General Public

Considered by many as nothing more than an offshoot of the better-known '80s British outfit <a href="spotify:artist:4R90PNicCsCsEoRm8XwiMS">the English Beat</a>, General Public still enjoyed several substantial hits on their own during their short career. Immediately after the split of the ska-pop outfit <a href="spotify:artist:4R90PNicCsCsEoRm8XwiMS">the English Beat</a> in 1983, former members <a href="spotify:artist:29ZFoBnsEIvnvc1a8rbjKi">Dave Wakeling</a> (vocals, born February 19, 1956) and <a href="spotify:artist:6fnEBToGr0ZqiYgHjVYL2k">Ranking Roger</a> ("toaster," born February 21, 1961) formed General Public, which turned out to be more pop-based than its predecessor, with elements of classic Motown soul thrown in for good measure. Once former <a href="spotify:artist:4QTVePrFu1xuGM9K0kNXkk">Dexy's Midnight Runners</a> keyboardist Mickey Billingham, former <a href="spotify:artist:6xnvNmSzmeOE1bLKnYXKW3">Specials</a> bassist Horace Panter, and a drummer known simply as Stoker were all enlisted, General Public was officially up and running. Signing on with the IRS label, General Public's debut album, 1984's All the Rage, was a commercial success back home, as it featured a guest appearance by former <a href="spotify:artist:3RGLhK1IP9jnYFH4BRFJBS">Clash</a> guitarist <a href="spotify:artist:6QFIIkwi4R2erQsIp0TDSb">Mick Jones</a> and scored a Top 40 single with the track "Tenderness." 1986 saw the release of General Public's sophomore effort, Hand to Mouth, which failed to match expectations set by its predecessor despite spawning a pair of popular singles, "Too Much or Nothing" and "Come Again."

With both <a href="spotify:artist:29ZFoBnsEIvnvc1a8rbjKi">Wakeling</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:6fnEBToGr0ZqiYgHjVYL2k">Roger</a> unable to agree on a musical direction, General Public split up shortly thereafter. <a href="spotify:artist:6fnEBToGr0ZqiYgHjVYL2k">Roger</a> issued a solo debut in 1988, the more ska-based Radical Departure, while <a href="spotify:artist:29ZFoBnsEIvnvc1a8rbjKi">Wakeling</a> contributed the title track to John Hughes' 1988 film She's Having a Baby and issued a solo album as well, 1991's General Public-esque No Warning. <a href="spotify:artist:6fnEBToGr0ZqiYgHjVYL2k">Roger</a> would go on to form another outfit, <a href="spotify:artist:7yNo78CAs5pOKeFSG9M124">Special Beat</a>, which included musicians from the late-'70s English ska scene, but in 1994, <a href="spotify:artist:6fnEBToGr0ZqiYgHjVYL2k">Roger</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:29ZFoBnsEIvnvc1a8rbjKi">Wakeling</a> were asked to reunite General Public for a track on the Threesome motion picture soundtrack. A <a href="spotify:artist:69MEO1AADKg1IZrq2XLzo5">UB40</a>-like interpretation of <a href="spotify:artist:7xGGqA85UIWX1GoTVM4itC">the Staple Singers</a>' "I'll Take You There" was offered and became a surprise Top 40 hit. The duo remained together for a third General Public studio album, 1995's Rub It Better (produced by former <a href="spotify:artist:2x9SpqnPi8rlE9pjHBwmSC">Talking Heads</a> keyboardist/guitarist <a href="spotify:artist:1GkiKu2FJFSBrXSL8wKFzy">Jerry Harrison</a>), but when it sunk from sight upon release, the band split up once more. 2002 saw the release of the duo's first best-of collection, the 12-track Classic Masters. ~ Greg Prato, Rovi