The Specials, Ghost Town music video Flashcards
When was the video released?
1981, during Thatcher’s reign of terror and the Brixton race riots.
Who directed the music video?
Graphic designer Barney Bubbles- futurism, art deco, brutalist styles. Notable for his work on Elvis Costello’s ‘space rock’ group Hawkwind’s album covers
What is the setting of the music video?
Combines eerie shots of deserted East End of London w/band in 1962 Vauxhall Cresta lip syncing.
What does the genre of the video seem to be?
Mise-en-scene and cinematography seem to reference range of film styles e.g. British social realism, thriller and horror genres
What is the purpose of the expressionist lighting in the music video?
Drawing attention different meanings of the lyric ‘ghost town’.
How can this video be read through a postmodern angle?
Hybrid mix of references, music video forms- experimental combo of narrative, performance and concept, so it can be read through a postmodern approach w/reference to intertextuality and hybridity.
How does the video’s strong political message challenge the audience?
Challenges audience w/direct mode of address- both angry and plaintive.
Why was the video unusual for the time?
Conveyed strong social message (in contrast to dominant style of pop music in the charts at the time), meaning the contemporary audience of the time might well have been shocked or discomfited by it.
What are the main themes of the music video?
Urban decay, deindustrialisation, unemployment and violence in inner cities.
How does the combined aesthetic of the music video and the lyrics reflect British society in the 1980s?
Represents unease about state of the nation, one which is often linked to Thatcherism politics but transcends a specific political ideology in its eeriness- has remained politically and culturally resonant.
What is the racial representation in the video like?
Racially diverse. Reflects musical genre of ska, a style which could be read politically in context of a racially divided country. This representation of Britain’s emerging multiculturalism, is reinforced through the eclectic mix of stylistic influences in both the music and the video.
Why was the factory town of Coventry in particular a hotspot for ska activity?
Caribbean immigrants brought ska to England, where it attracted a cult following. Coventry in Midlands was a hot spot for ska activity, where large numbers of black ppl settled to work in Brit auto industry. By late 70s, Coventry had high unemployment and the attendant unrest.
When Coventry experienced high levels of unemployment and attendant unrest, how did this influence ska musically?
Musically, the good-time sound of ska was being introduced to the lyrical intensity and anger of the punk movement- start of two-tone genre.
The Specials were a British two-tone band. What was the two-tone genre?
Genre of British popular music of late 70s and early 80s that fused trad Jamaican ska music w/elements of punk rock and new wave music.
How has ‘Ghost Town’ been described retrospectively by critics?
Cultural critic Dorian Lynskey has described it as ‘’a remarkable pop cultural moment’’ one that “defined an era’’.
