Bermuda Daily - Issue #52 tone: from London with an eye to Jamaica

Despite the name, 2 tone does not refer to musical tones but to the colors black and white (as in the suites worn by Jamaican artists performing in UK and as the different skin colors, so it is more a reference to politics). I find fascinating how the music history may be connected to politic history or history tout court. In the 60s Jamaica obtained indipendency from UK, the island changes the previous flag inspired to the Union Jack into a new one, destined to be famous, the Black-Green-Gold Cross. Many people from Jamaica went to England, bringing their cultural roots and their music.
In the mid 70s many new band followed this new musical genre that took its name from the record label. One of them is the today proposal, with two songs, one from their first years and one from 2009 (they changed style thru the years).

Radio Bermuda proposes today the ska title track (with its funny video start) from the 1979 album One Step Beyond... and the more recent Clerkenwell Polka from the 2009 album The Liberty of Norton Folgate by British band Madness!




Have a good day and see you tomorrow.

This song from the year 2000 Meganoidi contro Daitarn 3 is another ska song and contains a few homages to Madness and to the white-collar-shirts-and-tie suites referred in the label 2 Tone Records too.
It is an Italian band named Meganoidi and this is one of their first demos. Their name, and this song title too, is after to the evil Meganoids from the Japanese anime serie The Unchallengeable Daitarn 3.

Slight correction : 'two-tone' was a shiny fabric often used to make suits and trousers at the time. It was a favorite amongst Mods and easily transferred into the then skinhead culture around early UK ska. A well known brand who used it was 'Tonik' referenced by the line from a song called 'Johnny Reggae'... in his two-tone Tonik strides'.
The material was also used to line jackets and, most especially the Crombie coats worn by skins, suedes and other working class ska fans.
'2-tone' does a neat trick of combining the various meanings and origins of the term.

PS : love your work!

Wow, wonderful info Danik! Thank you

Dejanira wrote:Wow, wonderful info Danik! Thank you

No, thank-you for bringing back memories of that time for me.