The Specials AKA Gangsters released this week in May 1979. The first Two-Tone hit
In times like these a 2025 version of Two-Tone would be a very useful development.
This week in 1979 saw the release of the Specials first single Gangsters which eventually became a Top 10 hit. It was played on release by John Peel on his Radio One show.
I was then living and studying for a PGCE (post graduate teaching qualification) in Worcester. I duly qualified as a sociology teacher. It was a road not taken because the Thatcher Government which had come of Office in May 1979 as well did not have an education policy that viewed sociology teachers as a good thing.
There was a small Anti-Nazi League/Rock Against Racism group in Worcester and while we had heard of the Specials, they had played a gig in the area, and thought they were anti-racist information was limited. In those pre-internet, pre-mobile etc days, things came by word of mouth and whatever the NME published.
Gangsters remains a great record and in 2025 one guaranteed to annoy Donald Trump
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