This Are Two Tone

This Are Two Tone collects tracks from the 2 Tone Records roster, with the core label acts including The Specials, The Selecter, and The Beat. The 1983 compilation surveys the ska revival output associated with Jerry Dammers's Coventry-based label.

2 Tone Records was founded in 1979 by Jerry Dammers, keyboardist and primary songwriter of The Specials, in Coventry. The label's distinctive black-and-white checkerboard branding became an instantly recognizable symbol of the late-1970s ska revival and its emphasis on racial integration.

The grammatically playful title echoes the informal, slangy language associated with the 2 Tone scene and the West Indian-influenced culture the movement drew from. It also deliberately foregrounds the 2 Tone brand itself, signaling that the compilation is a label retrospective rather than a single artist release.

As a label retrospective released in 1983, This Are Two Tone provides a convenient single-volume survey of the core 2 Tone roster. For a fuller picture, listeners often supplement it with the debut albums by The Specials and The Selecter, which showcase each band's range beyond individual singles.