What do you think?
Rate this book
Ska'd for Life: A Personal Journey with The Specials
As a bass player with The Specials in his second-hand suit and pork pie hat, Horace was a member of one of the most innovative and exciting bands to come snarling out of the punk era. Founded by Jerry Dammers, their fusion of punk, reggae, and ska created a new musical fashion—spearheaded by their own Two Tone record label—that stood for unity and racial harmony in a polarized society. This musical odyssey with The Specials moves from their early days on Coventry's punk circuit, to their chart-storming success with singles like Too Much Too Young and the eerily prescient Ghost Town , released as the race riots of 1982 saw Toxteth and Brixton go up in flames. Written with wry humor, this affectionate look at a band whose sublime music remains influential today is a must for all fans of The Specials.
320 pages, Paperback
First published July 7, 2007
21 people are currently reading
241 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
August 21, 2014
Horace Panter aka Sir Horace Gentleman was the bass player with, and a founder member of, The Specials. Jerry Dammers lead the band and the Two Tone record label which, with its marvellous fusion of punk, reggae and ska, kickstarted the late 1970s ska revival in the UK.
Horace vividly describes his life before The Specials, the band's formation, their meteoric rise to the top of the charts, and their equally swift disintegration.
This clear-eyed recollection of life in The Specials is a marvellous read. It also operates as a cautionary tale for any would-be rock star. Horace's description of the band's first American tour sounds like hell on earth, despite playing some good shows. Overall it's hard to escape the conclusion that being in a successful band is not something anyone with a normal disposition should covet. That said, what Horace also conveys is the magic and exhilaration of playing live music, and of course playing in The Specials meant playing some of the finest music of their era.
A great band, and a very interesting and enjoyable book.
4/5
Horace vividly describes his life before The Specials, the band's formation, their meteoric rise to the top of the charts, and their equally swift disintegration.
This clear-eyed recollection of life in The Specials is a marvellous read. It also operates as a cautionary tale for any would-be rock star. Horace's description of the band's first American tour sounds like hell on earth, despite playing some good shows. Overall it's hard to escape the conclusion that being in a successful band is not something anyone with a normal disposition should covet. That said, what Horace also conveys is the magic and exhilaration of playing live music, and of course playing in The Specials meant playing some of the finest music of their era.
A great band, and a very interesting and enjoyable book.
4/5
May 1, 2008
A few years ago on being asked for any New Years Resolutions on Jools Holland’s Annual Hootenanny Phil Jupitus answered to ‘get the band back together’ he went on to say ‘it might be difficult as he wasn’t actually in The Specials’. Phil has, however, contributed in his own way by writing the foreword of the memoirs of Sir Horace Panter Gentleman ‘Ska’d For Life’.
An apt title if there ever was one as The Specials Ska’d the lives of not only bass player extraordinaire Panter but also fans Phil Jupitus and myself to name but two. The Specials informed my politics, I was against racism before I really knew what it was and in fact before I met anyone whom was coloured, coming from quite a leafy English suburb. They informed by dress, I still wear a black suit, Ben Sherman button down and even a Crombie overcoat when the weather is inclement. Most of all The Specials informed my musical taste, a peculiar blend of Ska and Punk which was my first love and what I return to time after time.
Over the last thirty years I’ve read allot about The Specials and the Two Tone bands and although this doesn’t really add anything to the story it is great to hear it first hand from someone who was there rather than watching on, which I was doing myself. The stories reverberate with a freshness particularly in the parts of the book which were taken directly from the tour journal Horace kept throughout the American and Japanese tours which ultimately led to the break up of the band.
Horace’s account is well written and the book expertly paced, it is the greatest book on The Specials I’ve ever read, it was however difficult to finish as I had to keep getting up and moving to the Black and White decked LP’s I played whilst reading this book. Now that the band are indeed reforming maybe Horace will get to write a sequel ‘Dawning of a New Era’ anyone?
