The Beat

Formed in the 70s, The Beat crossed soul, reggae, pop and punk, and from these disparate pieces created an infectious dance rhythm. Along with their contemporaries The Specials, The Selecter, and Madness, they became an overnight sensation and one of the most popular and influential bands of the British ska movement. By Christmas of 1979, The Beat were riding high in the UK charts with their first single, a remake of the classic Smokey Robinson tune Tears of a Clown. Continually scoring hits with tunes now so popular it’s hard to remember a time when they didn’t exist, such as Mirror in the Bathroom, Hands Off… I Confess, and their cover of Andy Williams’s Can’t Get Used To Losing You. The Beat featuring Ranking Jnr continue to perform all the classic hits in their dynamic live shows.