The Selecter
• The Specials (sometimes called The Special AKA)
• The Swinging Cats

Discography

Albums

• The Specials - Specials
• The Selecter - Too Much Pressure
• The Specials - More Specials
• Various Artists - Dance Craze
• Rico Rodriguez - That Man Is Forward
• Rico Rodriguez - Jama Rico
• Various Artists - This Are Two Tone (1983)
• The Special AKA - In the Studio
• Various Artists - The 2 Tone Story
• The Specials - Singles
• The Specials - Live At The Moonlight Club
• Various Artists - Best of 2 Tone
• Various Artists - The Compact 2 Tone Story

Singles

• TT1 / TT2 The Special AKA - "Gangsters" / The Selecter - "The Selecter" 7" (Split single with The Selector)
• CHS TT3 Madness - "The Prince" / "Madness" 7"
• CHS TT4 The Selecter - "On My Radio" / "Too Much Pressure" 7"
• CHS TT5 The Specials - "A Message to You, Rudy" / "Nite Klub" 7" (Ft Rico)
• CHS TT6 The Beat - "Tears Of A Clown" / "Ranking Full Stop" 7"
• CHS TT7 The Special AKA - "Too Much Too Young", "Guns Of Navarone" / "Longshot Kick The Bucket", "Liquidator", "Skinhead Moonstomp" 7" (All tracks recorded live)
• CHS TT7 Elvis Costello & The Attractions - "I Can't Stand Up for Falling Down" / "Girl's Talk" 7" (Unreleased - given away at gigs)
• CHS TT8 The Selecter - "Three Minute Hero" / "James Bond" 7"
• CHS TT9 The Bodysnatchers - "Let's Do Rock Steady" / "Ruder Than You" 7"
• CHS TT10 The Selecter - "Missing Words" / "Carry Go Bring Come" 7"
• CHS TT11 The Specials - "Rat Race" / "Rude Boys Outta Jail" 7"
• CHS TT12 The Bodysnatchers - "Easy Life" / "Too Experienced" 7"
• CHS TT13 The Specials - "Stereotype" / "International Jet Set" 7"
• CHS TT14 The Swinging Cats - "Mantovani" / "Away" 7"
• CHS TT15 Rico Rodriguez - "Sea Cruise" / "Carolina" 7"
• CHS TT16 The Specials - "Do Nothing" / "Maggie's Farm" 7"
• CHS TT17 The Specials - "Ghost Town" / "Why ?" / "Friday Night, Saturday Morning" 7"
• CHS TT12 17 The Specials - "Ghost Town" (Extended) / "Why ?" (Extended) / "Friday Night, Saturday Morning" 12"
• CHS TT18 Rhoda & The Special AKA - "The Boiler" / "Theme From The Boiler" 7"
• CHS TT19 Rico Rodriguez & The Special AKA - "Jungle Music" / "Rasta Call You" 7"
• CHS TT12 19 Rico Rodriguez & The Special AKA - "Jungle Music" / "Rasta Call You" / "Easter Island" 12"
• CHS TT20 The Apollinaires - "The Feeling's Gone" / "The Feeling's Back" 7"
• CHS TT12 20 The Apollinaires - "The Feeling's Gone" (Dance Mix) / "The Feeling's Back" / "The Bongo Medley" (Extremely Long Version) 12"
• CHS TT21 The Higsons - "Tear The Whole Thing Down" / "Y Lang, Y Lang" 7"
• CHS TTS1 The Apollinaires - "Envy The Love" / "Give It Up" / "Tear The Whole Thing Down" / "Y Lang, Y Lang" 12" (White label promo only, split with Higsons)
• CHS TT22 The Apollinaires - "Envy The Love" / "Give It Up" 7"
• CHS TT12 22 The Apollinaires - "Envy The Love" / "Give It Up" 12"
• CHS TT23 The Special AKA - "War Crimes" / "War Crimes" (Version) 7"
• CHS TT10 23 The Special AKA - "War Crimes" / "War Crimes" (Version) 10"
• CHS TT24 The Higsons - "Run Me Down" (Long Version) / "Put The Punk Back Into Funk Pts 1 & 2" 7"
• CHS TT12 24 The Higsons - "Run Me Down" / "Put The Punk Back Into Funk Pts 1 & 2" 12"
• CHS TT25 The Special AKA - "Racist Friend" / "Bright Lights" 7"
• CHS TT12 25 The Special AKA - "Racist Friend" / "Bright Lights" / "Racist Friend" (Instrumental) / "Bright Lights" (Instrumental) 12"
• CHS TT25 The Special AKA - "Racist Friend" / "Bright Lights" 7" (Picture Disc)
• CHS TT26 The Special AKA - "Nelson Mandela" / "Break Down The Door!" 7"
• CHS TT12 26 The Special AKA - "Nelson Mandela" / "Break Down The Door!" 12"
• CHS TT27 The Special AKA - "What I Like Most About You Is Your Girlfriend" / "Can't Get A Break" 7"
• CHS TT12 27 The Special AKA - "What I Like Most About You Is Your Girlfriend" (Extended Version) / "Can't Get A Break" 12" (Early copies had free poster)
• CHS TT 272 The Special AKA - "What I Like Most About You Is Your Girlfriend" / "Can't Get A Break" / "War Crimes" / "War Crimes" (Version) 7" (Twin 7" pack with "War Crimes" single)
• CHS TP 27 The Special AKA - "What I Like Most About You Is Your Girlfriend" / "Can't Get A Break" 7" (Picture disc)
• CHS TT28 The Friday Club - "Window Shopping" / "Window Shopping" (Instrumental) 7"
• CHS TT12 28 The Friday Club - "Window Shopping" / "Window Shopping" (Instrumental) 12"
• CHS TT29 JB's Allstars - "The Alphabet Army" / "Al. Arm" 7"
• CHS TT12 29 JB's Allstars - "The Alphabet Army" / "String Mix" / "Radio Version" / "Al. Arm" 12"
• Tone FNMX1 The Special AKA - "Free Nelson Mandela" (70th Birthday Remake) / "Free Nelson Mandela" 12"
• TTP1 V/A - The 2 Tone Story promo EP 7" (4 track EP, Specials, Selector, Madness, promo for The 2 Tone Story LP)
• CHS TT30 The Specials - "Ghost Town" / "Ghost Town" (Dub '91) 7"
• CHS TT12 30 The Specials - "Ghost Town" / "Why ?" / "Ghost Town" (Dub '91) / "Version" 12"
• CHS TT31 Various Artists - The 2 Tone EP 7" (Special AKA, Madness, Selecter, Beat)

^[2]

References

External links

• 2 Tone record collection
• 2 Tone history site
• The 2-Tone Trail

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