I have to confess that after much initial hope and excitement about a Specials reunion, I've come to believe it won't happen. Word is that Terry, Lynval, Brad, Horace and Roddy are on board but that Jerry and Terry remain at odds. Further complicating matters is that Neville has said that if Jerry isn't part of the reunion then he's out. We may see a tour with 5 of the 7, but it won't be what we all are hoping for. Oh well...
In the meantime, life goes on and if you happen to be in Sheffield later this month, then you have a chance to speak to Neville and Roddy in person and remind them that this reunion is bigger then the two of them and bigger than all seven band members. Oh, and you'll be sure to see a great gig as well. With all the band members now in the UK, maybe a few of them will drop in to guest on some songs. At the very least you may see Neville and Roddy play together.
If any one does attend the gig, please let me know. I would love to hear how it goes.
I'm a huge fan of The Beat's second album. The simmering rhythms of the Beat’s first album that had help to define the 2-Tone sound had slowed and settled into a reggae and dub pulse by the time of 1981’s "Wha’appen". The band was experimenting with new sounds and had embraced the burgeoning reggae soundtrack they heard all over the UK. Indeed, reggae singer Cedric Myton of the Congos lent his amazing falsetto in support of the loping lovers’ rock of "Doors Of Your Heart".
The story about how Myton came to work with The Beat is another one of the interesting intersections of 2-Tone and the artists who had come before them. Though The Congos (Myton and Congo Roy Ashanti) made only one album together, "The Heart of The Congos" recorded in 1977 is considered among the greatest in reggae history. Myton's angelic falsetto, Roy's vibrant tenor, and Lee Perry's insane, towering production (is that the "Reggae Cow" I hear?) join together to produce an epic work. Unfortunately, Island label head Chris Blackwell who was distributing Perry's Black Ark imprint remained oblivious to the album and the band fell out with Perry over sales, royalties and payments. Three years went by and the album appeared doomed for obscurity.
Enter The Beat. The band (Andy Cox and David Steele in particular) were big fans of The Congos and decided to pick the LP up for release on their fledgling Go Feet label. Formed by the Beat in 1980, the Go Feet label would end up releasing eighteen 7-inch singles, eleven 12-inch singles, and 6 LPs in its three year lifespan. These releases would go on to become highly significant in the worlds of ska, reggae, and pop.
The Beat established their own label to shield themselves from the many negative aspects of dealing with corporate record labels. In this way, the band was given more creativity to record the music as they wanted as well as to expose bands that the major labels would not take a chance on. Dave Wakeling describes the band’s inspiration for forming the label: as coming from “the Specials’ notion of Two Tone. We were quite impressed that it appeared that they had signed with a record label that could get them on the radio and that they had control of them.” However, the Beat soon discovered, the benefits of such agreements were short-lived. They still faced great pressure to deliver hits as well as creative interference from the record executives. Arista’s promotion men had quotas to meet when they ventured out to the radio stations with their stack of records. These men gave men priority to established names that were easier to persuade the stations to play. Boutique labels, like such as Go Feet, would be placed on the bottom of the stack with far less emphasis placed on securing air time for them.
After having recorded three LPs with his Congos, Myton then agreed to record a fourth to be released on the Go Feet label. "Face The Music" (1981) would not rise to the status of the "Heart Of The Congos", but remains a great recording in its own right. The notable inclusion of Rico and Dick Cuthell - best known for their role as the Specials' horn section - makes this of interest to fans of 2-Tone. Cedric Myton's Congos would go on to outlive the Go Feet label. Both he and Johnson have released many recordings since and continue to perform to do this day.
Here is the tracklisting for "Face The Music:
Woman In The Dark Love & Understanding Scoffers & Scorners Sinking Ship Can't Take It Away Bank Of The River Where He Leads Me Face The Music Dance All Night Problems
Matumbi was formed in London in 1970 and from the very beginning they embodied the essence of the emerging UK reggae scene. The man behind Matumbi was Dennis Bovell who, in his many projects, established British reggae as a viable force independent from its Jamaican cousin. Recording in various lineups as Matumbi, African Brothers or African Stone as well as backing many successful solo acts - from Janet Key and Susan Cadogan to Linton Kwesi Johnson and Lee Perry - Bovell contributed to the invention of many reggae subcategories, such as "lovers rock" and "dub poetry."
Matumbi's strongest side, however, was a smooth blend of righteous roots reggae with pop and, more importantly, newly introduced New Wave of the late seventies. Punks and Rastas mingled freely at the time and did some amazing "crossovers" even before the term was coined. You can hear echoes of these exciting times in the music of Matumbi and, despite their preferred format being roots reggae, it is one of the key elements that distinguished British reggae act from its Jamaican counterparts.
