Ranking Roger
Encyclopedia
Ranking Roger is an English
musician. He was a vocalist in the 1980s two-tone band, The Beat
(known in the U.S. as The English Beat) and General Public
. He currently leads a re-formed Beat line-up with Everett Morton
.
The "Ranking" moniker is short for "Top Ranking" or "High Ranking," and is a boast typical of many MC's
.
Roger was born in Birmingham, England, the son of Jean Baptiste Charlery. He became a punk rock
fan as a teenager and joined ska
revival pioneers The Beat in the late 1970s. He had appeared on stage toasting and singing with them many times before officially joining the band. His energetic style and Jamaica
n-influenced vocals, paired with Dave Wakeling
were crucial in distinguishing the band from the other second-wave ska bands. The Beat released three albums: the critically acclaimed and seminal I Just Can't Stop It
(1980), Wha'ppen?
(1981) and Special Beat Service
(1982).
After The Beat's 1983 break-up, he and Wakeling formed General Public
with Mickey Billingham
and Andy "Stoker" Growcott of Dexys Midnight Runners
and Horace Panter
of The Specials
. They released the album All the Rage
, aided by the single "Tenderness". In 1986 they released Hand to Mouth
which was significantly less successful, and the band soon split up.
In 1995 Roger and Wakeling reformed General Public with a new supporting band, and released the album "Rub It Better." Roger and Wakeling also worked on various projects and reunited for the Threesome
soundtrack, recording a cover of "I'll Take You There
".
Roger has also released two solo albums. 1988's Radical Departure album included band members Horace Panter
and Fuzz Townshend. On 2001's Inside my Head album, Roger pursued a more dance/electronic sound, including the song "Muscle Ska" that was co-written with Neville Staple of The Specials
.
In the early 1990s, Roger joined members of The Specials
to form the new band Special Beat
which released two live albums. In 1996 Roger sang back-up and toasting on the new version of "The Bed's Too Big Without You" on Sting's "Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot" CD-Maxi single. The rock band Smash Mouth
featured Roger on their song "You Are My Number One" in 2003.
Ranking Roger's son, Matthew Murphy - 'Ranking Junior', has followed in his father's footsteps. In 2005, he appeared on The Ordinary Boys
' hit single "Boys Will Be Boys". In 2003, The Beat's original line-up, minus Cox and Steele, played a sold-out one-off gig at the Royal Festival Hall
.
In 2005, The Beat re-formed, counting Roger and Everett Morton
of the original line-up, with Ranking Junior also on vocals. The Beat performed at Glastonbury
the same year with new material written by Ranking Junior. The band is said to have the blessing of Cox, Steele and Saxa.
Roger appeared on two tracks 'Future Dub' and 'Come Around' from the 2008/9 album 'Turning Point' by Snakestyle.
Roger has recorded a new album with current members of The Beat, and it is currently being mixed.
Roger sang on "Roxanne
" on stage with The Police
on their 2007 world tour, and has regularly recorded with Sting.
Roger has 4 sisters; Annie; Juliet; Sandra and Equilar who was a backing singer for him. He also has a half brother and sister, Kevin and Sarah Charlery.
Inside My Head (2001 Paras Recording Records)
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
musician. He was a vocalist in the 1980s two-tone band, The Beat
The Beat (band)
The Beat are a 2 Tone ska revival band founded in England in 1978. Their songs fuse ska, pop, soul, reggae and punk rock, and their lyrics deal with themes of love, unity and sociopolitical topics....
(known in the U.S. as The English Beat) and General Public
General Public
General Public were a band formed by The Beat vocalists, Dave Wakeling and Ranking Roger, and which included former members of Dexy's Midnight Runners, The Specials and The Clash...
. He currently leads a re-formed Beat line-up with Everett Morton
Everett Morton
Everett Morton is a drummer and percussionist from Birmingham, England, most notable as the drummer for the early 1980s ska band The Beat. Originally from the West Indies, Morton is known for his distinctive drumming style that includes syncopation and polyrhythm in a rock beat...
.
