Who's your favourite 2 tone band?

[Loonie]

Well for me it will always be about the Specials. I loved them then and I still do today. Who's your favourite 2 tone era band?

[oneboycircus]

Loonie said:

In this discussion some people have brought up bands that were around the ska scene at the time (eg. Bad Manners) but weren't ever signed to the 2tone record label. And Brixton Beat - I still think that Sarah-Jane Owens is one of the most talented guitarists I've heard. I greatly admired her when I was in high-school. We all wanted to be as cool as her!

I don't know how true it is that BadManners were never signed to 2tone, or that the label actually "signed" bands as opposed to just releasing stuff for bands. Most of the bands either moved on to other labels, or started thier own, using 2tone as just a sort of spring board. But Bad Manners were on the Dance Craze record/movie and I've also heard they were going to put stuff out on 2tone but the label folded before that ever actually happened. Another band that was supposed to release stuff on 2tone is Dexy's Midnight Runners, who were originally a great soul band before they became "Come on Eileen", whatever genre-mashup you want to call that "80s-irishfolk-pop-new wave?"
btw my favorites are the Beat or the Specials, hard to say which one though.

[David Donaghy]

defo the specials, but its a close run thing with the beat and selecter and bad manners!!