The Specials - Ghost Town

 Background and historical contexts

Read this excellent analysis from The Conversation website of the impact Ghost Town had both musically and visually. Answer the following questions

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

The writer links Ghost Town to cinematic soundtracks because the song has dramatic atmospheric music that sounds similar to film scores.The haunting keyboards and slow rhythm create a feeling of tension and emptiness. It is also links heavily to music hall tradition because of its use of dark humour and social commentary about British authentic life.

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

2 Tone emerged from a mixture of punk and ska/reggae subcultures. It combined the energy and rebellious attitudes of punk with Jamaican musical influences brought to Britain by Caribbean communities.

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

The article displays problems like unemployment,economic decay, racism, riots and social unrest in Britain. Many towns and cities were suffering from poverty and lack of opportunities due to the Conservative government led by Margaret Thatcher.

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

The empty streets,abandoned buildings and dark lighting create an unsettling atmosphere. Their facial expressions are disorentated and lifeless which adds to an eerie atmosphere.The slow movement of the car through deserted urban spaces makes Britain seem lifeless and decaying. 

5) Look at the final section (‘Not a dance track’). What does the writer suggest might be the meanings created in the video? Do you agree?

The writer suggests the video creates meanings about social collapse,isolation and the breakdown of communities in Britain.I agree because this music video creates more of the idea of Surveillance rather than normal convention of a music video which is to display a song to create meanings such as personal identity or personal relationships.

Now read this BBC website feature on the 30th anniversary of Ghost Town’s release. 

1) How does the article describe the song?

The article describes Ghost Town as haunting,atmospheric and politically powerful.

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

Britain was experiencing high unemployment,riots and social division.Many young people felt hopeless due to lack of jobs and poor living conditions.

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

The Specials included both Black and white musicians,reflecting multiculturalism and cultural conviviality in Britain. 

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

Paul Gilroy argued that British culture is shaped by multicultural influences and the mixing of Black and white identities.It could be argued that Ghost Town reflects this through the band’s diverse grouping and its mixing of Caribbean and British musical styles.

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?

John Barry was famous for composing film soundtracks, He worked on movies such as Goldfinger,From Russia with Love and Out of Africa.


Ghost Town - Media Factsheet

Watch the video several times before reading Factsheet #211 - Ghost Town. You'll need your GHS Google login to access the factsheet. Once you have analysed the video several times and read the whole factsheet, answer the following questions: 

1) Focus on the Media Language section. What does the factsheet suggest regarding the mise-en-scene in the video? 

The mise-en-scene of the Ghost Town video uses the style of British social realist films. This genre is characterised

by sympathetic representations of working-class men, the highlighting of bleak (often urban) environments and a sense of hopelessness.The video’s low-budget shoot, the social and political nature of the subject-matter of both video and song all reflect the codes and conventions of this film genre. 

2) How does the lighting create intertextual references? What else is notable about the lighting?

The low-key lighting creates intertextual references to horror and film noir genres. Shadows and darkness make the video feel mysterious and threatening. The lighting is also uneven and gloomy, reflecting the bleak mood of Britain in 1980s.

3) What non-verbal codes help to communicate meanings in the video?

Facial expressions and their body language communicate seriousness,disorientation and frustration. 

4) What does the factsheet suggest regarding the editing and camerawork? Pick out three key points that are highlighted here.

-Slow editing pace reflects the slow, haunting rhythm of the song

-Tracking shots of the car moving through Coventry create a journey through urban decay

-Close-ups of band members emphasise emotion and intensity

5) What narrative theories can be applied to the video? Give details from the video for each one.

-Todorov because the video shows a disrupted equilibrium because Britain is represented as chaotic and unstable

- Lévi-Strauss use of binary oppositions between lively past vs empty present and community vs isolation

-Barthes with the use of enigma codes for a sense of mystery when exploring the city 

6) How can we apply genre theory to the video?

The use of hybridity reflects Neale’s idea that genres change and blend over time

7) Now look at the Representations section. What are the different people, places and groups that are represented in the Ghost Town video? Look for the list on page 4 of the factsheet.

The video represents unemployed young people,multicultural urban communities,working-class Britain,a sense of isolation for people,sense of decay in humanity

8) How can Gauntlett's work on collective identity be applied to the video?

David Gauntlett argues that the media helps audiences construct identities. The music video allows audiences to feel fit in with multicultural identites and explore isolation and fill its void.

9) How can gender theorists such as Judith Butler be applied to Ghost Town?

Judith Butler argued that gender is performed through repeated behaviours and styles and reflects social and cultural contexts of its time period. In Ghost town,masculine identities are performed through fashion, posture and attitudes associated with ska and punk subcultures which subverts most stereotypes from the 1980s.

10) Postcolonial theorists like Paul Gilroy can help us to understand the meanings in the Ghost Town music video. What does the factsheet suggest regarding this?

The factsheet suggests the video reflects multicultural Britain and the influence of Caribbean culture on British identity. Gilroy’s ideas about hybridity and the Black Atlantic can be applied because the music combines Jamaican ska with British social commentary

A/A* Extension reading: Music video and Ghost Town

Key things about article (1):

-A "Remarkable" Chart-Topper: petridis highlights the irony of a  politically bleak track reaching number one in the UK charts at a time of high unemployment and widespread riots

-Societal Mirror: The analysis links the song directly to the socioeconomic desperation of 1981 Britain,arguing it was both a protest song and a haunting musical prediction