Byers also wrote 'Hey Little Rich Girl', which appeared on The Specials second album, More Specials (1980). The most successful was ' Rat Race', which peaked at number five in the UK Singles Chart in May 1980. His first was '1980's Teddy Boy', and later came 'Concrete Jungle' which was recorded by The Specials for their debut album, Specials (1979).īyers joined The Specials when the band was called The Coventry Automatics and wrote several songs for the band.
It was in The Wild Boys that he started songwriting. Currently, Byers leads The Skabilly Rebels, a band that mixes ska rhythms with rockabilly.īyers' first real band was formed in Coventry in 1975 and were called The Wild Boys. He wrote the Specials favourites ' Concrete Jungle', ' Rat Race' and ' Hey, Little Rich Girl', later covered by Amy Winehouse.
Roddy Radiation (born Roderick James Byers, ) is an English musician who played lead guitar for The Specials, as well as many rockabilly bands such as the Bonediggers and the Tearjerkers.
