Photo by Jackie Butler/Retna Ltd.
The English Beat
The English Beat
The ska revival swept out of the UK in the late ‘70s and introduced the fast-paced predecessor of reggae to American audiences. The English Beat were one of the genre’s top bands, racially mixed and multigenerational.
Their sound was fully formed before the 1980 release of I Just Can’t Stop It, an album of original songs and unusual covers that testified to the English Beat’s depth and breadth. They turned Smokey Robinson’s “Tears of a Clown” into ska without skipping a beat. Their jittery urban tempo was warmed by elegant saxophone solos. I Just Can’t Stop It also contained one of the most memorable tracks to emerge from the ska revival. Propelled by an incessant groove and punctuated by sax, “Mirror in the Bathroom” delivered a cry of loneliness, narcissism and paranoia.
With Wha’ppen (1981), the English Beat moved at a less hectic pace as they explored contemporary Jamaican and Afro-Caribbean sounds. The original lineup split after 1982, forming General Public and Fine Young Cannibals. Vocalist and guitarist Dave Wakeling continues to lead a lineup under the English Beat banner.
