The Specials’ Too Much Too Young is as thrilling as ever, and as ambiguously angry and contemptuous: “You’re married with a KID/When you could be having FUN WITH ME,” they snarl, adding the despairing Alf Garnett insult: “I’d hate to have the same name as you/You silly moo.” Rhoda Dakar of the Bodysnatchers is a live wire; Buster Bloodvessel of Bad Manners is a genuine English eccentric, doing that odd thing with his tongue; Madness’s cover version of the Swan theme from Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake is very weird, and the Beat’s Twist and Crawl and Mirror in the Bathroom are still compelling. A must. It’s most likely these were removed at the last minute due to rights issues with the band, though note that their performances in the film itself have not been altered.

Outtakes (1980, 17 mins): a selection of rare clips, many previously unseen, featuring the bands from the filmNewly remastered in 4K from original film materials, DANCE CRAZE is presented here by the BFI and Chrysalis Records on Blu-ray and DVD (Dual Format Edition) for the first time, more than 40 years on from its theatrical release. Released: 27th March 2023. The Dance Craze film, shot throughout 1980 and released in cinemas the following year, brilliantly captures the cultural phenomenon that was the 2Tone movement and represents an important social document of the times. Directed by Joe Massot (The Song Remains the Same) and filmed by Bafta award-winning cinematographer Joe Dunton, it showcases the very best of the British Ska phenomenon, with exclusive live performances from The Specials, Madness, The Selecter, The Beat, Bad Manners and The Bodysnatchers. Newly remastered in 4K from original film materials, Dance Craze is presented here by the BFI and Chrysalis Records on Blu-ray and DVD for the first time, more than 40 years on from its theatrical release. Selected items are only available for delivery via the Royal Mail 48® service and other items are available for delivery using this service for a charge.

It was forty-two years ago today, but Dance Craze stands as a snapshot of what was then a vital style of music, and which still sounds great today. It's well served by this BFI Blu-ray. Starts with it's now 12A rating symbol immediately replaced with it's original U symbol (I don't know, kids today).Filmmaker Joe Massot was notable for a number of music films such as "Wonderwall" (1968) and "The Song Remains the Same" (1976). He was introduced to the second wave of ska through his son, who suggested that his father should make a documentary on the band Madness. Their 1979 debut album "One Step Beyond..." peaked at #2 on the UK charts, with three of their singles hitting the top ten on the charts. But the project became much more than just a look at one band, instead looking at the whole movement by documenting a number of British acts that were making their names and songs heard for the youthful crowds. The Specials also released their debut album in 1979, and Bad Manners, The Beat, and The Selecter released their debuts the following year - all of which hit the top 10 on the British charts. The Bodysnatchers and their two singles from 1980 also hit the UK singles chart. The 1981 concert documentary, directed by Joe Massot, captured ska acts The Specials — RIP Terry Hall— plus Madness, The Selecter, The Bodysnatchers, The Beat and Bad Manners on tour in the U.K. the previous year. However, there is much to shout about when it comes to the West Midlands’ second largest city, something which came to the fore when it was named the UK City of Culture 2021. While the actual legacy of the event has recently come to a rather unfortunate end, the actual year-long festival gave Coventry a platform from which it could shout about all its cultural contributions. One of these was its giving birth to a short-lived but hugely influential – not to mention highly-regarded – musical genre, known as ‘Two Tone’. DANCE CRAZE premieres at the Glasgow Film Festival on Thursday 9 March and will be screened at BFI IMAX, the biggest screen in Britain – 65 foot high with a 12-channel sound system – on Wednesday 22 March. The already sold out BFI IMAX screening will be introduced by members of the bands featured. 30 x Picturehouse cinemas are holding a special one-off screening on 23 March.

Newly restored by the BFI from original film materials and made available on Blu-ray and DVD for the very first time ever. The release will feature a brand new Dolby Atmos sound mix supervised by Jerry Dammers and Dermot James (Chrysalis Records). This is a dual format release with the film and extras on the Blu-ray in HD and repeated on the DVD in SD PAL. Shot in 1980 by Joe Massot, who directed the psychedelic and absurdist Wonderwall in 1968, Dance Craze is a concert footage film rather than a documentary although, around the halfway mark, it’s broken up with some old Pathé news reports on dance crazes such as the Locomotion and the Madison, and a man from Harrogate attempting a world record for playing the piano longer than anybody before had managed (a marathon endeavour aided by ‘eggs, glucose, tea and brandy’ together with a hundred cigarettes a day. Don’t try this at home, folks).Outtakes (1980, 17 mins): A collection of outtakes and alternative versions features footage that was ultimately left out of the final cut of “Dance Craze,” but has been recovered from various sources. Coventry’s once-famous car-making industry – which saw it hailed as being the UK’s ‘Motor City’, boosted by an influx of migrant workers – began a marked decline in the 1970s. The Punk spirit embodied by the Sex Pistols’ cries of there being no future seemed to perfectly encapsulate the mood of the time, particularly amongst the youth, who saw their opportunities of employment dwindling, and infrastructure collapsing around them. Dammers’ fusion of two opposing musical styles took that Punk energy, and gave it a far more inclusive feel, bridging the racial divide and clearly showing that coexistence was possible. The Dance Crazefilm, shot throughout 1980 and released in cinemas the following year, brilliantly captures the cultural phenomenon that was the 2Tone movement and represents an important social document of the times. Directed by Joe Massot ( The Song Remains the Same) and filmed by Bafta award-winning cinematographer Joe Dunton, it showcases the very best of the British Ska phenomenon, with exclusive live performances from The Specials, Madness, The Selecter, The Beat, Bad Manners and The Bodysnatchers. The classic 2Tone live show film newly remastered in 4K, more than 40 years on from its theatrical release. Outtakes (1980, 17 mins): a collection of outtakes and alternative versions features footage that was ultimately left out of the final cut of Dance Craze, but has been recovered from various sources

The original production has been newly restored by the BFI from original film materials to 4K, then scaled down and placed on Blu-ray and DVD for the very first time ever. Impossible not to move your feet to this. Never seen it before, wanted to first time around as these were my fave bands but I was much too young, my it's an absolute gem.Outtakes (1980, 17 mins): a collection of outtakes and alternative versions featuring footage that was ultimately left out of the final cut of Dance Craze, but has been recovered from various sources Madness took their name from one of Buster’s biggest hits, while their one and only 2 Tone release was a tribute to him called The Prince, with the B-side an infectious cover of his single Madness. Their second single, One Step Beyond, was another cover. The Specials themselves naughtily stole the tune of his Al Capone for their debut single Gangsters. Too Hot was a direct cover of another of his songs, while Stupid Marriage borrowed its premise from Buster’s Judge Dread. 2 Tone owed a huge debt to the singer born Cecil Bustamente Campbell. Personally I could have lived without Bad Manners and The Selecter (never liked either, and nothing here to change my mind). The Specials are predictably superb, as are The Beat, possibly the tightest musically on the bill (Ranking Roger live really was an essential component of this band). Madness are fine, but at this stage haven’t quite worked out that Suggs is their frontman and teetered dangerously close to novelty act here (Night Boat To Cairo, One Step Beyond, the song “Madness”), but greater things were to come from them. Introduction and Q&A with Joe Dunton and editor Tony Sloman at a 70mm screening at Widescreen Weekend 2011 at the Pictureville Cinema at the National Media Museum. They have some great stories to tell including some behind the scenes information, hopes for a Blu-ray release, the reception and more. Drench yourself in the high-energy, sweatbox world of British 2 Tone in the late-1970s and early 1980s with this legendary concert film.