Specials | Best of the Specials | Vinyl

Originally compiled as a CD/DVD set in 2008, The Best of the Specials was reissued as a 2LP vinyl set in 2019, gathering the band’s run of singles and standout tracks from their self-titled 1979 debut through More Specials and the Special A.K.A. follow-up. The collection spans ska-revival anthems like ‘Gangsters’ and ‘A Message to You Rudy,’ politically charged tracks such as ‘Racist Friend’ and ‘Nelson Mandela,’ and the haunting UK #1 single ‘Ghost Town,’ widely regarded as one of the defining British singles of the early 1980s. Formed in Coventry in the late 1970s, the Specials fused ska, punk, and reggae into a sound that soundtracked Thatcher-era social unrest while topping the UK charts. This double-LP retrospective remains one of the most comprehensive introductions to the band’s catalog on vinyl.

Track List

Side A

1. Gangsters
2. A Message To You Rudy
3. Nite Klub (Album Version)
4. Concrete Jungle
5. Too Much Too Young (Live)

Side B

1. Blank Expression
2. Doesn’t Make It Alright
3. Rude Buoys Outa Jail
4. Rat Race
5. Man At C&A

Side C

1. Do Nothing (Single Version)
2. Stereotypes / Stereotypes Pt 2
3. International Jet Set (Album Version)
4. Friday Night, Saturday Morning
5. Why?

Side D

1. Ghost Town (Full Version)
2. What I Like Most About You Is Your Girlfriend (Album Version)
3. Racist Friend (Single Version)
4. War Crimes (The Crime Remains The Same) (Single Version)
5. Nelson Mandela (Album Version)

Release Details

• UPC: 5060516092260
• Label: CHRYSALIS
• Format: LP Vinyl — Standard
• Genre: Reggae
• Release Date: 1/25/2019