The song spent 3 weeks at No. 1 and 10 Weeks in total on the Uk Singles Chart’s Top 40.
It was awarded the “Single of the Year” in 1981
It won an NME award for being the ‘Best Single’
Formed in 1977, the group had become the pioneers of a cross-cultural sound that fused the sounds of reggae music with the raw anger of punk.
In a space of 2 years (1979-1981), the original “Specials” managed to embody the new decade’s violent emerges of violent energies, morals and conflicts.
CULTURAL, SOCIAL AND HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
The song was addressing the themes of urban decay, deindustrialisation, unemployment and violence in inner cities
In 1981, industrial decline had left the city suffering badly and unemployment rates were at the highest level within the UK
In 1981, unemployment was heading up to 3 million people
Ghost Town is believed to be a prophecy that sounds like an aftermath as the Ghost Town it describes of is gutted by recession and appears to be the terrain before a riot.
1981 was the height of youth unemployment as the UK reacted to Margaret Thatcher’s cuts and riots were erupting all over the country
The song consists of many different sounds, chords and unusual instruments to represent the chaos and confusion which was happening during 1981
The origin of the song began back in 1980, after Dammers had witnessed the St Paul Riots in Bristol. For most of the 1970s, St Pauls, which was a predominantly black and white working class area, was a victim of deteriorating housing, poor education services and and increasingly strong Police presence.
The band included both members with black and white skin, which was very rare back in the 80s, identifying the “Specials” are challenging the dominant ideology
HOW THE VIDEO CREATES MEANING USING MEDIA LANGUAGE:
Some of the band members are in dark suits, whereas some are in bright clothing, which contradicts each other and could possibly signify the divide between different skin colours
The lighting of this music video is very dark and not much is happening in the background, suggesting the idea of a Ghost Town.
Cinematography is used through the merging of each scene of the music video, that switches from scene to scene using a sliding transition, which was common in music videos during the 80s
