Background and historical contexts:
1) Why does the writer link the song to cinematic soundtracks and music hall tradition?
It's a strange, ominous song that nods to mainstream convention while purposefully straying from it. Contrary to the band's "Free Nelson Mandela," it is only mentioned in passing in Dorian Lynskey's superbly written book on protest songs, "33 Revolutions Per Minute." It does not, however, merit an own chapter.
2) What subcultures did 2 Tone emerge from in the late 1970s?
The Mod and Punk subcultures were where 2 Tone got its stylistic start, and audiences, bands, and participants in the movement were both black and white. Its musical roots were in Ska and the associated Jamaican Rocksteady.
3) What social contexts are discussed regarding the UK in 1981?
Away from rural Skinhead gatherings, riots were erupting throughout England's urban regions due to the recession. The melancholy soundtrack of these disturbances was "Ghost Town," a beautiful protest song. It expresses rage against a political framework, an economic system, and a long-standing hostility towards the young, the black, the white, and the poor. Why must the youth battle one another is the question posed.
4) Cultural critic Mark Fisher describes the video as ‘eerie’. What do you think is 'eerie' about the Ghost Town video?
The hypnotic repetition of the phrase "this town is coming like a ghost town" portrays a terrifying vision of the future, and the wailing chorus tells us to be utterly terrified by the thought of it.
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?
It's simply a scream against unfairness and opportunity being denied to the young, the underprivileged, the white, and the black people who have been robbed of their futures by the pulling up of the ladder. At dawn, drive through a deserted city. View the vacant apartments. View the streets both before and after the bankers and cleaning staff leave. Place young, underprivileged, and disadvantaged people in that car.
1) How does the article describe the song?
It begins with those hazy, lurching organ chords and a siren. Then the eerie, haunting woodwind enters, interrupted by blasting brass. A West Indian singer murmurs warnings of urban deterioration, unemployment, and violence over a sparse reggae bass beat.
2) What does the article say about the social context of the time – what was happening in Britain in 1981?
When riots broke out in Britain's streets about three weeks after Ghost Town was released on June 20, 1981, against the backdrop of mounting unemployment, it gave the song's melancholy, anxiety, and dread a whole new meaning. That day, Ghost Town went to number one in the charts.
3) How did The Specials reflect an increasingly multicultural Britain?
The Specials, who included members who were both black and white, also reflected the growing multiculturalism in Britain. A genre that combined ska, reggae, and new wave was given the band's 2 Tone record label's name, which in turn sparked a movement of sharply dressed youngsters.But as a result, antagonistic organisations like the National Front and the British Movement started to show up to Specials shows.
4) How can we link Paul Gilroy’s theories to The Specials and Ghost Town?
The song and accompanying music video provide support for Gilroy's Black Atlantic diasporic identity theory, which holds that travel, hybridization, and other factors lead to a "liquidity of culture" and the emergence of black culture.
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?
One of the greatest composers of motion picture music ever was John Barry. Over the course of his 50-year career, he appeared in 11 James Bond films, from Midnight Cowboy and Born Free to Dances with Wolves and Out of Africa.
Ghost Town - Media Factsheet:
1) Focus on the Media Language section. What does the factsheet suggest regarding the mise-en-scene in the video?
The Ghost Town video's set is designed in the manner of British social realist films. The sympathetic depictions of working-class males, the emphasis of desolate (often metropolitan) landscapes, and a sense of hopelessness are traits of this genre.
2) How does the lighting create intertextual references? What else is notable about the lighting?
A dim interior light source and what appears to be a portable torch used to low-angle light the faces of passengers in the back of the car provide an eerie glow on the band inside. This is a low-cost filmmaking method that is incredibly successful and appropriate for the style.The lighting scheme makes the most of the 'natural' light sources that are readily available, such as the harsh, yellowy reflections of the tunnel lights on the windscreen as they pass over the band members, the grey skies, and the dark streets.
3) What non-verbal codes help to communicate meanings in the video?
The Vauxhall Cresta used in the image represents how significant the 1960s were to the two-tone culture that impacted The Specials and other bands. This phrase was created by a band member to characterise both the band's members' diverse ethnic backgrounds and the variety of musical influences that have influenced them. The dress code is representative of what black and white working-class men could have worn to a night out clubbing. Nonverbal cues make a lasting impression by adding to the video's mood. The song's expressionless singing style, direct manner of approach, and rigid, zombie-like body gestures suddenly become relaxed during the frantic middle half.
4) What does the factsheet suggest regarding the editing and camerawork? Pick out three key points that are highlighted here.
The tempo of the video is managed by editing, and the camerawork warps our perception of day and night. One clip has been cut to look like a car pursuit action scene. Its aesthetic and brief shot duration create a frantic atmosphere. Whip pans and canted perspectives used in handheld, confusing camerawork serve to emphasise this. The band is typically filmed as a unit to highlight their connection. The majority of the images were captured while travelling.
5) What narrative theories can be applied to the video? Give details from the video for each one.
We must consider both the visual material of the video and the lyrics' narrative in order to apply Todorov's theory to it. The band leaving together in search of something to do, accompanied by the unsettling diegetic sound and the arbitrary green traffic light that signifies that things are starting to move. Bands no longer perform because there is too much fighting on the dance floor, which may be interpreted as the streets being desolate and empty.
6) How can we apply genre theory to the video?
The band sings the song in unison while driving, and this acts as the band's "performance" in the Ghost Town music video. The gang is looking for a place to go out, but they run into trouble and finish up throwing stones into the river, thus it is also narrative in that sense. The voyage, the eerie setting, and the band's zombie-like appearance all serve as a solid foundation for the video. Neale's method of genre theory informs us that genres mash up. Ghost Town is an illustration of how music videos frequently appropriate ideas from various cultural touchstones.
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.
'Thatcher's Britain,' the metropolis, urban youth, racism, and masculinity are just a few of the concepts, places, and groups that the film portrays.
Wearing suits demonstrates their masculinity.
Black and white band members that are a mixed race
Urban youth in their early 20s
London City
8) How can Gauntlett's work on collective identity be applied to the video?
According to Gauntlett, media texts may give us a feeling of our shared identity since they allow us to connect with others through our shared interests as audience members. In this way, the song and accompanying music video foster a feeling of a male collective identity and share the struggle of navigating one's own identity.
9) How can gender theorists such as Judith Butler be applied to Ghost Town?
Butler argued that gender is not determined by the sex we are born with but rather by a group of behaviour displayed by members of a biological sex, frequently influenced by societal attitudes and expectations. These were described by her as a "performance." These musicians appear to be 'playing' the patriarchal institutions of masculine solidarity, brotherhood, and friendship.
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 experience of being a member of a black minority in a largely white culture, witnessing black representations being created for white people from the outside with very little self-representation, as described in Gilroy's book Double Consciousness.
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