The Specials : Ghost Town

 

Ghost Town

Background and historical contexts

1) Why does the writer link the song to cinematic soundtracks and music hall tradition?

Because it reflects what was going on at the time, the composer associates the song with film soundtracks and music hall heritage.

2) What subcultures did 2 Tone emerge from in the late 1970s?

2 Tone emerged artistically from the Mod and Punk sub - cultures, and its musical foundations, fans, and bands were both black and white.

3) What social contexts are discussed regarding the UK in 1981?

Pubs and clubs were closed due to the amount of violence in the 1980s.

4) Cultural critic Mark Fisher describes the video as ‘eerie’. What do you think is 'eerie' about the Ghost Town video?

The music video's genre and vibe are a blend of horror and drama.

5) What does the writer suggest might be the meanings created in the video? Do you agree?

It is mostly political in nature, with the goal of acquiring knowledge about what is going on in the globe during the 1980s.

1) How does the article describe the song?

It's been regarded as a representation of social collapse that served as the soundtrack to a frenzy of civic disturbance.

2) What does the article say about the social context of the time – what was happening in Britain in 1981?

There was mounting unemployment, and almost three weeks later, Britain's streets exploded in riots.

3) How did The Specials reflect an increasingly multicultural Britain?

The specials exemplified multicultural Britain, since the band's members were both white and black.

4) How can we link Paul Gilroy’s theories to The Specials and Ghost Town?

It offers  evidence of Gilroy’s Black Atlantic diasporic identity theory as there is a favourable portrayal of black people making progress in society, although they remain unemployed.

5) The article discusses how the song sounds like a John Barry composition. Why was John Barry a famous composer and what films did he work on?

Between 1963 and 1987, he created the music for eleven James Bond films, and he also orchestrated and performed the "James Bond Theme" for the first film in the series, 1962's Dr.


Close-textual analysis of Ghost Town

1) Mise-en-scene: Setting, Lighting, Colour, Actor/performer placement and movement, Costume and props:

The performance element is demonstrated in the car when all of the members are staring directly at the camera and lip-syncing. The underlighting lends a horror film feel to the video.

2) Cinematography: Camera shots and camera movement:

A long shot of all six members is displayed towards the conclusion, signalling that the song's finish is near, since they've now left their primary location, which was the car.

3) Editing: Pace, juxtaposition, timing. 
The editing pace throughout the chorus is quick and handheld, giving it a distinct and authentic vibe. The editing speed was slow for the rest of the song video.

1) Goodwin’s theory of music video.

. Intertextual references

. Performance element

. Link between visual & lyrics

. Genre characteristics

2) Neale’s genre theory.

Films of a genre should have features that are similar so that the viewer knows it is that type, but they should also have characteristics that are distinctive to keep the audience engaged. It was difficult to find "repetition and differences" because music videos were a new form of media.

3) Gilroy’s diasporic identity/postcolonial theory.

The concept of diasporic identity and cultural fluidity. Black culture is forged through travel and hybridity.

4) Bricolage and pastiche.

Bricolage is a horror style video. Pastiche is the combination of horror with lyrics and music. Because of the hybrid mix of allusions and music video genres, the video may be read in a postmodern aspect, with references to intertextuality and hybridity.

5) Strinati’s definition of postmodernism.

The concept of postmodernism, bricolage, and pastiche.