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2 Tone: The Sound of Coventry

The story of how 2 Tone, a record label from Coventry, went on to have a global impact. The brainchild of Jerry Dammers saw dance music with a message dominate the charts from 1979.

Using music, archive and new interviews, this is the story of 2 Tone – a unique musical phenomenon that exploded out of Coventry in the summer of 1979. 2 Tone not only dominated the charts and got the nation dancing to a ska beat, it played a vital part in the movement against racism in Britain and beyond. Including a rare interview with Jerry Dammers, the architect of 2 Tone, and contributions from other key players, the film explores the music style and ethos of the genre and charts the remarkable story of how this independent ‘do it yourself’ record label from Coventry went on to have a global impact and a unique place in popular music.

58 minutes

Last on

Fri 29 Mar 2024 23:55
±«Óãtv Four

Music Played

Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes

  • 00:00

    The Specials

    Enjoy Yourself (live)

  • 00:01

    The Specials

    Gangsters

  • 00:05

    The Selecter

    The Selecter

  • 00:06

    The Specials

    It's Up To You

  • 00:07

    Prince Buster

    Al Capone

  • 00:13

    The Specials

    (Dawning of a) New Era

  • 00:20

    The Beat / The English Beat (Usa), The Beat

    The Tears of A Clown

  • 00:25

    Madness

    One Step Beyond

  • 00:25

    The Specials

    A Message To You, Rudy (feat. Rico Rodriguez)

  • 00:31

    The Selecter

    James Bond

  • 00:37

    The Specials

    Longshot Kick De Bucket

  • 00:38

    John Leyton

    Johnny Remember Me

  • 00:43

    The Selecter

    Three Minute Hero

  • 00:47

    The Specials

    International Jet Set

  • 00:48

    The Specials

    Ghost Town

  • 00:53

    The Specials

    Free Nelson Mandela

  • 00:56

    The Specials

    Monkey Man

Credits

Interviewed Guest Jerry Dammers
Interviewed Guest Neville Staple
Interviewed Guest Pauline Black
Interviewed Guest Neol Davies
Director Nicola Silk
Executive Producer Colette Foster
Production Manager Sophie Cole
Executive Producer Diana Hare
Editor Ant Smith
Production Company Full Fat TV

Broadcasts

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