The Beat (British band)

This article is about the British ska band known as "The English Beat" in the US. For the American power-pop band later known as "Paul Collins' Beat, see The Beat (US).

The Beat

The Beat, known in North America as The English Beat, was an influential 2 Tone ska music group.

Career

The band was formed in the English city of Birmingham in 1978, during a period of high unemployment and social-political upheaval in the UK. The Beat's songs deal with themes of love, unity and socio-politics over a tight dance beat with influences that include pop, soul, reggae, and punk. 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, Bad Manners, 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), " Too Nice To Talk To", and "Hands off She's Mine". Ranking Roger, one of the band's vocalists, added a Jamaican flavour to the band's sound with his toasting, a reggae musical style of adding uplifting vocals and shouts over a rhythm track (a practice which paved the way for hiphop).

Jamaican ska musician Saxa (Lionel Martin b.1930, aka Papa Saxa) lent the band its Jamaican ska authenticity. Saxa had played saxophone with Prince Buster, Laurel Aitken and Desmond Dekker in the first wave of ska, as well as with The Beatles in their Liverpool days. He joined the band to record Tears of a Clown, bringing his melodic style and knowledge of ska musical styles..

Chart Success

Notable singles from the first album included "Twist & Crawl," "Mirror in the Bathroom," and "Hands Off She's Mine" (with the latter two reaching the U.K. top ten, while another single, "Best Friend," broke the top 30.) The second Beat album, "Wha'ppen?" (1982) was supported by extensive touring, including a U.S. Tour with The Pretenders and the Talking Heads. The album yielded more U.K. hits, including "Too Nice To Talk To" (#7), "Drowning" and "Doors of Your Heart," both of which broke the U.K. Top 40. Throughout their career, The Beat received strong support from fans worldwide, and modern rock radio stations such as KROQ in Los Angeles.

Global popularity

Although the group's main fan-base was in the UK, they were also popular in Australia, partly due to exposure on the radio station Triple J and the TV show Countdown. They had a sizeable following in the North America, where the band was known as The English Beat for legal reasons (and to avoid confusion with the American band The Beat). The Beat toured the world with well-known artists such as David Bowie, The Police, REM, The Clash, Talking Heads, The Pretenders, and The Specials. Members of the band often collaborated on stage with The Specials. In the early 1990s, Roger joined members of The Specials to form the new band Special Beat, which toured and released two live albums. They supported the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and participated in the collaborative recording "Nelson Mandela."

Post breakup

File:Beat - Best Friend single picture cover.jpg

The picture cover of the 1980 Best Friend single

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. Ranking Roger also briefly joined Mick Jones' post-Clash band Big Audio Dynamite and performed at several live shows with the band. However, the band broke up shortly after he joined when its last album was shelved by the record company. Meanwhile, the Beat's song "Rotating Head," remixed and renamed "March of the Swivelheads," was famously used in the climactic chase scene of 1986's Ferris Bueller's Day Off; the band was listed in the end credits as "The (English) Beat".

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".

Reformations

The Beat live in London in 2006.

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. In 2004, the VH1 show Bands Reunited tried unsuccessfully to reunite the original line-up. As of 2005, The Beat has reformed with Roger, Blockhead and Morton of the original line-up, and Ranking Junior on vocals.

The band's lead singer, Dave Wakeling, fronts "The English Beat" in the United States. Members include Wayne Lothian of General Public and Special Beat, Rick Torres of Supreme Beings of Leisure, Rhythmm Epkins, Fernando Jativa and Paul Welch. They are confirmed to open for 311 for part of their 2007 Summer Unity Tour, with most date in month of July. The current UK version of The Beat, featuring Ranking Roger, Everett Moreton and Blockhead Dave, have recorded a new album that will be released in 2007.

Blockhead Dave has now left the band, & has been replaced by Mickey Billingham of Dexy's Midnight Runners fame.

Nik Levinsky of 12 Cents for Marvin was asked to play on a tour with the Beat in late September, in California.

Discography

Albums

• I Just Can't Stop It (1980) UK # 3
• Wha'ppen (1981) UK # 3
• Special Beat Service (1982) UK # 21

Compilations

• What Is Beat? (1983) UK # 10
• The Beat Goes On (US, 1991)
• B.P.M. .. The Best of The Beat (1996) UK # 13
• Beat This! The Best Of The Beat (2000)
• The Platinum Collection (2005)

Singles

• Tears Of A Clown/Ranking Full Stop (1979) UK #6
• Hands Off - She's Mine (1980) UK #9
• Mirror In The Bathroom (1980) UK #4
• Best Friend/Stand Down Margaret (Dub) (1980) UK #22
• Too Nice To Talk To (1980) UK #7
• All Out To Get You/Drowning (1981) UK #22
• Doors Of Your Heart (1981) UK #33
• Hit It (1981) UK #70
• Save It For Later (1982) UK #47
• Jeanette (1982) UK #45
• I Confess (1982) UK #54
• Can't Get Used To Losing You (1983) UK #3
• Ackee 1-2-3 (1983) UK #54

Video

• Dance Craze (1981 Independent Film - VHS) A compilation that contains live 1980 Beat footage among other Ska bands.
• The Beat In Concert at the Royal Festival Hall (2005 MVD Visual - DVD)

References

• Guinness Book of British Hit Singles - 16th Edition - ISBN 0-85112-190-X
• The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock and Roll, Third Edition (Fireside, 2001)

External links

• The Beat web site
• Dave Wakeling Official Site
• The New English Beat MySpace (Roger, Everett, Blockhead, Junior)