"Do Nothing" is a song by

ska Ska (; ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a walki ...

/ 2-tone band

The Specials The Specials, also known as The Special AKA, are an English 2 tone and ska revival band formed in 1977 in Coventry. After some early changes, the first stable lineup of the group consisted of Terry Hall and Neville Staple on vocals, Lynval ...

, released in December 1980 by

2 Tone Records 2 Tone Records was an English independent record label that mostly released ska and reggae-influenced music with a punk rock and pop music overtone. It was founded by Jerry Dammers of the Specials and backed by Chrysalis Records. History ...

as the second single from ''

More Specials ''More Specials'' is the second album by English ska band the Specials, released by 2 Tone Records in September 1980. After the success of the band's self-titled debut, band member Jerry Dammers assumed the role as the band's leader and stirred ...

''. The single peaked at number 4 on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

Release

For the single release of "Do Nothing", the album version of the song was remixed, with

Jerry Dammers Jeremy David Hounsell Dammers GCOT (born 22 May 1955) is a British musician who was a founder, keyboard player and primary songwriter of the Coventry-based ska band The Specials (also known as The Special A.K.A.) and later The Spatial AKA Orche ...

adding a string synthesiser, credited as the 'Ice Rink String Sounds'. It was released as a double A-side single with a cover version of Bob Dylan's "

Maggie's Farm "Maggie's Farm" is a song written by Bob Dylan, recorded on January 15, 1965, and released on the album '' Bringing It All Back Home'' on March 22 of that year. Like many other Dylan songs of the 1965–66 period, "Maggie's Farm" is based on elect ...

", with reference to then-

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...

Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. She was the first female British prime ...

. It was the first Specials single in the UK to diverge from the 2 Tone look and have a picture sleeve, with the cover being the band "gathered in a gaudy fun pub clad in polyester leisurewear, an image carrying the pungent subtext that modern life was rubbish". The band's appearance on ''

Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show. For most o ...

'' with this song also saw a depart from the suits and

mod Mod, MOD or mods may refer to: Places * Modesto City–County Airport, Stanislaus County, California, US Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Mods (band), a Norwegian rock band * M.O.D. (Method of Destruction), a band from New York City, US ...

/ rude-boy look, with the band wearing Christmas jumpers. Also on ''Top of the Pops'' were The Beat, promoting "

Too Nice to Talk To "Too Nice to Talk To" is a non-album single by British ska/ new wave band The Beat, released on 5 December 1980 by Go-Feet Records. It peaked at number 7 on the UK Singles Chart. The song has since been included on CD reissues of the band's se ...

" and

Horace Panter Horace Panter (born Stephen Graham Panter, 30 August 1953) also known as Sir Horace Gentleman, is the bassist for the British 2 Tone ska band The Specials. Early life Panter was born in Croydon, Surrey and spent most of his formative years i ...

and David Steele decided to swap roles and mime each other's band's songs.

Reception

Reviewing the song for ''

Record Mirror ''Record Mirror'' was a British weekly music newspaper between 1954 and 1991 for pop fans and record collectors. Launched two years after the '' NME'', it never attained the circulation of its rival. The first UK album chart was published in '' ...

'', Mike Gardner wrote: "A new, improved version of Linval Golding's song of social frustration is given a lusher treatment with washes of Jerry Dammers' 'Ice Rink String Sounds' and a heavier rhythm base which does nothing to diminish a quality piece of work." Reviewing for '' Smash Hits'', Ronnie Gurr wrote: "Great

Reginald Dixon Reginald Herbert Dixon, MBE, ARCM (16 October 1904 – 9 May 1985) was an English theatre organist who was primarily known for his position as organist at the Tower Ballroom, Blackpool, a position he held from March 1930 ...

organ sound from Jerry Dammers and more exemplary trombone etchings from Rico. A truly excellent single. Flip over and find a horrendous cocktail lounge calypso cover of Dylan's "Maggie's Farm". Excusable only if it's a political statement."

Charts

References

{{authority control 1980 singles 1980 songs The Specials songs 2 Tone Records singles Songs written by Lynval Golding Songs written by Jerry Dammers