CSP - Ghost Town

Background and historical contexts

Read this excellent analysis from The Conversation website of the impact Ghost Town had both musically and visually. Answer the following questions:

1) Why does the writer link the song to cinematic soundtracks and music hall tradition?

The writer connects Ghost Town to cinematic soundtracks + music hall tradition because its composition creates an atmospheric, moody sound. This evokes feelings of anxiety and unease in audiences, similar to the emotional impact of film scores and traditional British music hall performances.

2) What subcultures did 2 Tone emerge from in the late 1970s?

2 Tone emerged from the Mod and Punk subcultures. It mixed Jamaican ska and rocksteady with the energy and attitude of punk, which led to a movement that included black and white musicians and audiences.

3) What social contexts are discussed regarding the UK in 1981?

In 1981, the UK faced a recession, which led to a lot of people losing their jobs + there was a lot of social unrest. There were lots of riots where young people, both black and white, took to the streets because audiences felt neglected. Ghost Town is a song that captures the feelings of despair and frustration that many audiences felt at the time.

4) Cultural critic Mark Fisher describes the video as ‘eerie’. What do you think is 'eerie' about the Ghost Town video?

The eeriness stems from the depiction of empty city streets where there should be bustling activity. The music video's setting is in an empty London - usually it'd be bustling and full of life, but here, nobody's there. The singers/characters of the music video drive through this empty "ghost town" alone, which evokes eeriness in the audience as they're seeing a familar place in an unfamiliar setting - audiences feel immersed as they're again seeing a setting that is quite familar to them in a media text, which could be an example of hyperreality.

5) Look at the final section (‘Not a dance track’). What does the writer suggest might be the meanings created in the video? Do you agree?

The writer suggests the video is a protest against social injustice and lost opportunities. By showing young people who don't have many opportunities in a city that looks like it's been left behind, it represents how their futures have been taken away. The setting and the music itself both compliment each other to showcase the message of the whole music video to audiences.

Now read this BBC website feature on the 30th anniversary of Ghost Town’s release. 

1) How does the article describe the song?

The article describes the song as a "blend of melancholy, unease and menace".

2) What does the article say about the social context of the time – what was happening in Britain in 1981?

In 1981, industrial decline took place and lots of people had lost their jobs - massive riots also had taken place then too.

3) How did The Specials reflect an increasingly multicultural Britain?

The Specials reflected an increasingly multicultural Britain with its ensemble band members and 2 Tone - the record label gave its name to a genre which fused ska, reggae and new wave and, in turn, inspired a crisply attired youth movement.

4) How can we link Paul Gilroy’s theories to The Specials and Ghost Town?

We can link Paul Gilroy's diasporic identity to the band and the video in many ways. The people in the music video come from a range of different racial backgrounds. This reflects its musical genre of ska, which could be expressed as them reinforcing the idea of a racially divided country. This shows how Britain is becoming more multicultural. You can see this shown in different ways in the music and and the video.

5) The article discusses how the song sounds like a John Barry composition. Why was John Barry a famous composer and what films did he work on?

John Barry was a famous composer as he worked on many classic films back in the day. One of his most popular works was on the James Bond films.


Ghost Town - Media Factsheet

Watch the video several times before reading Factsheet #211 - Ghost Town. You'll need your GHS Google login to access the factsheet. Once you have analysed the video several times and read the whole factsheet, answer the following questions: 

1) Focus on the Media Language section. What does the factsheet suggest regarding the mise-en-scene in the video? 

They suggests the video draws on the British social realist film style. It emphasises bleak and declining urban environments, the working-class, and hopelessness. The video's low-budget shoot contributes to the authenticity and realism of the music video to audiences, making them feel more connected to it.

2) How does the lighting create intertextual references? What else is notable about the lighting?

The lighting makes use of a style borrowed/inspired from expressionist cinema. Its low-key and harsh lighting could be an intertextual reference to films such as The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari - especially the shots of empty London.

3) What non-verbal codes help to communicate meanings in the video?

Their expressionless faces and direct mode-of-address along with their stiff, zombie-like movements help create non-verbal codes of hopelessness and no energy. The singers/band members seem tired and out of it - additionally, their costumes represent typical working-class business outfits. This helps communicate further to audiences of their status and the reasoning on why they're so out of it.

4) What does the factsheet suggest regarding the editing and camerawork? Pick out three key points that are highlighted here.

- Fast-paced edits in some scenes (e.g. car chase style)
- Use of handheld, canted angles and whip pans to disorient viewers
- Superimposition and cross-dissolves (e.g. tunnel lights to stone-throwing) create an unsettling mood

5) What narrative theories can be applied to the video? Give details from the video for each one.

We can apply Todorov's equilibrium theory to this; equilibrium is first established when the band arrive in the city - however it's quickly disrupted as they discover the bleakness and emptiness of the whole town. They drive around and reminise a little, until a new equilibrium is eventually established at the end, when they sit by the river, having spent time together in the empty ghost town.

6) How can we apply genre theory to the video?

Combines performance (band lip-syncing) and narrative (journey through city) conventions. The music video includes a concept-based structure: an eerie, zombie-like journey. We can also apply Neale's theory: Genre is hybrid – the video mixes multiple styles together.

7) Now look at the Representations section. What are the different people, places and groups that are represented in the Ghost Town video? Look for the list on page 4 of the factsheet.

‘Thatcher’s Britain’, the city, urban youth, and race/masculinity.

8) How can Gauntlett's work on collective identity be applied to the video?

The video offers viewers a shared experience of unemployment and hopelessness. This reflects the loss of traditionally masculine roles during economic decline; through this, collective identity is shared through music and relatable struggle.

9) How can gender theorists such as Judith Butler be applied to Ghost Town?

There are no female band members present. The band is primarily made up of males, and can be potentially viewed as a patriarchy to some viewers. Judith Butler argues that gender is a performance, not a trait. That is shown in this music video, where the singers/band members express their masculinity throughout the video.

10) Postcolonial theorists like Paul Gilroy can help us to understand the meanings in the Ghost Town music video. What does the factsheet suggest regarding this?

The video blurs in-group/out-group lines through multi-ethnic representation and class focus with its codes, conventions and genre - especially the fact that the music's genre is made up of multiple primarily white and black oriented genresGilroy’s concept of double consciousness can apply here: Black musicians are shown in ways shaped by a white-dominated media; there's limited self-representation for black artists despite being central to the message.

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