In 1979, 2 Tone Records (formed by Coventry, England art student and Specials keyboardist/songwriter Jerry Dammers) exploded into the consciousness of music lovers in Britain, the US, and beyond, as albums by the Specials, the Selecter, Madness, the Beat, and the Bodysnatchers burst onto the charts and a youth movement was born. 2 Tone was black and white: a multiracial force of British and Caribbean musicians singing about social issues, racism, class, and gender struggles. It spoke of injustices in society and fought against right-wing extremism. It was exuberant and eclectic: white youths learning to dance to the infectious rhythm of ska and reggae, crossed with punk attitude, to create an original hybrid.
This week's Third Lad, Daniel Rachel, has penned the definitive story of the label that, for a brief, bright burning moment, shaped British, American, and world culture. Too Much Too Young: The 2 Tone Records Story is out now from White Rabbit (UK) and Akashic Books (US).
Daniel Rachel is a Birmingham-born, best-selling author whose previous works include Isle of Noises: Conversations with Great British Songwriters; Walls Come Tumbling Down: The Music and Politics of Rock Against Racism, 2 Tone, and Red Wedge; Don't Look Back in Anger: The Rise and Fall of Cool Britannia; The Lost Album of the Beatles: What If the Beatles Hadn't Split Up?; One for the Road: The Life & Lyrics of Simon Fowler & Ocean Colour Scene; and Oasis: Knebworth: Two Nights That Will Live Forever. He is also co-author of Ranking Roger's autobiography, I Just Can't Stop It: My Life in the Beat. In 2021, Rachel was a guest curator of the "2 Tone Lives & Legacies" exhibition as part of Coventry Cultural City 2021, and he curated the anniversary edition of the Selecter's debut album, Too Much Pressure.
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