An apt title if there ever was one as The Specials Ska’d the lives of not only bass player extraordinaire Panter but also fans Phil Jupitus and myself to name but two. The Specials informed my politics, I was against racism before I really knew what it was and in fact before I met anyone whom was coloured, coming from quite a leafy English suburb. They informed by dress, I still wear a black suit, Ben Sherman button down and even a Crombie overcoat when the weather is inclement. Most of all The Specials informed my musical taste, a peculiar blend of Ska and Punk which was my first love and what I return to time after time.
Over the last thirty years I’ve read allot about The Specials and the Two Tone bands and although this doesn’t really add anything to the story it is great to hear it first hand from someone who was there rather than watching on, which I was doing myself. The stories reverberate with a freshness particularly in the parts of the book which were taken directly from the tour journal Horace kept throughout the American and Japanese tours which ultimately led to the break up of the band.
Horace’s account is well written and the book expertly paced, it is the greatest book on The Specials I’ve ever read, it was however difficult to finish as I had to keep getting up and moving to the Black and White decked LP’s I played whilst reading this book. Now that the band are indeed reforming maybe Horace will get to write a sequel ‘Dawning of a New Era’ anyone?
October 20, 2017
The story of the Specials has been the poprock story I was most fascinated with of all the ones I don't know. Despite a short life and a limited output, they're a band that I have always really believed in. Their disintegration seemed heartbreaking to me, even though I knew nothing but the vaguest of gossip about it.
Someone close to the Specials camp (which seems a contentious one and I didn't ask him if I could use his name) assured me that Panter's memoir is a balanced one—as opposed to some tellings that have appeared online, including some by other band members. And I have to say, Sir Horace does come across as a gentleman in his book about his time with the band. He doesn't particularly have any axes to grind and he doesn't seem hung up on proving his worth as a one-time star. (If not quite stateside, the band was very much a star outfit in Europe.) As a rockstar memoir, the book is very evenhanded, not at all vindictive, not overly clever, not overly anything, really.
It gets bogged down a bit by lengthy reprints of tour diaries he kept at the time, but it is the best accounting we have of the implosion of Two-Tone idealism. (Panter himself says that Jerry Dammers' book will be even better, if he ever writes it.) Well worth reading for anyone who cares about one of the greatest and quickest burning flames of post-punk Britain. It's also worth a bit of time to find Dammers' Spatial AKA Arkestra on YouTube. Their Jools Holland appearance is fantastic. And if I might be so bold, a bit more of my thinking about the greatest band to ever stare racism in the face can be found at: http://brooklynrail.org/2015/03/music...
Someone close to the Specials camp (which seems a contentious one and I didn't ask him if I could use his name) assured me that Panter's memoir is a balanced one—as opposed to some tellings that have appeared online, including some by other band members. And I have to say, Sir Horace does come across as a gentleman in his book about his time with the band. He doesn't particularly have any axes to grind and he doesn't seem hung up on proving his worth as a one-time star. (If not quite stateside, the band was very much a star outfit in Europe.) As a rockstar memoir, the book is very evenhanded, not at all vindictive, not overly clever, not overly anything, really.
It gets bogged down a bit by lengthy reprints of tour diaries he kept at the time, but it is the best accounting we have of the implosion of Two-Tone idealism. (Panter himself says that Jerry Dammers' book will be even better, if he ever writes it.) Well worth reading for anyone who cares about one of the greatest and quickest burning flames of post-punk Britain. It's also worth a bit of time to find Dammers' Spatial AKA Arkestra on YouTube. Their Jools Holland appearance is fantastic. And if I might be so bold, a bit more of my thinking about the greatest band to ever stare racism in the face can be found at: http://brooklynrail.org/2015/03/music...
