Ghost Town - The Specials Flashcards
What key is ghost town in?
C minor
What political issues does the music reflect?
Race related violence and unemployment
Who was it written by
Keyboardist Jerry Dammers
What was ska?
Precursor of reggae, in Britain it was combined with punk to create a far more political and aggressive sound
What gives this song a reggae feel?
Slow tempo
What is the structure?
Intro/verse1/chorus/link/middle8/repeat intro/verse2/chorus/outro
What is featured in the intro?
Ascending diminished 7th chords and the chromatic line played on the flute
What are the lyrics like in verse one
Very dark
What are the vocals like in the chorus
Ghostly wailing
What does verse two feature?
Aggressive, politically charged vocal interjections
What kind of chromaticism so we hear in the melody in the intro?
Raised 7th (B) & F#
What is the melody in the verse like?
Sung in low register with chromatism, creating a dark quality with a small range
What is the melody in the chorus like?
Very high with falsetto wailing “la” with mocking minor 6th leaps
What is the melody in the middle eight like?
Melody in middle 8 is more lyrical and brighter
Is the harmony diatonic
No, lots of chromatism eg. Ascending diminished 7th chords heard in intro and link sections
What chords do we hear in the verse?
Verse alternates between C minor and G7 which moves to a chromatic Bb minor chord in bar 7
What key is the middle 8 in?
Middle 8 is in Db major alternates between this and Gb major > creates a nostalgic feeling
Which instruments are playing?
2 guitars, bass, drum kit, Hammond organ, flute, trumpet and trombone
Explain the use of brass
Lower sound of trombone used in verse to create darker atmosphere, trumpet used in brighter middle 8 section for nostalgic feeling
What do the drums do
Play a strong ska beat with accents on 2&4, lots of hi-hat
What uses of technology are there?
Sound scape of desolation create by wind and sirens at beginning and end
What do we hear in bar 3 & 4
Clashing D in melody against Cminor chord in bar 4 and F# and Fnatural in bar 3
How does the piece end?
Instruments drop out one by one then soundscape then fade out
What is the texture
Homophone throughout apart form ending which is monophonic for a moment
What date was ghost town released?
1981
