Low-Noise28 Jul 2025

The Beat

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of English band The Beat (known in the United States and Canada as the English Beat and in Australia as the British Beat) in (just over) twenty minutes. The band formed in Birmingham in 1978. Their music fuses Latin, ska, pop, soul, reggae and punk rock.

After the break-up of the Beat in 1983, Dave Wakeling and Ranking Roger went on to form General Public and had some success in the US and Canada, while Andy Cox and David Steele formed Fine Young Cannibals. Drummer Everett Morton and Saxa formed the International Beat and toured the UK and United States until 1992.

March of the Swivelheads (an instrumental version of the Beat's song Rotating Head from the album Special Beat Service) was used in the 1986 film Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Save It for Later (from the same album) was featured on the soundtrack album to 1996 film Kingpin, the 2010 film Hot Tub Time Machine and the 2017 film Spider-Man: Homecoming. Save It for Later has been covered by PeteTownshend, The Who, The Wonder Stuff, Eddie Vedder and Pearl Jam.

http://englishbeat.net/

In this episode I am in discussion with Dr. Andrew Webber.

Mathew Woodall

https://www.facebook.com/share/1F15mx4ea3/

https://buymeacoffee.com/lownoise

Why buy me a coffee?

Low Noise is proudly ad-free. If you would like to to say thank you for any of the content you have enjoyed (and help support the continuation of creating more), the above link provides a way to make a small donation of your choice (I also function on coffee!).

Feel free to leave a note with your donation to let me know what you enjoy about the podcast or any topics you would like me to discuss in the future.

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(190)

Eagles – Hotel California | What Was the American Dream Turning Into?

How did Hotel California become one of the defining albums of the 1970s?Released in 1976, Hotel California found the Eagles at a remarkable creative peak. Beautifully produced and meticulously arrange...

24 Aug 23min

Talk Talk | What Can In Another World Tell Us About Talk Talk?

What does In Another World reveal about one of the most intriguing bands of the last forty years?In this episode of Low Noise, we discuss Graeme Thomson’s In Another World: The Four Seasons of Talk Ta...

17 Aug 28min

Patrice Rushen | Forget Me Nots: The Song That Refused to Be Forgotten

What does it mean to be remembered—not loudly, not dramatically—but in a way that quietly refuses to fade?Forget Me Nots is a song by American R&B musician Patrice Rushen, released in 1982 by Elektra ...

10 Aug 17min

Keith Jarrett | The Köln Concert: How a Broken Piano Created a Masterpiece

What does it sound like when a musician commits fully to a moment that won’t come again?The Köln Concert is a live solo double album by pianist Keith Jarrett recorded at the Opera House in Köln, West ...

3 Aug 22min

OMD | Britain's Greatest Synth Pop Band?

What happens when electronic music chooses restraint over excess, when it speaks softly, but still leaves a mark?Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, often shortened to OMD, formed in Merseyside in 1978...

27 Jul 26min

Siouxsie and the Banshees – The Scream | Before Goth Had a Name?

What happens when punk stops trying to shock and starts trying to haunt?In this episode, we revisit The Scream, the extraordinary debut album by Siouxsie & the Banshees. Nearly fifty years on, it stil...

20 Jul 35min

The Delines | The Set Up: Their Finest Album Yet?

The Set Up is the 6th album by The Delines, the American group formed in the early 2010s. Known for their understated arrangements and deeply human storytelling, the band blends elements of soul, coun...

13 Jul 29min

Dionne Warwick | An Icon at the Royal Albert Hall

What happens when one of the greatest voices in popular music takes to the stage at the age of 85?In this episode, I look back on an unforgettable evening at the Royal Albert Hall, where I had the pri...

6 Jul 29min