The "Ranking" moniker is short for "Top Ranking" or "High Ranking," and is a boast typical of many MC's
Master of Ceremonies
A Master of Ceremonies , or compere, is the host of a staged event or similar performance.An MC usually presents performers, speaks to the audience, and generally keeps the event moving....
.
Roger was born in Birmingham, England, the son of Jean Baptiste Charlery. He became a punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
fan as a teenager and joined ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
revival pioneers The Beat in the late 1970s. He had appeared on stage toasting and singing with them many times before officially joining the band. His energetic style and Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
n-influenced vocals, paired with Dave Wakeling
Dave Wakeling
Dave Wakeling is an English rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is most famous for singing and writing songs for the 1980s 2-Tone band The Beat and also General Public.-Career:...
were crucial in distinguishing the band from the other second-wave ska bands. The Beat released three albums: the critically acclaimed and seminal I Just Can't Stop It
I Just Can't Stop It (album)
I Just Can't Stop It is the debut album by UK 2 tone band The Beat. The album was released in 1980 via Go Feet Records in the UK. It was released the same year in the US on I.R.S...
(1980), Wha'ppen?
Wha'ppen?
Wha'ppen? is the second album by the British ska band The Beat , released in 1981 via Go Feet Records.-Original release:Side One#"Doors of Your Heart" #"All Out to Get You"...
(1981) and Special Beat Service
Special Beat Service
Special Beat Service was the third and final album by British ska band The Beat. Like the rest of their material, it was released in the US under the name "The English Beat"...
(1982).
After The Beat's 1983 break-up, he and Wakeling formed General Public
General Public
General Public were a band formed by The Beat vocalists, Dave Wakeling and Ranking Roger, and which included former members of Dexy's Midnight Runners, The Specials and The Clash...
with Mickey Billingham
Mickey Billingham
Mickey Billingham is an English keyboardist. He was the former keyboardist of the band Dexys Midnight Runners...
and Andy "Stoker" Growcott of Dexys Midnight Runners
Dexys Midnight Runners
Dexys Midnight Runners are a British pop group with soul influences, who achieved their major success in the early to mid 1980s. They are best known for their songs "Come On Eileen" and "Geno", both of which went No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart....
and Horace Panter
Horace Panter
Horace Panter also known as Sir Horace Gentleman, is the bassist for the Coventry 2 Tone, ska revival band The Specials....
of The Specials
The Specials
The Specials are an English 2 Tone ska revival band formed in 1977 in Coventry, England. Their music combines a "danceable ska and rocksteady beat with punk's energy and attitude", and had a "more focused and informed political and social stance" than other ska groups...
. They released the album All the Rage
All the Rage
All the Rage is the debut album by General Public, released in 1984 .-Track listing:# "Hot You're Cool" - 3:47 # "Tenderness" - 3:34...
, aided by the single "Tenderness". In 1986 they released Hand to Mouth
Hand to Mouth (album)
Hand to Mouth is the second album by General Public, released in 1986 .-Track listing:# "Come Again!" - 3:43 # "Faults and All" - 3:35...
which was significantly less successful, and the band soon split up.
In 1995 Roger and Wakeling reformed General Public with a new supporting band, and released the album "Rub It Better." Roger and Wakeling also worked on various projects and reunited for the Threesome
Threesome (film)
Threesome is a 1994 film, written and directed by Andrew Fleming. The film is an autobiographical comedy mixed in with some social commentary, and is based on the college memories of Fleming. It was given an R rating by the Motion Picture Association of America...
soundtrack, recording a cover of "I'll Take You There
I'll Take You There
"I'll Take You There" is a number-one single written and produced by Al Bell and performed by soul/gospel family band The Staple Singers, released on Stax Records in February 1972...
".
Roger has also released two solo albums. 1988's Radical Departure album included band members Horace Panter
Horace Panter
Horace Panter also known as Sir Horace Gentleman, is the bassist for the Coventry 2 Tone, ska revival band The Specials....
and Fuzz Townshend. On 2001's Inside my Head album, Roger pursued a more dance/electronic sound, including the song "Muscle Ska" that was co-written with Neville Staple of The Specials
The Specials
The Specials are an English 2 Tone ska revival band formed in 1977 in Coventry, England. Their music combines a "danceable ska and rocksteady beat with punk's energy and attitude", and had a "more focused and informed political and social stance" than other ska groups...