No matter how important they were in establishing the scene, Matumbi never had the success of UB40, Aswad, Steel Pulse or Maxi Priest who followed in their foot steps. And Matumbi are not alone: Black Slate, Misty in Roots, Black Roots are only some of the acts who produced high quality output around same time, but never received recognition. The reissue of the "Empire Road" LP corrects some of that injustice. It covers all of their great singles and important album tracks from 1978-1981, plus some rare 12" versions.
Here is a video of the band performing "Empire Road" live:
Here is a video of the band performing "Rock" in the studio:
Here is a UK TV program from 1976 on the British reggae scene including interviews with members of Matumbi:
Here is the track listing for Empire Road:
Bluebeat & Ska (Single Version) Empire Road Music In The Air Hook Deh Malfunction Breakdown (Single Version) Point Of View (Squeeze A Little Lovin) (12" Dub Version) Guide Us Jah Straight To My Head Rock Ordinary Man Come With Me War Nothin At All (12" Dub Version) Black Civilization Blackman (Single Version) Bluebeat & Ska (12" Dub Version)
If I could have learned to play another instrument it would have been the trombone (Marco On The Trombone has a nice ring to it..). My love of ska, reggae, salsa and soul music has a lot to do with the fact that these musical genres make horns and horn line melodies such an integral part of the overall sound.
As I became a student of ska and reggae music, I was invariably drawn back to learn more about the musicians who were responsible for its growth and development. One, who has played a role in all 3 waves of ska as well as reggae and dub is Rico Rodriguez. My first introduction to him was through his work with The Specials, but I soon found out the he, along with Don Drummond were among the best trombone players in Jamaica and the world and were among a select core of musicians who played in The Skatalites and the many bands that sprang from them.
I have always felt that Rico deserved more credit for his contributions to the growth and popularity of ska and reggae. To my happy surprise, I recently learned that Barcelona-based musician and filmaker Jep Jorba has produced a documentary called "The Legacy - The Rico Rodriguez Story".
The 24-minute film by Jorba begins with Rico being interviewed. He discussed his country life in Jamaica and about moving to Kingston and how rough and violent life was there. His first trombone came from friend Willy D. as he later says "I didn't pick the Trombone, the trombone pick me". He recalls his first record with Derrick Herriot and the Jiving Juniors called "Over The River," then his 2nd with Laurel Aitken, "What You Gonna Do In Judgement Day". His 3rd record had more success, a song called "Easy Snappin" which most reggae fans are familiar with. He worked on songs which were played by sound systems owned by Duke Reid and Coxsone Dodd. Rico goes on to explain how in those days the type of music he was making just didn't get played on radio stations, so the only way the reggae artists got famous back then was by the sound systems playing the music. During the 60's and 70's Rico was a session musician, but in 1976 he made his own album "Man From Wareika." It was after this that he became recognized.
In the documentary he discusses his work with The Specials and recalls how 2 of the band members came knocking his door one day to ask him to join them. He was very weary of joining bands, but he was eventually convinced to work with them. He also relates about is his time at the Alpha Boys School which is where he was taught by Don Drummond, this is where he developed his interest in reggae music and Rastafarianism. After school he used to go with Don Drummond up to Wareika Hill to watch Ernest Ranglin, Roland Alphonso, Tommy McCook and more play.
Here is the trailer for the documentary:
Rico discusses how hard life was in Kingston and how he broke the law to survive, "Suffering has been my constant companion" Rico says. He is very happy to see how much reggae is loved in Europe and how people enjoy his music and he takes pleasure from performing live and watching the fans enjoy his performances. He mentions how back in Jamaica his music is not as popular as it once was.
Jorba who also plays trombone in a Barcelona ska band has been kind enough to share a downloadable version of the documentary with me to share with all of you. The link for the download is below. Enjoy the film.
The Special AKA Live! was a live 5-track EP released by The Specials in January 1980 as the third single by the band. The EP featured "Too Much Too Young" (originally recorded on the album Specials) and "Guns of Navarone" recorded live in London and "Skinhead Symphony" - a medley of "Long Shot Kick De Bucket", "The Liquidator" and "Skinhead Moonstomp" - which was recorded at Tiffany's in Coventry.
Lead track "Too Much Too Young" is based on the 1969 song "Birth Control" by Lloyd Charmers. It is sometimes wrongly stated that the song was banned by the BBC due to mentions of contraception in the lyrics. This is not true - however, when the song's promotional video was featured on Top of the Pops, it was cut off just before reaching the final line, "try wearing a cap".
The song became an instant smash topping the UK singles chart for two weeks in January 1980. It became only the second EP to top the chart and was also the first live recording to top the chart since Chuck Berry's "My Ding-a-Ling" in 1972. It was the shortest song to reach #1 on the UK singles chart in the 1980s at 2'04". Rico Rodrigues and Dick Cuthell perform on "Guns Of Navarone" and "Longshot Kick The Bucket".
