The Specials - "Rat Race" (forgotten song)

It's been a while since my last remembrance of early MTV. I don't recall ska getting much radio airplay in the early 80s in Hampton Roads, but it was a staple of the early days of MTV. It was big in the UK at the time and as I've covered before, MTV played pretty much anything during the early days. Artists on 2-Tone Records were putting out videos and MTV played them.

I wasn't really a fan of The Specials during the early 80s (it was beyond my middle school comprehension), but I was exposed to it. I've since become a big fan and their first two LPs are on the "to review" list (a very long list, btw). "Rat Race", their 1980 non-LP single, is my first memory of them on MTV. It is certainly not their most popular song (that would most likely be "A Message to You, Rudy"), but unless you have the various compilation LPs on which it appears (or the original 7"), I doubt you've heard this excellent song in a long time. Enjoy.

Link: YouTube.

B-side Bonus link: "Rude Boys Outta Jail": YouTube.