Some eighties bands music stands the test of time, while others cause us to look over our shoulder to see if anyone’s noticed the Heaven 17 album in our collection. The English Beat wrote songs with a reggae groove, but with enough pop sensibility to capture the hearts of millions. At a time when it was virtually impossible for alternative bands to get radio airplay in America, The Beat had a string of hits and sold-out tours. Dave Wakeling was the singer, guitarist and mastermind behind the whole thing and when he announced a 2010 U.S. tour for The Beat, we sought him out for an interview. On the phone, Wakeling engaged us for hours with discussions of politics, the music industry, VH1 and the process of making videos. Here are the best bits from our discussion.
[From The Dumbing of America › History Lesson: Dave Wakeling and The English Beat]