THE SKY IS BLUE AGAIN
Tuesday, 17 June 2025
The English Beat - The Complete Beat
The Beat were a British ska band formed in Birmingham in 1978. Their music fuses Latin, ska, pop, soul, reggae and punk.
As there were a power pop US band emerging at the time they were forced to use the names The English Beat on their North American releases and The British Beat briefly in Australia.
The Beat broke up in 1983.
Band members:
Roger Charlery - vocals/rapper/toaster
Dave Wakeling - guitar, vocals
Andrew Cox - guitar
Lionel Augustus Martin - saxophone
David Steele - bass
Everett Morton - drums.
"The Complete Beat" is a compilation box set by The English Beat, released in 2012 on Go-Feet Records and Shout! Factory.
This version was limited to customers who preordered the box set directly from the Shout Factory web site. The difference between the standard box and this limited edition is the inclusion of a bonus CD and DVD of "The English Beat Live! at the US Festival" as well as a booklet signed by Dave Wakeling. These two items were shrinkwrapped to the box set.
Box set:
Disc 1 I Just Can't Stop It
Disc 2 Wha'ppen?
Disc 3 Special Beat Service
Bonus Beat:
Disc 4 12" & Dub Versions
Disc 5 Peel Sessions & Live In Boston
Disc 6 The Best Of The English Beat At The US Festival
DVD Live! At The US Festival ’82 & ’83.
Tracks Disc 1:
LP I Just Can't Stop It, originally released in 1980 in the UK on Go-Feet Records with 12 tracks.
U.S. and Canadian editions, released in 1980 on Sire featured two extra tracks Tears Of A Clown and Ranking Full Stop, originally released as the 7" Tears Of A Clown, released in 1979.
Tracklisting:
1. Mirror In The Bathroom
2. Hands Off... She's Mine
3. Two Swords
4. Twist & Crawl
5. Tears Of A Clown
6. Rough Rider
7. Click Click
8. Ranking Full Stop
9. Big Shot
10. Whine & Grine/Stand Down Margaret
11. Noise In This World
12. Can't Get Used To Losing You
13. Best Friend
14. Jackpot
VBR ~270K/s 44100Hz Joint Stereo
Tracks Disc 2:
1 7" Too Nice To Talk To, released in 1980
2-13 LP Wha'ppen?, originally released in 1981 on Go-Feet Records with 12 tracks
14 7" Too Nice To Talk To, released in 1980
15-16 7" Hit It, released in 1981.
Tracklisting:
1. Too Nice To Talk To
2. Doors Of Your Heart
3. All Out To Get You
4. Monkey Murders
5. I Am Your Flag
6. French Toast (Soleil Trap Chaud)
7. Drowning
8. Dream Home In NZ
9. Walk Away
10. Over And Over
11. Cheated
12. Get-A-Job
13. The Limits We Set
14. Psychedelic Rockers
15. Hit It
16. Which Side Of The Bed?
VBR ~270K/s 44100Hz Joint Stereo
Tracks Disc 3:
1-12 LP Special Beat Service originally released in 1982
13 7" Save It For Later, released in 1982
14 7" Jeanette, released in 1982
15 7" Pato & Roger (Ago Talk), released in 1982
16 12" Pato & Roger (Ago Talk), released in 1982.
Tracklisting:
1. I Confess
2. Jeanette
3. Sorry
4. Sole Salvation
5. Spar Wid Me
6. Rotating Head
7. Save It For Later
8. She's Going
9. Pato And Roger A Go Talk
10. Sugar & Stress
11. Enf Of The Party
12. Ackee 1 2 3
13. What's Your Best Thing
14. March Of The Swivel Heads
15. Cool Entertainer
16. A Go Talk (Tappy Luppy Dub)
VBR ~265K/s 44100Hz Joint Stereo
Tracks Disc 4:
1-2 12" Hands Off... She's Mine/Twist And Crawl, released in 1980
3 7" Best Friend/Stand Down Margaret (Dub), released in 1980
4-5 12" Too Nice To Talk To (Dubweiser), released in 1980
6-7 12" Doors Of Your Heart, released in 1981
8-9 12" Hit It, released in 1981
10-11 12" Save It For Later, released in 1982
12 12" Pato & Roger (Ago Talk)/Tappy Lappy Dub
13-14 12" Jeanette, released in 1982
15 12" I Confess, released in 1982.
Tracklisting:
1. Hands Off... She's Mine
2. Twist & Crawl
3. Stand Down Margaret
4. Too Nice To Talk To
5. Psychedelic Rockers
6. Doors Of Your Heart
7. Drowning
8. Hit It
9. Which Side Of The Bed?
10. Save It For Later
11. What's Your Best Thing
12. Cool Entertainer
13. Jeanette
14. March Of The Swivel Heads
15. I Confess
VBR ~272K/s 44100Hz Joint Stereo
Tracks Disc 5:
1-5 Peel Session November 5, 1979
6-9 Peel Session September 22, 1980
10-15 Peel Session March 29, 1982
16-19 Opera House, Boston November 19, 1982.
Tracklisting:
1. Tears Of A Clown
2. Ranking Full Stop
3. Click Click
4. Mirror In The Bathroom
5. Big Shot
6. Too Nice To Talk To
7. Psychedelic Rockers
8. Monkey Murders
9. Walk Away
10. Spar Wid Me
11. End Of The Party
12. She's Going
13. Save It For Later
14. Sole Salvation
15. Pato And Roger A Go Talk
16. Best Friend
17. Tears Of A Clown
18. Twist & Crawl
19. Get-A-Job/Stand Down Margaret
VBR ~277K/s 44100Hz Joint Stereo
Live! At The US Festival ’82 & ’83 CD & DVD.
The US Festival was held over two weekends in 1982 and 1983. Steve Wozniak, cofounder of Apple Computer, funded the concerts and accompanying technology exposition, as well as the construction of a brand-new outdoor venue in Glen Helen Regional Park in San Bernardino, CA. Nearly every musical genre was represented by bands as diverse as U2, Fleetwood Mac, David Bowie, Ozzy Osbourne, Waylon Jennings, Ramones, The Police and The Clash. Over the combined seven days of the festival, more than one million people passed through the entrance gates. The English Beat and Oingo Boingo were the only bands to play both years of the US Festival.
Tracks Disc 6:
1-9 The Best Of The English Beat At The US Festival September 3, 1982
10-16 The Best Of The English Beat At The US Festival May 28, 1983.
Tracklisting CD:
1. Twist & Crawl
2. I Confess
3. Doors Of Your Heart
4. Sugar & Stress
5. Two Swords
6. Hands Off... She's Mine
7. Save It For Later
8. Too Nice To Talk To
9. Mirror In The Bathroom
10. Jeanette
11. Spar Wid Me
12. Get-A-Job/Stand Down Margaret
13. Tears Of A Clown
14. Ackee 1 2 3
15. Ranking Full Stop
16. Jackpot
VBR ~299K/s 44100Hz Joint Stereo
DVD includes:
Live! At The US Festival September 3, 1982 and May 28, 1983.