I love the British ska revival of the late-'70 and early-'80s, led by the Specials and a group with two different names: "The Beat" in the U.K., and "The English Beat" in the U.S., where another group had prior claim to the shorter name. The movement combined groovy biracial calls to social unity with an infectious, unstoppable beat and classic melodicism. If forced tp pick, I'd probably take the (English) Beat as my favorite group of the era.
The Beat's first single was a tightly rocking ska version of Smokey Robinson's "Tears Of a Clown," which shot up the charts in late-'79. An exceptional record, "Tears" features Dave Wakeling's great dusky vocal, crisp drumming from Everett Morton, and authentic sax work from 50-year-old Jamaican, Saxa.
In mid-'80 the band recorded the outstanding I Just Can't Stop It, which is (along with the Specials' first album) one of the two best albums of the British ska revival, and one of the greatest albums of the '80s, period.
Mixing killer covers ("Tears," and a deeply soulful version of Andy Williams' "Can't Get Used To Losing You"), with first-rate originals ("Hands Off...She's Mine"; an amazingly acute analysis of narcissism, "Mirror In the Bathroom"; the ambagious "Twist and Crawl"), the album yielded four hit singles and created a ranking skanking sensation.
Perhaps a bit rushed, the band's second album, Wha-ppen?, slowed down the tempo and didn't live up to the standards of the first, but was another huge U.K. hit in '81.
The Beat's third album, Special Beat Service, was a return to greatness and also a hit in the U.S. Special returned to quicker tempos than Wha'ppen?, though was less ska and more modern pop-rock than I Just Can't Stop It. Wakeling's singing and the band's (including Andy Cox on guitar and David Steele on bass, who went on to form Fine Young Cannibals) writing are better than ever on the piano-driven "I Confess," the frenetic "Sugar and Stress," sweet calypso-flavored "Ackee 1-2-3," and the great "Save It For Later."
Article comments
1 - mike
I always thought it was great that they had to change their name to the English Beat in the U.S., since it was a much cooler name. But I don't remember Special Beat Service being much of a hit in the U.S., unfortunately; pre-1983, almost none of that new wave Britpop charted in this country. It was also one of the first albums to be recorded digitally, if I recall correctly.
2 - Mark Saleski
i loved this group.
Madness too. despite the fact that it was used to sell toothpaste (the Colgate Pump) the song "Baggy Trousers" was one of my favorites.
3 - Eric Olsen
There were a bunch of them - a real scene: English Beat, Specials, Madness, Bad Manners, Selecter, etc.
RE "Special Beat Service" - it was huge in L.A. where I was then. KROQ played the hell out of it.
4 - mike
KROQ and LA was literally an alternative universive then: in Connecticut, the rock stations wouldn't touch it. One station put it "Save It For Later" on its playlist for about a week until a huge uproar from the Led Zep crowd forced them to pull it off.
5 - Joe
My first concert ever: The English Beat opening for the Clash at the San Diego Civic Center in '82. They put on a great live show, too.
6 - Eric Olsen
I actually got into the ska revival in Cleveland in '79 when the "Dance Craze" movie came through, but I doubt it was on the radio.
7 - Rob
Actually had the "Dance Craze" soundtrack, maybe I still do, somewhere in my cassettes.
It seemed that the English Beat gained popularity in the US in '82 (at least they played a sold-out show at Red Rocks in Colorado in'82) and promptly broke up. Shame.
You are right, they were a great group, I will have to dig them out again.
8 - andy
Dance Craze is awesome. I have it on video and vinyl. Eric, don't forget the Body Snatchers, the all girl ska band! They are probably the most unknown of the bunch, but from what I saw on the Dance Craze film, they were great! My all time favorite ska band of that era(or maybe of the whole genre, although it's a close call w/ Toot and the Maytals) would be Bad Manners. Love that stuff.