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Dance Craze: The Best of British Ska… Live!

1981 film restored for blu-ray • CD & vinyl box sets

Dance Craze is a 1981 concert film recorded at various venues throughout 1980 at the height of the 2Tone movement. It features exclusive live recordings by The Specials, Madness, The Selecter, The Beat, Bad Manners and The Bodysnatchers.

Directed by Joe Massot (responsible for the Led Zeppelin concert film The Song Remains The Same) Dance Craze was originally released at a selection of cinemas across the UK, US and Australia and there was an album release at the same time (on cassette and vinyl). A comprehensive reissue programme restores the film and presents expanded deluxe editions of the audio on both vinyl and CD.

The original – UNRESTORED! – trailer for Dance Craze

Dance Craze only ever made it to VHS, so a new 4K restoration by the BFI (from original film materials) sees it newly available as a Blu-ray+DVD package. The film now features remastered original stereo and surround mixes by Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley, as well as a new Dolby Atmos Mix.

3CD and 3LP deluxe editions feature a previously unreleased 27-track film soundtrack which offers different mixes of many of the songs (and in the cases of The Selecter and Bad Manners, recordings from different concerts). The film disc of these sets is the original album, remastered. Both packages come with a copy of the original poster.

The audio packages are released on 24 March via Chrysalis and the Blu-ray/DVD edition is released by the BFI on 27 March. There’s a special launch screening at the BFI IMAX cinema in London on 22 March, although it has already sold out.

Tracklisting

Dance Craze: The Best of British Ska… Live! Various Artists /

    • CD 1 / LP 1
      1. Nite Klub / THE SPECIALS Recorded at the Rotter’s Club, Liverpool 14th October 1980
      2. The Prince / MADNESS Recorded at St George’s Hall, Bradford 27th April 1980
      3. Ne-Ne-Na-Na-Na-Na-Nu-Nu / BAD MANNERS Recorded at the Electric Ballroom, London 27th March 1980
      4. 007 (Shanty Town) / THE BODYSNATCHERS Recorded at the Electric Ballroom, London 27th March 1980
      5. Three Minute Hero / THE SELECTER Recorded at the Pavilion, Hemel Hempstead, 22nd March 1980
      6. Ranking Full Stop / THE BEAT Recorded at Emerald City, New Jersey 8th October 1980
      7. Big Shot / THE BEAT Recorded at Emerald City, New Jersey 8th October 1980
      8. Concrete Jungle / THE SPECIALS Recorded at the Rotter’s Club, Liverpool 14th October 1980
      9. Swan Lake / MADNESS Recorded at The Mayfair, Sunderland 30th April 1980
      10. Razor Blade Alley / MADNESS Recorded at St George’s Hall, Bradford 27th April 1980
      11. Missing Words / THE SELECTER Recorded at the Pavilion, Hemel Hempstead, 22nd March 1980
      12. Let’s Do Rock Steady / THE BODYSNATCHERS Recorded at The Pavilion, Hemel Hempstead 22nd March 1980
      13. Lip Up Fatty / BAD MANNERS Recorded at The Friars, Aylesbury 3rd May 1980
    • CD 2 / LP 2
      1. 01/ Madness / MADNESS Recorded at St George’s Hall, Bradford 27th April 1980
      2. 02/ Too Much Too Young / THE SPECIALS Recorded at the Rotter’s Club, Liverpool 14th October 1980
      3. 03/ On My Radio / THE SELECTER Recorded at the Guildhall, Portsmouth 28th February 1980
      4. 04/ Easy Life / THE BODYSNATCHERS Recorded at the Electric Ballroom, London 27th March 1980
      5. 05/ Rough Rider / THE BEAT Recorded at Emerald City, New Jersey 8th October 1980
      6. 06/ Man At C&A / THE SPECIALS Recorded at the Rotter’s Club, Liverpool 14th October 1980
      7. 07/ Inner London Violence / BAD MANNERS Recorded at The Friars, Aylesbury 3rd May 1980
      8. 08/ Night Boat To Cairo / MADNESS Recorded at St George’s Hall, Bradford 27th April 1980
      9. 09/ Twist And Crawl / THE BEAT Recorded at Emerald City, New Jersey 8th October 1980
      10. 10/ Wooly Bully / BAD MANNERS Recorded at the Electric Ballroom, London 27th May 1980
      11. 11/ Too Much Pressure / THE SELECTER Recorded at the Pavilion, Hemel Hempstead 22nd March 1980
      12. 12/ Mirror In The Bathroom / THE BEAT Recorded at Emerald City, New Jersey 8th October 1980
      13. 13/ One Step Beyond / MADNESS Recorded at the Mayfair, Sunderland 30th April 1980
      14. 14/ Nite Klub [Reprise] / THE SPECIALS Recorded at De Montford Hall, Leicester 23rd September 1980

    • CD 3 / LP 3 The Original 1981 Album
      These recordings were mixed for the original audio release of the soundtrack. There are differences to the ‘film’ mixes and in the cases of The Selecter and Bad Manners, the recordings are from different concerts.  
      1. Concrete Jungle/ THE SPECIALS Recorded at the Rotter’s Club, Liverpool 14th October 1980
      2. Mirror In The Bathroom / THE BEAT Recorded at Emerald City, New Jersey 8th October 1980
      3. Lip Up Fatty / BAD MANNERS Recorded at the Hope & Anchor, London 8th November 1980
      4. Razor Blade Alley / MADNESS Recorded at St George’s Hall, Bradford 27th April 1980
      5. Three Minute Hero / THE SELECTER Recorded at the Hope & Anchor, London 13th November 1980
      6. Easy Life / THE BODYSNATCHERS Recorded at the Electric Ballroom, London 27th May 1980
      7. Big Shot / THE BEAT Recorded at Emerald City, New Jersey 8th October 1980
      8. One Step Beyond / MADNESS Recorded at the Mayfair, Sunderland 27th April 1980
      9. Ranking Full Stop / THE BEAT Recorded at Emerald City, New Jersey 8th October 1980
      10. Man At C&A / THE SPECIALS Recorded at the Rotter’s Club, Liverpool 14th October 1980
      11. Missing Words / THE SELECTER Recorded at the Hope & Anchor, London 13th November 1980
      12. Inner London Violence / BAD MANNERS Recorded at the Hope & Anchor, London 8th November 1980
      13. Night Boat To Cairo / MADNESS Recorded at St George’s Hall, Bradford 27th April 1980
      14. Too Much Pressure / THE SELECTER Recorded at the Hope & Anchor, London 13th November 1980
      15. Nite Klub / THE SPECIALS Recorded at the Rotter’s Club, Liverpool 14th October 1980

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