Terry Hall
Terry Hall (born March 19, 1959 in Coventry , England ) is a British pop singer. Hall became known as the front man of the English ska band The Specials . After the specials were dissolved in 1981, he was the singer of other bands he founded, Fun Boy Three , The Colourfield and Vegas. He was also active as a solo artist. In addition, he made music with the Lightning Seeds , Gorillaz , Tricky and the Ordinary Boys, among others . He was also a member of the Dub Pistols and on the record Speakers And Tweaters . In 2019 he released the album Encore with the reunited Specials core group and went on a world tour.
Career
As the singer of the Specials, Hall helped shape English youth culture in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Together with Specials organist Jerry Dammers , Hall wrote hymn-like songs that combined punk and ska, including Little Bitch , Nite Klub , Concrete Jungle , and Gangsters . He was one of the leading figures in the anti-racist two-tone movement that also became popular in West Germany in the 1980s. Hall was on the Specials until 1981.
He then founded the Fun Boy Three with two other ex-specials, Lynval Golding and Neville Staples , which in 1982 worked with Bananarama on the song It ain't what you do (it's the way that you do it) and the top Ten singles The Tunnel of Love and Our Lips Are Sealed caused a stir the following year. Hall composed the latter song together with Jane Wiedlin from the Go-Go’s , who also interpreted it in 1981.
From 1984 to 1987 Hall was involved in the project The Colourfield , which he founded with two former members of the Swinging Cats . In 1995 Terry Hall released his first solo album. Several best-of albums have also been released.
For the band's 30th anniversary in 2009 there was a reunion of the specials, but without Jerry Dammers. The band gave numerous concerts in England and played at festivals across Europe. An extensive European tour followed in 2011.
Own clothing line
In September 2008 the English label Fred Perry is honoring Terry Hall with a series of clothing items specially designed with him.
Discography (solo)
Albums
| year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 DE
|
 AT
|
 CH
|
 UK
|
 US
|
|||
| 1994 | Home | - | - | - |
UK95 (1 week) UK |
- |
First published: September 12, 1994
|
| 1995 | Rainbows EP | - | - | - |
UK62 (2 weeks) UK |
- |
First published: October 1995
EP |
| 1997 | Laugh | - | - | - |
UK50 (2 weeks) UK |
- |
First published: October 6, 1997
|
More albums
- 1993: The Collection
- 2001: The Complete
- 2001: Through The Years
- 2003: Hour of Two Lights (with Mushtaq)
- 2007: Speakers & Tweaters (with Dub Pistols )
- 2012: The Best Of 1981/1997
Singles (chart successes)
| year | Title album |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
DE
|
AT
|
CH
|
UK
|
US
|
|||
| 1994 | Forever J Home |
DE90 (2 weeks) DE |
- | - |
UK67 (2 weeks) UK |
- |
First published: August 1994
|
| Sense Home |
DE53 (10 weeks) DE |
- | - |
UK54 (2 weeks) UK |
- |
First published: October 1994
|
|
| 1997 | Ballad of a Landlord Laugh |
- | - | - |
UK50 (2 weeks) UK |
- |
First published: June 1997
|
| 2003 | Problem Is Six Million Ways to Live |
- | - | - |
UK66 (2 weeks) UK |
- |
First release: October 2003
with Dub Pistols |
Web links
- Terry Hall in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Hall, Terry |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | British pop singer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 19, 1959 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Coventry |