Special Brew (song)

"Special Brew" is a song by British 2-tone and ska band Bad Manners, released in September 1980 and was the third single from their first album Ska 'n' B. It was the band's joint biggest hit in the UK, reaching number 3 in the Singles Charts, which it stayed at for 2 weeks.[2] The song takes its inspiration from the Carlsberg lager Special Brew and is about someone who loves it like a significant other.[3]

"Special Brew"
Single by Bad Manners
from the album Ska 'n' B
B-side"Ivor The Engine"
Released12 September 1980 (1980-09-12)
Genre
Length3:20
3:37 (album version)
LabelMagnet
Songwriter(s)Bad Manners (Buster Bloodvessel, Louis Cook, David Farren, Paul Hyman, Chris Kane, Andrew Marson, Alan Sayag, Martin Stewart)[1]
Producer(s)Roger Lomas
Bad Manners singles chronology
"Lip Up Fatty"
(1980)		 "Special Brew"
(1980)		 "Lorraine"
(1980)

After the success of "Ne-Ne Na-Na Na-Na Nu-Nu", the band realised they needed to write more songs and so went to the local off-licence for inspiration. One of the ideas sounded "a bit soppy... a bit of a long song" to Buster Bloodvessel, which was not their style, so he picked up his beer and sang "I love you, yes i do 'cause i know that you're my special brew" and the song was then written in a matter of minutes.[4][5]

The B-side song "Ivor The Engine" is named after the eponymous television series and was included on their second album Loonee Tunes!, titled "The Undersea Adventures of Ivor the Engine".

A limited-edition picture disc was also issued, with a picture of Bloodvessel licking his lips at a pint of Special Brew.[6]

Track listing

7"

  1. "Special Brew" – 3:20
  2. "Ivor The Engine" – 2:25

Charts

Weekly charts
Chart (1980) Peak
position
Ireland (IRMA)[7] 4
UK Singles (OCC)[2] 3

Year-end charts
Chart (1980) Position
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[8] 42

References
  1. "Special Brew - Bad Manners | Song Info". AllMusic. Retrieved 2020-03-12.
  2. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  3. Mckinstry, Leo (23 March 2012). "In defence of Special Brew". www.spectator.co.uk. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  4. Bad Manners TV & Film Archive Part 4. 25 November 2010. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  5. Bad Manners TV & Film Archive Part 5. 25 November 2010. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  6. "Bad Manners - Special Brew". Discogs. Retrieved 2020-03-12.
  7. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Special Brew". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  8. "Top 100 1980 - UK Music Charts". www.uk-charts.top-source.info. Retrieved 2020-06-25.
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