Book Review: Too Much Too Young

In 1979, 2 Tone exploded into the national conscience as records by The Specials, The Selecter, Madness, The Beat, and The Bodysnatchers burst onto the charts and a youth movement was born. 2 Tone was black and a multi-racial force of British and Caribbean island musicians singing about social issues, racism, class and gender struggles. It spoke of injustices in society and took fight against right wing extremism.

The music of 2 Tone was white youth learning to dance to the infectious rhythm of ska and reggae; and crossed with a punk attitude to create an original hybrid. The idea of 2 Tone was born in Coventry, masterminded by a middle-class art student raised in the church. Jerry Dammers had a vision of an English Motown.

The Beat / The English Beat - Wha'ppen? (35th anniversary)

This month marks the thirty-fifth anniversary of Wha'ppen?, the second studio album from the Beat (known as the English Beat here in the US). This 1981 record went to number 3 in their native UK (just as the previous album did); in the US it spent six weeks on the Billboard Album chart and peaked at number 126.

For my full review, click here.

For more from the Beat/English Beat, click here.

The Beat / The English Beat - I Just Can't Stop It (35th anniversary)

This week (May 16th) marks the thirty-fifth anniversary of I Just Can't Stop It, the debut album from the Beat (known here in the US as the English Beat). It spent fourteen weeks on the US Billboard Album chart, peaking at number 142.

For more on this 1980 release, click here.

For more albums by the group, click here.

The Beat / English Beat - Special Beat Service

This month marks the thirtieth anniversary of Special Beat Service, the third and final studio album from the British Ska band the Beat. The August of 1982 release went to number 21 in the group’s native UK; in the US where the group was known as the English Beat it went to number 39 on the Billboard Hot 200.

The Beat / The English Beat - Wha'ppen?

This week marks the birthdays of two members of the Beat/the English Beat. Today (February 19th) is the fifty-sixth birthday of guitarist and songwriter Dave Wakeling and Tuesday (February 21st) is the fifty-first birthday of singer Ranking Roger. So, let’s celebrate with a little Ska.

Following their debut album I Just Can’t Stop It (click here for my review of that one), the Beat put out their second studio album in June of 1981. Wha’ppen? went to number 3 in their native UK (just as the previous album did); in the US it spent six weeks on the Billboard Album chart and peaked at number 126.

The Beat / The English Beat - I Just Can't Stop It

In the late 1970’s, a music genre known as “2 Tone” was created in the UK; it fused elements of punk rock, Ska, reggae, rock steady and new wave. And one of the bands that exemplified that sound was the Beat (known in the US as the English Beat). The band included Dave Wakeling (lead vocals and rhythm guitar), Ranking Roger (vocals), Andy Cox (lead guitar), David Steele (base guitar), Everett Morton (drums) and Saxa (saxophone).

The Beat’s 1980 debut album I Just Can’t Stop It reached number 3 in their native UK; in the US the album went to number 142 on the Billboard Album chart (with a fourteen week total run). The record was very popular among the alternative movements on college campuses, and it was also critically well received.