Picture a divided Britain, buffeted by recession, at a political crossroads. The only way forward for stylish progressives – specifically, a group of young Coventry bucks in thrall to punk, pop, ska and rocksteady – was together. The Specials looked sharp and sounded even better. These black and white musicians forged a sound unique to the UK: 2 Tone. They wrote songs about teenage pregnancy and deprivation; in those heady times, telling it like it was proved no barrier to climbing the charts. Classic singles Too Much Too Young (1980) and Ghost Town (1981) both reached No 1; their first two albums went gold.
Thirty seven years after their last album of original material, three of the founding members of the band (vocalist Terry Hall, guitarist Lynval Golding and bassist Horace Panter) are back with a new record, Encore, due next month. Before this, writer Miranda Sawyer will put questions from readers and fans to them for an article.
Got something you’d like to ask? Enter your question in the comments field below, email review@observer.co.uk or go to twitter: @ObsNewReview by 5pm on Wednesday 16 January.
