John Brabury " The Specials " Drummer R.I.P.

After we learn today of the death of Lemmy, yet another musician from my youth has passed away.

John Bradbury the drummer with Ska Band " The Specials " died yesterday age 62. The Specials where a unique band from Coventry who revived Ska music in the UK. One of the bands on the famous " Two Tone " Label.

R.I.P. John.

www.bbc.co.uk...

a reply to: alldaylong

I can't name the band members without hitting google. The music was something else altogether - top band and great tracks. Short and sweet tunes that you could tap your feet to.

a reply to: alldaylong

Today is just a crap day in the music world. Today sucks.

So sad. Greatness is always fleeting.

I love music, hard to live without it. I haven't been tuned in. For a while now.

I think I switched channels on my ICOM IC-R2 briefly, while listening to the hungover Cubs being pummeled by the Mets, because they were blasting Whole Lotta Love and I cannot...just cannot

xrt: Mister Jones and Me

Memories is all.

What's going on? Really.
What do you want to hear?


a reply to: beansidhe

# 560

a reply to: alldaylong

The drums drive and define the style. Drums are the original form of music (he says, ignoring drummer jokes).
Sad loss.

A truly awful day for music.

I loved Lemmy, his music and his take on life.

But for me and millions of us who were teenagers in the late '70's and '80's there were three bands that defined the era and were integral in shaping our whole world viewpoint - The Clash, The Jam and The Specials.

The Specials expressed our everyday experiences in such a unique way.
And their music was brilliant.

Hearing about Brads passing fills me with a sadness that I can't really express.
Joe Strummer and Weller were the voice of millions of us, the true poets of a lost and vacant generation.
But The Specials were us, the ordinary, disaffected people who no-one gave a crap about.
But they were fun as well.

I'm lucky enough to have met three members of the original band and count one of them as a bit of a mate.
They were all special in their own ways....but Brad, along with Horace, were the forces that drove the music.

JB was a great drummer and a good man.
His passing, so soon after Rico's, is truly tragic.

I count the opening night of their 30 years reunion tour in Newcastle as one of the best live concerts I have ever been to and I've been to literally hundreds.

Anyone interested in trying to understand what The Specials meant to us really should watch this video in its entirety, it catches The Specials at their very best.

a reply to: TheWhiteKnight

What are you saying to me there, my friend? What is #560? How do you want me to respond to that?

So many questions for you.