i played this back then, and i play it now because unfortunately apartheid is still alive under other names. a beautiful song for a beautiful man; was playing it in the office all week. free nelson mandela – the specials (aka). written by jerry dammers and performed by his coventry based band the special A.K.A. – with lead vocal by stan campbell – released in 1984 as a protest against the imprisonment of nelson madela by the apartheid south african government. by dd