Blue Beat Records is an English record label that released Jamaican rhythm and blues (R&B) and ska music in the 1960s and later decades. Its reputation led to the use of the word bluebeat as a generic term to describe all styles of early Jamaican pop music, including music by artists not associated with the record label.
36-569: Bad Manners are an English two-tone and ska band led by frontman Buster Bloodvessel . Early appearances included Top of the Pops and the live film documentary Dance Craze (1981). They were at their most popular during the early 1980s, during a period when other ska revival bands such as Madness , the Specials and the Selecter filled the charts . Bad Manners spent 111 weeks in
72-580: A contract with Portrait Records in the United States and Mental Notes was released in 1985. For two years the band toured continuously all over the world but decided to disband in 1987. After Bad Manners disbanded for a brief spell after their deal with Portrait Records ended, Buster Bloodvessel formed a new outfit called Buster's Allstars in 1987, which enabled him and a few of his friends to continue performing in and around London. The capital's venues were often packed to capacity and this prompted
108-743: A dozen albums between 1960 and 1967. Prince Buster became the Blue Beat label's biggest star, with songs such as " Al Capone ". Siggy Jackson established a Blue Beat night at the Marquee Club in London, and fashion accessories featuring the Blue Beat label's logo became popular. Many records on the Blue Beat label were played alongside soul music in dance clubs such as the Twisted Wheel in Manchester. In addition to appealing greatly to
144-701: A music teacher during the 1990s and also performed with the Jordanaires after leaving Bad Manners. He also enjoys visiting Sweden during his spare time but he can still be seen playing his saxophone with numerous outfits. Brian Tuitt also left the band in 1987 and lives in Kent. The drummer has been performing with Ben Russell & the Charmers in recent times while also working with the Barry White Unlimited Love Tour at various venues in
180-618: A music writer and promoter from Darlington . On 18 July 2013, seven of the original nine members reunited at The Brownswood public house, near Finsbury Park , that is within striking distance of their old school, Woodbery Down Comprehensive. The 'Bad Manners Originals' who attended the reunion were Andy Marson (alto sax), Paul Hyman (trumpet), Winston Bazoomies (Alan Sayag) (harmonicas), Chris Kane (tenor sax), David Farren (bass), Martin Stewart (keyboards) and Brian Tuitt (drums). The meetings were arranged after Wardell's 'Where Are They Now?' article
216-468: A new sub-label, Fab, and the Blue Beat label stopped issuing new releases after 1967 (although the back catalogue continued to sell for several years). Jackson left to work for EMI , where he founded the Columbia Blue Beat label. The Blue Beat label was revived in 1972 for a short run of obscure releases including John Holt's "Ok Fred" and "Sad News" singles. as well as reissues of some of
252-497: Is a genre of British popular music of the late 1970s and early 1980s that fused traditional Jamaican ska , rocksteady , and reggae music with elements of punk rock and new wave music. Its name derives from 2 Tone Records , a record label founded in 1979 by Jerry Dammers of the Specials , and references a desire to transcend and defuse racial tensions in Thatcher-era Britain : many two-tone groups, such as
288-470: The 2 Tone movement (though never signed to 2 Tone Records itself), they were one of six bands featured in the 1981 documentary film Dance Craze . Some of their hit singles through the 1980's include " Nee Nee Na Na Na Na Nu Nu ", " My Girl Lollipop ", " Lip Up Fatty ", " Can Can ", " Special Brew ", " Walking in the Sunshine " and " That'll Do Nicely ". One of the main reasons for their notoriety
324-525: The UK Singles Chart between 1980 and 1983, and they also achieved chart success with their first four studio albums, with Ska 'n' B (1980), Loonee Tunes! (1980), and Gosh It's ... Bad Manners (1981) being their biggest hits. Fronted by Buster Bloodvessel (real name Douglas Trendle), the band was formed in 1976, while the members were together at Woodberry Down Comprehensive School, near Manor House , North London . They commemorated
360-555: The UK Singles Chart between 1980 and 1983, however, Bad Manners left Magnet Records in 1983, and joined Telstar Records releasing a compilation album, The Height of Bad Manners , which reached number 23 in the UK Albums Chart . The album was assisted with a television advertisement , and it brought the band back to the attention of the media and the British public – but no further chart hits. The group then went on to sign
396-516: The West Indian community in the UK , the music became associated with the British mods of the early to mid-1960s, as well as the skinheads of the late 1960s. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, records on the Blue Beat label became highly collectable among those who regarded records like Prince Buster's "Al Capone" as classics. When the ska rhythm slowed to rocksteady around 1966, Melodisc started
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#1732798658383432-416: The 1980s to the present. In 2011, Cherry Red Records released the band's first four studio albums, Ska 'n' B (1980), Loonee Tunes! (1980), Gosh It's ... Bad Manners (1981) and Forging Ahead (1982) on CD for the first time with added bonus tracks. The albums were issued on their sister label, Pressure Drop. In December 2012, the band released their first single in thirteen years. "What Simon Says"
