Coventry Automatics
Lost & Found (yellow)
The Specials shook up the British music scene in 1979 when their blend of English punk and Jamaican ska took the nation by storm. The Dawning of a New Era collects the legendary 1978 demos, cut when the group was known as The Automatics, with Silverton Hutchinson on drums and before the arrival of Neville Staples. Favourites such as Night Klub, Too Much Too Young, Stupid Marriage, Concrete Jungle, Blank Expression and the title track are here presented in rougher, spikier arrangements, much of the work-in-progress referencing the reggae stylings of the late 1960s and early 70s. A must for all Specials fans!