If you were into the revivalist SKA movement of the late’70s with the likes of Madness (“One Step Beyond”), The Specials (“Too Much, Too Young”), The Selecter (“Three Minute Hero”), and The Beat (“Mirror In the Bathroom”), then you no doubt enjoy Jamaican-tinged Rock and Roll. It’s always nice to have favorites from our past do new music, especially if it’s up to the standard that they set for themselves back in the day.
On September 30, The Beat (often known as The English Beat to help distinguish them from Collins’ LA band of the time, The Beat. Why, they even toured together once!), will release brand new music in their first album in over 30 years, and their first since 1982’s Special Beat Service. The new album is being called Bounce. But note that this version of The Beat features Ranking Roger as the vocalist. Ranking Roger was the band’s original vocalist. I mention this because Dave Wakeling, another original member, also has a new album arriving.
Bounce will be released on CD, DD, and vinyl LP. I assume that Here We Go Love will be issued the same way.
The two bands are being differentiated by the use of their two names of the past. Wakeling will use The English Beat. That album is currently on Pledge Music and is already a done deal with the pledges for the album at 160% of goal. Wakeling’s album is being called Here We Go Love. It doesn’t yet have an official release date. You can check the progress out here.
So, two new The Beat/The English Beat albums, both by original members. I’d say we won pretty good.