The Specials

I was first introduced to The Selecter in a sort of happenstance way. The closest record store to me was The Exile on Main Street in Hamden, CT. They had a good selection of used CDs and in particular an unorganized box labeled “$5 Ska.” I used to pop in every now and again and dig through that box. I stumbled across The Selecter’s 1999 record Cruel Britannia. I knew the band’s name and I knew they were often cited as by other bands as an influence. I bought it on the spot and was hooked after one listen. It was from there I found my way to their more well-known releases such as 1980’s Too Much Pressure. Of all bands of the Two-Tone era, The Selecter grabbed me first. Much of it was thanks to singer Pauline Black’s distinctive voice (you’ll have to excuse me if I didn’t fall in love with Terry Hall’s voice the first time I heard it).

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