The Specials - Ghost Town / Why? (Vinyl 7" | DE Original | 1981)

The Specials – Ghost Town / Why? is a single by Coventry ska band The Specials, released in 1981 on 2 Tone, in Germany via Chrysalis (cat. no. 103 338). Jerry Dammers wrote “Ghost Town” as a picture of desolate English cities during recession and mass unemployment; it was produced by John Collins and recorded at Woodbine Studios. In July 1981, as riots broke out in several British cities, the single spent three weeks at number one in the UK. It was the last single by the original line-up before Terry Hall, Neville Staple and Lynval Golding left to form Fun Boy Three. This copy is the 1981 German original pressing.

Pressing details

• Label / Cat. no.: Two-Tone Records / Chrysalis 103 338
• Format: Vinyl 7", Single, 45 RPM, Stereo
• Pressing: DE original
• Country: Germany
• Year of this pressing: 1981
• Genre: Ska, Rock, New Wave

Condition

• Condition: Second hand
• Media: VG+
• Cover: VG+

Graded to Goldmine standard (see Vinyl Grading). The images are our own scans of the actual copy for sale.

Tracklist

Side A

1. Ghost Town (Jerry Dammers)

Side B

1. Why? (Lynval Golding)

Personnel

The Specials: Terry Hall (vocals), Neville Staple (vocals, toasting), Lynval Golding (guitar, vocals), Roddy Radiation (guitar), Jerry Dammers (keyboards), Horace Panter (bass), John Bradbury (drums). Produced by John Collins.

FAQ

Is this the original pressing?
Yes, it is the 1981 German original edition on Two-Tone / Chrysalis with catalogue number 103 338. The first release came out the same year in the UK.

What is “Why?” about?
Guitarist Lynval Golding wrote the B-side in response to a racist attack on him. The song asks why people turn to violence against each other because of skin colour.

What does Media VG+ / Cover VG+ mean?
VG+ (Very Good Plus) means both record and sleeve show light wear; the record may have faint surface noise that hardly affects playback. All grades are explained on our Vinyl Grading page.

Do you have more records by The Specials?
Yes, for example The Specials – More Specials, the band's second album. More ska titles are in our Reggae, Ska & Dub collection.