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Ska'd for Life: A Personal Journey with the "Specials"

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Author : Horace Panter
Binding : Paperback
EAN : 9780330440738
ISBN : 033044073X
Label : Pan Books
Manufacturer : Pan Books
Number of pages : 320
Publication date : 2008-02-01
Publisher : Pan Books
Title : Ska'd for Life: A Personal Journey with the "Specials"
Languages : Array
Number of items : 1
Studio : Pan Books

Editorial reviews

Review
The warmth and honesty of this book sets it a notch above others of its ilk. And as a lesson in what it's like to make it in the music game, it's essential reading. --Daily Sport

Contemporaneous diary keeping, a dry wit and impressive recall mean the sheer excitement of events shines through. --Q Magazine

Fascinating . . . a must read. --Mojo

Daily Sport
'The warmth and honesty of this book sets it a notch above others
of its ilk...it's essential reading.'

South Wales Argus
'Essential reading for Ska fans, or even ayone who has ever wanted
to be a musician.'

Music Books of the Year, Sunday Telegraph
'funny and well written chronicle of a band that got a nation of Englishmen dancing again.'

Sunday Telegraph
'It's funny and well written chronicle of a band who got a nation of Englishmen...'

Synopsis
As bass player with the specials, in his second-hand suit and pork pie hat, Horace Panter was a member of one of the most innovative and exciting bands to come snarling out of the punk era. Founded by Jerry Damners, their fusion of punk, reggae and ska created a new musical fashion, spearheaded by their own record label Two Tone. They stood for unity and racial harmony in a polarised society. They even got British men dancing again.In "Ska'd for Life" Horace takes the reader on a musical odyssey with the specials from their early days on Coventry's punk circuit to chart storming success with singles like 'Too Much Too Young' and the eerily prescient 'Ghost Town', released as the race riots saw Toxteth and Brixton go up in flames. Written with wry humour, taking an affectionate look at a band whose sublime music remains influential today, this is a must for all specials fans. 'I found myself laughing out loud whilst revisiting some long forgotten memories ...It was a fantastic journey and I thank Horace for sharing it' - Lynval Golding.

Customer reviews

review by: date: 2008-08-31 rating:

The Story of Two Tone
This book tells it like it was from a man on the front line.Mr Panter shares the ups and downs of the beginning and end of one of the most infuential bands,from only just getting there to support The Clash to the number 1 of Ghost Town and beyond,this is one must read for all Rude Boys.Hopefully the reunion The Specials this year will result in a long awaited tour.Brilliant

review by: Strawberry Reading Group UPS date: 2008-08-27 rating:

Sir Horace
A cracking read. Horace has a lovely written style and reveals plenty from this era. I thought i was pretty clued up on the Specials but learnt a hell of alot. I read it in 2 days sat on a beach with my Ipod playing all the tunes. Well worth buying

review by: pablojaye date: 2008-06-01 rating:

A Special Book
I bought this 2 days ago and haven't been able to put it down since. Like many others, The Specials were the start of my musical (and in some respects political, sartorial and social) education, although being 11 or 12 at the time, I was too young to go to any gigs etc. After almost 30 years, they are still my favourite band and both albums are in my top 5.

On to the book then, which for me fills in a lot of the gaps as to why the band split up - how the band was bought together, the hectic schedule - and also what it was like on the rollercoaster that is the music industry.

Written by one of the more unassuming members of the band, I get the impression that this account is probably as close as possible as to what actually happened. Not just a book for Specials fans but anyone who is into music.

Buy and enjoy!!

review by: date: 2008-05-01 rating:

Dawning of a Second Era
A few years ago on being asked for any New Years Resolutions on Jools Holland's Annual Hootenanny Phil Jupitus answered to `get the band back together' he went on to say `it might be difficult as he wasn't actually in The Specials'. Phil has, however, contributed in his own way by writing the foreword of the memoirs of Sir Horace Panter Gentleman `Ska'd For Life'.

An apt title if there ever was one as The Specials Ska'd the lives of not only bass player extraordinaire Panter but also fans Phil Jupitus and myself to name but two. The Specials informed my politics, I was against racism before I really knew what it was and in fact before I met anyone whom was coloured, coming from quite a leafy English suburb. They informed by dress, I still wear a black suit, Ben Sherman button down and even a Crombie overcoat when the weather is inclement. Most of all The Specials informed my musical taste, a peculiar blend of Ska and Punk which was my first love and what I return to time after time.

Over the last thirty years I've read allot about The Specials and the Two Tone bands and although this doesn't really add anything to the story it is great to hear it first hand from someone who was there rather than watching on, which I was doing myself. The stories reverberate with a freshness particularly in the parts of the book which were taken directly from the tour journal Horace kept throughout the American and Japanese tours which ultimately led to the break up of the band.

Horace's account is well written and the book expertly paced, it is the greatest book on The Specials I've ever read, it was however difficult to finish as I had to keep getting up and moving to the Black and White decked LP's I played whilst reading this book. Now that the band are indeed reforming maybe Horace will get to write a sequel `Dawning of a New Era' anyone?

review by: date: 2008-02-26 rating:

And Catch 22 says if I sing the truth
This is a great Read...honest ....well put together and in a chronological order...unlike some I have read...when the writer skips all over the place.
The impression I get of Horace is that he was level headed and grounded..there's no bitching as such...."No specials were offended during the making of this book"...I just see it as a man looking back on a fantastic period for music and telling it as it was and admitting that it wasn't perfect..but they played their hearts out and did their best. That's all you can ask for..... The cruncher for me is that Horace still rates the Clash as the most highly charged/energetic live band he has seen ever...and in that I am in total agreement...

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