Ghost Town

Infobox Single
Name = Ghost Town


Cover size =
Caption = UK single cover of "Ghost Town"
Artist = The Specials
from Album =
A-side =
B-side = "Why?"; "Friday Night, Saturday Morning"
Released = 20 June 1981
Format =
Recorded = Woodbine Studios
Genre = Ska
Length = 3:40
Label = 2 Tone CHS TT17
Writer = Dammers
Producer = John Collins
Certification =
Last single =
This single =
Next single =
Misc ="Ghost Town" is the title of a 1981 song by the British ska band, The Specials.

History

The song was written in response to Margaret Thatcher's policies which the band believed would increase the large-scale unemployment already present in United Kingdom, particularly in Scotland and England's industrialised north and Midlands regions. This was highly relevant to The Specials as they formed and lived in Coventry and saw the effects of the policies first-hand, as their city experienced some of the UK's worst unemployment at levels of 20%. It was also the summer of large-scale riots in Brixton, London and Toxteth, Liverpool amongst others, where there was alleged heavy-handed police treatment of young black men. Indeed the single was unusual in that it hit the top of the UK Top 40 at the exact time that riots occurred on the streets of Great Britain. It was one of those rare occasions when music reflected the social circumstances of the country succinctly.

The song spent three weeks at number one and ten weeks in the top 40 of the UK Singles Chart overall and is thought to be their honest impression of Coventry in 1981, although some believe it was inspired following one of the band's concerts in Glasgow. The track was recorded at the Woodbine Street Recording Studios in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire.

Despite being a song about Coventry, the band chose to film the video of themselves driving a Vauxhall Cresta around some empty London streets.

Ghost Town was at number one in the UK charts when Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer amid much royalty-inspired patriotic rejoicing. This ironic juxtaposition is similar to the notorious events of the Silver Jubilee of 1977 when the Sex Pistols version of "God Save the Queen" was widely believed to have been the rightful number one during the week of celebrations despite being officially eclipsed by Rod Stewart.

The club referred to in the lines "All the clubs are being closed down" and "Too much fighting on the dance floor" was The Locarno - which was also the club setting the scene for the b-side song, "Friday Night Saturday Morning". It is now Coventry Central Library.

Track listing

1981 release

* 2 Tone CHS TT17 7" http://2-tone.info/2tone.pl?show112& 2Tone Discography "Ghost Town" release details ]
# "Ghost Town" (Dammers) - 3:40
# "Why?" (Golding) - 2:59
# "Friday Night, Saturday Morning" (Hall) - 3:32

* 2 Tone CHS TT1217 12" http://2-tone.info/2tone.pl?display219 2Tone Discography "Ghost Town" 12 Inch release details ]
# "Ghost Town (Extended Version)" - 6:02
# "Why? (Extended Version)" - 3:55
# "Friday Night, Saturday Morning" - 3:32

1991 re-release

* 2 Tone CHS TT30 7" (Ghost Town Revisited) http://2-tone.info/2tone.pl?show125& 2Tone Discography "Ghost Town Revisited" release details ]
# "Ghost Town" - 3:40
# "Ghost Dub '91" - 4:19

Chart Positions

Cover versions

*No Doubt included a partial cover of "Ghost Town" in their "Live in the Tragic Kingdom" concert DVD. It's part of the song "Move On".
*The Prodigy made a cover of the song which is included on the "1 Love" compilation in the September 2002 issue of the "NME" magazine.
*The very beginning of the track (the howling wind and drumbeat) is sampled throughout the Gorillaz song, "Slow Country".
*Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly covered the song in 2006 for a competition in NME.

Use in other media

The song is the only record brought by the forgetful DJ priest Father Billy O'Dwyer to the Craggy Island disco and raffle in the "Father Ted" episode "Think Fast, Father Ted". The writers of the series tried to think of the worst song that could be played at a disco and "Ghost Town" was chosen. It has to stand in for the national anthem "Amhrán na bhFiann" at the end of the evening.

The song was used in the Australiain film "Garage Days".

The song was used in the zombie comedy "Shaun of the Dead".

In the Guy Ritchie movie "Snatch", the song is used in the introductory scene for Sol and Vinnie, two of the film's protagonists.

The song was played on BBC Radio 2 on 5 May 2001 to mark Coventry City Football Club's relegation from the top flight of English football after 34 years.

External links

* [http://www.guardian.co.uk/friday_review/story/0,,663359,00.html "Ska for the madding crowd", an article on the song in The Guardian]
* [http://www.thespecials.com/lyricview.php?sid=35 Lyrics] to Ghost Town
* [http://2-tone.info/2tone.pl?show112& A page about the single on a 2 Tone Records fansite]
* [http://2-tone.info/articles/john_collins.html An interview about the song with John Collins, the producer]
*AMG Song|sql=33:as8gtq8zfuf3|song=Ghost Town

References