"Rudy" (or Rudi, Rude boy) is a Jamaican term for criminal juveniles; The Clash sing about one in "Rudie Can't Fail." The message to Rudy is straightforward: stop your messing around and think of your future. Jamaican immigrants to England in the aftermath of World War II brought their music and culture to that country, influencing bands like The Specials.
"A Message To You Rudy" was originally recorded by the reggae artist Dandy Livingstone in 1967. His original recording was a portrait of social unrest amongst the youth in Kingston, Jamaica. The Specials' update is a comment on British disaffection in the late 1970s that led to the 1978-79 Winter of Discontent when a succession of strikes seriously disrupted everyday life and later the riots in the Summer of 1981.
This was the second Specials single, following "Gangsters." After it climbed to #10 in the UK in November 1979, the group toured America, where they found audiences were indifferent or perplexed by their sound, which didn't have a handy classification. Despite an appearance on Saturday Night Live, they didn't make much impact and didn't return, focusing instead on their stronghold of Britain.
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