Two Tone (or 2 Tone) is a style of music created by fusing elements of punk rock and ska. The sound was pioneered in the late 1970s by UK bands such as The Specials, The Selecter, The Beat and early Madness. Many of these bands were signed to Two Tone Records, Stiff Records and Go Feet Records and were based around the West Midlands area in the UK.
The term 2-Tone was coined by Jerry Dammers of the Specials from Coventry and summed up the West Midlands scene at that time.
The name that Dammers chose for his label had two meanings: It referred both to the black-and-white suits favored by ska-loving "rude boys", and it symbolized solidarity between blacks and whites at a time when racial tensions among the British working class were at an all-time high.
Dammers had long had a dream of starting his own label, similar to Motown, that The Specials could release their own records on. He composed some artwork, with Horace's (Panter - Specials bass player) help, that was soon to become central to the 2 Tone world, and in fact feature as the label on all their releases. The logo was based on an early album cover picture of Peter Tosh, and with the signature black and white checks dropped in for good measure, Walt Jabsco was born.
The label also released two albums by legendary Jamaican trombonist Rico Rodriguez (who had appeared on first two albums by The Specials).
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