June 10, 2012
What a neat book. I received this as a gift and even as a big fan of all movements of ska, I had no idea this even existed. Horace Panter, famed bass player of the legendary skinhead / new wave British ska revival band the Specials pens his experiences in the band beginning with him deciding to learn the bass all the way to the breakup of the Specials and a short "where are they now". While the book goes into some detail about his personal life (the entire thing is written from his perspective - often transcribed entries from his journals of the time) the stories within are more of a biography and brief history of the Specials and not so much an autobiography of Panter, himself, which was nice. Panter isn't a poetic writer by any means, but he tells his story raw and straight to the point, shining light on both the high times of the band as well as the low times. I would've liked more insight to the writing and stories behind the Specials' famed tunes, but I suppose that wouldn't have worked well with the approach this book has taken. Probably not very interesting to a casual ska fan, but for the die-hard it's certainly worth a quick read (it's a fairly short book).
June 22, 2009
As many of my friends on GoodReads may have noticed I do enjoy the odd music related autobiography/ biography and this is certainly no exception. Horace’s book is very well written very funny and very insightful. I would go so far as to say it comes close to my favourite music biog of all time (no not a Bowie one!); “Diary Of A Rock ‘n’ Roll Star” by Ian Hunter.
“Ska’d For Life” should be read by anyone in a band, especially if you’re just starting out, anyone who loves music and obviously anyone who is a big fan of the Specials.
There were the usual poignant and laugh out loud moments and having not known much about Horace Panter (or may I call him Alice Pinter) before reading this (well other than knowing he played bass guitar for the Specials) I now find it hard not to like him.
So then, great bloke, great book and why the hell have you not read it yet?
“Ska’d For Life” should be read by anyone in a band, especially if you’re just starting out, anyone who loves music and obviously anyone who is a big fan of the Specials.
There were the usual poignant and laugh out loud moments and having not known much about Horace Panter (or may I call him Alice Pinter) before reading this (well other than knowing he played bass guitar for the Specials) I now find it hard not to like him.
So then, great bloke, great book and why the hell have you not read it yet?
January 1, 2018
As there are few chronicles of this curious little subculture (it never really hit Australia until Madness began to chart and even then it was a completely different animal) so this account from one of the guys at ground zero is refreshing and really seems to convey the rise and rise of one of the great influential bands of the punk/post punk era. They largely come across as naughty kids in a candy store as they hit the road and conquer America all the while enjoying notoriety on their home shores. Punky guitars, horns, ska and sharp suits - what's not to love?
January 24, 2018
Brilliant! As a lover of the Specials at the time and now, this was a 'must read' book for me. Horace Gentleman Panter relays the story from his point of view. I enjoyed it very much. Thanks Horace!
February 8, 2022
The way the hardcover edition is typeset makes it look like this is the Mrs Hinch Home book for middle-aged men, but not only does the paperback version have more normal margins, the whole book is... surprisingly well-written! It's very conversational and, like, happened-to-run-into-a-guy-who-used-to-be-in-a-cool-band-at-the-pub-and-got-to-hear-his-fun-stories, but in the best possible way. I also generally think that people reproducing their diaries in their memoirs is kind of a cop out but somehow it worked in this, maybe because it helped emphasise how much they released and toured in such a short space of time? (and yet girls who make their own clothes still think black and white checkerboard is a fun way to paint their bathrooms in 2022!*)
Lots of nice photos included tho not enough discussion of the clothes (yeah, yeah, he discusses why not but still!). It's also interesting because this came out like a year before they all reunited (sort of...) and he's very generous in his evaluations of everyone's contributions and pretty forgiving of everyone's various quirks and you do kiiiind of wonder whether he'd write some of this the same way now. Overall tho, it's a fun read and a neat look at one of my cat's favourite bands.
*trim is bright pink to match the cover of I Just Can't Stop it tho, sorry (not really sorry, why hasn't anyone from The Beat done a fun memoir??)
Lots of nice photos included tho not enough discussion of the clothes (yeah, yeah, he discusses why not but still!). It's also interesting because this came out like a year before they all reunited (sort of...) and he's very generous in his evaluations of everyone's contributions and pretty forgiving of everyone's various quirks and you do kiiiind of wonder whether he'd write some of this the same way now. Overall tho, it's a fun read and a neat look at one of my cat's favourite bands.
