Elvis Costello - Every UK Number 1

The Intro

The Specials/The Special AKA quickly grew into one of the most beloved bands of the early 80s. Their state-of-the-nation address Ghost Town is one of the greatest singles of the decade, but before that, the Coventry-based ska revival legends became the first act since Demis Roussos in 1976 to reach number 1 with an EP. It was also the first ska number 1 since Double Barrel in 1971, and the first live recording to be a chart-topper since Billy Connolly’s D.I.V.O.R.C.E. in 1975. And The Specials are among my earliest memories – I can remember being struck by the 2-Tone record label, watching the black and white man in the suit spinning on our record player, as my big brother was a huge fan.

Before

The Special AKA formed in 1977 and were known as The Automatics, then The Coventry Automatics. They consisted of songwriter and keyboardist Jerry Dammers, vocalist Tim Strickland, drummer Silverton Hutchinson and bassist/vocalist Horace Panter, aka Sir Horace Gentleman. Terry Hall replaced Strickland very soon after. They were joined in 1978 by vocalist Neville Staple and guitarist Roddy Byers, aka Roddy Radiation. Dammers hoped his band could unite black and white music lovers, coinciding with the Rock Against Racism movement. And they were given a huge leg-up in exposure when Joe Strummer invited the band to support The Clash.

As 1979 rolled around, Hutchinson left and was replaced behind the drumkit by John Bradbury. Dammers launched the 2 Tone Records label and released The Special AKA’s debut single, Gangsters, which was a reworking of Jamaican singer-songwriter Prince Buster’s Al Capone, which shot to number six – impressive for a debut. They changed their name to The Specials and began recording their eponymous debut album, produced by hip new wave star Elvis Costello and also featuring horn players Dick Cuthell and Rico Rodriguez.

The ska seven-piece stood out thanks to their Mod stylings and two-tone suits, but the material they released was as strong as their image. The Specials, released that October, featured a heady mix of original material and covers of ska classics. The first fruits of this, A Message to You, Rudy, was a cover of Dandy Livingstone’s Rudy, a Message to You, and it peaked at 10.

As great as the album was, it didn’t capture the energy of their live shows. So it was a very wise move to release a live EP in January 1980. As we know through this blog, the first month of the year can bring up many surprising chart-toppers. Credited to The Special AKA Featuring Rico (although the vinyl also, confusingly, billed them as The Specials), Too Much Too Young – The Special A.K.A. Live! EP was a five-track showcase of the group on stage in 1979. Side A featured two tracks from the Lyceum in London, and Side B was a three-track medley – billed as Skinhead Symphony – from Tiffany’s, in their hometown.

Review

The title track is of course one of the most beloved by The Special AKA. Loosely based on the 1969 song Birth Control by reggae singer and producer Lloyd Charmers, Too Much Too Young was originally recorded and released on The Specials.

Inspired by Dammers considering a relationship with a married woman who had a child, Too Much Too Young may be a great tune, but it’s lyrics are somewhat divisive. You could argue the band are railing against wasted youth caused by teenage pregnancies, and are calling for better sex education and knowledge of contraception. This is most likely, considering The Specials’ usual left-wing leanings. But critics have a point when they say Dammers and co come across as preachy and patronising – even somewhat right-wing – by criticising a poor young mum, just because the narrator wants a good time with her, ultimately.

Far more clearcut is just how good this live cut is. It’s the definitive version, and much better than the Costello-produced album version, which is overlong and plodding by comparison. At 2:04, this incendiary version of Too Much Too Young is the shortest number 1 track of the 80s. But it packs in so much in such a short time, it’s easily the best song on this EP, which is no mean feat when it’s up against four classics of the genre. Most noteworthy are Hall’s passionate performance, Gentleman’s bass and Golding and Radiation’s guitar.

Guns of Navarone, the other Lyceum track, is a straightforward cover of The Skatalite’s skanking 1965 version of the theme tune to the 1961 film of the same name. Staple provides great toasting, accompanying expert trombone skills by Rico.

