We are devastated to confirm that Selecter frontman Arthur ‘Gaps’ Hendrickson has died after a short illness. The world has lost a 2-Tone original, a talented musician and an absolute gentlemen. We have lost our beloved friend and bandmate. RIP Gaps
Terry Hall was always the epitome of cool. The golden voice of 2-tone’s greatest band, The Specials & many others. He’s even managed to die in the coolest way possible, hardly anybody knew he was ill,until he’d gone - that’s called going out in style! RIP
#terryhall
#thespecials
New documentary “
@TheSpecials
- A Message To You” will be shown next week on Sky Arts at 9pm on 19th March - which would have been Terry Hall’s 65th birthday
Pauline Black, lead vocalist with 2-tone band The Selecter, actress, broadcaster & author, received her OBE for services to entertainment from King Charles III, who was hosting his first Investiture since his Accession, at Windsor Castle today. 🎖️
Yesterday Arthur 'Gaps'Hendrickson, co- lead singer of The Selecter for the past 45 years, was laid to rest in Coventry.
A sad day, but also joyous. Coventry, city of Peace and Reconciliation brought together those who had not spoken for years. Gaps still worked his magic.
The Selecter & Arthur “Gaps” Hendrickson’s family, thank all who posted the thousands of beautiful messages of condolence on X.
In The Selecter’s 45th anniversary year, we will continue to perform, bringing the message of 2-tone to audiences everywhere.
Photo: Dean Chalkley
Arthur Gaps Hendrickson's funeral is tomorrow 23rd July 2024 at 12 noon at Coventry Cathedral. All welcome to pay their respects to The Selecter legend. BBC Midlands will cover.
Pauline Black received an Honorary Doctorate from the University Of Warwick this morning. She is now an Honorary Doctor of Letters (D.Litt)
She would like to thank Helen Wheatley for her lovely presentation address & Chancellor, Baroness Catherine Ashton.
Merry Christmas to all friends, fans & followers, but especially to those people behind the scenes who help The Selecter on a daily basis - you know who you are - & thank you! However you celebrate make it black & white with a dash of red.
It's not often that you get asked to a wonderful lunch by a total gentleman who engages you in chat as if you've known each other for ever, but that happened today with
@AdrianEdmondson
at an interview for his podcast Out To Lunch. What a joy. He loves On My Radio too. Love him!
Thank you so much to all those of you who wished me a happy 70th birthday yesterday.Bit of a big one, so I was delighted when Gaps Hendrickson popped in for the afternoon with a bunch of flowers and was ably rewarded for his effort with cake and coffee .
Pauline Black
Nice photo of the ladies of 2-tone, Pauline Black & Rhoda Dakar, at last week's BFI IMAX Dance Craze shindig. As usual, upholding the sartorially strict dress code for 2-tone functions, but with a soupçon of originality;-)
Such sad news to wake up to on a Saturday morning. A beautiful man with a unique voice & a beautiful spirit is gone. RIP Toots Hibbert. Reggae legend Toots Hibbert of Toots and the Maytals dies, aged 77
Pauline Black popped into the 2 tone village today & bumped into the founder & curator of the Coventry Music Museum, Pete Chambers, who photographed her in mid-signature on a Dance Craze poster. It’s a great place & every 2- tone fan should visit.
Gaps Hendrickson & Pauline Black having a cheeky dressing room pose last Thursday night in Stockton on Tees, on his triumphant return to the Jools Holland R& B orchestra special guest slot after a short illness. We all missed you!
Tonight Reading Hexagon!
Photo byTrevor Bailey
Dance Craze - newly restored by the BFI - coming on DVD/Blu Ray for the first time ever on 24 March 2023 plus 3LP & 3CD box set Deluxe Edition of the previously unreleased 27 song film audio soundtrack & more
All info & pre-order -
I’d just like to thank all of you who wished me a happy birthday yesterday. I had a lovely day, with much time for reflection. Hope everyone is staying safe, making the best of this difficult situation and taking care of themselves, family & friends! Stay well! Pauline xx
Wishing all our friends, fans & followers a Merry Christmas! This 40th Anniversary Tour year has exceeded all our expectations. The Selecter has covered 25k+ miles to meet & perform for as many of you as possible. Loved every minute of it. Always a privilege to perform for you!
Ranking Roger cutting his birthday cake at our first meeting in Birmingham to discuss The Beat & The Selecter doing a co-headline tour in 2017. That meeting led to many co- headline dates both here & abroad until his untimely death. How we all miss him. Happy birthday RR.
Just a gentle reminder that a new year is like a gift, and often not given to everybody, so in the wake of so much loss in this year's musical world, even more reason to cherish the continuing time we have together.
HNY2023
I hope all our worldwide Selecter fans have a great time this Christmas. The Selecter will be rocking on into 2024. First shows : 4th Jan 2024 Bristol The Fleece, 5th Jan 2024 Rockaway Beach Festival, Bognor Regis.
