The Beat goes on

In a music career that has come full circle, Dave Wakeling has been on the right path from the very beginning. As a young man, he and his collaborators realized there was something magical in the “feet, hearts and mind” formula that came to define his group The English Beat. At the band’s apex they were surrounded by the royalty of the UK punk-era ska scene: The Selecter, Madness, The Specials and Elvis Costello.

Originally dubbed The Beat, the band added the word “English” to their name stateside to avoid confusion with American power pop group the Paul Collins Beat. Signing to then-prestigious I.R.S. Records in 1981, Wakeling’s band found a measure of success in America with three solid albums and a string of wildly infectious dance floor-friendly singles. But before the roller-coaster ride really took off, Wakeling and his Birmingham buddies had already learned some valuable lessons.

“We used to run parties with punk and ska DJs,” he said. “Each DJ alone would tire the dancers out, but the mix of punk and reggae equaled a full night of energy. What if you could get the both into the same songs? It was our punk-y reggae party. Boy George, members of UB40, the Au Pairs and Dexy’s Midnight Runners all came to the parties. Birmingham was going through one of its musical renaissances.”

Falling under the spell of Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath in their early 20s, Wakeling and Andy Cox (English Beat guitarist) both “were fierce music fans” and “very lucky in terms of time and geography.” Live shows were a priority, and Wakeling reels off a list of defining music moments that includes two Bob Marley concerts, seeing Van Morrison, the death of Tim Buckley and seeing the Buzzcocks.

“The songs were catchy, two-and-a-half or three minutes long. [It was] the same for the Undertones and Wire, who used the hook and the art-form of the pop song.” The music made a lasting impression on them, but ultimately The Beat made their mark with their own hybrid of ska, punk, soul, reggae and Nigerian highlife. According to Wakeling, “After you’d been dancing awhile the lyrics hit even harder – it was like your mind was more open. We paired the beat with lyrics that were somewhat heavy. Life is ambiguous. It’s not all happy or sad.”

In a lineup notable for both its racial integration and near mash-up style influences, the original six member band consisted of Dave Wakeling on vocals and guitar, Andy Cox on guitar, David Steele on bass, Everett Morton on drums, Ranking Roger on vocals and toasting and ska sax legend Papa Saxa. The Beat sound was born, but it needed to be heard. “Our bass player, said ‘One gig is worth a thousand rehearsals.’” Armed with a half dozen original tunes and a few covers, the band knocked out its first gig, opening for the Dum Dum Boys. It was shortly after the Three Mile Island nuclear accident and the band was introduced by a friend as “the hottest thing since the Pennsylvania meltdown.”

Whether that was true or not at the time can never be verified, but the band did land a Tuesday night residency in a local Birmingham pub. After three months, The Beat was finally anointed.

“Jerry Dammers from the Specials showed up and asked if we’d like to open for The Selecter in Blackpool. After that we were asked to open for them and Madness in London. Following the gig, we were surrounded by the 2 Tone [label] mafia and asked if we’d like to do a single.”

The update of Smokey Robinson and the Miracles “Tears of a Clown” backed with “Ranking Full Stop” was released near Christmas of 1979. The band was running full steam. They had great songs, youthful energy and, in saxophonist Saxa, the credibility of a musician who played with the Jamaican founders of ska.

With instant classics like “Save it For Later,” “I Confess” and “Mirror In the Bathroom,” The English Beat continued to evolve musically, touring with the Clash and the Police. But in 1983, after four years and hundreds of shows, bassist Steele said he wanted time off. It was then that Wakeling and Ranking Roger formed General Public, while Steele and Cox went on to form Fine Young Cannibals. The success of both bands made the return of The Beat seem unlikely.

Living in California by 1991, Wakeling recorded a solo album and worked on the John Hughes movie She’s Having a Baby. In 1994 he collaborated with Greenpeace to produce the album Alternative NRG. Recorded entirely with solar power, Wakeling helped the record attract star power, with cuts by U2, REM and Sonic Youth.

“[By] the mid ‘90s, I wanted to do music full time again. Roger and I got General Public back together. We recorded a version of ‘I’ll Take You There’ that was used by Bill Clinton without our permission.”

Wakeling has said that every great band has only three great albums, and true to form, General Public would release three records before Wakeling split to form a group called Bang.

“It was my Beatles, a four piece. This was during my phase of not calling it the English Beat or General Public. I’d show up for a gig and the poster would say Tonight – Dave Wakeling/The English Beat/General Public and I’d get pissed off. What is this? Three bands? But over a couple of years I gave up because the set list … morphed back to the English Beat.”

And so it’s been since the late ‘90s. Wakeling picked music back up as a weekend warrior. He had a young family and was determined not to tour as much as he had in the band’s prime. The Thursday to Sunday gig schedule was fine, but as his popularity grew, he realized he needed to move up a few steps.

“I was doing great at that level but I was still a ‘local band.’ Then it got to where I could play the House of Blues twice a year and by 2007 it had become a bit of a national enterprise again. The United States really is the Land of Opportunity. Where else do you get three bites at the same cherry? Benjamin Franklin said ‘America is the greatest hope of the Englishman.’”

This is where he – and The Beat – wants to be. They’re in a perfect zone, with a tight band, welcoming audiences and music that’s as relevant as the day it was written.

“I’ve never really stopped,” says Wakeling, “and still write to try to express the world’s thorniest problems. The band has just gotten stronger and it’s absolutely wonderful now. It’s like the Beach Boys on ska. – very celebratory. We don’t avoid mentioning tragedy but acknowledge it with a wry grin and dance through the veil of tears. I see these returning themes like recession and depression and this fear of being dispossessed. It’s like some sort of Skas-trodamus. At our shows we try to be inclusive and affectionate. I feel like the luckiest man in ska.” VS

Dave Wakeling and the English Beat perform February 17 at Turner Hall, with opening guests Rx Bandits. Tickets available at turnerhallballroom.org/englishbeat or by calling 414-286-3663.