Special Beat - The Demos

1. What You Thinking ? (Special Beat)
2. Better Must Come (Special Beat)
3. Rainy Days (Special Beat)
4. Hypocrite (Bob Marley)
5. Time Longer Than Rope (Prince Buster)
6. Golden Years (David Bowie)
7. Breakout (Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels)

The recent Specials / Pama International tour saw no less than six ex-members of Special Beat take to the stage each evening. Joining Pama's Sean Flowerdew (Keys) & Finny (Vocals) were The Specials' Brad (Drums), Sir Horace Panter (Bass) & Neville Staple (Vocals).

Lynval Golding was also a member, but joined after these demos were recorded - in 1991 - at UB40's studio in Birmingham, with Ranking Roger on production duties.

The full Special Beat line-up at the time was Neville Staple, Ranking Roger & Finny (Vocals), Sean Flowerdew (Keys), Sir Horace Panter (Bass), Brad (Drums), Anthony Harty* (Guitar), Graeme Hamilton (Trumpet) & Mark 'Chico' Hamilton (Sax).

(*Anthony Harty had been the bass guitarist with Paul Weller's Style Council at the tender age of 16! He replaced Bobby Bird from Ranking Roger's solo band who was the first Special Beat guitarist)

Both Rico Rodriguez (Trombone) - he solos on 'Time Longer Than Rope' - & Saxa (Sax) also feature as guests on these sessions.

The quality of these tracks shows just what Special Beat had to offer, but unfortunately a lack of much more original material put paid to any longevity for the group.

'Live' they were the dog's bollocks. I saw this particular line-up at the T+C2, London in June 1991 & it still rates as one of the best shows I've ever been to!

Anyway, enjoy the tracks (again with just a little bit of audio enhancement by the Liquidator).

Please support the bands..

The Specials : http://www.thespecials.com/

Pama International : http://www.pamainternational.co.uk/

(check out their fantastic new album 'Pama Outernational')

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