Depending on which area of the world it was, The Beat went by different name, such as The English Beat, or The British Beat. However, despite the name change, the band remained the same, consisting of vocalists, Dave Wakeling (also on guitar), Ranking Roger, guitarist Andy Cox, bassist David Steele, drummer Everett Morton, and Saxa AKA Lionel Augustus Martin on saxophone. Together they released three studio albums in the early 80's before abruptly calling it quits, separating into two groups.
The group stood out for its incorporation of a Jamaican vocal flavor from Rogers, and ska style saxophone riffs from Saxa. This served to give them a unique voice among the punk scene, and was only boosted further by the success of their debut album, 1980's I Just Can't Stop. Led by their strong singles, Can't Get Used to Losing You, Mirror in the Bathroom, Hands Off...She's Mine, and Best Friend, the album would reach number three in the UK charts.
Pumping the brakes here, we jump into today's Retro Spin. The Beat's debut is not the album I first bought from the band. Rather, it was their final release, 1982's Special Beat Service. Specifically, for the song, Save It For Later. However, before I even got to listening to that album, I came across an episode of Bands Reunited, which really intrigued me to dig deeper. Not a hard thing to do considering they only have three albums, and all are very affordable. Since I now had them all, I figured I may as well start from the beginning.
I Just Can't Stop It wastes no time going for the hook, line and sinker. Mirror In The Bathroom, setting the tone for the coming thirty-five minutes of music. It has a groovy guitar and bass line, reminiscent of The Police. This is interjected with nicely by the Jamaican sounds noted above, and serves to deliver an elevated punk album.
While there are definitely political and social undertones, common amongst the genre, where The Beat stands out all the more is in their desire to simply deliver dance friendly tracks that keep one entertained vs. preached to. It's easy to understand why their debut was often referenced in "best of the year" articles in 1980.
With that said, the singles are definitely the stand out tracks for me. Overall, they just come off as more refined and polished versus the other songs that encompass the record. Still, it leaves me excited to dive into their other albums, which is always a nice bonus feeling when I get done having a Retro Spin session.
The Beat would go on to release the equally successful follow up, 1981's Wha'ppen?, which would also go to number three on the UK charts. This was followed by the aforementioned 1983 release, Special Beat Service. However, just as worldwide success was on the horizon, the unexpected happened. Both vocalists split from the band, leaving to form General Public. In retrospect, singer Roger stated he felt he didn't have a choice but to depart with Wakeling, but in hindsite wished he hadn't. Rather, he felt if the group would have just taken a break, things would have been very different.
Cox and Steele would go on to form Fine Young Cannibals with Roland Gift, becoming the more successful of the two offshoots of The Beat. The two would also be the only members to decline to reunite in the noted Bands Reunited episode. In fact, they wouldn't even appear in the episode.
But what happened? What was the reason this band at the peak of popularity suddenly disbanded? Well, it unfortunately all came down to money. As The Beat, all royalties were split five ways. Rather than keep it that way, Wakeling's mindset was with just two members, that's a fifty / fifty split. Yes, the tried and true tale of greed before need was what caused The Beat to crash and burn. A sad, but often reoccurring story.
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| THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS March 31, 1984 |
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