Bob Dylan Center Book Club: “Too Much Too Young: The 2 Tone Records Story”

Join Bob Dylan Center Director Steven Jenkins on Thursday, May 22, for a virtual Book Club event with Daniel Rachel, author of a new book exploring the definitive and remarkable story of 2 Tone Records.

In 1979, 2 Tone Records exploded into the consciousness of music lovers in Britain, the United States 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 right-wing 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.

The idea of 2 Tone was born in Coventry, England, masterminded by middle-class art student Jerry Dammers, who envisioned an English Motown. Dammers signed a slew of successful artists, and a number of successive hits propelled 2 Tone onto “Top of the Pops” and into the hearts and minds of a generation. However, infighting among the bands and the pressures of running a label caused 2 Tone to bow to the inevitable weight of expectation and recrimination. Over the following years, Dammers built the label back up again, entering a new phase full of fresh signings and a beautiful end-piece finale in the activist hit song “(Free) Nelson Mandela.”

“Too Much Too Young” is the definitive story of a label that, for a brief, bright, burning moment, shaped British, American and world culture.

Daniel Rachel is a Birmingham-born, best-selling author whose previous works include: “Isle of Noises: Conversations with Great British Songwriters;” “Walls Come Tumbling Down: The Music and Politics of Rock Against Racism,” “2 Tone,” and “Red Wedge;” “Don’t Look Back in Anger: The Rise and Fall of Cool Britannia;” “The Lost Album of the Beatles: What If the Beatles Hadn’t Split Up?;” “One for the Road: The Life & Lyrics of Simon Fowler & Ocean Colour Scene;” and “Oasis: Knebworth: Two Nights That Will Live Forever.” He is also coauthor of Ranking Roger’s autobiography, “I Just Can’t Stop It: My Life in the Beat.” In 2021, Rachel was a guest curator of the “2 Tone Lives & Legacies” exhibition as part of Coventry Cultural City 2021, and he curated the anniversary edition of the Selecter’s debut album, “Too Much Pressure.”

Details:

This event will take place virtually via Zoom.

Thursday, May 22, 2025

6 p.m.

Tickets:

$5 for nonmembers

Free for Bob Dylan Center members