Tag Archives: Ranking Roger

Try a little Tenderness – revisiting General Public, four decades on

Cast your mind back to a universe far away, The Beat having disbanded not so long after the Special Beat Service touched down, David Steele and Andy Cox deciding to take some time out, going their own way on an … Continue reading

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Music, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

And The Beat goes on – back in touch with Dave Wakeling, talking Birmingham, California, and the joy of dogs

Ahead of my catch-up with The Beat co-founder Dave Wakeling, I dug out an interview he did with Adrian Thrills for the NME, alongside the sorely missed Ranking Roger when the pair were at the helm of The General Public, … Continue reading

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Music | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Far more than mere nostalgia: stepping forward with The Selecter – back in touch with Pauline Black

I was briefly reminded of 1969 European sightseeing comedy If It’s Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium when I spoke to Pauline Black, OBE, this week. On this occasion, en route to a date at Het Depot, Leuven after a big … Continue reading

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Music | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

WriteWyattUK 2019, in quotes, part two – the final six months

With 2020 knocking at the door, us at WriteWyattUK Towers (OK … just me) thought it high time to deliver the second part of this site’s highlights from the last 12 months in quote form, covering from July to December. … Continue reading

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Comedy & Theatre, Music | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Selecter – Guildford G Live

As regular readers of this website know, Guildford and I go way back, and it was as a 13-year-old that I saw my first band at the Civic Hall, catching The Undertones on the Positive Touch tour, a mile and … Continue reading

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Music | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Four decades of Daylight with The Selecter – back in touch with Pauline Black

Celebrated 2 Tone legends The Selecter, up there at the forefront of the late ‘70s UK ska revival, are going down a storm in Europe right now, their 40th anniversary tour drawing closer to home. Led by Pauline Black and … Continue reading

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Music | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Message from our Rude Boy – the Neville Staple interview

It will be 40 years in May since debut Special AKA single ‘Gangsters’ thrilled a nation, the first single on 2 Tone Records a fine example of all that followed from that ground-breaking independent label. Before 1979 was out, a … Continue reading

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Music | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Back with a Special Beat Service – the Dave Wakeling interview

It gets a tad confusing with a few of the bands doing the rounds again all these years on, not least when original members have gone their separate ways, starting their own versions of the same group. Take The Beat, … Continue reading

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Music | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Stepping back into Daylight – the Pauline Black interview

You need only take a couple of listens to the new album by influential ska favourites The Selecter to be convinced this is not a band content to sit back on past endeavours. What’s more, vocalist Pauline Black doesn’t do … Continue reading

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Music | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments