2 TONE!!!
2 TONE- The 2 Tone era was in the UK from 1978 to 1983. This was a dawning of a new era of Ska. This era not only revived Ska it also mixed Ska with early punk to form a new sound. This wave is often called the 2 tone era because most of the big Ska bands at the time were all on the 2 tone record label that was owned by Chrysalis.
2 tone was basically about black and white people playing music together. When in England there was much tension between blacks and whites. The two colors black and white were used together on all of the artwork and checkered patterns that decorated the second wave to symbolize black and white unity. These two colors became the colors of Ska.
Rudeboy1s were also revived. The rudeboy fashion in Britain was more of a happy dancing guy in a stylish two-tone suite and pork-pie hat . The British rudeboy was more like the mods of the sixties than the original Jamaican rudeboy1s.
2 tone was so big in the UK that every single released on 2 tone was in the British top 30 till the year 1983. The biggest bands at the time were The Specials, Madness, The Beat, The Selecter, and The all girl band The Bodysnatchers. Another big band closely related to 2 tone was a band on Magnet Records called Bad Manners who was never on 2 tone but somehow appeared on The 2 tone movie Dance Craze. Dance Craze was released in the theaters in 1981. The movie was a documentary with live performances from The Specials, Madness, The Selecter, The Beat, The Bodysnatchers and Bad Manners. The Movie was a hit people would get up out of there seats and dance in the theaters.
2 tone ended because founder of 2 tone and The Specials, Jerry Dammers was broke and in debt and to Chrysalis and the Dawning of a new era ended in a Ghost Town.
Email: rudie2t0ne@aol.com
