The Beat (band)

This article is about the British ska band, known as The English Beat in the US. For the American power-pop band that made the name change necessary, see The Beat (US)

The Beat, known in the United States as The English Beat in order to avoid confusion with Paul Collins' band of the same name, was a popular Two Tone ska and pop music group.

Career

The band was formed in the English city of Birmingham in 1978, which was a period of high unemployment and social-political upheaval in the UK. The Beat's songs deal with themes of love, unity, or political protest, all over a dance beat that melded ska and pop with soul, reggae, and even some late-1970s punk influences. Their political activities included supporting the Committee for Nuclear Disarmament and participating in the recording of the song "Free Nelson Mandela."

The Beat were part of the revival of 1950s and 1960s Jamaican ska rhythms and melodies in the UK. This revival, which is often called the "Second Wave" of ska, blended elements of Jamaican ska with punk rock influences such as uncompromising lyrics, more aggressive guitar playing, and faster tempos. The "Second Wave" of ska is also referred to as the "Two Tone" era of ska, a reference to the 2-Tone record label and to the pro-racial integration beliefs held by ska bands of this era. Other contemporaries of The Beat included The Specials, The Selecter, and Madness.

The Beat released three albums: I Just Can't Stop It (1980), Wha'ppen (1981) and Special Beat Service (1982), and a string of well-crafted singles including "Mirror in the Bathroom", the politically-charged "Stand Down Margaret" (which refers to controversial British PM Margaret Thatcher), "Save It For Later" and "I Confess".

Ranking Roger, one of the band's vocalists, added a Jamaican flavor to the band's sound with his "toasting," a reggae musical style of adding vocals and shouts over a rhythm track (a practice which paved the way for hiphop.

Although the group's main fan-base was in the UK, they were also popular in Australia thanks to regular exposure on the government-owned rock radio station Triple J and the nationally-broadcast TV pop show Countdown. They had a sizeable following in the US, and a strong presence on that country's college radio.

The Beat toured the world with well-known artists such as David Bowie, The Police, REM, The Clash, The Talking Heads, The Pretenders, and The Specials. Members of the band often collaborated on stage with The Specials and performed together on tracks such as "Free Nelson Mandela". In the early 1990s, Roger joined members of The Specials to form the new band The Special Beat, which released two live albums.

After the break-up of The Beat in 1983, Dave Wakeling (guitar, vocals) and Ranking Roger (vocals) went on to form General Public, while Andy Cox (guitar) and David Steele (bass guitar) formed Fine Young Cannibals with vocalist Roland Gift. In the 1990s, Roger recorded his solo debut, a reggae-oriented album entitled Radical Departure. In 2001, Roger released another solo album, Inside My Head, which included traditional reggae and ska with influences of electronica, jungle, and dub.

Ranking Roger's son, Ranking Junior, has followed in his father's footsteps. In 2005, he appeared on The Ordinary Boys' single "Boys Will Be Boys". In 2003, The Beat's original line-up, minus Cox and Steele but with the addition of Junior, played a sold-out one-off gig at the Royal Festival Hall. As of 2005, The Beat has reformed, counting Roger, Blockhead and Morton of the original line-up, with Ranking Junior also on vocals. The band is said to have the blessing of Cox, Steele and Saxa (of Desmond Dekker fame).

Personnel

Dave Blockhead
Andy Cox
Wesley Magoogan
Everett Morton
Ranking Roger
Saxa
David Steele
Dave Wakeling

Discography

Albums

I Just Can't Stop It (1980)
Wha'ppen (1981)
Special Beat Service (1982)

Singles

Tears Of A Clown/Ranking Full Stop (1979)
Hands Off - She's Mine (1980)
Mirror In The Bathroom (1980)
Best Friend/Stand Down Margaret (Dub) (1980)
Too Nice To Talk To (1980)
Drowning/All Out To Get You (1981)
Doors Of Your Heart (1981)
Hit It (1981)
Save It For Later (1982)
Jeanette (1982)
I Confess (1982)
Can't Get Used To Losing You (1983)
Ackee 1-2-3 (1983)

References

Guinness Book of British Hit Singles 7th Edition

External links

The English Beat | The Beat | The Beat