.
In the early 1990s, Roger joined members of The Specials
The Specials
The Specials are an English 2 Tone ska revival band formed in 1977 in Coventry, England. Their music combines a "danceable ska and rocksteady beat with punk's energy and attitude", and had a "more focused and informed political and social stance" than other ska groups...
to form the new band Special Beat
Special Beat
Special Beat is a 2 Tone band founded by members of The Specials and The Beat in the early 1990s. The band toured England, Japan and North America, and released some live albums.-Discography:*Live *Gangsters...
which released two live albums. In 1996 Roger sang back-up and toasting on the new version of "The Bed's Too Big Without You" on Sting's "Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot" CD-Maxi single. The rock band Smash Mouth
Smash Mouth
Smash Mouth is an American rock band from San Jose, California. The band was formed in 1994, and was originally composed of Steve Harwell, Greg Camp, Paul De Lisle and Kevin Coleman as lead vocals, guitar, bass and drums respectively...
featured Roger on their song "You Are My Number One" in 2003.
Ranking Roger's son, Matthew Murphy - 'Ranking Junior', has followed in his father's footsteps. In 2005, he appeared on The Ordinary Boys
The Ordinary Boys
The Ordinary Boys are an English indie rock band from Worthing, in West Sussex, England. Originally named Next in Line, they were influenced by mod revival and Britpop music, as well as the bands Madness, The Specials, The Kinks and The Smiths...
' hit single "Boys Will Be Boys". In 2003, The Beat's original line-up, minus Cox and Steele, played a sold-out one-off gig at the Royal Festival Hall
Royal Festival Hall
The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected...
.
In 2005, The Beat re-formed, counting Roger and Everett Morton
Everett Morton
Everett Morton is a drummer and percussionist from Birmingham, England, most notable as the drummer for the early 1980s ska band The Beat. Originally from the West Indies, Morton is known for his distinctive drumming style that includes syncopation and polyrhythm in a rock beat...
of the original line-up, with Ranking Junior also on vocals. The Beat performed at Glastonbury
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
the same year with new material written by Ranking Junior. The band is said to have the blessing of Cox, Steele and Saxa.
Roger appeared on two tracks 'Future Dub' and 'Come Around' from the 2008/9 album 'Turning Point' by Snakestyle.
Roger has recorded a new album with current members of The Beat, and it is currently being mixed.
Roger sang on "Roxanne
Roxanne (song)
"Roxanne" is a hit song by the rock band The Police, first released in 1978 as a single and on their album Outlandos d'Amour. It was written from the point-of-view of a man who falls in love with a prostitute.- History :...
" on stage with The Police
The Police
The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the vast majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...
on their 2007 world tour, and has regularly recorded with Sting.
Roger has 4 sisters; Annie; Juliet; Sandra and Equilar who was a backing singer for him. He also has a half brother and sister, Kevin and Sarah Charlery.
Discography
Radical Departure (1988 I.R.S. Records)- Falling Down (3:32)
- One Minute Closer (to Death) (5:50)
- Time to Mek a Dime (4:20)
- In Love With You (3:58)
- Smashing Down Another Door (4:15)
- So Excited (4:14)
- Mono Gone to Stereo (3:38)
- Your Problems (3:00)
- I Told You (3:48)
- Point of View (3:16)
- I'll Be There (3:52)
Inside My Head (2001 Paras Recording Records)
- Ambient 2 (5:06)
- Inside My Head (4:48)
- Dangerous (5:23)
- Love is Nothing (5:16)
- Roller Blades (You Can't Catch Me) (4:55)
- Muscle Ska (3:38)
- They Know (6:41)
- You'll Learn Someday (4:42)
- Sodom and Gomorrah (5:02)
- Future (3:59)
- More and More (U Ain't Seen Her) (3:35)
- Wingmakers Dub Pt. 3 (7:04)