*trim is bright pink to match the cover of I Just Can't Stop it tho, sorry (not really sorry, why hasn't anyone from The Beat done a fun memoir??)
October 5, 2024
the book is both witty and honest, a near perfect narration of the specials story and is the best music related book i have read to date
December 25, 2017
Three and a half stars really. It’s a book of two halves - the glorious get together and the slow dull separation
But fuck they were cool
-
But fuck they were cool
-
February 7, 2014
The Specials are the quintessential ska band of the 1970s-1980s: edgy, multiracial, political, swinging. Together with Madness and, to a lesser extent, The Selecter, The Specials introduced ska music to the white working and middle class. Horace Panter (aka Sir Horace Gentleman), the bass player in the original band, describes the meteoric rise of the band, from a fairly random collection of musicians in the industrial town of Coventry in the West Midlands to a music sensation in Europe and beyond. As so many other bands, particularly loose collections of individual musicians, The Specials couldn't deal with the success and slowly but steadily imploded. While Panter tries to give as neutral an account as possible, mostly based on diaries and hazy memories, he undoubtedly introduces his own biases. Overall, Ska'd for Life does not realy go much beyond the usual band biographies. I enjoyed the insight into the blooming British ska scene of the late 1970s/early 1980s the most interesting, as it was then that the skinhead movement split and ska returned to its multicultural roots.
August 12, 2009
A wonderful roller coaster ride through the life of an influential British group, who came from the punk roots, but reflected the growing disaffection in late 70s early 80s Britain.
Whether you're a fan of The Specials or not, this book gives a great insight into how bands are formed, how they develop, and how they can implode.
I learnt a lot: I never knew how big The Specials were in the USA, and how poorly organised some of these tours can be! It's not all glamour clearly!
Whether you're a fan of The Specials or not, this book gives a great insight into how bands are formed, how they develop, and how they can implode.
I learnt a lot: I never knew how big The Specials were in the USA, and how poorly organised some of these tours can be! It's not all glamour clearly!
November 20, 2015
The bass player for the band that gave us: A Message To You,Rudy, Ghost Town, Blank Expression, Monkey Man, and Nite Klub, and many more goes down memory lane to give the story of this great ska band as he lived it. Humorous, scary, sad, frustrating and touching by turns it's the story of a great band imploding under its own self-created pressures and the portrait of an era. Great stuff! - BH.
December 13, 2010
A very easy to read, unpretentious and personable memoir from one of the "quiet men" in The Specials. I loved it.
September 8, 2011
A fabulously honest and, at times, entirely self-deprecating memoir of the life of The Specials during a politically turbulent time in UK history. Loved it.
August 29, 2018
A decent read giving some insight into one of the best bands to come out of England and definitely the best thing to ever come out of Coventry!
September 11, 2020
Interesting account of Horace's time as bass player for The Specials, from meeting Jerry Dammers in the mid 70's to playing small clubs and pubs with The Coventry Automatics and the eventual rise and fall of The Specials, one of the UK's biggest bands from 1979 to 1981.
One of the books strongest points is Horace kept diaries from some of the band's tours, and reproduces the pages here in full. The American trip in 1980 where they supported The Police is fascinating.
If the book has one flaw it's that Horace lives up to his name, Gentleman. He's too friendly and polite to really dish the dirt on what happened to cause such a successful band to disintegrate at the peak of their powers. He skims over it by saying "everyone was arguing" and "the atmosphere was terrible" countless times but never really gives any details as to who were the chief antagonists, which is a shame because I like my autobiographies to be warts and all, the good and bad and even the ugly, but it's a small gripe, it's an interesting memoir and Horace fills the pages with good humour and some choice insights into the band's machinations.
One of the books strongest points is Horace kept diaries from some of the band's tours, and reproduces the pages here in full. The American trip in 1980 where they supported The Police is fascinating.
