UON musician uses music as a force for good alongside global Ska sensation, The Specials

As the lights fade and the music goes down on one of the most influential bands in 2Tone and Ska history, one academic at the University of Northampton has taken to the trombone for the final time as a tribute to lost friends and legendary musicians.

Senior Lecturer in Popular Music, Tim Smart has joined forces with former band, The Specials to release When A Light Goes Out in memory of legendary musician and bandmate, Terry Hall, who passed away in 2022. The single was released on the anniversary of Terry’s birthday as a heartfelt tribute to the pioneers who shaped the sound and spirit of a movement.

All final funds raised from the release of When A Light Goes Out will be donated to charities Specialized Project and Tonic Music, continuing the band’s 47-year history and tradition of using music as a force for good.

Reflecting on the end of an era – which involved performing on the main stages of most major festivals around the world – Tim said: “The Specials is pretty much the dream job in terms of playing the trombone in pop music. The original trombone player was the legendary Jamaican trombonist Rico Rodriguez, whose trombone-playing and solos were a core sound in The Special’s music (as it is in much Ska and Latin music).

“Solos such as those in Ghost Town, A Message to You, Rudy and Do Nothing were iconic and incredibly well known – it’s really unusual as a trombone player to have 5,000 people singing along with your solo!

“I was lucky enough to play on two of their studio albums, and played a few of my own solos on these recordings. It’s quite intimidating knowing that you’re standing in a dark little studio in West London playing away, and what you’re playing is becoming a part of that body of work.”

As part of his time touring with The Specials, Tim played on main stages of most of the major festivals around the world, including Glastonbury, Coachella, Lollapalooza, V-Fest, and the Olympic Closing Ceremony at Hyde Park. He also appeared on numerous TV shows including The Letterman Show, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, and Jools Holland.

Beyond his time with The Specials, Tim has continued to perform heavily within the music scene, including at The Brits alongside Rag ’n’ Bone Man. He has also performed or recorded for chart artists including Cher, Paul Weller, The Kooks, Pendulum, Prince Buster, Ocean Colour Scene, These New Puritans, Pendulum, The Go! Tea, Art Brut, Mint Royale, Toploader, and Frozen singer Idina Menzel. Tim also continues to be the trombonist for hit musical, The Book of Mormon, in the West End since 2013.

On recording their final single in memory of Terry Hall, Tim reflected on his fond memories of their former lead singer: “Terry was an awesome person to know. He was quiet, often shy, but had the driest and most incisive sense of humour I’ve ever encountered. He could say in six words what others would take hours to say. He also had very strong core values about issues that came out in the bands’ music, especially in relation to racism, but encompassing many other aspects of human equality and value.

“It’s well documented that he struggled with his mental health at times, and his work as patron for the Tonic Music for Mental Health charity was fabulous to behold.”

Tim uses his wealth of global musical experience to continue to inform his ongoing research into the attributes and knowledge exhibited and valued by professional musicians, and how these are developed both inside and outside of the educational world.

His research feeds into his work as a Senior Lecturer in Popular Music at the University of Northampton, teaching the next generation of musical talent who are working hard to make a splash in the industry: “I greatly enjoying teaching for UON and all its talented students, it’s a real pleasure. I’d count it as a major success if one day I find myself on a big stage with some of them!”

Listen to When A Light Goes Out by The Specials Family via their website.

Find out more about studying Popular Music and Music Production at the University of Northampton.