English Beat in General (not Public)

The English Beat- Mirror In The Bathroom

In praise of "I Just Can't Stop It" by the English Beat

S&D: 2-Tone

Fair enough, but those are pretty specific.

"Sooner or Later" just came onto my playlist, and it seemed strikingly like XTC to me.

"Save It For Later"?

Oh right. I heard it wrong. "Save it for Later" it is.

"Drowning" is one of the best songs ever written.

"Soul Salvation."

I love English beat: The Beatles, The Hollies, Gerry & The Pacemakers, Billy J. Kramer, The Swinging Blue Jeans: All great!

Oh wait, this is a thread about The Beat...????

You like BEAT?

LOL

12" version of Too Nice to Talk To is a gem

Indeed it is, Dr. X. Thanks.

Saw these guys live (as Special Beat w/Neville Staples) early this year. Feckin great gig it was.

my top 10:

1. Two Swords
2. I Confess
3. Mirror in the Bathroom
4. Save It For Later
5. Hands Off She's Mine
6. Pato and Roger a Go Talk
7. Best Friend
8. Spar Wid Me
9. Doors of Your Heart
10. Dreamhome in NZ

sweetness: http://www.shoutfactorystore.com/prod.aspx?pfid=5257717

This collection features all three studio albums from The English Beat with added non-album bonus tracks and two full CD's containing 12" mixes, dub versions and live tracks, including three never-before-released John Peel sessions!

Hailing from working-class Birmingham, England, The English Beat entered the music scene in the 1979 in a time of social, political and musical upheaval. Into this storm came they came, trying to calm the waters with their simple message of love and unity set to a great dance Beat. The six member band consisted of singer/songwriter Dave Wakeling (vocals & guitar), Andy Cox (guitar), David Steele (bass), Everett Morton (drums), Saxa (saxophone) and Ranking Roger (toasting). The band managed to fuse all of their respective musical influences - soul, reggae, pop and punk - into a unique sound that was highly danceable. Along with contemporaries such as The Specials, The Selecter and Madness, The English Beat became one of the most popular and influential bands of the British Ska movement. Over the course of the three albums, The English Beat achieved great success in their home country, charting several singles into the top 10.

This 5-CD set includes:
I Just Can't Stop It (1980) - Plus Bonus Tracks
Wha'ppen? (1981) - Plus Bonus Tracks
Special Beat Service (1982) - Plus Bonus Tracks
BONUS BEAT: Disc 1 - 12" & Dub Versions
BONUS BEAT: Disc 2 - Peel Sessions & Live in Boston

seriously i think this is one of the best pop bands of all time.

Excellent! Looks like there are going to be some UK reissues too in June but as individual albums with extra tracks and DVDs.

http://theseconddisc.com/2012/04/16/beat-crazy-legendary-ska-group-to-receive-catalogue-overhaul-in-two-countries/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84prcvTcD5g

^ So great

Cedric Mytton's harmonies take that track right into orbit

In anticipation of these reissues, it looks like all their albums have just been taken off Spotify :(

"Soul Salvation" has been the one that's crept into my brain in recent years.

"Door of Your Heart" all-time.

Doors
Odors

SPECIAL OFFER: Order The Complete Beat directly from ShoutFactory.com and receive two exciting extras: a signed booklet and the never-before-released The English Beat: Live At The US Festival, '82 & '83 CD/DVD! Available while supplies last.

This band is so good. Or was, at least. Man, the rhythm section...

ranking roger swinging out of the frame on a rope is video triumph

I still maintain The Beat in their early 80s prime was one of the best concerts I've ever seen; not a still body in the place. I've seen them numerous times since, and they're actually still really good.

Track listings for the UK reissues due out at the end of June:

I Just Can't Stop It

Disc One (I Just Cant Stop It)
1. Mirror In The Bathroom
2. Hands Off...She's Mine
3. Two Swords
4. Twist & Crawl
5. Rough Rider
6. Click Click
7. Big Shot
8. Whine & Grine / Stand Down Margaret
9. Noise In This World
10. Can't Get Used To Losing You
11. Best Friend
12. Jackpot

