It goes without saying (or certainly should) that 'Ghost Town' is fantastic, one of the finest singles ever to top the UK charts. But we hear it now out of context - which is why Wrongtom's Quietus article outlining the sociopolitical, historical and musical circumstances surrounding the song's creation and recording in 1981 is so valuable.
I knew 'Ghost Town' - "like a dub reimagining of a mournful dirge you might hear at a particularly downbeat New Orleans funeral procession" - emerged against a backdrop of unemployment, urban decay and racial prejudice, all of which it succinctly captured. But it transpires that there were tensions within the Specials as well as on the streets, and the song ultimately failed to heal fractures, with the band's demise following soon after.
Wrongtom rightly lauds John Collins' "deceptively avant garde production" and notes his claim that it was Shaun Of The Dead that introduced 'Ghost Town' to a new generation, thus cementing its longevity.
He also points out that when the Brixton riot kicked off in April of that year, "'Ghost Town' was still in the works". Number one that week? 'This Ole House' - "though it's understandable why no one heralds Shakin' Stevens as the harbinger of civil unrest."
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