I just wanted 2 Tone to be like a little club. And if you liked the music, you became a part of it.
- Jerry Dammers (2 Tone Records mastermind and Specials keyboardist)
The 2 Tone Records label was started in 1979. Just as the last embers of first wave UK Punk had gone out, 2 Tone emerged with a fully formed look and sound. The sound was a retooled update on Jamaican Ska fueled with the energy of punk. The look was that of bands with mixed racial lineups promoting unity in the face of various forms of social unrest in late '70s England. Unlike many D.I.Y. indie labels of the punk era, 2 Tone Records generated both critical AND public praise which resulted in resulted in many top 10 hits in the UK. The first seven singles from the label sold at least a quarter-million copies each within the first year! The artists that are associated with the 2 Tone label (the Specials, The Beat, The Selecter, The Bodysnatchers, Madness) have all continued to create great music to the present day in various incarnations.
Tonight on WE'RE GONNA BE TIMELESS we pay tribute to a great label and we'll also spin some tunes from subsequent post 2 Tone projects.
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