Terry Hall will always be best remembered as being the on/off frontman with The Specials. His deadpan wit and dour delivery made him unique among the punk era’s performers with his ability to inject passion and spite into socially charged lyrics, sometimes without even putting in any effort.
Tag Archives: the specials
REAL GONE GOES OUT: The Specials – Dreamland, Margate, Kent 28/8/2021
It’s a bank holiday weekend in Margate. The sun hasn’t shone properly for what feels like an age, but a huge crowd are still clinging on to a summer spirit and are clearly hoping The Specials will bring some extra good vibes to the seaside town on the first night of their ‘Protest Songs 1924-2012’ tour.
RECORD STORE DAY 2021: Real Gone’s Top Picks (Drop 2)
The ongoing need for social distancing has meant the celebrations for the 2021 Record Store Day had to be split into two days, giving everything something of a fractured feel. In addition, the absence of David Bowie and a few other notable heavyweights this time around has contributed in making it all feel a little more subdued than usual. That’s not to say there aren’t a few great items up for grabs, of course, and for the second drop – scheduled for Saturday 17th July – these are our must-have bits. As always, your mileage my vary and all prices are a solid estimate.
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The Great 80s Project: 1980
Back in May 2017, Real Gone launched “The Great 70s Project”, a ten week exploration of a classic decade’s worth of music. By side-stepping a couple of the obvious hits and digging deeper into back-catalogue albums, we were able to present a very broad look at the albums of the era and it became one of the site’s most popular features.
A long time in the planning, we’re pleased to present The Great 80s Project, a similar exploration of the decade that brought us a multitude of synth-pop, shiny tunes, bright colours, Live Aid and a handful of stadium giants.
Real Gone’s picks for Record Store Day 2020
Love it or hate it, Record Store Day has become an important fixture on the music-related calendar. From humble beginnings with a few bits and bobs to entice people into independent record shops, it’s now become a huge business tool, giving major labels an excuse to reissue all kinds of stuff. While it now seems more about a money making venture than to highlight small business, there’s still some cool stuff to be found. Never more so than for the 2020 event, where there are a truckload of artificially created rarities that look like lovely items for the keener fan.