The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
... and The Beat goes on
They have one of the most simple names in pop but that has never stopped things getting complicated for The Beat. The band shot to prominence in the 1980s with their blend of angry young man politics and brilliant pop reggae dance music.
But legal issues meant they were known as the English Beat in the USA and The British Beat in Australia.
The music (whatever their name) was fantastic from Mirror In The Bathroom to Doors Of Your Heart.
The band formed in Birmingham and combined ska, pop, reggae with the attitude of punk. They recorded three albums - I Just Can’t Stop It, Wha’ppen & Special Beat Service - before splitting up in 1983.
Guitarist Dave Wakeling and vocalist Ranking Roger went on to form General Public while Andy Cox (guitar) and David Steele (bass) joined with Roland Gift to create Fine Young Cannibals.
The lastest reincarnation only features Ranking Roger fromthe original line-up.
Remarkably, Roger, with new band members including his son Ranking Junior, conjures up an album with the unmistakably Beat sound.
Co-writing with his son and Mick Lister, Roger leads the band through sunshine Caribbean pop (Heaven Hiding) to the hard hitting fire and ire of Fire Burn.
Then there are loose limbed tunes such as first single Walking On The Wrong Side
Much of the appeal of The Beat was their ability to weld styles together into a joyous musical whole, and that is thankfully still intact. To be in with a chance of winning this album answer this question. The Beat’s first single was which Motown classic? Entries to Beat, Nigel Thornton, Peterborough Telegraph, Unex House - Suite B, Bourges Boulevard, Peterborough, PE1 1NG by October 28. .