Disc Two (Bonus Tracks)
1. Tears Of A Clown
2. Ranking Full Stop
3. Twist & Crawl [extended]
4. Hands Off...She s Mine [extended]
5. Stand Down Margaret [Dub]
6. Mirror In The Bathroom [Sure Is Pure Mix]
7. Mirror In The Bathroom [Tic Tac Toe Mix]
8. Mirror In The Bathroom [Spike Stent Mix]
9. Dub In The Bathroom [Simon & Diamond Mix]
10. Just Can t Stop The Dub [Adelphi Mix]
11. Tears Of A Clown (BBC Radio Sessions, John Peel Show, broadcast 5th November 1979)
12. Ranking Full Stop (BBC Radio Sessions, John Peel Show, broadcast 5th November 1979)
13. Click Click (BBC Radio Sessions, John Peel Show, broadcast 5th November 1979)
14. Mirror In The Bathroom (BBC Radio Sessions, John Peel Show, broadcast 5th November 1979)
15. Big Shot (BBC Radio Sessions, John Peel Show, broadcast 5th November 1979)
MIKE READ SHOW, broadcast 11th February 1980
16. Hands Off...She s Mine (Mike Read Show, broadcast 11th February 1980)
17. Mirror In The Bathroom (Mike Read Show, broadcast 11th February 1980)
18. Rough Rider (Mike Read Show, broadcast 11th February 1980)
19. Twist & Crawl (Mike Read Show, broadcast 11th February 1980)

Disc 3 - DVD
1. Hands Off...She s Mine (Video Promo)
2. Mirror In The Bathroom (Video Promo)
3. Best Friend (Video Promo)
4. Tears Of A Clown [Top Of The Pops, Broadcast On 13th December 1979]
5. Tears Of A Clown [Top Of The Pops, Broadcast On 3rd January 1980]
6. Hands Off...She s Mine [Top Of The Pops, Broadcast On 22nd February 1980]
7. Mirror In The Bathroom [Top Of The Pops, Broadcast On 1st May 1980]
8. Best Friend [Top Of The Pops, Broadcast On 4th September 1980]
9. Bonus DVD Feature "Alright Now", Broadcast on 12th December 1980
Film from a live performance at Top Rank Suite, Birmingham
Hands Off...She s Mine

Format: 2 CD + DVD in digipak

Wha'ppen

Disc One ("Wha'ppen")
1. Doors Of Your Heart
2. All Out To Get You
3. Monkey Murders
4. I Am Your Flag
5. French Toast (Soleil Trop Chaud)
6. Drowning
7. Dream Home In N.Z.
8. Walk Away
9. Over And Over
10. Cheated
11. Get-A-Job
12. The Limits We Set

Disc Two ("Bonus Tracks")
1. Too Nice To Talk To
2. Psychedelic Rockers
3. Too Nice To Talk To [Dubweiser]
4. Psychedelic Rockers [Dubweiser]
5. Doors Of Your Heart [dub]
6. Drowning [dub]
7. Hit It
8. Which Side Of The Bed...?
9. Hit It [12 mix]
10. Which Side Of The Bed...? [12 mix]
11. Too Nice To Talk To (BBC Radio Sessions, John Peel Show, Boadcast 22nd September 1980)
12. New Psychedelic Rockers (BBC Radio Sessions, John Peel Show, Boadcast 22nd September 1980)
13. Monkey Murders (BBC Radio Sessions, John Peel Show, Boadcast 22nd September 1980)
14. Walk Away (BBC Radio Sessions, John Peel Show, Boadcast 22nd September 1980)

Disc 3 "DVD"
1. Too Nice To Talk To (Promo Video)
2. All Out To Get You (Promo Video)
3. Doors To Your Heart (Promo Video)
4. Drowning (Promo Video)
5. Hit It (Promo Video)
6. Too Nice To Talk To [Top Of The Pops, Broadcast On 18th December 1980]
7. Drowning [Top Of The Pops, Broadcast On 16th April 1981]
8. All Out To Get You [Top Of The Pops, Broadcast On 30th April 1981]
9. Too Nice To Talk To [Top Of The Pops, Broadcast On 25th December 1981]
10. Bonus DVD Feature: From the WORLD IN ACTION documentary A Statistic, A Reminder , broadcast on 14th December 1981. A documentary about unemployed youth in the Midlands, includes two songs recorded at a concert at Bingley Hall
1. Get-A-Job
2. Interview with Dave Wakeling
3. Stand Down Margaret
4. Interview with Dave, Roger and Andy

