The Specials - Gangsters - Various Songs (1978-1980)

I'm a big fan of the Specials. Like the English Beat whom I posted about yesterday, they didn't stay together very long, but pretty much all their music is top notch. They only released three albums (if you count the Special AKA as the Specials, and I do). However, I was able to find two albums' worth of stray tracks. Here's the first such album.

The first four songs are technically by the Coventry Automatics. But that was an early name of the Specials, and included key members Terry Hall and Jerry Dammers, though two other members hadn't joined yet. So I'm crediting those to the Specials for simplicity's sake. 

All but two songs here have been officially released, but some have come out in rather obscure ways. The first four songs mentioned above were included on an archival release. Five more songs were from singles or an EP, including the hit single "Gangsters," which went to the Top Ten in Britain. Two more are from BBC sessions ( the "Long Shot Kick de Bucket - The Liquidator - Skinhead Moonstomp" medley and "Sea Cruise"). By the way, I plan on posting some Specials BBC sessions albums here eventually, but I think those two songs deserve to be included here, as well on those albums. The medley also appeared on a 1980 EP, but that was a live version, and I think the BBC version, effectively a studio version, sounds better.

Speaking of sound quality, the two unreleased songs, "Man from Wareika" and "Madness," are from a live bootleg. They sound good, but not as good as everything else on this album. By the way, "Man from Wareika" first appeared on a 1977 album by Rico Rodriguez. He'd already had a long musical career since the 1950s as a trombonist before joining the Specials when that group formed. He also released a solo version of "Sea Cruise" in 1980. So that explains why the Specials did those songs.

I wasn't sure what to do with the song "Rat Race." It was a hit single in 1979, then it was included on the 1980 album "More Specials," but only the US version. I poked around, and it seems the British version still doesn't include the song. So US Specials fans are very likely to have this song on album already, and British fans are not. Thus, I've included it as a bonus track only. So keep it or not, depending on your situation.

This album is 45 minutes long, not including the bonus track.

01 Wake Up [Instrumental] (Specials)
02 Rock and Rock Nightmare (Specials)
03 Look but Don't Touch (Specials)
04 Jay Walker (Specials)
05 Gangsters (Specials)
06 Guns of Navarone (Specials)
07 Man from Wareika [Instrumental] (Specials)
08 Madness (Specials)
09 Maggie's Farm (Specials)
10 Rude Boys Outta Jail (Specials)
11 Racquel (Specials)
12 Braggin' and Tryin' Not to Lie (Specials with Roddy Radiation)
13 Long Shot Kick de Bucket - The Liquidator - Skinhead Moonstomp (Specials)
14 Sea Cruise (Specials)

Rat Race (Specials)

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The cover art uses a publicity photo taken in New York City in 1980. I added the record company logo, since it usually featured on the band's releases.