The Selecter

A Ska band formed in Coventry in 1979, the Selecter were one of the four main groups active in the 2 Tone ska revival alongside The Specials, Madness and The Beat. Originally set up by guitarist Neol Davies and drummer John Bradbury, the group was reorganised after Bradbury left to join the Specials. The group was set apart from other bands within the 2 Tone movement by their significant focus on energetic Hammond organ rhythms and the inclusion of a female lead vocalist, Pauline Black.

Their first album, Too Much Pressure gave them early success and the band's first few singles were hits. However, after making alterations to their line-up, the second Selecter LP, Celebrate the Bullet made less of an impression and the band subsequently broke up. In recent years, Pauline Black and Neol Davies have reformed the group and they still perform.


 * Ska: Obviously.
 * Spell My Name with an "S": It's Selecter, not Selector. Also Neol Davies, not Neil, Neal or (as he's most frequently miscredited) Noel.
 * Too Soon: Probably the reason for the commercial failure of their second album - an album called Celebrate the Bullet by an outspokenly left-wing band isn't going to look good almost immediately after the president gets shot.