468-504: The 1981 closure of the school on the back sleeve of their album, Gosh It's ... Bad Manners , released that year. After becoming popular in their native London, Bad Manners signed a recording contract with Magnet Records in 1980, and became regular guests on television shows such as Tiswas . The band also appeared on The British Music Awards (1981) and Cheggers Plays Pop . In 1985, they also appeared on The Time of Your Life , hosted by Noel Edmonds . Being closely associated with
504-610: The 2-Tone Central museum, cafe and venue opened in the Coventry University Students' Union building, and by August 2011 it had moved to the 2-Tone Village in Stoke, Coventry . It includes exhibition space and the Coventry Music Wall of Fame. Blue Beat Records The Blue Beat label was founded in 1960, in London, as an imprint of Emil E. Shalit 's Melodisc Records . Melodisc, which
540-603: The Blue Beat label name and logo. The label was run from a reclaimed riverboat named "The Bloodvessel", which was in Bloodvessel's backyard in Spring Hill. Between 1987 and 1990, this label released several records, including the Bad Manners album Return of The Ugly . The Bad Manners single "Skaville UK" was the last Blue Beat single to make an impact on the UK charts, reaching No. 87 in 1989. In 2004, Siggy Jackson
576-563: The French Fries record label in 2015, while his fellow musician, David Farren, left in 1987 after the band's contract with Portrait Records ended. Farren designed the original band logo, and painted the front cover of the album Gosh It's ... Bad Manners (1981). He currently performs in a tribute outfit called the Rollin' Stoned. Chris Kane is a session musician . He left his longtime London home in 2015 and moved to Cambridgeshire. He became
612-627: The Pyramids . Siggy also reissued two Laurel Aitken tracks, and a single by the Mopeds which had previously been issued on Columbia Blue Beat. These releases were all limited edition vinyl pressings. Siggy Jackson retired from the music industry in 2008. Marcus Upbeat then acquired The Blue Beat Label to continue with label's revival. In 2011, Marcus Upbeat registered Blue Beat Records Ltd to continue The Blue Beat Label. and in 2011 released another new 7" single on The Blue Beat Label. Marcus then embraced
648-644: The Specials , the Selecter and the Beat , featured a mix of black , white , and multiracial people . Originating in Coventry in the West Midlands of England in the late 1970s, it was part of the second wave of ska music. It followed on from the first ska music that developed in Jamaica in the 1950s and 1960s, infused with punk and new wave textures. Although two-tone's mainstream commercial appeal
684-743: The UK, while Andrew Marson, who also left the group the same year, has worked as a carpenter in and around London and also enjoys performing in a country and western outfit called the Drawbacks. Paul Hyman, another original member who left the band in the late 1980s, lives in Enfield and works in the London Stock Exchange , a job he has had since leaving Bad Manners. Bad Manners headlined their own annual music festival known as Bad Fest in 2005 and 2006 at RAF Twinwood Farm . This festival featured ska, mod -related and punk rock bands from
720-461: The back garden of Buster Bloodvessel's former home in London. After Blue Beat became defunct in 1990, Bad Manners were without a recording contract, but continued to tour. In 1992, they signed a deal with Pork Pie Records and Fat Sound was released in Europe. The album was originally intended to be released in the UK on Blue Beat. In 1996, Buster Bloodvessel moved to Margate and opened a hotel on
756-558: The band released Stupidity on Bad Records in 2003. In 2004, Bad Manners appeared on Never Mind the Buzzcocks in the Christmas Special, performing festive songs to the contestants which included Phill Jupitus and Noddy Holder (Jupitus is a fan of the band, and Buster Bloodvessel had appeared as a panellist on the show earlier that year). Buster Bloodvessel is the only original member to remain in Bad Manners, but
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#1732798658383792-497: The emerging and ever faster growing digital age for The Blue Beat Label. An exclusive digital distribution agreement for The Blue Beat Label was implemented and over the following years a few selective No.1 Station and other releases were made available for digital release on iTunes and other reputable digital outlets. The Blue Beat Label got a further reboot in 2019 with the re-release of a No. 1 station single She's So Sweet on 7 inch vinyl marcus upbeat re recorded this all on his own and
828-501: The genre include the Specials , the Selecter , Madness , the Beat , Bad Manners , the Bodysnatchers and Akrylykz . The Specials' keyboard player Jerry Dammers coined the term "two-tone". Dammers, with the assistance of Horace Panter and graphic designer John "Teflon" Sims, developed the iconic Walt Jabsco logo (a man in a black suit, white shirt, black tie, pork pie hat , white socks and black loafers ) to represent
864-704: The harmonica player, Winston Bazoomies, was an 'honorary member' of the band. Bazoomies had a Facebook fanpage set up in his honour and lived in North London. Martin Stewart left Bad Manners in 1991, and performed and recorded with the Selecter for fifteen years. He now lives a quiet life in Middlesex with his family, and most recently played the keyboards in a band called the Skatalysts. Louis Alphonso lives in Paris and released his A Noir solo studio album on
