Photo by Brian Kremkau
Nearly four years after launching a campaign to fund the project, Dave Wakeling’s oft-touring incarnation of The English Beat is preparing to release a brand-new studio album — the first from Wakeling under the Beat imprint since 1982’s Special Beat Service.
The album, Here We Go Love, will be credited to The Beat starring Dave Wakeling, and is now available for pre-order in a wide variety of formats and packages via Pledge Music. It’s due out in May.
At the time the crowdfunding campaign was launched in 2014, the new album was pitched as the first from The Beat in 32 years. In 2016, however, Ranking Roger’s version of the band — The New English Beat featuring Ranking Roger — released its own studio album, called Bounce.
Neither incarnation of the band features any other original members.
An instrumental version of the new album’s title track can be streamed on the Pledge Music site, and, below, check out a solo performance of the forthcoming first single.
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS
- The Beat’s Dave Wakeling records 2 songs for 2 Tone-inspired ‘Scooby-Doo’ episode
- Video: Dave Wakeling on 33 years of English Beat, learning to play guitar wrong and more
- The English Beat to release ‘Live! at the US Festival’ CD/DVD in September
- The English Beat to release new best-of, box set in U.S., expanded reissues in Europe
Naaaah. Not a very nice fellow. Only running on band name recognition. Nothing like the awesome band and music from the 80s.
I don’t know what you mean by “not a very nice guy”. What have I missed?
And yes, their first three albums were quite the triptych
No other original members? No thanks.
But man, but were “I Just Can’t Stop It” and “Special Beat Service” among the most definitive albums of the early 80’s. Neither General Public of Fine Young Cannibals could match what The (English) Beat gave us.
not a very nice guy? nonesense…one of the nicest in ska. album has 2 other original members on it, so you could say it includes the majority of the original band! its an audio thing…you won’t know if you like it, till you listen. first responses have been great, hope you enjoy x
Not a nice guy because he bought the band name so Ranking Roger couldn’t use it to tour in the US? Maybe it was because at the height of The Beats success he left the band with Roger and left the rest high and dry? Thinking DAVE was greedy and wanted everything for himself. The sound of The Beat changed music with its unique fusion of influences. RIP Ranking Roger