General Public
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| General Public | |
|---|---|
 Ranking Roger and Dave Wakeling, 1994
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| Background information | |
| Origin | United Kingdom |
| Genre(s) | Rock, New Wave |
| Years active | 1983 - 1998 |
| Label(s) | I.R.S., Virgin Records, Epic Records |
| Associated acts | The Beat Dexys Midnight Runners The Specials The Clash |
| Former members | |
| Dave Wakeling Ranking Roger Mickey Billingham Horace Panter Stoker Mick Jones Kevin White |
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General Public was a rock band, formed by former The Beat vocalists Dave Wakeling and Ranking Roger.
Contents |
[edit] Career
After the 1983 break-up of The Beat (known as The English Beat in North America), Wakeling and Roger joined up with keyboardist Mickey Billingham (ex-Dexys Midnight Runners), guitarist Mick Jones of The Clash, bassist Horace Panter (The Specials) and drummer Stoker (ex-Dexys Midnight Runners/The Bureau) to form the new band.
General Public signed to I.R.S. Records and released the album All the Rage in 1984. Jones left the band part way through the recording process; he is listed in the album's inner sleeve credits as a group member, but did not appear in any of the band photographs. His replacement, guitarist Kevin White (who also played on the album), was listed alongside Jones as an official member, and his picture did also appear on the LP's back cover.
In the UK General Public had a minor hit with the eponymous track called "General Public", which reached #60 in the UK Singles Chart in 1984.[1] The non-LP B-side, "Dishwasher", became a cult hit in the Netherlands, after its use as a theme tune to the then popular pop radio show Avondspits ("Evening rush hour"). The band fared even better in North America, where their second single "Tenderness" was a Top 40 hit in Canada (#11), and the U.S. (#27). Wakeling and Roger's previous band, The Beat, were stars in the UK but never had any Top 40 hits in Canada or the U.S.
For the follow-up album, White and Stoker were replaced by brothers Gianni and Mario Minardi[2] on guitar and drums, respectively. Despite featuring a track from the soundtrack to the film, Weird Science, Hand to Mouth (1986) was significantly less successful than the debut album, and the band soon split up.
Their song "Taking the Day Off" was featured in the 1986 comedy film, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, directed by John Hughes.
Roger and Wakeling worked on various solo projects for the next few years, before reuniting as a duo in 1994 to perform a cover version of The Staple Singers hit, "I'll Take You There" for the Threesome film soundtrack. The song, credited to General Public, was a Top 40 hit in the U.S. and Canada, and a minor hit (#73) in the UK.
The duo (now the only members of General Public) stayed together to release the album Rub It Better in 1995, recorded with the aid of producer Jerry Harrison. But sales were poor, and Roger was tired of touring, and they soon broke up again.
Beginning in 2000, Wakeling began calling his backing band alternately either General Public or The English Beat. He then toured (mostly in North America) as either 'The English Beat featuring Dave Wakeling' or 'Dave Wakeling & General Public'. Aside from Wakeling, this new backing band featured no original members of The (English) Beat or General Public, although reportedly Ranking Roger and other Beat members turned up as guest performers at a handful of shows. Wakeling and Roger reunited again in 2005 when The Beat officially reformed.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- All the Rage (1984)
- Hand to Mouth (1986)
- Rub It Better (1995)
[edit] Singles
- "General Public" (1984) UK #60
- "Dishwasher" (B-side to above) (1984) The Netherlands #38
- "Tenderness" (1984) Australia #50, Canada #11, U.S. #27
- "Never You Done That" (1984) U.S. #105
- "Hot You're Cool" (1984)
- "Faults and All" (1986)
- "Too Much or Nothing" (1986) Canada #83
- "I'll Take You There" (1994) UK #73, Canada #14, U.S. #34
- "Rainy Days" (1995) U.S. #93
[edit] See also
- List of number-one dance hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart
[edit] References
- ^ a b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 224. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ Twinoakschurch.com
