2 Tone Records
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- For the music and cultural movement, see 2 Tone.
2 Tone Records was a English record label that mostly released ska and reggae-influenced music with a punk rock and pop music overtone.
Jerry Dammers of the ska revival band The Specials started the record label in 1979. It spawned the 2 Tone music and cultural movement, which was popular among skinheads, rudies and some mod revivalists. The label stopped operating when The Specials split in 1985.
2 Tone Records signed The Selecter, Madness and The Beat, but they all left within two years. 2 Tone Records acts signed a contract which allowed them to leave the label after releasing just one single, which was unusual in the record industry. Madness and The Beat both took advantage of this clause; the former to sign to Stiff Records, and the latter to start their own label, Go-Feet.
Although 2 Tone Records was closely identified with the ska revival, efforts were made to broaden the label's musical output, releasing recordings by artists such as singer-songwriter Elvis Costello and the funk-punk band The Higsons. Two bands that almost made it onto the label were UB40 and Dexys Midnight Runners.
Jerry Dammers, with the assistance of Horace Panter, created artwork that was to become central to 2 Tone Records. The Walt Jabsco logo was based on an early album cover picture of Peter Tosh, with a black and white check pattern dropped in for good measure.
[edit] 2 Tone Records artists
- The Apollinaires
- Bad Manners
- The Beat (aka The English Beat in the U.S.)
- The Bodysnatchers
- Elvis Costello & The Attractions (for one unreleased single (CHS TT7) only)
- The Friday Club
- The Higsons
- JB's Allstars
- Madness
- Rhoda
- Rico Rodriguez
- The Selecter
- The Special AKA
- The Specials
- The Swinging Cats
