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The Singles Collection
 
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The Singles Collection

~ Specials
4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
Price: £4.98 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
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The Singles Collection + You Just Can't Beat It: The Best of the Beat + Specials
Price For All Three: £13.94

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Product details

  • Audio CD (27 Aug 1991)
  • Number of Discs: 1
  • Label: Two Tone
  • ASIN: B000003JB9
  • Other Editions: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
  • Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 2,481 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

    Popular in these categories:

    #3 in  Music > Indie > Ska
    #11 in  Music > Reggae > Ska
    #80 in  Music > Indie > New Wave & Post-punk

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Listen to Samples and Buy MP3s

Songs from this album are available to purchase as MP3s. Click on "Buy MP3" or view the MP3 Album.

Samples
Song TitleArtist Time Price
Listen  1. GangstersThe Special Aka 2:48£0.69
Listen  2. A Message To You RudyThe Specials 2:53£0.69
Listen  3. Nite KlubThe Specials Featuring Rico 3:12£0.69
Listen  4. Too Much Too Young (Live)The Special Aka 2:05£0.79
Listen  5. The Guns Of Navarone (Live)The Special Aka 2:20£0.69
Listen  6. Rat RaceThe Specials 3:09£0.69
Listen  7. Stereotype/Stereotypes (Part 2) (Medley)The Specials 3:49£0.69
Listen  8. International Jet SetThe Specials 4:12£0.69
Listen  9. Do NothingThe Specials 3:51£0.69
Listen10. Ghost Town (Extended Version)The Specials 5:58£0.69
Listen11. Why?The Specials 3:55£0.69
Listen12. Friday Night, Saturday MorningThe Specials 3:34£0.69
Listen13. War Crimes (The Crime Remains The Same) (Edit)The Special Aka 4:01£0.69
Listen14. Racist FriendThe Special Aka 3:46£0.69
Listen15. Nelson MandelaThe Special Aka 4:34£0.69
Listen16. What I Like Most About You Is Your GirlfriendThe Special Aka 4:02£0.69

Product Description

CD Description

Although the Specials were widely influential, they were not the most prolific band to walk the punk/ska boards, so fans have to content themselves with collections like this. Fortunately, this compilation stands out for featuring not justtheir "hits" ("A Message to You Rudy", "Nite Klub"), but also b-sides, live tracks, and rarities. Of particular note isthe inclusion of the powerful and dance-worthy anthem, "Free Nelson Mandela", recorded under the name the Special A.K.A. after the official demise of the Specials. The song, written by Jerry Dammers and the Bodysnatchers' Rhoda Dakar, was the musical culmination of the anti-racist, anti-apartheid sentiments that were coming to a boil in the mid-'80s U.K. punk scene, and found original purchase in the 2 Tone movementthat the Specials came to define.

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Customer Reviews

8 Reviews
5 star:
 (6)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
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Average Customer Review
4.8 out of 5 stars (8 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
55 of 62 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Coventry's sublime answer to New Wave, 13 Mar 2001
By "chrishyams" - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   
The bulk of the Specials' career between 1979 and 1981 is solidly collated in this truly excellent compilation album.

Jerry Dammers was the musical genius who provided the main driving force behind the diverse talent he had collated, all of which were excellent live rock musicians. Furthermore, many have frontman viewed Terry Hall as the direct precursor of Morrissey, with his deadpan, sardonic vocals and tragi-comedic lyrics about life's more mundane subject-matter, eg, 'I'd rather have lipstick on my collar than piss-stains on my shoes'.... truly inspired ! For 18 months or so, The Special's were deservedly Britain's biggest band, even making a sizeable impact in the USA, where they achieved cult status.

There are several standout tracks here, particularly the three #1 hits, Too Much Too Young (about teenage pregnancy), Rat Race (about the Coventry band's resentment of having to move south to London to succeed) and the haunting Ghost Town, from 1981. Ghost Town is an excellent snapshot of a country at the end of its tether, highlighting Coventry's rapid social, economic and psychological desolation during Thatcher's first two years in power, and it proved extremely prophetic when just months later, several major cities experienced rioting on an unprecedented scale (this theme was also inherent in their famous Concrete Jungle track). However, with choice tracks such as the classic Gangsters, A Message To You Rudi, Do Nothing and Friday Night, Saturday Morning plus the Special AKA's Nelson Mandela, there is quality here in adbundance.

The sound of ska has never sounded so good and you will find few who do not hold this band with the utmost respect. The Special's proved to be one of the world's first socially-aware bands that did'nt ram their messages down our throats but just concentrated on sounded great (some irritatingly called them The Clash of Ska). They certainly led the way, if not musically, but thematically, for the likes of The Smiths and Billy Bragg and were a welcome diversion from the materialistic, New Romantic tosh that was rapidly swamping Britain at the time. Eventually it all came to an abrupt end after Ghost Town, but the offshoot was the brilliant, Terry Hall-led Fun Boy Three followed by his excellent Colourfield project, proving that Dammers was not the only musical genius onboard the ska phenomenon that brought the 'Dance Craze' to Britain.

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20 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars the best, 8 Aug 2001
By rjhallen@earthlink.net (sarasota, fl, us) - See all my reviews
I was in my late teens when ska hit the world (my world), saw specials, madness etc at various concerts, have all the albums and 45's. love them still, nothing will come close the the beat. this is a great album. buy it and you won't keep still.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Singularily Special, 1 May 2008
The Specials Singles is just that containing at least the a-sides of the 45's of one the greatest bands of all time. Opening with one of the strongest debut single of all time `Gangsters' it moves through double `a' side `Rudi, a Message to You' and `Nite Klub' to the first side of there live EP `Too Much Too Young' and the Skatalite inspired `Guns of Navarone'.

Stand alone single `Rat Race' is next before we move into less comfortable territory with double `a' `Stereotype' b/w `International Jet Set' and then `Do Nothing'. The magnificent `Ghost Town' is next together with both of its equally good b-sides `Why?' and `Friday Night, Saturday Morning'.

The quality drops as Terry Hall, Neville Staples and Lynval Golding leave to form Fun Boy Three and The Special AKA give us a poor `War Crimes' and `Racist Friend' . The temperature rises again with the fantastic `Nelson Mandela' but it's too late to save the band and `Girlfriend' leaves the album, and indeed the band, with a disappointing ending. Hopefully now the full band is reforming The Specials will be given the coda they deserve.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Danceable melodies !!!
This compilation stands out for featuring not just their "hits" but also b-sides, live tracks, and rarities. Read more
Published 1 month ago by MOR :

5.0 out of 5 stars Great
Just got this record in the post this morning and have been listening to it ever since! If you are just getting into The Specials then this is the record for you, all the hits and... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Colin Mullen

5.0 out of 5 stars definatly something special
it is the year 2oo9 and ive found myself listening to ghost town thinking it could be wrote about 2day`s reccesion hit depressing times,as neville staples shouts no job to be... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Stacy Walker

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent CD.
As I expected, there is quite the mix in quality (subjectively). After all, it is a collection of singles, not a discrete album. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Mr. A. M. HOGG

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best of The Specials
This is a truly brilliant album for anyone who loves the whole ska scene.Brilliant!!!!!!!!!!!
Published on 7 Feb 2001

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