Two-tone (music genre) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Two-tone |
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| Other names | 2 Tone |
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| Cultural origins | Late 1970s, Coventry, United Kingdom |
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Two-tone or 2 Tone is a type of British popular music. It became famous in the late 1970s and early 1980s. This music style mixed traditional Jamaican ska music with parts of punk rock and new wave music.
The name "Two-tone" comes from 2 Tone Records. This record label was started in 1979 by Jerry Dammers from the band The Specials. The name also showed a wish to bring people together. Many two-tone bands, like The Specials, The Selecter, and The Beat, had both black and white musicians. This helped to reduce racial tensions in Britain at that time.
This music started in the city of Coventry in England. It was part of the second wave of ska music. The first ska music came from Jamaica in the 1950s and 1960s. Two-tone added a new, energetic feel from punk and new wave music.
Even though two-tone was mostly popular in the UK, it influenced music in the United States. It helped create the third wave ska and ska punk styles in the late 1980s and 1990s.
Contents
The Story of Two-Tone Music
The two-tone sound began with young musicians in Coventry, England. They grew up listening to Jamaican music from the 1960s. These musicians combined ideas from ska, reggae, and rocksteady. They also added parts of punk rock and new wave.
Some of the famous bands in this music style include The Specials, The Selecter, Madness, The Beat, Bad Manners, The Bodysnatchers, and Akrylykz.
How the Name and Logo Started
Jerry Dammers, who played keyboards for The Specials, created the name "two-tone." He worked with Horace Panter and a designer named John "Teflon" Sims. Together, they made the famous Walt Jabsco logo. This logo shows a man in a black suit, white shirt, and black tie. He also wears a pork pie hat, white socks, and black shoes.
The logo was inspired by an old photo of musician Peter Tosh. They added a black-and-white check pattern to the logo. This pattern became a symbol for the two-tone style.
Most of the bands known for two-tone music signed with 2 Tone Records. This record label was active from 1979 to 1985. Other record labels that released two-tone music were Stiff Records and Go Feet Records. This music was very popular with groups like skinheads, rudies, and mod revivalists.
The 2-Tone Central Museum
On October 1, 2010, the 2-Tone Central museum opened. It also had a cafe and a place for live music. It first opened in the Coventry University Students' Union building. By August 2011, it moved to the 2-Tone Village in Stoke, Coventry. The museum has exhibits about the music. It also features the Coventry Music Wall of Fame, celebrating local musicians.
See also
In Spanish: 2 Tone para niños
