Doors open at 7pm. PLEASE NO EARLY BIRDS while we prepare the bar and venue for the show! We’ll be closed for soundcheck. Table reservations are limited to only 6 tables availble, they are $100 in addition to tickets. Email monte@thesirenmorrobay.com for info.
One of the key bands of the U.K. ska revival of the late ’70s and early ’80s, the Beat (known as the English Beat in North America to avoid confusion with the Paul Collins-led power pop group) achieved a near-perfect balance of pop melodies and taut rhythms that made them stars in Britain and won them a substantial cult following in the United States. Fronted by vocalist and guitarist Dave Wakeling and toaster Ranking Roger, the racially integrated Beat were based in Birmingham, England and released their debut single, “Tears of a Clown” b/w “Ranking Full Stop,” through the Specials‘ 2-Tone label in 1979. The single went Top Ten in the U.K., and they soon struck a deal with Arista to distribute their own Go Feet label. 1980’s I Just Can’t Stop It (released by Sire in the United States) went gold in England on the strength of the single “Mirror in the Bathroom,” and the band’s ferocious performances and clever blend of personal and political lyrics made them stars at home. After a disappointing sophomore effort, 1981’s Wha’ppen?, the band came roaring back with 1982’s Special Beat Service, a more pop-oriented set that gave them a wider U.S. audience thanks to MTV’s embrace of the singles “I Confess” and “Save It for Later.” The band split at the end of that year, but in the 2000s, both Wakeling and Roger were fielding touring versions of the Beat, and the Wakeling edition recorded a new album, 2018’s Here We Go Love.
The Beat formed in 1978, and made their live debut in March 1979 in Birmingham, England, as several other like-minded ska-influenced bands (including the Specials, the Selecter, Madness, and Bad Manners) were beginning to make a noise on the U.K. club scene. Featuring Dave Wakeling on vocals and guitar, Andy Cox on guitar, David Steele on bass, and Everett Morton on drums, the band soon added vocalist and toaster Ranking Roger (aka Roger Charlery), and grew to a sextet with the addition of Saxa (aka Lionel Augustus Martin), a sax player who had worked with ska legends Desmond Dekker, Laurel Aitken, and Prince Buster. As the Beat’s reputation as a live act grew, the were invited to tour with the Specials, who invited the Beat to make a record for their 2-Tone label. Featuring their cover of Smokey Robinson‘s “Tears of a Clown” on the A-side and the original “Ranking Full Stop” on the flip, the Beat’s 2-Tone single rose to number six on the U.K. singles charts, and soon the band were touring as headliners. Eager to have control over their material, they formed their own label for their future releases, Go Feet Records, and they struck an international distribution deal with Arista Records (except for the United States, where the new wave-friendly Sire imprint released their material). The Beat’s debut album, 1980’s excellent I Just Can’t Stop It, was a Top Three hit in England and earned a Gold Record, while the American release, issued under the name the English Beat, rose to a respectable 142.
