Ghost Town Totally Explained

Everything about Ghost Towns totally explained

"Ghost Town" was a 1981 number one hit for the British ska band, The Specials.

History

The song was written in response to Margaret Thatcher's policies which the band believed would increase the large-scale unemployment already present in Britain, particularly in Scotland and England's industrialised north and Midlands regions. This was highly relevant to The Specials as they formed and lived in Coventry and saw the effects of the policies first-hand, as their city experienced some of the UK's worst unemployment at levels of 20%. It was also the summer of large-scale riots in Brixton, London and Toxteth, Liverpool amongst others, where there was alleged heavy-handed police treatment of young black men. Indeed the single was unusual in that it hit the top of the UK Top 40 at the exact time that riots occurred on the streets of Great Britain. It was one of those rare occasions when music reflected the social circumstances of the country succinctly.
   The song spent three weeks at number one and ten weeks in the top 40 of the UK Singles Chart overall and is thought to be their honest impression of Coventry in 1981, although some believe it was inspired following one of the band's concerts in Glasgow. The track was recorded at the Woodbine Street Studios in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire.
   Despite being a song about Coventry, the band chose to film the video of themselves driving a Vauxhall Cresta around some empty London streets.
   Ghost Town was at number one in the UK charts when Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer amid much royalty-inspired patriotic rejoicing. This ironic juxtaposition is similar to the notorious events of the Silver Jubilee of 1977 when the Sex Pistols version of God Save the Queen was widely believed to have been the rightful number one during the week of celebrations despite being officially eclipsed by Rod Stewart.
   The club referred to in the lines "All the clubs are being closed down" and "Too much fighting on the dance floor" was The Locarno - which was also the club setting the scene for the b-side song, "Friday Night Saturday Morning". It is now Coventry Central Library.

Track listing

1981 release

2 Tone CHS TT17 7"
"Ghost Town" (Dammers) - 3:40
"Why?" (Golding) - 2:59
"Friday Night, Saturday Morning" (Hall) - 3:32

2 Tone CHS TT1217 12"

"Ghost Town (Extended Version)" - 6:02

"Why? (Extended Version)" - 3:55

"Friday Night, Saturday Morning" - 3:32

1991 re-release

2 Tone CHS TT30 7" (Ghost Town Revisited)

"Ghost Town" - 3:40

"Ghost Dub '91" - 4:19

Chart Positions

Chart	Peak position
U.K. Singles Chart	1
IRE Singles Chart	3

Cover versions

No Doubt included a partial cover of Ghost Town in their Live in the Tragic Kingdom concert DVD. It's part of the song "Move On".

The Prodigy made a cover of the song which is included on the 1 Love compilation in the September 2002 issue of the NME Magazine.

The very beginning of the track (the howling wind and drumbeat) is sampled throughout the Gorillaz song, "Slow Country".

Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly covered the song in 2006 for a competition in NME.

Use in other media

The song is the only record brought by the forgetful DJ priest Father Billy O'Dwyer to the Craggy Island disco and raffle in the Father Ted episode "Think Fast, Father Ted". The writers of the series tried to think of the worst song that could be played at a disco and Ghost Town was chosen. It has to stand in for the national anthem "Amhrán na bhFiann" at the end of the evening.
   The song was used in the zombie comedy Shaun of the Dead.
   In the Guy Ritchie movie Snatch, the song is used in the introductory scene for Sol and Vinnie, two of the film's protagonists.
   The song was played on BBC Radio 2 on 5 May 2001 to mark Coventry City Football Club's relegation from the top flight of English football after 34 years.

Further Information

Get more info on 'Ghost Towns'.

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