Here is the track listing:
Too Much Too Young Guns Of Navarone Skinhead Symphony Medley -Longshot Kick The Bucket -Liquidator -Skinhead Moonstomp
The break-up of the original version of The Beat in 1983 seemed like a great loss at the time. The band was close to breaking big in the U.S. and had they stayed together probably could have approached The Police in terms of popularity, Instead various members went their separate ways and the musical world ended up with General Public and the Fine Young Cannibals. Often overlooked in the divorce of The Beat were saxophone player Saxa and drummer Everett Morton, who in my humble opinion were just as responsible for the unique sound of the band as any of the other members.
Enter Tony Beet who through a happen chance meeting with Saxa in a pub in Birmingham one night helped to launch the International Beat. The band was formed in 1990 by Tony along with ex-Beat members Everett Morton and Saxa and featured Ranking Roger as a special guest at select shows. Tony, who was the the guitarist/vocalist and songwriter for the band was also able to recruit ex-Dexy's Midnight Runners/General Public piano player Mickey Billingham as well. They toured in the early 90's and also released a studio album called "The Hitting Line" in 1991.
I always had a soft spot in my heart for The International Beat. The sound of the band was very reminiscent of The Beat and seemed to fill the hole for those of us in the U.S. who missed their unique sound. Tony's songs and the overall sound of the band helped to carry on the great legacy of The Beat while adding their own spin. In my mind, they were responsible for keeping the flame of ska and the spirit of The Beat alive as both Dave Wakeling and Ranking Roger often joined the band for live shows before reforming General Public a second time in the mid-90's. Ranking Roger has said that a sold-out show he played with The International Beat at the Greek Theatre in LA in 1990 prompted him to start Special Beat.
Tony was very happy to answer my questions about his days in the band. Enjoy the interview below.
Can you tell me about your introduction to music and ska music in particular? Yes the first record I managed to get my hands on was "War In A Babylon" by Max Romeo and the Upsetters, I thought wow! What a tune, I love this rhythm and this was where it seems to start for me, I was about 13/14 years of age at the time, from then on I was listening to more reggae through the 70's Dennis Brown/Bob Marley/Delroy Wilson/Big Youth/Lovers Rock etc!
How did The International Beat form? Did you know Everett Morton and Saxa from before you started the band? I met Saxa first at a pub in Birmingham one night, I happen to walk in, I could hear some cool music coming from the pub, and when I went in to check things out, there was this old guy blowing some old style blue beat on his horn! Along with another old guy on guitar just the two of them, it sounded really authentic and magical some how! When they had a break I introduced myself and asked if I could play a song on the guitar and sing, I had written a couple of songs in a ska style, I remember the tune it was called "Revolution Boys" and Saxa backed me on his horn, it was magic, a treasured memory! We became very good friends from that day and have worked together and stayed friends ever since, but he is now retired. I linked up with some friends of mine: a poet called Louie Campbell and my brother Alan Beet who also played keys in The International Beat and Neil Deathridge who played guitar in The International Beat. We needed a drummer and Saxa Introduced Everett Morton to me. We met and he was in, it was great, we recruited a bass player and then we started rehearsing some of the songs that I had written "Rocksteady" "Making Plans" "Stand and Be Counted" etc. The band was called The Elevators at that time. We started giging for about 12 months and we were going down really well! Ranking Roger started to join us onstage and also Micky Billingham. We eventually signed a deal with Blue Beat Records. Buster Bloodvessel of Bad Manners owned the record label at the time in the late 80's. The name was changed at this point to The International Beat. We recorded our debut album for Blue Beat called “The Hitting Line” and toured the UK and USA and faired quite well!
Here is a rare video clip of The Elevators which includes a short interview with Tony
Here is a video clip of The International Beat performing "Rock Steady" from their first album "The Hitting Line" which also features an interview clip with Tony:
Micky Billingham from Dexy's Midnight Runners and General Public played keyboards for the band.How did you meet him? I first met Micky Billingham through Saxa and Dave Wakeling back in the General Public days. We became good friends and he started coming to the rehearsal sessions with The International Beat. We wrote several songs together and he just became a part of the band and toured everywhere with us! Great times.
As the main songwriter for the band tell us how you approached the song writing process. Was it easy or hard given the history of The Beat? Did you feel like you had to walk a fine line between embracing the legacy of sound created by The Beat vs. injecting your own sound into the mix? First I would pick up the guitar and mess around with a few idea’s chords/ rhythms and search for a real cool melody, then when I felt that this was right I would start writing lyrics and generally the song, if it was good, could almost write itself! I would arrange the tune then bring it to the rehearsal and play it to the band and everyone would then put their feel to the song, and if it sounded great it worked! The next stage was to play it live and then record it, that’s how I seem to remember most of it! The International Beat did have leanings towards The Beat as Everett and Saxa were so unique sounding. There was always a flavor all of our own in there -- new wave ska pop! And a touch of rock steady. I did not worry too much about the comparison; I probably took it as a compliment.
