The Specials and Why is Friday Night Saturday Morning a Ghost Town
Hello hello silver bloggers, music lovers and Hello hivers!
One of my favourite days, especially as it means a post on Hive will be written by me, and I get to hear other music that Hiveians enjoy. Well for the select band that participate in ttt anyway!
Today we go back and listen to one of my top 10 favourite bands from 2-tone my favourite genre of music!
We are going back to my Silver Chronicles post of a few weeks ago My Soundtrack for the 80s my favourite decade
Quite a self-explanatory title and it is my inspiration for the next few posts on ttt!
The year is now 1981 and we are diving into some poignant songs from The Specials during their peak and final year together of 1981...
It is Tuesday and that of course means that it's #ttt or #threetunetuesday and so it's time to share some tunes with you!
@ablaze started #ttt 256 weeks ago! Go check out what it is all about on his latest post Ireland's Top 30 Songs of all Time (19,20,21) for Three Tune Tuesday - Week 255 - win some HBI
Do go support @ablaze as without him we would not have this mental fun musical activity that you can win HSBI from! I am happy to be one of the SIX sponsors and it is kinda fun checking out music from all over this global village of ours!
He has just released some winners posts, so go support those posts, he gets no support from any whales or even curation trails for these posts that he does. 255 weeks is an incredible amount of time, and I for one love that he runs this, and I appreciate the time and dedication that he puts in, when he could be doing something else.
Long live #ttt 😁🎼 and #threetunetuesday
The Band - The Specials
Formed in Coventry, The Specials were the spearhead of the 2-Tone movement, blending Jamaican ska and rocksteady with the raw energy and political edge of punk. By 1981, the youthful optimism of their early days had shifted into a haunting, stark commentary on the urban decay, unemployment, and racial tensions griping Britain at the time.
1981 was also the year that Terry Hall, Neville Staple, and Lynval Golding left to form Fun Boy Three, making these tracks the "swan song" for the original Seven.
All three of these tunes were released in 1981.
We have two lesser known of their songs following on from one of the most famous songs of 1981!
Tune 1 - The Specials - Ghost Town
Released in June 1981 ... this isn't just a song ... fluff no ... it's a historical document. With its eerie, minor-key brass and haunting organ, it captured the mood of a country on the brink, hitting Number One exactly as riots broke out in cities across the UK.
It is widely regarded as one of the greatest British singles of all time.
Growing up as a kid living in a boarding school my best friend was a black kid from Sierre Leone, so I really could never understand what racism was or why whites and blacks didn't get on.
Britain is way worse now but I better be quiet.
Tune 2 - The Specials - Why?
Tell me Why
Tell me Why
Tell me Why
Written by guitarist Lynval Golding, this track was a direct and powerful response to a violent racist attack he suffered outside a club. It’s a plea for tolerance and a searing indictment of the racism the band fought against throughout their career.
The rhythm is classic 2-Tone ... urgent, driving, and deeply soulful.
Tune 3 - The Specials - Friday Night, Saturday Morning
Written by lead singer Terry Hall, this track offers a more mundane, yet equally poignant, look at life.
It describes the repetitive, often hollow cycle of a night out in a working-class town—the cheap beer, the chips, and the inevitable morning after. It perfectly captures the "deadpan" delivery that Terry was famous for.
It was such an appropriate song for thousands of people and I have been there on many a Friday night!!!
So there you have it 3 songs released in 1981 from The Specials this week with my 80s Soundtrack post as the inspiration!
Which was your favourite tune? Or have you never heard of them?
Note: The 3 YouTube videos that I have shared are not owned by me, I am simply spreading great music on Hive.
I wish that you all have a brilliant happy fun and terrific Tuesday until we meet again enjoy your tunes 🎶🎵🎶
Thanks for visiting!
The images and ramblings are from me, with some assistance from gemini on the verbage and the lead image, the mad Scotsman TengoLoTodo unless otherwise stated.
@tengolotodo April 21st 2026
good memories to ghost town, sitting infront of radio hoping the DJ would shut up so i could start my cassette recording . !PIMP
Oh yes, it was a Sunday night for me, when the charts were on, and yes it was a case of just shut up already!
Thanks for that
Congratulations @tengolotodo! You have completed the following achievement on the Hive blockchain And have been rewarded with New badge(s)
Your next target is to reach 320000 upvotes.
You can view your badges on your board and compare yourself to others in the Ranking
If you no longer want to receive notifications, reply to this comment with the word
STOPGreat band & great tunes!
I think half my friends put Ghost Town on during Halloween season!
Have a great day Rudy! Cheers!
Oh and my votes drained so here’s a HSBI bonus each song! Cheers! 🍻 🎺
And here’s a Bonus Jam! ⬇️
Oh yeah, I understand the sound you were describing now. I don't think I have ever heard this band outside of anything you have shared, but I can kind of see the draw to them. I might have to check them out a bit more when I finish my deep dive into Prince.