The Selecter overcame a cancelled flight
An unexpected night in Boston
No luggage
No instruments
No stage clothes
No dressing room
No rider
Inadequate food
A different drummer
But a great show.
LA No Values festival at Pomona Fairplex done.
Pauline Black had a fun evening at Mark Kermode's Youtube channel's
#MK3D
@BFI
with Jerry Dammers (The Specials)& cinematographer Joe Dunton talking about DANCE CRAZE last Monday. Released in 1981, the film has been remastered in 4K by
@BFI
for re-release this Fri, 24th March.
Very happy to finally officially announce our brand new studio album HUMAN ALGEBRA will be released on 21 April. Can't wait to share it with you! 🏁🎷
You can pre-order a copy on Vinyl or CD now
“It’s wonderful to receive this honour during Coventry City’s UK City of Culture 2021 year. Coventry is responsible for making me who I am, today. It's here where I finally found my voice with the 2-tone movement. Proud to be a Coventrian" Pauline Black
Thanks to Steve Lamacq on
@BBC6Music
for the first play of our new single Human Algebra on his show today! Full video will be shared THIS FRIDAY when the single will be available to stream/download
Album coming 21 April 🏁
Pre-order >
Fond memories of The Selecter’s appearance on the Paul O Grady show in 2015. What a funny, generous & all-round great man, who was a 2-tone fan too. Here’s a photo of us all with him & Jo Brand on that day. Photo courtesy of MichaelEccleshall.
RIP Paul O Grady
The Selecter was honoured to be invited to perform in Coventry, our hometown, yesterday @ Godiva Festival 2023. Audience was immense, thank you . A few photos courtesy of Pete Chambers & Jenny Semmence
Our new album is out today! 🙌 Enjoy x
💿⚫️🔴
"lyrical messaging's as sharp as ever" MOJO ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“The Selecter have lost none of their creative fire or fury” VIVE LE ROCK 9/10
The Selecter had a wonderful time performing at Llangollen Festival last night. Such a warm and receptive audience and attentive and lovely volunteer staff run the Town Hall entertainments.
NEW! One-off screening of the newly restored DANCE CRAZE concert film this Thursday at the Coventry
@ODEONCinemas
. There will be an in-person Q&A with Pauline Black before the film begins.
Book seats here:
Happy to announce another summer date - we'll be performing at The 2tone Ska Orchestra event with The Beat on Friday 25th August!
In the Outdoor Grounds of The New Irish Centre, Kings Heath, BIRMINGHAM. Grab your tickets now 📷
The Selecter will be doing what they've always done best and that is playing 2-tone music at Nottingham Metronome Fri 21st June & at Southampton Papillon on Fri 5th July 2024.
They will also be squeezing in a headline show at Coast Festival in Tynemouth on Sat 22nd June 2024.
The Selecter had a great time at Rewind Festival Scotland, despite our flights to and from Edinburgh being cancelled due to Crowdstrike issue! Had to drive all the way to Perth. We made it had a fantastic time at Scone Palace. Thanks to organisers, audience, crew and DMFMusic.
Attended the Royal Television Society Awards last night at the ICC in Birmingham & I’m thrilled to announce that 2Tone: The Sound of Coventry, produced by Full Fat TV won best documentary award for BBC England TV commissioning.
‘2 Tone The Albums 1979-1984’
is released today,Friday 4th September 2020.
Featuring ‘Too Much Pressure’ by
@TheSelecter
, 3 albums by The Specials, Dance Craze, two by the late great
#Rico
Rodriguez and the ‘This Are Two Tone’ compilation.
Very excited to be heading out with Jools Holland’s R&B Orchestra on his 30 date autumn/Winter UK tour today with two nights in Southend at the Cliffs Pavilion. I will be singing some Selecter hits & other ska favourites. Gaps will hopefully be joining us next week.
The Selecter is excited to be performing at Holmfirth Picturedrome today, Sat 26th Aug 2023 & tomorrow Sun 27th Aug, at Stone Valley Festival Midlands.
Did you see Pauline Black on
@BBCBreakfast
this morning? You can watch again on BBC iPlayer here
Pauline was chatting to Jon & Sally about the new album (out Friday), touring and more! If you haven't already, pre-Human Algebra here
It's going to be a great week performing with the Jools Holland Orchestra over the next 4 dates, at Nottingham Royal Concert Hall tonight, Leicester De Montfort on 23rd Nov and then 2 nights at the Royal Albert Hall on Fri 24th Nov and Sat 25th Nov. Photos Nicky Armstrong
The Selecter full house at The Paradiso in Amsterdam, NL last night. We first played here in 1980, to still be filling it this many years later is a testament to the power of music
Great gig promoting our new album HUMAN ALGEBRA. Wonderful audience dancing the night away. Perfect
Shout out to Selecter fans in LA area- we are playing at The Glasshouse, Pomona tonight, Sunday 9th June 2024, with our friends The Skeletones. Pauline Black will be signing T-shirts and any memorabilia you may have from doors till showtime. Cash payments preferred.
