COVENTRY Music Museum curator Pete Chambers BEM writes for the Observer.
ANYONE who is a collector, will know the excitement of holding that converted collectible in your hands, that moment when you can finally say it is yours.
I had one such moment last week.
At the Coventry Music Museum we have a superb collection of items relating to local music including the actual Ghost Town Car (as seen in the promo video of the chart-topping song). One item that had always evaded us though was the very rare 2-Tone single by Coventry band The Swinging Cats.
The Swinging Cats originally practised in a small garage that was ‘too small to swing a cat’, hence their name.
They played ska along with other influences such as calypso, Latin and a touch of Captain Scarlet, but with an accent on ‘fun’.
Indeed their type of kitsch lounge music was pretty much the way Jerry Dammers would go with the sound of The Specials.
The Cats’ won a contest at The Launch – the prize was an appearance on BBC’s Look Hear.
They toured with Gods Toys, The Bodysnatchers, The Selecter, Bad Manners and The Specials.
Their personnel was forever changing but the ‘classic’ line-up was something like this: Toby Lyons (Tony El Dorko) on keyboards, John Shipley (aka Vaughan Truvoice) guitar, Wayne Riff bass, Jane Bayley (aka Jayne De La Swing) vocals, Paul Heskett on sax, Billy Gough (aka Dicky Doo) drums and Chris Long (aka Craig Guatamala) on percussion.
Chris worked at Virgin Records in Cov, Jerry Dammers’ then girlfriend (Val Pussy Perfect) would also feature as a vocalist in the band.
And Paul Heskett would famously go on to play on The More Specials LP and Ghost Town.
It’s important to mention that it’s impossible to underestimate John Shipley’s influence on 2-Tone music, not just in the Cats and the influence he has had on the likes of Jerry Dammers and Madness.
John has travelled a hard road but he continues to shine as a human being and as a musician.
Their one and only 2-Tone single was the echo-filled Away with the superb Mantovani as a double A side released in 1981.
Despite the first 20,000 copies selling for just 50p, it became the first 2-Tone release not to chart.
2-Tone collectors generally favour first releases, known as the paper label (the one with the Walt Jabsco on them the 2-Tone Man).
However, as this single failed to chart, the second pressing on silver plastic was very limited and has become the holy Grail of 2-Tone collectors.
Last year one such record came up for sale, but sadly it eventually sold for an eye-watering £800!
So, imagine my delight when a few weeks ago the owner Simon Curtis offered it to the museum at a reduced price.
So, thanks to all who helped us get this (especially Horace Panter) and we are now the proud owners of this mega collectable gem.
