Ghost Town - The Specials

Question 1

What key is ghost town in?

Answer 1

C minor

Question 2

What political issues does the music reflect?

Answer 2

Race related violence and unemployment

Question 3

Who was it written by

Answer 3

Keyboardist Jerry Dammers

Question 4

What was ska?

Answer 4

Precursor of reggae, in Britain it was combined with punk to create a far more political and aggressive sound

Question 5

What gives this song a reggae feel?

Answer 5

Slow tempo

Question 6

What is the structure?

Answer 6

Intro/verse1/chorus/link/middle8/repeat intro/verse2/chorus/outro

Question 7

What is featured in the intro?

Answer 7

Ascending diminished 7th chords and the chromatic line played on the flute

Question 8

What are the lyrics like in verse one

Answer 8

Very dark

Question 9

What are the vocals like in the chorus

Answer 9

Ghostly wailing

Question 10

What does verse two feature?

Answer 10

Aggressive, politically charged vocal interjections

Question 11

What kind of chromaticism so we hear in the melody in the intro?

Answer 11

Raised 7th (B) & F#

Question 12

What is the melody in the verse like?

Answer 12

Sung in low register with chromatism, creating a dark quality with a small range

Question 13

What is the melody in the chorus like?

Answer 13

Very high with falsetto wailing “la” with mocking minor 6th leaps

Question 14

What is the melody in the middle eight like?

Answer 14

Melody in middle 8 is more lyrical and brighter

Question 15

Is the harmony diatonic

Answer 15

No, lots of chromatism eg. Ascending diminished 7th chords heard in intro and link sections

Question 16

What chords do we hear in the verse?

Answer 16

Verse alternates between C minor and G7 which moves to a chromatic Bb minor chord in bar 7

Question 17

What key is the middle 8 in?

Answer 17

Middle 8 is in Db major alternates between this and Gb major > creates a nostalgic feeling

Question 18

Which instruments are playing?

Answer 18

2 guitars, bass, drum kit, Hammond organ, flute, trumpet and trombone

Question 19

Explain the use of brass

Answer 19

Lower sound of trombone used in verse to create darker atmosphere, trumpet used in brighter middle 8 section for nostalgic feeling

Question 20

What do the drums do

Answer 20

Play a strong ska beat with accents on 2&4, lots of hi-hat

Question 21

What uses of technology are there?

Answer 21

Sound scape of desolation create by wind and sirens at beginning and end

Question 22

What do we hear in bar 3 & 4

Answer 22

Clashing D in melody against Cminor chord in bar 4 and F# and Fnatural in bar 3

Question 23

How does the piece end?

Answer 23

Instruments drop out one by one then soundscape then fade out

Question 24

What is the texture

Answer 24

Homophone throughout apart form ending which is monophonic for a moment

Question 25

What date was ghost town released?

Answer 25

1981