2 Tone (or Two Tone) is a
music genre created in England in the late
1970s by fusing elements of ska, punk rock,
rocksteady, reggae and pop music.
The 2 Tone sound was developed by English
musicians (mostly based in the West Midlands
area) who grew up hearing 1960s Jamaican
music and decided to play a similar style of
music. They combined that style with
influences from contemporary punk and pop
music. The new music genre (and associated
subculture) became known as 2 Tone because
most of the bands were signed to the record
label 2 Tone Records at some point. Other
record labels associated with the 2 Tone
sound were Stiff Records and Go Feet
Records. Bands considered part of the 2 Tone
genre include The Specials, The Selecter,
The Beat, Madness, Bad Manners and The
Bodysnatchers.
The music term 2 Tone was coined
by Jerry Dammers of The Specials, who has
said he came up with the idea because he
liked the black-and-white check pattern on
his scooter when he was a young mod.
However, many people think the name refers
to black-and-white outfits worn by rude boys
and skinheads — and to unity between black
people and whites. Dammers, with the
assistance of Horace Panter, created the
Walt Jabsco logo to represent the 2 Tone
movement. It was based on an early album
cover photo of Peter Tosh, and included an
added black-and-white check pattern.