2Tone: The Sound of Coventry

This remarkable film tells the story of 2 Tone – a record label from Coventry that went on to have a global impact on music.

About This Production

The remarkable story of how 2 Tone Records, an independent ‘do it yourself’ record label from Coventry, went on to have a global impact.

Featuring a rare interview with founder and keyboard player of The Specials and architect of 2 Tone Jerry Dammers who reveals how he came up with the ideas behind the 2 Tone revolution. Calling for unity at a time of growing racial tension in the UK, this was music with a message, featuring multiracial bands. With the unlikely blend of Jamaican ska and punk rock, the film explores how a brand-new musical genre came seemingly out of nowhere and went mainstream overnight as legions of fans adopted the rude boy image and propelled the bands up the charts. The universal themes that feature in songs such as Too Much Too Young and Ghost Town are explored along with the incredible energy that came from live gigs. The last 2 Tone release, ‘Nelson Mandela’ saw Jerry’s anti-racist message propelled from a local stage to a global one and was in his words, ‘the culmination of 2 Tone’.

Jerry’s bandmate in The Specials, Neville Staple, Pauline Black and Neol Davies of The Selecter, proud Coventrian Pete Waterman and Coventry born 2 Tone fan and film director Gurinder Chadha all contribute.

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