Interview with Terry Hall

In my ongoing quest to keep up to date with recent interviews with members of The Specials (I've recently posted interviews with Lynval Golding, Neville Staples and Jerry Dammers) as they prepare for their historic reunion later this year, here is a very engaging four part interview with Terry Hall conducted by Ian Svenonius host of the sometimes brilliant original online music show Soft Focus which you can watch online at VBS.tv. Ian reminds me of a very hip and cool version of Tom Snyder (the late night talk show host icon). He has a number of great interviews with other cutting edge musicians. Check it out.

In the first part of his interview with the frontman of the Specials, Fun Boy Three, Colourfield, and numerous other bands and collaborative efforts, Ian talks to Terry about telling his fans to fuck off from the DJ booth, the Specials' brief but powerful sway over British youth culture, and the meaning of "The Man from C And A."




In the second part of the interview Terry explains the influence of reggae on his own music, the perks of fronting an all-female band, and the fears of returning to the stage.



Part three sees Terry elaborating on bands that repeat themselves, the runaway success and resulting uncomfortable acclaim of “Ghost Town,” and writing music to bridge the Islam-Judaism divide.



In the last installment of Ian’s powwow with Terry Hall they cover parents dressing like their kids, unchecked Western nihilism, a bipolar-induced suicide attempt, and Terry’s favorite group and method of coping—the Shangri-Las.