SKA-BOOM! (Page 2 of 3)

The Rude Boys lived outside the law and dressed in the style we associate with the whole two-tone explosion or the second wave of Ska.

This took place in the late seventies when bands like The Clash, Coventry Automatics, (A.K.A the Specials) and Madness revitalised the ideals of the Rude Boys and expressed themselves in a fusion of reggae and punk.

Other important people at this time were Clement Seymore Dodd and Duke 'Trojan' Reid who were setting up the first sound systems for local Jamaican talent back in the 50's.

Jerry Dammers formed 2-Tone Records in 1979; the logo of the label was black and white to reflect racial integration in the band and to encourage racial unity. Many of the Specials songs dealt with the racial tension, which was rife all across Britain at the time.