The Specials perform 'A Message To You Rudy'
Description
The Ska anthem 鈥楢 Message to you Rudy鈥 is performed live on the 大象传媒 television show 鈥楾he Old Grey Whistle Test鈥 in 1979 by British two tone group The Specials. Captions over the performance explain how the band鈥檚 founder member Jerry Dammers also formed the Coventry based Two Tone label that made The Selector, Madness and The Beat famous. The Special鈥檚 1979 hit was a cover of the 1967 Rocksteady classic composed by Dandy Livingstone.
Classroom Ideas
This clip could be used as an introduction to reggae music. As they listen, without the screen displayed, students could write down the instruments they can hear. Introduce the idea of the 鈥榮kank鈥, also known as the offbeat. Ask the students, in groups, to create a performance of this song, or another well-known reggae song.