What a nice start to 2024, a SOLD OUT gig in Bristol tomorrow 4th Jan. A great place to do a warm up show ahead of our headline gig at Rockaway Beach festival on Friday 5th Jan. Whole band back on stage for a 90 minute New Year treat. it's been a while.....
Our thanks to all friends and fans in 2021 who were able to get along to a show or festival and support The Selecter.
Especial thanks to all at DMF Music, who made all things possible.
In the meantime, here's wishing you Happy Holidays over the festive season. See you in 2022!
What a wonderful weekend of festivals.
First up The Selecter supporting Tom Jones at Derby Summer Sessions, Markeaton Park on Saturday and then Jurassic Fields Festival, Bridport, The Selecter just managed to squeeze a headline set in before the England v Spain game!
We’re very excited to announce our 40th Anniversary European & UK Tour in 2019 with Special Guest and DJ Rhoda Dakar!
All tickets on sale 9am this Friday 30 November
UK pre-sale from 9am tomorrow exclusively here:
Originally released in March 1980, this
@TOTPofficial
performance of Missing Words was captured on the 3rd April 1980
📽️ Watch the full video on YouTube
The Deluxe Edition of ‘Too Much Pressure’ is out now on vinyl & CD formats 🏁
New 'Celebrate the Bullet' Deluxe Edition coming on 11 November 2022 on Heavyweight Clear Vinyl and as a 3CD Box Set with album plus additional B-Sides, Unreleased Live Sessions and a 20-page booklet featuring band notes.
Pre-order now:
A Limited Edition, solid white AA side 7” vinyl is being released on 01 Dec featuring dub mixes of two songs from our album Human Algebra. The mixes have been done by Charley ‘Aitch’ Bembridge with Timothy Ellis (aka General Theory Of Dub)
Pre-order:
Celebrating International Women’s Day.
Revolutionary Women: Left of Center Exhibit Opening at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame!
PAULINE BLACK is included in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s newest exhibit, Revolutionary Women in Music: Left of Center, opening Fri March 8, 2024.
Message from Pauline Black:
Many thanks to all of you who posted birthday wishes to me today. It's always lovely to know that other people are kind enough to mark my annual trip around the sun. Long life to you all too. Much love, Pauline xxx
Pauline Black lurking in latest "Cold War Steve" creation- upper left just below BB.
Pauline likes tapirs, her favourite animal
#wedontneedthisfascistgroovethang
We're joining our good friends
@FromtheJam1
as their special guests on the 'Sound Affects Tour' starting TOMORROW in Bath! Hope to see you at one of the shows
Tickets▶️
Today, Saturday 2nd Sept 2023, The Selecter will be headlining at HEAD FOR THE HILLS / BURRS LIVE FESTIVAL
Onstage 21.20- 22.30
Address: Burrs Country Park, Woodhill Road, Bury, BL8 1DA.
Too Much Pressure 40th Anniversary Reissue in the
@officialcharts
🙌
#1
Vinyl Album
#1
Independent Album
#24
in the Official UK Album Chart
Thank you to everyone who bought a copy (then and now!)
#2Tone
#40years
Great couple of gigs supporting FromTheJam @ the weekend, Bournemouth on Saturday & Sunday at Bristol O2. Brilliant audiences. Lovely to be back out with
@RussellHastings
&
@BruceFoxton
- really great & generous guys!
50 x Limited Edition Digital Pressings of Human Algebra to be released Fri 14 July at 9AM. Each owner also unlocks access to an exclusive dub mix of War War War by Aitch + a previously unseen BTS image from Paris.
Learn more about Digital Pressings here
The Selecter had a fantastic opening night @ Womad Festival. The audience were perfect, the sound was excellent & we enjoyed it so much. An honour to perform at this particular festival!
What an absolute privilege and a joy for myself and Gaps Hendrickson to perform with
@Joolsband
for 2 nights running at the Royal Albert Hall. Love to all the friends & family who were there cheering us on.
THE SELECTER - LIVE AT THE ROUNDHOUSE - OUT NOW - Live Album on CD, Black & White Splatter Vinyl with Bonus DVD
Order from
Amazon - CD - | White Splatter Vinyl - | Black Vinyl -
Tomorrow The Selecter will be off to Portugal for Festival Musicas du Mondos FMMSines. Hope the weather's not too hot! Feeling quite excited. It'll be nice to be in a country that we've barely played in before. Here's to a great show.
So Vive Le Rock mag gives a choice this month of 3 covers to celebrate 40th 2-tone anniversary
@thespecials
@TheEnglishBeat
&
@TheSelecter
. What is puzzling is why they used original band photos for the other two but not for us?
The Selecter had a fabulous gig at London 02 Indigo last night, Saturday 5th Dec 2021 in support of FTJ. Our especial thanks to all our fans who turned out en masse to celebrate with us a return to live 2-tone music. 2-tone rules!
Thanks to FTJ for inviting us along for the ride