punk energy, a bravely political stance and good humour. They were that rarity, a thoughtful band who created great dance music, and Bradbury was central to their distinctive style. According to the band’s bass player, Horace Panter: "He called his approach ‘attack drumming’ and it became the Specials’ signature sound. He mixed the drive of northern soul with a reggae feel. And he improvised. He was different every night." With the Specials he toured Britain, packing out dancehalls where followers showed their respect by wearing the uniform of pork pie hats and black-and-white sweaters. This was the era of the National Front, and NF supporters were eager to break up the multiracial party. Brad once explained: "They would position themselves so they could sling abuse … and objects, if they got the chance. But they usually didn’t get the chance, because we would stop mid-number, put the spotlight on the ring-leader, and the audience would take care of the rest." Bradbury helped the Specials to become the outstanding British band of 1979, both for their recordings and live performances. Many of their best-known songs were written by Dammers, but Bradbury was involved in co-writing favourites that included "Gangsters" and "Nite Klub". The band recorded seven UK top 10 singles, including "Too Much Too Young" and "Ghost Town", but split up in 1981. Bradbury continuing to work with Dammers in the Special AKA, best known for that classic political anthem "Nelson Mandela". For Dammers, the group’s founder and keyboard player, Bradbury was "highly intelligent, had a mischievous sense of humour which could be very funny, and he played the drums with an incredible amount of energy which was a very important part of the Specials’ sound and live shows". For the singer Terry Hall, he was simply "a great drummer". After the Specials split, and while still involved with the Special AKA, Bradbury started his own band, JB's Allstars, influenced by northern soul. They released five singles, including "Alphabet Army" (1986), a song written by Bradbury that stressed the importance of teachers. There followed a period of over 20 years in which it seemed that his music career had stalled. He looked after his son, Elliot, while his wife, Emily, worked in the fashion industry, and he was involved in a series of projects that included computer programming and maintenance. The Specials reunion Bradbury played a key role in reuniting the