The Beat (band)

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(Redirected from English Beat)

Image:The Beat 1981 group picture.jpg

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. The band was formed in the English city of Birmingham in 1978, which was a period of social and political upheaval in the UK. The Beat's songs deal with themes of love, unity, or political protest, all over an infectious 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."

One of the more popular and enduring groups of a musical trend which also 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".

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 U.S., 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.

Image:Beat - Best Friend single picture cover.jpg

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'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).