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MORE MORE MORE From the IRS Greatest Hits Part 2 and 3 plus some Two Tone Bubbles and Motorhead

First, here's more selections from that famed compilation, more to my taste!







Now to continue on with the action that many people missed out
on, but those in the hip (or wanting to be hip) were digging into during '81.

In The US, there was a very small but devoted following for things Two Tone Records and related, and believe it or not, two albums charted in the Bubbling Under section on the same week! I'm sure that after the appearance of The Specials on the 4'th season of Saturday Night Live, a lot of Alternative Music fans in The US were seriously interested in finding out about the scene. Although many possibly did not know what was happening on the home turf with the manic following and the problems that led to it's quick downfall, the US fans knew that 2 Tone meant quality even things got experimental (More Specials) or Moody (some of the 1981 music) by the end of it's glory days.

DANCE CRAZE Soundtrack - US Peak #202
THE SELECTER - Celebrate the Bullet - US Peak #201

Around the time The UK was seriously all into The Specials' classic "Ghost Town", the Two Tone scene was starting to fade into Pop History. Still, it had one great film that captured the peak of the moment in Dance Craze, Directed by Joe Massot who also Directed Wonderwall and parts of The Led Zep flick The Song Remains the Same before being removed from the production and featuring a serious amount of great bands.

The album would be a prime place to check out The Specials, The Beat (aka the English Beat in the US), Bad Manners, Madness, The Selecter, and The Bodysnatchers. It was almost like a serious Best Of until X-Mas 1983 brought us the classic This Are Two Tone collection.



The Selecter's second album, released on Chrysalis instead of 2 Tone (who they left in 1980) may not have been something for the party as their debut, Too Much Pressure, but it showcased their talents very well. Pauline Black's vocals are still class, although she will leave the band soon after this album's release with their last (pre-reunion, of course) show being at Bonds in New York, the famed place where The Clash would play on 28 May-5 June before The Selecter would take the stage on 17 June - and around that time The Special's "Ghost Town" will take it's place in The UK Top 10.






As for the Selecter, many listeners would be underwhelmed by the lack of something of 2 Tone Ska classics like "Three Minute Hero", as it would also under perform in The UK to #41, but it has a following today. Actually, the title track and "Cool Blue Lady" sound alright to my ears.


MOTORHEAD - No Sleep Till Hammersmith - US Peak #204

You read right...US #204. Earlier in '81, Ace of Spades, one of the ultimate Motorhead studio albums would make #201 in The US.

Many Americans sick of the Commercial Album Rock had to find out for themselves what the rest of the world was raving about, and Ace of Spades and No Sleep... already had a fanatical cult from the first time anyone would hear them. This was a hard hitting classic of pure Motorhead recorded in their element, LIVE. Recorded March 28-30, 1981, this set would be among the albums that would help spark the beginnings of a harder Metal in the US later in the decade. I think that their first US appearances (as support for Ozzy Osbourne/Blizzard of Ozz?) would be soon after the recording of these legendary shows, and the word spread like wildfire. I'm sure a lot of clerks at mainstream US records stores were wondering what was this band about in a way that Video Stores had those wondering why people were renting titles like Satan's Sadists, Nightmare, Psychomania, and Phantasm.

#1 in The UK...#204 in The US, but the influence would be far greater than any number on a chart.





Store's closing for the night, make your selection! I would suggest Motorhead, but those wanting the Alternative might like the IRS collection or even Dance Craze.