The RIP thread...

Gutted to hear about Terry Hall, saw them perform at Beautiful days earlier this year.

RIP Terry

Agreed.

It was horrific and totally normal. I was a 9 year old kid thinking it was cool to draw NF logos and use all the horrific racist language of the time when 2 Tone hit and The Specials became my favourite band. It was trying to square my love for The Specials with these attitudes that first led me to question and ultimately escape them. For that, I'm forever in their debt.

Also, More Specials is such an amazing under-rated album and Terry's vocals on it are perfect.

The opening of Blank Expression makes me think it could very well have gone full Christmas Song on another day. Genius.

https://youtu.be/FdzJun0mEXE

Ditto to all the above. Ghost Town was such an affecting song - the first time I realised that music could be more than just gloss. Saw them in Ally Pally maybe 11 years ago - still fantastic live and loved seeing the middle-aged harrington jackets out in full force.

Terry Hall and Martin Duffy in one day is too much...

Ghost Town is easily the best pop single of the 80's for me

RIP Terry Hall 2 tone really was a force for good. So glad I got to see them live a few years ago. Literally danced non stop all night

I don't think the influence that band had in terms of anti racism can be stressed enough. I'm so sad he's passed. Fur those that remember what it was like then; they represented what I wanted our future to look like. One of the good guys. And cool as fuck

This.
It really was a time when things were bad and could have gone really, really bad. Terry and the rest of Two Tone did a lot to stop it spiralling downwards. Seeing mixed race bands on TV was seminal. And so stylish.

I never knew about what happened to Terry Hall when he was 12.
I'm glad that he was able to get through that with the help of music.

Me too, back in 2012 I think

I saw them in Auckland, NZ of all places and got Neville Staple to sign his autobiography I bought with “To (Johnnettles) stop your messing around, Neville”
I think it was 2009. Terry Hall said “all you do here is jump off buildings” in a very droll way.
Used to skank non stop at school discos in the late 70s to them. They defined a whole generation . Unity at it’s most raw

Terry Hall and Martin Duffy on the same day.

Got to admit i shed a few tears hearing ghost town this afternoon . Hearing about his past makes it much harder . We should also remember martin duffy as well who is maybe not getting as much coverage as he deserves.

I cry at the drop of a hat these days, and yeah I've shed a few tears today

Better than bottling it up . Lost a few friends recently so i think my tear ducts are well primed right now.

http://marcoonthebass.blogspot.com/2011/03/our-lips-are-sealed-story-behind-one-of.html

I first became aware of Terry through Fun Boy 3 - The lunatics have taken over the asylum. Found my way back to The Specials from there.

Try his work with the dub pistols
Or this which sounds like a brodie production
https://youtu.be/3g-kfaji9Ck

Ali Ahmed Aslam, inventor of the national dish of the UK...

Mike Hodges

Thom Bell, wrote many classic songs including this favourite of mine

https://youtu.be/Qr4IDzrXS-c

What a tune ^

I have this on 7” vinyl RIP Thom Bell

phenomenal songwriting career / hall of fame.. Delfonics/Stylistics/Spinners across the US airwaves today methinks

Edit: Mike Vitti providing a wonderful tribute on Mi-Soul

https://youtu.be/Qli3wHtmq98

https://youtu.be/ngoudtw0NcQ

RIP George Cohen MBE. Fulham Legend

Had the pleasure of meeting him a few times at Fulham, always had time to chat and have a photo taken

https://youtu.be/J-BsG6Xxaxw

The best Tarantino character in the best Tarantino movie playing the best track.