Filmed at a time when there was widespread rioting happening in not just London but all across Europe, the video for Ghost Town features the Specials driving around London and looking at a once bustling city that appears to now be a deserted ghost town. Much as with The Clash’s London Calling, the overall theme here seems to be that London is drowning and everyone lives by the river. According the band’s bassist, the car was borrowed and the original owner was not happy when he discovered that the camera used to shoot the scenes of London had also scratched up the side of the car.
Barney Bubbles was a graphic artist who also branched out into shooting music videos. Before his tragically early death at the age of 41 in 1983, Bubbles did videos for not only The Specials but also for Elvis Costello and Fun Boy Three.
Enjoy!
When an abandoned car is found in the desert, Deputy Langely (Franc Luz) is dispatched to the scene. While Langely investigates, a man suddenly rides by on horseback and takes a shot at him. Searching for the man, Langely comes across an old ghost town. After he passes out in a seemingly abandoned building, he wakes up and discovers that he’s surrounded by old-timey western folks. There’s a barmaid and a blind gambler and a blacksmith. They are all spirits who are being held hostage by an undead outlaw, Devlin (Jimmie Skaggs), who long ago made a pact with Satan that gave him control over the souls of all the people in the town. Now, Devlin has kidnapped Kate (Catherine Hickland), a woman from the modern world, and it’s up to Langely to not only rescue her but also set free the spirits that are trapped in the ghost town.
Through the Shattered Lens 