Here is a video of the song "Magical Feeling" that Tony wrote:
What were your first live shows in the UK like and what was the UK ska scene of the late 80's and early 90's like? Amazing! I just remember so much energy, maybe enough to light up a whole city. Ska the 3rd wave was happening, some great bands popping up all over, I was really having a great time playing loads of gigs, ska festivals in Europe/UK touring with Bad Manners and The Selecter etc! Enthusiastic dancing audiences everywhere.
Can you share any unusual stories about touring with the band? What was it like to play and tour with Saxa and Everett? Too many to mention really, but me and Saxa always shared the same hotel rooms. He would always invite people back to the hotel after the gig to our room to party! Sometimes I was so tired, I was not always amused, but Saxa the original party people loving man would insist! I would crash out on the bed, while Saxa would feed me Kentucky fried chicken at 4 am in the morning!
Tell me about recording "The Hitting Line" album. How did you get Ranking Roger to produce it? Ranking Roger liked what we was doing and got to know most of the songs as he was regularly appearing with us, so when we signed to Blue Beat Records, we felt Roger was the obvious choice to produce and also appear on the album, along with Micky Billingham. We kept it all in the family! All this played a part in The International Beat sound. The album took 6 weeks to record, in-between we played the earth day festival in San Francisco with Dave and Roger on the bill with us, and Bad Manners. I also remember The Grateful Dead being on the bill. It was magic!
The International Beat played a number of amazingly high profile sold out shows in Los Angeles and San Francisco in the early 1990's. What were those shows like and what was it like to have both Ranking Roger and Dave Wakeling join you on stage. The Greek Theatre show looked like an absolute madhouse with the audience going insane. I remember this well. It was crazy. I was nervous. Bad Manners was also on the bill along with many other ska bands from the states, but we was top of the bill. The energy was wild really, and the all night party after in some warehouse, wow!! It was great that Roger & Dave were on this show with us all together.
Here is video of The International Beat performing "Ranking Full Stop" and "Mirror In The Bathroom" at the Greek Theatre in LA in 1990:
Here is video of The International Beat performing "Best Friend" with Ranking Roger and Dave Wakeling from November 1991:
How and why did the band come to an end? I think we had run our course as The International Beat. We was together for about 4-5 years. I was writing more and more songs with Micky, and was looking for a different sound, and the magic was slowly going in some other direction. As Saxa would say “all good things must come to an end”
Are you still in touch with any of your old band mates? Yes I see them form time to time. Alan my brother still plays keys with me. Neil Deatridge plays with Ranking Roger in The Beat and I catch up with him now and again. He played with me earlier on in the year with The Acoustic Theatre. Him and Dave Wakeling joined me onstage for several songs. It was great!.
Tell me about your current band The Acoustic Theatre? I wanted to get another group together but with a different sound and approach. I have always written my songs on an acoustic guitar and wanted to play some sort of unplugged set, but with a big sound still happening. I wrote some new songs like “Rudie Fall Down” and “Ska Injection” and then rehearsed them with some fellow musicians, with acoustics/melodica/organ/percussion.double bass etc! And started to play ska and rock steady in this format, it sounded so fresh to approach ska in this way. We have now really developed our Acoustic Theatre sound, and audiences have been dancing as well as feeling that something special is going on here, all because of the intimacy of it all! It’s great. We have been busy recording and have just finished the album “acoustic calling” must send you a copy! We have also done some TV over here, so all is looking cool for The Acoustic Theatre. www.myspace.com/acoustictheatre
Here is a video of Tony's new project The Acoustic Theatre performing "Rudie Fall Down:
Finally, what is your take on the current state of ska in the UK/US? Some really good vibes are going on, and ska seems to be capturing different audiences. Even the younger generation are loving it. Bands like The Specials and The Beat play a big part in influencing some of the up and coming bands, I think, well I know, ska will never really die, because people love to dance and smile!
I discovered a few rare tracks by The Bodysnatchers including "What's This" that the band recorded during a John Peel session in 1980 as well as the original version of "The Boiler" performed by the band live at a show in Folkestone and later recorded by Rhoda with The Special AKA for the "In The Studio" album.
Below are two videos for "What's This". First, the John Peel session version followed by a very short clip of the band performing the song live on ITV TV Program 'Alright Now'. Those video clips are followed by a live recording of "The Boiler" which has always been a difficult track to listen to and must have have been a difficult track to perform live as well.
