Too much too young : the 2 Tone Records story : rude boys, racism, and the soundtrack of a generation / Daniel Rachel.

Brooklyn, New York : Akashic Books, [2024]

480 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some color) ; 24 cm

Originally published in the UK in 2023 by White Rabbit.

"In 1979, 2 Tone Records exploded into the consciousness of music lovers in Britain, the US, and beyond, as albums by the Specials, the Selecter, Madness, the English Beat, and the Bodysnatchers burst onto the charts and a youth movement was born. 2 Tone was Black and white: a multiracial force of British and Caribbean musicians singing about social issues, racism, class, and gender struggles. It spoke of injustices in society and fought against rightwing extremism. It was exuberant and eclectic: white youths learning to dance to the infectious rhythm of ska and reggae, crossed with a punk attitude, to create an original hybrid...Told in three parts, Too Much Too Young is the definitive story of a label that for a brief, bright burning moment shaped British, American, and world culture" -- Publisher's description from dust jacket.

English

July 24, 2024

Includes bibliographical references and discography.