The English Beat

In a 2009 interview with the RFT, English Beat lyricist/vocalist Dave Wakeling tried his best to describe the band's kaleidoscopic genre collisions. "Ska was just one in a number of influences," he said. "Primarily we were a punk-reggae party band — that was the idea. Once we got our blend of punk and reggae together — really, we wanted to get a blend of Toots & the Maytals and the Velvet Underground. Once we got that down, we realized it was quite close to ska beats, and we incorporated some songs like that, too. But we were more influenced by Motown than ska." When the English Beat plays live, these influences continue to blend together in different ways — but they always form a danceable party atmosphere ideal for a Saturday night on the town.