My KUTX: The English Beat

Dave Wakeling (center) with the English Beat. Photo by Julia Reihs/KUTX.

The English Beat plays music like a radio, dialing through snippets of old soul and R&B, punk, rock, and reggae for a sound that’s unmistakably their own. Formed in Birmingham, England in the late ’70s, the band soaked up these influences and brought social consciousness to British ska and 2-tone. That authenticity earned them hits in the UK and US and tours with the Talking Heads and the Pretenders. Authenticity will only get you so far; the English Beat also know how to write songs that hit with toughness and heart.

Earlier this year, the English Beat released Here We Go Love, their first album in 36 years. They also recently played a raucous set in our Studio 1A, and this week singer and guitarist Dave Wakeling hosts My KUTX. His guest DJ set has simple ingredients: two songs apiece from seven of his favorite artists, an hour of music that’s heartfelt and joyous, just like the English Beat. Hear My KUTX on Saturday, August 4th, 6 to 7 p.m. or anytime at the bottom of the page.

–Art Levy // producer, My KUTX

Playlist:

[intro: The English Beat – “Mirror In The Bathroom”]

1. Buzzcocks – “Ever Fallen In Love?”

2. The Four Tops – “Bernadette”

3. The Clash – “Lost In The Supermarket”

4. Pretenders – “Back On The Chain Gang”

5. Desmond Dekker – “Israelites”

6. Tim Buckley – “Song To The Siren”

7. David Bowie – “Panic In Detroit”

8. Buzzcocks – “What Do I Get?”

9. The Four Tops – “Walk Away Renee”

10. The Clash – “Clash City Rockers”

11. Pretenders – “Brass In Pocket”

12. Desmond Dekker – “It Mek”

13. Tim Buckley – “Quicksand”

14. David Bowie – “Ashes To Ashes”

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