What was The Specials inspired by in their music?
They were inspired by the directness and independent spirit of punk but informed by the sounds of Caribbean rocksteady and ska music and the look of mods and rudeboys.
When was Ghost Town released?
1981.
The specials
-Two-tone band
-Contained diverse members from diverse racial backgrounds
-Ghost town was number 1 in the Uk singles chart
-Had a fandom identified with politics, the music and the fashion
Context
-Number of inner city riots (Brixton riots)
-Racial tensions
-a rise in far right political activity at the time
-mass unemployment
-manufacturing industries were closing down making the streets feel empty
-the prime minister , Margaret thatcher was proving to be a diverse figure
Mise-en-scene
-Used the style of British social realist films (characterised by sympathetic representations of working class men
-Low budget shoot reflects the codes and conventions of the film genre
-River Thames reflects new beginnings or nostalgia
-grey smog creates a depressing eerie atmosphere
-cramped in one car- lack of freedom and finance
-changes from day to night- unemployment and riots are ongoing
-empty streets, dark lighting=towns becoming abandoned
Lighting
-visual style like expressionist cinema
-band are lit eerily by limited interior light
-handheld torch to light the faces in the back at a low angle
-contrast between colours through tunnel
Location
-East end of London
-River Thames
-Narrow streets
-modern buildings vs old buildings
-modern buildings=unemployment
Props and dress code
-The car is a Vauxhall Cresta, signifies the importance of the 1960s to the two tone culture
-Dressed in suits reflects working class men
Sound and coding of the lyrics
-“do you remember?” Acts as a flashback of better times
-eerie, ghostly diegetic sound effect at the beginning and end of the video
-police siren
“no job to be found”
Editing and camera work
-One scene is cut like a car chase
-handheld camera work with whip pans and canted angles highlights realism
-shot as a group emphasising the relationship between them
