A Message to You, Rudy

"A Message to You, Rudy"
Cover of the single released in the Netherlands
Single by The Specials featuring Rico
from the album The Specials
A-side "Nite Klub" (double A-side)
Released 1979 (1979)
Format 7" vinyl
Genre Rocksteady, Ska, 2-Tone
Length 2:54
Label 2 Tone
Chrysalis
Songwriter(s) Dandy Livingstone
Producer(s) Elvis Costello
The Specials singles chronology
"Gangsters"
(1979)		 "A Message to You, Rudy"
(1979)		 "Too Much Too Young"
(1980)

"Gangsters"
(1979)		 "A Message to You, Rudy"
(1979)		 "Too Much Too Young"
(1980)

"A Message to You, Rudy" is a 1967 rocksteady song by Dandy Livingstone. Originally entitled "Rudy, A Message to You", the song later achieved broader success when, in 1979, The Specials' cover reached number 10 in the UK Singles Chart.[1]

Veteran trombone player Rico Rodriguez played on both Livingstone's and The Specials' versions.[2]

Chart performance

Chart (1979) Peak
position
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[3] 10
Chart (1980) Peak
position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[4] 7
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[5] 22
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[6] 29

Other cover versions

The song has also been covered by a number of artists, including The Specials, The Mescaleros, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Judge Dread, Barenaked Ladies, Dead Milkmen, Madness, Amy Winehouse, and Army of Juan.[7] The Specials performed the song on the BBC2 television show The Old Grey Whistle Test in 1979.[8]

Pete Doherty, at the Eurockéennes de Belfort, also performed the song in 2009, and Sublime featured lyrics borrowed from "A Message to You, Rudy" in their song "D.J.s." on their debut album. Propagandhi, a Canadian punk band, used the melody and partial lyrics in their song "Ska Sucks", featured on their album How to Clean Everything.

Sublime quotes "A Message to You, Rudy" at the end of their song "D.J.'s" off their debut album 40oz. to Freedom.

British hip hop band the Bogus MC's recorded an unofficial cover of the song for England ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.[9] Rather than "A Message to You, Rudy", the Bogus MC's sing, "A Message to You, Rooney".

Used in The Sports Guy's videos on Youtube in 2017. @TSGVlogs

Crawley Town F.C. and musician Mike Dobie recorded a cover of the song ahead of their clash with Manchester United.[10] Rather than "A Message to You, Rudy", the Crawley Town fans sing, "A Message to You, Rooney" or "A Message to You, Fergie."

Dubmood created a chiptune cover of the song titled "A Message to You, Mom". The song was featured in the Razor 1911's keygen for Command and Conquer 3.[11]

Sheffield based rock band Reverend and The Makers have also been known to cover the song live, outside after gigs.

References

  1. ↑ "A Message To You Rudy/Nite Klub", Chart Stats; retrieved 2010-08-26.
  2. ↑ "Rico Rodriguez". AllMusic. Retrieved 12 June 2011.
  3. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  4. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – The Specials – A Message To You Rudy" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  5. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 5, 1980" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40
  6. ↑ "Charts.nz – The Specials – A Message To You Rudy". Top 40 Singles.
  7. ↑ "Amy Winehouse - A Message to you Rudy..best pics". YouTube. 2008-07-02. Retrieved 2012-01-07.
  8. ↑ The Old Grey Whistle Test (DVD). Warner Home Video. 2003.
  9. ↑ "England World Cup Song 2010 Message to you Wayne Rooney!". YouTube. 2010-04-30. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
  10. ↑ "Mike Dobie - Crawley FA Cup Song - A Message From All Crawley". YouTube. 2011-02-14. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
  11. ↑ "[KeyGen Music] Dubmood - A Message to you, Mom". YouTube. 2008-12-12. Retrieved 2014-02-06.


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