Skinhead Symphony on Side B is a jubilant, celebratory six-minute-plus medley of more 60s ska greats. Opening with a bugle call by Rico, Longshot Kick the Bucket is a faithful rendition of Longshot Kick de Bucket by The Pioneers, originally recorded in 1969. Long Shot was a real horse, that dropped dead mid-race, who the Jamaican group had sung about before. The Liquidator is the only track that doesn’t really live up to the original. Part of The Harry J All Stars 1969 original’s charm is the wonky feel of the primitive recording, which disappears in this sprightly run-through. The symphony closes with a version of 1969 rude boy anthem Skinhead Moonstomp by British ska band Symarip. This was based on Moon Hop, released earlier that year by rocksteady great Derrick Morgan, in honour of the Moon landing that July. It’s the perfect way to cap off a collection of great live recordings. In spite of the rather basic production, the atmosphere is palpable and you can only listen in envy at the fans chanting ‘Specials’ at the end.

In true ska fashion, it’s worth noting there are many credit errors on the original EP. Guns of Navarone songwriter Dimitri Tiomkin’s surname was spelled ‘Thompkin’. The mysterious ‘Gordon’ credited on Longshot Kick the Bucket was George Agard, and Sydney Cook, should be ‘Crooks’. And Symarip’s Monty Naismith should say ‘Naysmith’. Things like this matter!

After

The Special AKA reverted to calling themselves The Specials and continued to score hits throughout 1980 and 81, leading up to their masterpiece, Ghost Town.

The Outro

It’s worth noting that this EP knocked the Pretenders’ Brass in Pocket off the top spot. Singer Chrissie Hynde had provided backing vocals on The Specials, and the video to their number 1 had two band members miming ‘Special!’ in the video. Tenuous, perhaps, but I’m pointing it out anyway.

The Info

Written by

Too Much Too Young: Jerry Dammers & Lloyd Chambers/Guns of Navarone: Dimitri Thompkin & Paul Francis Webster/Longshot Kick the Bucket: Gordon, Sidney Cook & Jackie Robinson/The Liquidator: Harry Johnson/Skinhead Moonstomp: Roy Ellis & Monty Naismith

Producers

Jerry Dammers & Dave Jordan

Weeks at number 1

2 (2-15 February)

Trivia

Births

5 February: Scottish Liberal Democrats leader Jo Swinson
10 February: Photographer Matt Irwin/Actor Ralf Little/Footballer Steve Tully

Deaths

4 February: Labour MP Edith Summerskill
9 February: Journalist Tom Macdonald

Meanwhile…

14 February: The ever-loving Margaret Thatcher celebrates Valentine’s Day by halving state benefit to strikers.

14-23 February: Great Britain and Northern Ireland take part in the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York. But they only win one gold medal, thanks to figure skater Robin Cousins.

The Intro

As 1970 drew to a close, November’s number 1s seemed to symbolically bid farewell to the 60s. So, what next? Glam was around the corner, but in the meantime, the Christmas number 1 looked back to pop’s past, as Welsh singer-songwriter spent six weeks at the top with a cover of a 50s R’n’B tune.

Before

David William Edwards was born in Cardiff on 15 April 1944. Musically gifted as a child on the piano, at the age of 10 he formed The Edmund Bros Duo with his elder brother Geoff. They both formed The Stompers around 1957, with Dave on lead guitar and Geoff on rhythm. From there the younger Edmunds had brief stints in several groups before becoming lead singer of rockabilly trio The Raiders, who formed in 1961.

In 1966 Edmunds, following a brief spell in The Image, shifted to a blues-rock sound and formed a short-lived outfit called Human Beans, who mutated into the trio Love Sculpture. Their second single, a novelty high-speed reworking of Sabre Dance, which climbed to number five after getting the attention of DJ John Peel. After two albums Love Sculpture split in 1970.

Edmunds returned to Wales and learned how to recreate the sounds of the R’n’B and blues songs of the 50s by himself, and made plans to record a cover of blues classic Let’s Work Together by Wilbert Harrison, until he heard Canned Heat’s version. Around this time he worked with Shakin’ Stevens and the Sunsets, helping the 80s hitmaker score his first recording contract.

Fortunately, Edmunds heard Smiley Lewis’s I Hear You Knocking while driving, and noted he could use the backing track he’d already recorded for Let’s Work Together and make a cover of Lewis’s song. It was also a track he knew from Shakin’ Stevens and the Sunsets’ repertoire.

The original, written by New Orleans bandleader Dave Bartholomew (who had co-written the 1959 Elvis Presley number 1 One Ni ght) and released by Lewis in 1955, is a straightforward slice of piano-driven 50s R’n’B, but Edmunds went full on blues-rock. He played every part on his version, using heavy compression to create an unusual, direct sound.

