Katana VentraIP

2 Tone Records

2 Tone Records was an English independent record label that mostly released ska and reggae-influenced music with a punk rock and pop music overtone. It was founded by Jerry Dammers of the Specials and backed by Chrysalis Records.

For the music and cultural movement, see Two-tone (music genre).

2 Tone Records

1979

1986 (1986)

Reservoir Media Management

England

History[edit]

Jerry Dammers of the ska revival band the Specials started the record label in 1979.[1][2] Chrysalis had wanted to sign the Specials, but Dammers arranged a label deal, for Chrysalis to fund 15 singles a year and release at least ten of those.[3]


The label spawned the 2 Tone music and cultural movement, which was popular among skinheads, rudies and some mod revivalists. The label stopped operating in 1986, though "2 Tone" is still used as an imprint for back catalogue issues. 2 Tone Records signed the Selecter, Madness and The Beat, but they all left within two years. 2 Tone Records acts signed a contract that allowed them to leave the label after releasing just one single, which was unusual in the record industry. Madness and The Beat both took advantage of this clause; the former to sign to Stiff Records, and the latter to start their own label, Go Feet Records.


Although 2 Tone Records was closely identified with the ska revival, efforts were made to broaden the label's musical output, releasing recordings by artists such as singer-songwriter Elvis Costello and the funk-punk band the Higsons.


Dammers, with the assistance of Horace Panter and graphic designers John "Teflon" Sims and David Storey, created artwork that was to become central to 2 Tone Records. The logo portrays a man in a black suit, white shirt, black tie, pork pie hat, white socks and black loafers. Named "Walt Jabsco", the fictional character was based on a photograph of Peter Tosh, a former member of the Wailers.[4] Walt got his name from an old American bowling shirt that Dammers owned.[5] He influenced the design of an emoji (originally meant to depict a suited man doing the pogo): U+1F574 🕴 MAN IN BUSINESS SUIT LEVITATING.[6]

The Apollinaires

(only for Dance Craze)

Bad Manners

(known as "The English Beat" in the US)

The Beat

The Bodysnatchers

& the Attractions (only for one unreleased single, CHS TT7)

Elvis Costello

The Friday Club

The Higsons

JB's Allstars

Madness

Rhoda Dakar

Rico Rodriguez

The Selecter

(sometimes called "The Special AKA")

The Specials

The Swinging Cats

The Specials —

The Specials

Too Much Pressure

The Selecter

The Specials —

More Specials

Various Artists —

Dance Craze

That Man Is Forward

Rico Rodriguez

Rico Rodriguez — Jama Rico

Various Artists — This Are Two Tone (1983)

The Special AKA —

In the Studio

Various Artists — The 2 Tone Story

The Specials — Singles

The Specials — Live at the Moonlight Club

Various Artists — Best of 2 Tone

Various Artists — The Compact 2 Tone Story

Archived 11 October 2004 at the Wayback Machine

2 Tone Information site

The 2 Tone Trail

Discography at Discogs

2 Tone record collection