The Jemtunes ‘Leaps n Bands’ series is, throughout 2020, featuring a track by track expose of the albums that have spoken loudest to me over the years.
But Jemtunes 75-84, concluding today, featured 10 singles instead. Mainly because, when many of us now of a certain age first started buying records, the format of choice was the humble 45. And there was a lot of influence there.
The Selecter’s debut single, also called “The Selecter”, was the b-side of the Special AKA’s hit single “Gangsters”, the first 2 Tone Records single. It was released in March 1979, reaching 6 in the UK Charts
‘Gangsters was also the debut single from The Special AKA.
Starters for Ten 2019 – #233: Top Ten Saturday night numbers: 190821
The Specials – Friday Night, Saturday Morning (1980)
hroughout 2019 Jem of Jemtunes is taking you through 36 top tens and one top five. Tunes for a whole gamut of reasons including genre, mood, time of year or simply time itself. Sometimes there’s be words but mostly it’ll simply be the music. Because music always speaks for itself.
Continuing the 24th – running between 19 and 28 August and featuring my top ten Saturday night numbers – here’s Friday Night, Saturday Morning, released by The Specials in 1980.
Jem of Jemtunes, born in 1959, has now turned 59. So ‘The ’59’ celebrates 59 years of cracking tunes with a few albums from each year – 1959 through 2018. Currently we’re at year 43 – 2001.
Rock Steady – No Doubt’s fifth studio album – was released on December 11, 2001, by Interscope Records.
The band began writing the album with initial recording sessions in Los Angeles and San Francisco, then traveled to London and Jamaica to work with various performers, songwriters, and producers. Sly & Robbie, The Neptunes, and William Orbit were among the many artists the band collaborated with on it.
As a result of these collaborations, Rock Steady touches on many musical styles, focusing on electropop, dancehall, and new wave. The band attempted to capture the vibe of Jamaican dancehall music, and experimented with writing songs without its standard instrumentation. Singer Gwen Stefani wrote her lyrics quickly in comparison to previous records, and dealt with topics ranging from partying to ruminations on her relationship with Gavin Rossdale.
Rock Steady received mostly positive reviews from critics, and was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 2003 Grammy Awards.
Four singles were released from it, two of which won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.
Rolling Stone ranked Rock Steady number 316 on its 2003 list of “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time”.
This year, Jem of Jemtunes, born in 1959, turns 59. So ‘The ’59’ celebrates 59 years of cracking tunes with a few albums from each year – 1959 through 2018. Currently we’re at year 24 – 1982.
Complete Madness is the first greatest hits album by ska/pop group Madness. It was released in 1982 and included Madness’ biggest hits from their first three studio albums and the stand-alone singles. Complete Madness spent 99 weeks on the UK charts peaking at number 1.
This year, Jem of Jemtunes, born in 1959, turns 59. So ‘The ’59’ celebrates 59 years of cracking tunes with a few albums from each year – 1959 through 2018. Currently we’re at year 21 – 1979
The Specials self-titled debut album was released on 19 October 1979 on Jerry Dammers’ 2 Tone label. Produced by Elvis Costello, it captures the disaffection and anger felt by the youth of the UK’s “concrete jungle” — a phrase borrowed from Bob Marley’s 1972 album “Catch a Fire” – used here to describe the grim, violent inner cities of 1970s Britain.
A live version of “Too Much Too Young” was later released on a five-track EP, The Special AKA Live!, which went to No.1 on the UK charts. “‘A Message to You, Rudy” was also released as a single. A digitally remastered edition also featuring promotional videos to “Gangsters” and “Too Much Too Young” as enhanced content was released by EMI in 2002.
Too Many Zooz hail from New York City – although you’ll see YouTube clips featuring them from all over. For me, it’s a combination of the tunes, the moves and the music. This is happiness in a song.
“I just can’t stop it” was the debut album from the 2 Tone band, the Beat. It was released on Go Feet Records in the UK and on IRS Records in the US under the band name ‘The English Beat’.
Track 4, side 1 is the wonderful “Twist and Crawl”; the best track on the album and, in my opinion, the best thing the band ever wrote.
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