If the book has one flaw it's that Horace lives up to his name, Gentleman. He's too friendly and polite to really dish the dirt on what happened to cause such a successful band to disintegrate at the peak of their powers. He skims over it by saying "everyone was arguing" and "the atmosphere was terrible" countless times but never really gives any details as to who were the chief antagonists, which is a shame because I like my autobiographies to be warts and all, the good and bad and even the ugly, but it's a small gripe, it's an interesting memoir and Horace fills the pages with good humour and some choice insights into the band's machinations.
September 19, 2019
Well-written, engaging account of Horace Panter (aka Sir Horace Gentleman)'s life and career with pioneering 2 Tone ska band the Specials. Quite informal and often funny, yet reflective and perceptive, and uses his contemporary diaries to give a sense of what life was like on exhausting, chaotic tours and performing with the band of which he is still rightly proud.
Fascinating to see his wide musical influences, and to confirm that the band's live performances and staunch anti-racism mattered as much to them as to the fans.
Fascinating to see his wide musical influences, and to confirm that the band's live performances and staunch anti-racism mattered as much to them as to the fans.
March 1, 2020
A memoir from Horace Panter, bassist of The Specials. I love The Specials, so it was interesting to see their journey through the writing of someone who was in the band. I liked that he included the journal entries from when he was on tour. There wasn't a lot of insider knowledge about the band. A lot of the book focuses more on Horace's life during his time in the band and how touring with a band is often grueling. His writing style is more conversational than I prefer, and (being American) the slang was a little hard to get through at times, but I liked it.
June 30, 2022
As much as I love and appreciate 2nd wave ska, I’m not too familiar with its history and how popular it truly was in the early 80’s. Horace Panter cleared that up for me. This autobiography is part journal, part memoir that details the rise and fall of The Specials. Panter doesn’t an excellent job showing the energy and adrenaline that comes from performing live. The book grinds to a halt as the band starts to fall apart as they trudge their way through their final tour, but this isn’t a knock at the book but more praising Panter’s writing style.
February 24, 2021
Absolutely fantastic read. Essential if you’re a Specials fan. The best part was reading his diary entries for the American and Japanese tours. It’s a shame out the band just fizzled out towards the end (but great that they came back, albeit not the full lineup) but a band like that, with that much intensity wasn’t destined to last forever! They will in the hearts of all Specials fans though. Interesting as well that Horace went on to become a school teacher!
August 26, 2020
This is a great book if you are interested in the Specials or the music of the late 70s, in particular the Ska scene. It's well written and more than enough time has passed to make it thoughtful and open without being sensational and sloppy. It's a very frank and honest assessment of a crazy ride in a very special time.
For those of us who love the Specials, it's a thrill a page.
For those of us who love the Specials, it's a thrill a page.
October 17, 2022
Another really well written view of the origin of UK ska from the bassist of The Specials, the absolute masters of the sound. Panter has a great writing style and a good memory (aided by a journal he kept during his exciting youth). He also seems the most grounded of the band, which helps with the storytelling. Highly recommended for the curious fan.
December 15, 2020
There probably isn't much in this reflection on the life of a touring & recording musician that hasn't been covered in similar memoirs, but Panter's prose has wit & style & I really enjoyed his adventures in The Specials & other bands. Well worth a look.
May 8, 2023
While some of the anecdotes are interesting and I loved learning about one of my favorite bands and 2-Tone generally, the writing is *meh* and there are very few "a ha" moments. Still, I'm glad I read it.
May 5, 2019
Easy, fun and not very deep. Makes you realise being a rock star is not as easy as it seems.
July 15, 2019
Gets a bit dull in the middle diary section
June 5, 2020
A somewhat bittersweet summary of the history of one of ska's most influential bands
August 4, 2020
I grew up loving the 2 tone bands and this was a good read. I forgot how short lived the specials were and how many great songs they wrote. An easy read and enjoyable.
February 3, 2022
As a record of the Specials journey this book is fantastic but unless the other band members contribute the overall feeling is a bit lacklustre.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews