COVENTRY Music Museum curator Pete chambers BEM writes for the Observer.
Celebrate the Bullet
PICKING a favourite 2-Tone album is always going to be very near impossible for me, but the Selecter’s second offering ‘Celebrate The Bullet’ has always remained something of a personal favourite.
Although not strictly a 2-Tone album (it was on the Chrysalis label), this work of art saw a band in divine flight, a powerhouse Ska unit (with the right producer Roger Lomas) all working together to create a classic LP.
This week we were finally given sight and sound of complete mechanics of this musical masterpiece with the release of Celebrate The Bullet Deluxe Edition 2022 Remaster 3CD.
The 3CD deluxe clamshell boxset comes complete with 20-page booklet featuring the band’s notes.
It has been remastered by Alchemy Mastering at AIR from the original production tapes.
It was released in February 1981 as the follow up to the successful 2-Tone debut album Too Much Pressure, along with the hit singles On My Radio, Three Minute Hero and Missing Words.
With ‘On My Radio’, producer Roger Lomas at the helm and Norman Watt-Ray (Ian Dury) and Roger Lomas helping on bass the album presented a far more rounded and polished Ska sound than the ‘Too Much Pressure’ debut album did.
The line-up included new members James Mackie and Adam Williams (replacing original members Desmond Brown and Charley Anderson).
This saw it take on a range of hard-hitting topics with Compton Amanor, Pauline Black and Gapps all contributing to the writing credits along, of course, with Neol Davies.
This looked to be the defining album from the band.
Sadly, due to unfortunate timing, upon release the title of this album was misunderstood due to the recent murder of John Lennon and an assassination attempt on US President Ronald Reagan and meant radio stations did not support the single or album and the release was largely ignored.
Now it is back in all its glory deserving of every music fan’s attention.
Dirt Road Band
Coventry’s own supergroup Dirt Road Band play a local pre-Christmas gig on December 3 at The Standard Triumph Club.
The Della Grants and Coventry Band The Session plus Bob Jackson and Holly Hewitt are also on the line-up too.
In case, you do not know about this ridiculously talented trio (where have you been?).
They are Steve Walwyn on guitar and vocals (Dr Feelgood, The DTs, Chevy, The Mosquitos, Steve Marriott, Roger Chapman, Eddie and The Hot Rods, Red on Red). Horace Panter on bass (The Specials, General Public) and Ted Duggan on drums (Badfinger, The Beat, The Selecter, Desmond Dekker, Chevy, The Drifters, Banco De Gaia).
If you want to hear some good honest blues music played by people who can really play, plus an all-star support, I suggest you get your tickets for this event ASAP.
Those tickets are available from ‘We Got Tickets’, The Phone Shop in Earlsdon, Coventry Laptop Clinic and the Standard Triumph Club.
Advanced tickets are £12 and £15 on the night on door.
