Links

Some links to other websites related to 2 Tone, the artists or collecting on the label.

2 Tone Forum

We’ve decided to set up a mailing list as a forum for discussion between collectors and fans alike, If you’d like to join up, just follow this link, the forum is now using Google Groups, allowing you to decide how you want to browse the messages, in your inbox or via your browser.

this is then

A visual record of the Coventry music scene, 1979–1981. Between April 1979 and the autumn of 1981 Mark Osborne shot about 80 rolls of black and white film of Coventry bands, some of this material appeared in the fanzine Alternative Sounds, but most got no further than a contact sheet. Mark has digitised the negatives, which now appear here on his website. A photographic treasure trove for all of us who share a love for many of the bands from back in the day.

2 Tone on TV .com

This are 2 Tone on TV – An absolutely fantastic website that collects television appearances of 2 Tone bands listed by year between 1979 and 1984. The research and compiling was undertaken by “Mr. Wheeze” who has also managed the same feat for Madness at madnessontv.com – be warned, that a visit to either site will consume hours of your day…

The Specials 2 .com

This has been the most active online forum to discuss anything related to The Specials online for many years now and the site also features a Band History, Songbook, Pictures and MP3s.

The 2 Tone Village

The 2 Tone Village in Coventry, where you can enjoy an authentic Caribbean & English breakfast, lunch and dinner at The 2 Tone Cafe and Simmerdown Restaurant. Do some fashion, shoes and accessories shopping at The 2 Tone Corner Shop, or check out The Hall of Fame Music & Sports Memorabilia Shop, including signed records, CD’s, books, pictures & sports items, as well as trinkets and collectables.

The Coventry Music Museum (CMM)

The Coventry Music Museum (CMM) is a permanent independent Museum, run entirely by unpaid volunteers. The museum is the life-long vision of Coventry Music Historian and Journalist Pete Chambers and his wife Julie. Pete and Julie quite happily give up four days of their week, to work for free, to promote Coventry and Warwickshire music.

The museum is NOT a 2-Tone museum, although 2-Tone is their unique selling point, 55% of the museum is dedicated to non-ska related displays, that look at the music from Coventry, Rugby, Leamington Spa, Nuneaton, Bedworth even touching on Birmingham in places. For more information contact the museum on 07971171441 or godivarocks@yahoo.co.uk

The Duff Guide to Ska

Stephen Shafer is the man behind the extensive Duff Guide To Ska blog which boasts 12 years of reviews and articles of interest to any fan of ska music. Amidst his huge archive he covers a lot of 2 Tone artists and also subsequent releases from their post-2 Tone days to the present. He has just published the book “The Duff Guide to 2 Tone” which draws on many articles from his blog.

Marco on the Bass

Marco is the bass player of New Jersey ska/reggae band Bigger Thomas. His blog gives readers the inside scoop on bands who helped popularise ska in the U.S. and the U.K. He pays special attention to the birth of American ska but always has some juicy info or interviews from many of the main players from the days of 2 Tone.

Like Punk Never Happened

Brian McCloskey’s thoroghly addictive Smash Hits archive. His plan is to upload a new issue of Smash Hits every fortnight, and he’s doing a bloody good job of it. He has a complete collection from November 1978 until July 1985. If you enter this website you will find it almost impossible to leave again! All of the Smash Hits editions covering the life of 2 Tone are there and it’s one of the greatest trips down memory lane for any of us who read these mags back on the bad old days.

jerry dammers .com

The now dormant website for Jerry & The Spacemaker’s “The Spatial AKA” Orchestra, features a gig guide to The Spatial’s UK tour in the spring of 2014, some youtube links and some glowing reviews, with photos & music “coming soon”…

Mad Sounds .co .uk

Great site for the Madness record collector including a 2 Tone section with some really mouthwatering items.

Jama Rico

The Jama Rico Wiki is dedicated to the music of Rico Rodriguez. It will present a referential discography, his biography, information on songs, records, and of course artists with whom he’s been working – and much more.

2 Tone Posters .Co .UK

John ‘Teflon’ Sims archive of 2 Tone posters from back in the day. John worked closely with Jerry Dammers & David Storey to create some of the defining images, record sleeves and posters for the label. His website features an archive of the deisgns and their stories.

Discogs

Discogs are on a mission to build the biggest and most comprehensive music database and marketplace online. Aspiring to a site with discographies of all labels, all artists and an international marketplace built off of that database. Essential bookmark for the Two Tone collector.

45cat

45cat is an online archive dedicated to the magic of the vinyl seven inch single (or 7″ or 45).
The site includes an impressive section on 2 Tone.

Popsike . com

popsike.com acts as a price guide for those of us swimming in the murky waters of online vinyl trading. Since 2004, they have been providing an archive of past vinyl record auctions, mostly at ebay. At popsike you can check the final auction price that a certain record has brought. Although it might not be a true indication of the record’s real value, it does show what collectors are paying for rarer items.

Go-Feet Records Collectors site

At last..!! Someone has taken the plunge and sorted out the Go-Feet label’s back catalogue and turned up a few juicy titbits of info in the process… Kevin Feinberg is the man responsible, and deserves much applause for his excellent site…

John Collins Local Records Label

One of the most enigmatic names in the story of 2 Tone, John Collins drafted in to produce the label’s finest moment, Ghost Town, after Jerry Dammers lauded his production on Victor Romero Evan’s ‘At The Club’. The site features a history of the label & a great audio page where you can listen (and watch) a selection of tracks on the turntable.

Dance Crasher

Wonderful site, which promotes reggae music with pages of illustrations of classic and rare Jamaican and UK Reggae, Ska and Rocksteady record labels from the 60’s and 70’s. Including pages dedicated to Studio 1, Trojan and its subsidiary labels, the Wailers and many more.