''Original Rude Boy'' (2009) is the
autobiography
An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life.
It is a form of biography.
Definition
The word "autobiography" was first used deprecatingly by William Taylor in 1797 in the English peri ...
of
Neville Staple,
vocalist in
ska band
The Specials. The book was launched in May, 2009 to coincide with the reunion tour of The Specials. It sets out to chart the black
British influence on the second wave of ska which originated in
Coventry in the late 1970s — in particular, Staple's involvement in the
rude boy scene.
Major themes
In ''Original Rude Boy'', Neville Staple describes the
Sound system (Jamaican) scene that developed in Britain in the 1960s and 1970s. He became a
DJ with a system called Jah Baddis alongside future Specials
road crew members Trevor Evans and Rex Griffiths. Staple candidly describes how he slipped into a life of crime, eventually resulting in his conviction for
burglary
Burglary, also called breaking and entering and sometimes housebreaking, is the act of entering a building or other areas without permission, with the intention of committing a criminal offence. Usually that offence is theft, robbery or murder ...
and a period in
borstal. This part of the book has attracted criticism from some ska fans.
At the Holyhead Youth Club in Coventry, Staple first heard a band called The Coventry Automatics rehearsing and became their roadie. After a couple of years touring with them, he joined the band on vocals and they renamed themselves The Specials.
Staple details his involvement in the Third Wave or American wave of ska music. His production work including time in the studio with US ska bands like
No Doubt,
Unwritten Law and
Rancid. ''Original Rude Boy'' details how Staple spent several years in
California working on various production projects before returning to the UK in 2001.
The Specials announced a reunion tour in 2008 with sell-out UK dates in April and May, 2009. Specials founder member Jerry Dammers refused to join the tour and Staple gives his explanation why Dammers declined to tour with other band members.
References
External links
Neville Staple interviewed on Sky News*
Neville Staple's literary agent web page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Original Rude Boy
2009 non-fiction books
British autobiographies
Music autobiographies
Aurum Press books