Too Much Too Young: The 2 Tone Records Story: Rude Boys, Racism and the Soundtrack of a Generation

Ranked as #2 UNCUT Book of the Year 2023, Daniel Rachel's Too Much Too Young delivers the definitive and vibrant story of 2 Tone, the musical and cultural explosion that burst into the national consciousness in 1979. Records from The Specials, The Selecter, Madness, The Beat, and The Bodysnatchers dominated the charts, and a powerful youth movement was born.

2 Tone was a potent symbol of black and white unity: a vital multi-racial force comprised of British and Caribbean island musicians who fearlessly sang about pressing social issues, tackling racism, class divisions, and gender struggles head-on. Their music gave voice to the injustices within society and stood in direct opposition to the rising tide of right-wing extremism. The sound of 2 Tone was exuberantly infectious, witnessing white youth joyfully embracing the irresistible rhythms of ska and reggae, fused with a raw punk attitude to create a uniquely British hybrid.

The very idea of 2 Tone was conceived in Coventry, the brainchild of Jerry Dammers, a middle-class art student with a vision of creating an "English Motown" rooted in his church upbringing. With a modest loan of £700, the label's inaugural release featured the iconic "Gangsters" by The Specials, backed by an instrumental track from the then-unformed Selecter. Within a mere two months, that single had rocketed to number six in the national charts. Dammers swiftly signed Madness, The Beat, and The Bodysnatchers, unleashing a torrent of successive hits that propelled 2 Tone onto Top of the Pops and firmly into the hearts and minds of a generation.

However, the intense pressures of running a burgeoning label, coupled with internal friction amongst the bands, soon saw 2 Tone buckling under the weight of expectation and inevitable recriminations. Yet, under the continued guidance of Jerry Dammers, the label entered a new phase. While perhaps not achieving the same dizzying commercial heights of its initial 1979-1981 incarnation, 2 Tone persevered for another four years, releasing a string of fresh signings and culminating in a stunning and poignant finale with "(Free) Nelson Mandela."

Told in three distinct parts, Too Much Too Young is the essential and compelling story of a record label that, for a brief but brilliantly burning moment, profoundly shaped British culture, leaving an indelible mark on music, fashion, and social consciousness.