It spawned seven top 10 singles and two top five albums in just three years. Their music, an infectious blend of ska, reggae and punk, contained sharp social commentary on topics from urban decay and unemployment to racism and violence. It made them a target for trouble – their early gigs could be bloodbaths, such was the violence instigated by interloping fascists – but also inspired devotion as leaders of the Two Tone subculture.

Originally a seven-piece, now pared back to the three remaining original members – Golding, Panter and singer Terry Hall (who is unwell today) – The Specials were a multiracial collective showing the potential and power of immigration. In the face of a then-thriving far right, even their initial presence was a protest of sorts. “All our songs are protest songs, really,” says Panter. Their new covers album, Protest Songs 1924-2012, is a project in keeping with their very DNA. The Specials circa 1980 in New York City. More than 40 years since forming amid the political and racial tension of late-70s Coventry, the righteous fire still burns inside The Specials. This is the sort of exasperation you might expect from a band whose posts on social media currently come with the hashtag #StillPissedOff.

I’ve just been handed a granddaughter in the past few months, and I’m thinking, I wonder what the world is going to be like when she is in her teens? It’s very concerning.” “It is a lot like that,” says bassist Horace Panter.

Ghost town song