The Beat , known in America as The English Beat and in Australia as The British Beat , a British group from Birmingham who ska with pop , soul , reggae and punk mixes. The group was in its heyday three albums ( I Just Can not Stop It (1980), Wha'ppen? (1981) and Special Beat Service (1982)) and scored hits like Mirror In The Bathroom and Too Nice To Talk To . Their songs are mostly about love, politics and social issues.
Content[]
History [ edit ][]
Start [ edit ][]
The Beat was founded in 1978 during the great wave of unemployment and growing social unrest that England at that time was suffering under. The core members were Dave Wakeling (vocals, guitar), Andy Cox (guitar) and David Steele(bass). In 1979 they were joined by successively Everett Morton (drums), 'Ranking' Roger Charlery (vocals) and Lionel 'Saxa' Martin (sax), all three of Caribbean descent. The 49-year-old Saxa claimed to have that one band found what for years he was looking, Morton played drums for ten years in reggae bands and the 18-year-old Roger was one of the few black punks (with rasta colored millimeter capsule) in the local scene. He started as a drummer but could alsotoast (one primordial form of Jamaican rapping), and after a series of spontaneous guest appearances he was permanently member.
The Beat performed at the opening for The Selecter and asked yourself UB40 (who also invited Roger himself when own toaster Astro was a roadie) to warm up. Then the group signed a contract with the prestigious 2-Tone label for a single, which was Tears Of A Clown , a cover of Smokey Robinson & The Miracles .
Following the example of 2 Tone started his own label (Go-Feet) that a major record label ( Arista distributed with equal profit sharing.) The Go-Feet mascot ( Beat Girl ) is based on a photo of a girl with ska pioneer Prince Buster is dancing. In early 1980 appeared Mirror In The Bathroom that was frequently played on British radio and debuted The Beat on Dutch soil. The following singles were Hands Off She's Mine and Stand Down Margret (supposedly an old calypso tune).
Breakthrough [ edit ][]
The Beat caught the attention of then popular groups such as The Pretenders and Talking Heads and cared for the program during their tours. In America, the name had to be changed, however, because there is already a Beat occurred.
Also in the U.S. hit The (English) Beat in demand, because their songs were played on local radio stations in Los Angeles and Seattle. The band was then popular in Australia. There were long tours as support of various artists such asDavid Bowie , The Clash (with whom Roger stage came during Rock The cashbah ), The Police , REM and The Specials . When performing with the Specials were much worked, so it was exchanged for bass players of both bands when they are in the same broadcast of Top of the Pops were seen. Afrikaans tinted Too Nice To Talk marked the transition to the album Wha'ppen? (translated freely; Watzke Burt? ).
Divestitures [ edit ][]
General Public [ edit ][]
- In 1982 the third album Special Beat Service , high time to stop, according to Dave Wakeling, because "after three albums, you lose your credibility." And so in the summer of 1983 when the band thanks to the collector What Is Beat? scored a hit with the three-year-old Andy Williams cover Can not Get Used To Losing You . Dave Wakeling and Ranking Roger went on as General Public with former members include The Specials (bassist Horace Panter ) and Dexy's Midnight Runners . Saxa and Mick Jones (who had just put out The Clash) cooperated with the debut album All The Rage that singles General Public and the Motown -like Tenderness brought forth. England shrugged his shoulders, but America could not get enough. After the second album ( Hand To Mouth ) 1986 Ranking Roger and Dave Wakeling went quarrel apart. Ranking Roger released his solo debut from the IRS label Miles Copeland (brother of Police drummer Stewart ) Dave Wakeling exchanged rainy Birmingham to sunny Los Angeles and recorded the album No Warning on, not so much a continuation of the soul-pop General Public alswel a return to the ska sound of The Beat. Because he felt committed to what was happening in the world, he went to work for Greenpeace. In 1994, General Public came together to record a cover version Staple Singers' I'll Take You There (original sampled in Let's Talk About Sex by Salt 'N Pepa ), it became a hit, but the album in 1995 followed did not emulate that success and apart from a one-off concert in 1998 was not the reunion sequel.
Fine Young Cannibals [ edit ][]
- Andy Cox and David Steele founded with singer Roland Gift (as co-frontman of Akrylykz has been at The Beat in the schedule) Fine Young Cannibals on. This group scored in the eighties top 10 hits with Good Thing , Johnny Come Home and She Drives Me Crazy , and was the most successful spin-off of The Beat.
International Beat [ edit ][]
- Saxa and Everett Morton made through a series of jam sessions with singer / guitarist Tony Beet a restart as The International Beat . In 1990 they released their debut album which dance influences were told instead of traditional ska. After the break in 1993, Morton was active for some time as a barkeep.
Special Beat [ edit ][]
From 1989 to 1993 were Ranking Roger and Saxa in Special Beat, a 2-Tone supergroup frequently traveled around the world with songs from The Specials and The Beat, plus new material. In the California performances of their American farewell tour Dave Wakeling was involved.
Reunion [ edit ][]
In 2003, the music channel aims VH1 The Beat to bring together again, Andy Cox and David Steele refuse to cooperate, this, and eventually Dave Wakeling guest at a new version of the band in which Roger is assisted by his son Murphy (Ranking Jr.). as co-frontman. Saxa, who had already arisen in the heyday of The Beat with health problems, is in short supply and will retire in 2005, leaving only Everett Morton and Ranking Roger on his original occupation.There is a new album that still remains on the shelves.
Dave Wakeling find it all public deception and therefore has its own (English) Beat up which he also plays the hits of General Public and mainly touring through America.
In late June 2012, the albums The Beat re-released with bonus tracks and liner notes from ex-Bodysnatchers singer Rhoda Dakar .
Tribute [ Edit ][]
In 2013, the tribute album released Specialized 2 - Beat Teenage Cancer (continued on Specialized covers of the Specials) ska bands covered songs by The Beat retreaded to raise money for Teenage Cancer Trust. Its successor,Specialized 3 - Mad Not Cancer is dedicated to Madness, Dave Wakeling, Ambassador of the Specialized Foundation has taken the initiative with a second opportunity Tone group Our House to take in hand, nor Saxa has promised his cooperation.
Singles [ edit ][]
- Tears Of A Clown (1979)
- Hands Off, She's Mine (1980)
- Mirror In The Bathroom (1980)
- Best Friend (1980)
- Too Nice To Talk To (1981)
- All Out To Get You (1981)
- Doors Of Your Heart (1981)
- Hit It (1981)
- Save It For Later (1982)
- Jeannette (1982)
- I Confess (1982)
- Can not Get Used To Losing You (1983)
- Ackee 1-2-3 (1983)