The Selecter - Celebrate The Bullet (1981)

What this video is

Released in early 1981, 'Celebrate The Bullet' arrived at the precise cultural flashpoint where the 2 Tone movement's utopian multiracial optimism was being crushed by Thatcherite economic policy, the Brixton riots, escalating Cold War tensions, and a series of real-world gun violence tragedies. The single was banned by BBC Radio 1, whose DJ Mike Read interpreted the title as a commentary on John Lennon's December…

Why it matters

Represents the pivotal and critically undervalued second chapter of British 2 Tone, in which The Selecter moved beyond uptempo ska revivalism into a more measured, politically sophisticated new wave register. Produced by Roger Lomas with contributions from Ian Dury's bassist Norman Watt-Roy, the…