Review

Edmunds’ I Hear You Knocking is a quirky choice for Christmas number 1, but of course, being at the top of the charts on 25 December wasn’t an ‘event’ back then. The weird production is attention-grabbing to begin with. Most unusual of all is the vocal track, which sounds like it’s being sung down a bad phone line, or is coming out of a damaged transistor radio. I’m not sure if Edmunds was aiming for a dated 50s sound, but if so, it doesn’t quite come out like that. It gets a bit annoying after a while, whatever the intention.

The chorus is memorable, and the slide guitar is effective, and I enjoy Edmunds’ shouting out ‘Smiley Lewis!’ and other rock’n’roll star names from the 50s in the instrumental break. I can see why listeners would have enjoyed a bit of basic blues-rock for a while. Not sure how it stayed at number 1 for six weeks, though.

After

Despite the success of I Hear You Knocking, it took Edmunds two years to release his debut album, Rockpile, which was mostly a collection of more oldies. He had left it too late to capitalise. Or maybe he wasn’t bothered about doing so anyway. He spent the next few years producing rock and blues acts like Brinsley Schwarz, Foghat and The Flamin’ Groovies. However, his two singles Baby I Love You and Born to Be With You reached the top 10 in 1973.

In 1974 Edmunds had a brief role in the David Essex film Stardust, and helped with the soundtrack. A year later came his second solo LP, Subtle as a Flying Mallet. Then his friendship with Nick Lowe from Brinsley Schwarz resulted in their new group Rockpile. Due to being on different labels they were unable to record until 1980 but would guest on each other’s solo material for the next few years.

In 1979 Edmunds scored his last top 10 hit with Girls Talk, written by Elvis Costello. Rockpile only recorded one album, 1980’s Seconds of Pleasure, before splitting up due to arguments between Edmunds and Lowe. Edmunds went back to mainly producing, and worked with big names including Paul McCartney, Status Quo, Stray Cats, The Everly Brothers and kd Lang. He had a US hit with Slipping Away in 1983 though, written and produced by ELO’s Jeff Lynne.

Edmunds went into semi-retirement in the mid-80s, but he did tour with Ringo Starr & His All-Star Band in 1992 and 2000. After a couple of albums released online, he began touring in his own right again in 2007. Edmunds performed I Hear You Knocking on Jools’ Annual Hootenanny in 2008 and then Sabre Dance in 2009. His last album was On Guitar… Dave Edmunds: Rags & Classics in 2015, featuring instrumental covers. After a final show in July 2017, Edmunds retired from music.

The Outro

1970 was an interesting, eclectic year for number 1s, with several well-remembered chart-toppers. Lots were in thrall to the past, though, with the departure of The Beatles leaving the music world wondering what to do. Fortunately, T. Rex were now on the scene, having scored a number two hit with Ride a White Swan. Marc Bolan would soon have his first number 1.

The Info

Written by

Dave Bartholomew

Producer

Dave Edmunds

Weeks at number 1

6 (28 November 1970-8 January 1971) *CHRISTMAS NUMBER 1*

Trivia

Births

29 December 1970: Singer Aled Jones
31 December: Welsh rugby union player Louise Rickard
1 January 1971: Football referee Andre Marriner/BBC newsreader Suzanne Virdee
5 January: TV presenter Jayne Middlemiss
7 January: TV presenter Joanne Malin

Deaths

26 December: Olympic athlete Lillian Board(see below)
31 December: Composer Cyril Scott

Meanwhile…

26 December: Olympian athlete Lillian Board, died in Munich, West Germany, after a three-month battle against cancer. She was 22.

31 December 1970: Although Paul McCartney had announced his departure from The Beatles earlier in 1970, it was made official when he filed a lawsuit against the other three on this day to dissolve their partnership.

1 January 1971: The Divorce Reform Act 1969 came into effect, which allowed couples to divorce after a separation of two years (five if only one agrees). This ruling resulted in a sharp rise in divorces over the next two years.

2 January: The new year got off to a shocking start for football fans when a stairway crush at Ibrox Stadium in Glasgow during a match between Rangers and Celtic killed 66 and left many more injured.

3 January: BBC Open University broadcasts began.

8 January: Uruguayan left-wing urban guerrilla group Tupamaros kidnapped Geoffrey Jackson, the British ambassador to Uruguay, in Montevideo. He was held captive until September.