900-530: The label's third release, "Manny Oh" by Higgs and Wilson . The Blue Beat label reached licensing agreements with the majority of major Jamaican producers and also released many home-produced recordings by Siggy Jackson, featuring English-based artists such as the Marvels. Even some Prince Buster hits, including "Wash-Wash", were recorded in London, and involved well-known UK musicians such as Georgie Fame . The Blue Beat label released around 400 singles and over
936-457: The label, and Jackson subsequently chose the name Blue Beat, which he said was an adaptation of "It sounds like blues and it's got a great beat" or "Blues Beat", which apparently was a generic term for Jamaican blues music at the time. The first release on the Blue Beat label was "Boogie Rock" by Laurel Aitken , which was licensed from Dada Tewari's Downbeat label. The Blue Beat label's distinctive blue covers and silver logo first appeared with
972-443: The popular classics from Prince Buster's catalogue such as Al Capone and Ten Commandments Of Man. Later in the decade some of these tunes were once again reissued in 12" single format to supply the new younger audience that emerged from the 2-Tone generation. In 1987, Buster Bloodvessel (of the 2 Tone ska revival band Bad Manners ) and producer Ivan Healy Purvis started a brand new record label called Blue Beat Records and licensed
1008-553: The seafront called Fatty Towers, which catered for people with huge appetites. While living in Margate, he was a regular spectator at Margate F.C. , and Bad Manners sponsored the club for one season. Fatty Towers closed in 1998 and did not re-open despite a facelift. After its closure, Buster Bloodvessel moved back to London. After five years without releasing any new material, Bad Manners issued their Heavy Petting album in 1997. Six years later, Buster set up another record label and
1044-474: The then 20 stone vocalist to reform Bad Manners with his fellow original members Louis Alphonso, Martin Stewart, Winston Bazoomies and Chris Kane. During 1988, the revamped Bad Manners band line-up started to play a number of shows at universities and at scooter rallies and they licensed the name and logo of Blue Beat Records , setting up office inside a 50-foot (15 m) barge called the Blood Vessel in
1080-474: The two-tone genre. The logo, based on an early album-cover photo of Peter Tosh , included an added black-and-white check pattern . Most of the bands considered to be part of the two-tone genre were signed to 2 Tone Records (operative 1979–1985) at some point. Other record labels associated with the two-tone sound were Stiff Records and Go Feet Records . The music was especially popular among skinheads , rudies and mod revivalists . On 1 October 2010,
1116-611: Was approached by No.1 Station band leader Marcus Upbeat (aka Downbeat) with the idea of starting a revival of The Blue Beat Label. Together Siggy and Marcus released a series of 7-inch singles on the label in the style of The Blue Beat Label's 1960s output. These releases included six singles by No. 1 Station, which featured The Blue Beat Label veteran Eddie 'Tan-Tan' Thornton on trumpet and several guest vocalists, including The Marvels. Siggy Jackson re-issued several tracks from his own back catalogue, as well as one single each from ska revival band Intensified and veterans of The Blue Beat Label
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1152-468: Was founded in London in 1947, specialised in releasing calypso and mento and imported American jazz music. The Blue Beat label focused on American-influenced Jamaican blues and R&B, which later evolved into ska , and was launched following the positive response in the United Kingdom to Laurel Aitken 's Melodisc release of "Lonesome Lover". Shalit put Sigimund "Siggy" Jackson in charge of
1188-519: Was largely limited to the UK, it influenced the ska punk movement that developed in the US in the late 1980s and 1990s. The two-tone sound originated among young musicians in Coventry in the West Midlands of England, who grew up listening to 1960s Jamaican music . They combined influences from ska , reggae and rocksteady with elements of punk rock and new wave . Bands considered part of
1224-525: Was published in The Northern Echo in 2012, providing details on the current whereabouts of all of the original band members. During 2016, Bad Manners toured the United Kingdom to celebrate their 40th Anniversary. Original member Winston Bazoomies died on 1 December 2022, at the age of 63. The band are still touring the United Kingdom in 2024. Two-tone (music genre) Two-tone or 2 tone , also known as ska-rock and ska revival ,
1260-618: Was released via download just before the festive season, and the music video featured Bad Manners fans from across the world but none of the band members themselves. The song hints at the power Simon Cowell has within the UK music industry. In December 2012, founding members of the band met for the first time in decades at the Ship public house in Soho, London. Paul Hyman, Martin Stewart, Brian Tuitt and Chris Kane met with band historian and harmonica player David Turner, and Christopher 'Dell' Wardell,
1296-556: Was their outlandish huge-tongued and shaven-headed frontman, Buster Bloodvessel . His manic exploits got them banned from the British BBC TV chart show Top of the Pops , for painting his head red. The band was also banned from Italian TV after Bloodvessel mooned a concert audience on live television at the 1983 Sanremo Music Festival , after being told that the Pope was watching on TV. Bad Manners had spent 111 weeks in
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