Lifeboat Muster Point for TalkExiles - Thread 2

[Kucingsparkles]

Continuation of previous thread.

Gather here all ye refugees from the foundering ship of JTT, if ye be in need of "How the heck do I format my post?" "Why can't I edit my typos?" "What do those acronyms mean?" and most importantly, "Where is everybody that I used to know?"

Or just to chat randomly.

I had to Google Terry Hall! I did grow up with a lot of British (as well as US) music, but with some notable gaps in my knowledge.

My boys know that if they are cheeky they will get me singing m.youtube.com/watch?v=1mfFTCgzrU8 which is very embarrassing. Poor Terry. 63 is very young.

I've always loved that. Ghoswtown was a great track but Rudy always put(s) a smile on my face.

FFS, Ghost Town.

Here's the original:

Dandy Livingstone.

Bizarrely I know the original, until Winter's link this morning I don't think I've ever heard the Specials' version

I'm very sad about Terry Hall this morning - my dad was about the same age when he died (64) and it's far too young to go. I was a massive Duranie in the early 80s, and then segued into goth/punk via The Cure - but I always loved a bit of ska, and the Specials were fantastic.

The Specials did loads of covers and unusually, I think they were all done very well.

I loved a bit of ska too.

Anyone remember The Beat? Fantastic Brummie band.

Terry Hall did seem like he had a rough life, and lived his life hard. I think he 'retired' to the countryside for a while (Hayfield in the Peak District) but I'm not sure whether that helped him become happier with his life.

The 2 Tone scene was great in that you had loads of upbeat sounding songs with dark lyrics.

I've seen The Beat several times, and Bad Manners, Prince Buster, Desmond Decker. I missed The Specials when they partially reformed and did a gig with X Ray Spex.

I bloody love The Beat, probably not least because I lived in Mosely when they released Mirror in the Bathroom. What a blistering track.

I asked Alexa to play Ghost Town by the Specials and she played a lengthy remix. It was terrific, and RIP Terry.

I've seen them a few times too, Sinner. There was one magical occasion, about 1980, it was a Music in the Park event in Birmingham, Harborne park I think. I knew one of the organisers and he let on to me that The Beat were a special secret and would come on at the end. When the event got to the point that everyone thought it was over and had just started to gather their things and drift away, the first bars of 'Mirror in the Bathroom' played out and the audience rushed, cheering, back the stage. It was bloody wonderful.

(I wish the Dickens there was an edit function here)

We crossed, angelico. Might you have been there that day?

That sounds wonderful, Tricyrtis2022

It really was, I still get the shivers just remembering it.

No, I wasn't there, Tri. I've often wondered if they came into the shop I used to cook in, Sage Wholefoods. I'd have probably only recognised DW himself, though.

First time I heard it was sitting outside the old library at BHam uni, in the sun, with my best pals from our course. I'd go back like a shot, don't pass gp, don't collect £200.

Sage Wholefoods sounds familiar.

Madness came into the Italian restaurant I waitressed at in Wolverhampton.

Uh oh. Were they an embarrassment?

Arf! Of course!

There's a dedicated thread for the subject:

www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/4701691-terry-hall-has-died?page=1

For me Too Much Too Young is a stand out just because the moment I hear the bloody fantastic opening I'm 14 again. It's the most evocative song for me. It would have to come on a desert island with me.

Terry Hall had a very difficult life. He was abducted by a teacher when he was 12. The teacher took him to France and sexually abused him. He, Terry, was then put on Valium for depression, left school at 14 because full on trauma. Despite all that I think he went on to have a good life with a loving family but almost certainly had PTSD and definitely had lifelong depression.

I absolutely bloody loved him, he was so handsome and had such charisma. They were reporting his death on the world service too and it made me happy that he meant something outside the UK as well.

Yes Terry Hall's death has hit me hard too. Loved The Specials and Fun Boy Three. Immensely talented man. Ghost Town was the anthem of the early 80s; still sends a shiver up me after all these years. It was lovely to see all the tributes pouring in for him last night on Twitter but aged 63!? Talk about much too young! And so close to Christmas too. But living in the Midlands I am hoping that Central and Midlands Today do a tribute in their local news programmes tonight.