Format: 2 CD + DVD in digipak

Special Beat Service

Disc One "Special Beat Service"
1. I Confess
2. Jeanette
3. Sorry
4. Sole Salvation
5. Spar Wid Me
6. Rotating Head
7. Save It For Later
8. She s Going
9. Pato And Roger A Go Talk
10. Sugar And Stress
11. End Of The Party
12. Ackee 1-2-3
13. What s Your Best Thing (Bonus Track)
14. Save It For Later [extended] (Bonus Track)
15. What s Your Best Thing [dub style] (Bonus Track)
16. Cool Entertainer [by Ranking Roger] (Bonus Track)
17. A Go Talk (Tappy Luppy Dub) [by Pato & Roger] (Bonus Track)
18. Cool Entertainer [extended] [by Ranking Roger] (Bonus Track)
19. March Of The Swivel Heads (Bonus Track)

Disc 2 "Bonus Tracks"
1. Jeanette [extended]
2. March Of The Swivel Heads [extended]
3. I Confess [Dave Allen remix]
4. It Makes Me Rock [previously unreleased]
5. Doors Of Your Heart [live at Hammersmith Palais]
6. I Confess [live at Hammersmith Palais]
7. Spar Wid Me [live at Hammersmith Palais]
8. Save It For Later [live at Hammersmith Palais]
9. Mirror In The Bathroom [live at Hammersmith Palais]
10. Can't Get Used To Losing You [1983 remix]
11. Ackee 1-2-3 [ Jellybean Benitez Nike Mix]
12. Can't Get Used To Losing You [extended 1983 remix]
13. I Confess [United States of America remix]
14. Spar Wid Me (BBC Radio Sessions, John Peel Show, Broadcast 29th March 1982)
15. She s Going (BBC Radio Sessions, John Peel Show, Broadcast 29th March 1982)
16. Save It For Later (BBC Radio Sessions, John Peel Show, Broadcast 29th March 1982)
17. Sole Salvation (BBC Radio Sessions, John Peel Show, Broadcast 29th March 1982)
18. Pato And Roger A Go Talk (BBC Radio Sessions, John Peel Show, Broadcast 29th March 1982)
19. End Of The Party (BBC Radio Sessions, John Peel Show, Broadcast 29th March 1982)
DAVID JENSEN SHOW, broadcast 22nd April 1982
20. Night And Day (Dave "The Kid" Jenson Show, Broadcast 22nd April 1982)

Disc 3 "DVD"
1. Save It For Later (Promo Video)
2. I Confess (Promo Video)
3. Can't Get Used To Losing You [Top Of The Pops, Broadcast On 5th May 1983]
4. Can't Get Used To Losing You [Top Of The Pops, Broadcast On 19h May 1983]
5. Save It For Later (OTT Broadcast On 27h March 1982]
6. Stand Down Margaret (OTT Broadcast On 27h March 1982]
7.Bonus DVD Feature "The Tube", Broadcast On 14th January 1983
Recorded at The Police concert at Gateshead International Stadium on 31st July 1982
1. Save It For Later
2. Mirror In The Bathroom
3. Too Nice To Talk To
4. Jools Holland interview with Dave Wakeling and Ranking Roger

Format: 2 CD + DVD in digipak

All for about a tenner each.

Still the best thing ever btw:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5rXm8V_ZT4

i pre-ordered the shit out of that box set.

still one of the great pop bands ever.

by which i mean http://www.shoutfactorystore.com/prod.aspx?pfid=5257717

Haven't had Wha'ppen since I dumped all my cassettes so I'm looking forward to owning that again. Didn't get the previous CD version of it, cos the cover was so ugly, but it has some of my favourite songs on it: Doors of Your Heart, Walk Away, Dream Home in NZ. Also, I don't think I even knew about the song Hit It, which was a single that wikiparently came out between Wha'ppen and SBS and got to #70 in the UK.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuEvVgY_c2Q

^ Sounds alright, but all the 80's extended mix fannydangle spoils it a bit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwC30oQcJAA

yes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bM0wVjU2-k&feature=player_embedded#!

lady at 3:04 FTW

reissues available on Amazon US!

i can't find them, unless you mean the box set.

do it now, you know there's never a next time

there are posters up all around town here at the moment advertising something called the brighton ska testival and the headliners are "the beat"

will almost definitely be giving this a miss, but getting hardcore nostalgia pangs seeing that name around the whole time

don't even know who the beat are anymore - roger plus some random baldy ska heads?

seriously i think this is one of the best pop bands of all time.

― flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Tuesday, April 17, 2012 2:01 AM (3 weeks ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

playing tonight for free in hyde park. it's 18:40...

http://www.visitlondon.com/events/detail/26311363-beat-at-hyde-park

i have no idea who those people are (apart from roger obv)

it's 18:40...

So that's, what, 50 hours? 120 hours?

Just missed their gigs in my part of the world in July. Next time

Listened through the lp discs of the box set over last week and thinki've been missing something by not having listened to this lot for the last few decades.
Think I'll probably buy at least the 1st Deluxe cd.

I can't attest to the bonus stuff's necessity, but the three albums are all pretty much perfect in their own way, so I recommend getting them all. It's just three, you know?

well, i went. but the speed of the queue meant i wouldn't get into the arena until they'd finished. and the levellers were on afterwards. run away!

Still digging through the various extras on the reissues and wow, this John Peel session from September 1980 is so sick. Never really appreciated Monkey Murders much before but it sounds so fabulous with the *monstrous* bass sound on this version. Too lazy to check who engineered it right now, but these tracks sound so physical compared to the albums. The separation between this instruments is so nice too, nice echo on the drums as well. Made me hanker for more bass-heavy ska.

Cool version of Walk Away too, still a heartbreaking song :(

I saw them tonight - or at least the "Dave Wakeling and some dudes I don't know" version. I went in without the highest of expectations but they completely floored me. The current lineup is really, really tight, and the 100-odd minute set was astounding. It might not be the band we grew up with but seriously think about catching them if they come through your area.

Heck, I would have got my moneys worth just with the nearly 10 minute version of "Mirror In The Bathroom". If that groove went on forever I'd be pretty okay with it.

Good to hear. I spent most of the holiday break listening to the remastered Wha'ppen.

I will likely pick up the Complete Beat box next weekend. I love love love the debut but have been lukewarm about the rest, but immersion is the best way to upgrade that feeling.

I wanted more when I woke up this morning so am listening to the recently released Live at the US Festival, '82 & '83 live disc on Spotify. Pretty amazing.

I've been enjoying this cover of "Save It for Later" by the Who's Pete Townshend. He makes it sound like he wrote it, by focusing on elements that resemble his own work, especially the percussive vocal. It could be a missing track off his White City album.

EZ, would you say that live disc is critical, with some superior versions?

It was a fun listen, but not better than any of the albums. It's on Spotify.

Aww man, Wednesday night Annapolis, MD show (between W. DC and Baltimore) is sold out

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2qaDZLkWXM

hmmm, now what could that sample be?

i confess that I just don't know.

no it's not a joke, it's cards on the table time

If I'm not mistaken, these guys are playing in Santa Monica, California, for free this month.

It's part of this 'festival' which puts on free shows every Thursday just for this month.

I find it all a tad bizarre. Especially No Age playing there--in Santa Monica.

Here we go (in all its horrible font/design glory): http://tcs.dola.com/event/2013/08/15/the-english-beat

this was doing the rounds on facebook:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v472/birdnestsoup/dsr.jpg

Is that Saxa?

yeah it's dave, saxa & roger

this popped into my head this evening

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nExlb9M6WQ

so chill

also is the 12" version of "save it for later" on the deluxe reissue of special beat service? it doesn't seem like it based on the amazon listing (!).

I don't know which version you're looking at, but it's on the Edsel 3-disc set

https://www.gofeet.info/images/artists/group_small/3.jpg

^ also i saw this picture of the Congos the other day

(The congos were signed to the beat's go feet label at one point and cedric myton guests on 'doors of your heart')

the special beat service track listing on amazon.co.uk is actually the tracks for this

https://www.amazon.co.uk/You-Just-Cant-Beat-Best/dp/B0010YO8K8/ref=sr_1_12?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1466497517&sr=1-12

but the product description track listing down the page a bit has a track listing that matches the deluxe version i have here, which does have the extended version of save it for later (4:55 does that look right?).

It does. It was also on the extra LP on "What Is Beat", back in the day.

still weird to hear a snatch of my old school song cropping up in Ackee 123