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The Beat (US)
Encyclopedia
The Beat were an American rock
and power pop
group from Los Angeles
, California that formed in the late 1970s. The Beat resurfaced in the 1990s and continues to tour and record new material as Paul Collins' Beat. Frontman Paul Collins
has released several projects with his alternative country
group The Paul Collins Band, who play Americana music inspired by country rock
and folk rock
.
, a seminal power pop combo featuring Paul Collins
(born 1956, New York City), Peter Case
(the future frontman of The Plimsouls
), and Jack Lee. Collins played the drums; all three members composed and sang. Collins contributed several songs to the band including "Walking Out On Love," "Let Me Into Your Life" and one song, "Working Too Hard", to the group's only release, a 1976 self-titled four-song EP distributed by independent Bomp! Records
. The Nerves are most famous for Lee's "Hanging on the Telephone
" later popularized by Blondie
on their breakthrough album Parallel Lines
. After The Nerves' demise Collins and Case formed The Breakaways which went through several guitarists until Case and Collins both moved to guitar and recruited Mike Ruiz (drums) and Steven Huff (bass and backing vocals). Case left the group after a few months of rehearsals to pursue a solo career which led to the eventual formation of The Plimsouls. Collins, Huff and Ruiz officially became "The Beat" when pressed for a group name prior to an interview to promote the release of The Breakaways recording of "Walking Out On Love" (credited as Paul Collins) on Bomp's Waves Vol. 1.
days in San Francisco, Eddie Money
and his Producer Bruce Botnick
, Collins was able to ink a deal with Columbia/CBS and Bill Graham
Management. CBS released their self-titled debut
in October 1979. All 12 songs were Collins originals; Peter Case
, Steven Huff and Eddie Money
had one co-writing credit each, all on different songs. Continuing in The Nerves' vein, the album consisted of harmony-laden, driving guitar pop songs, including a re-recorded version of "Working Too Hard". The album was critically acclaimed and is today remembered as a classic of the power pop
genre (see [ this] 4.5-star review in Allmusic). The group appeared on Dick Clark
's American Bandstand
, (March 8, 1980), The Merv Griffin Show and that same year contributed a song to the soundtrack LP of the popular comedy movie Caddyshack
. Despite promotion, respectable airplay on commercial and College radio, diligent touring alongside such popular artists as Ian Gomm
, The Jam
and a tour of Europe, The Beat found little commercial success.
The band's second CBS LP, The Kids Are The Same was released two years later in 1982 with drummer Ruiz now replaced by Dennis Conway, who played for both Elton John
and Alice Cooper
. The group was now billed worldwide as "Paul Collins' Beat".
The British ska
group of the same name were first to establish themselves as "The Beat" in Europe, prompting a voluntary decision for the U.S. group to be billed as "Paul Collins' Beat" in Europe. In the U.S., Collins' "The Beat" was first to release an album in turn forcing the British group to use the name "The English Beat" in the U.S., albeit only after the British group was threatened with a lawsuit by Columbia
, Collins' record label.
Not as critically successful as its predecessor, The Kids Are The Same was also a commercial flop. A two year lag between releases, a name change and this "sophomore slump" resulted in the group being dropped from CBS-Columbia. Undaunted, the group self-financed the production of 3 videos featuring songs from the LP now abandoned by their former label. One of these videos "On The Highway", which had been modestly promoted to AOR radio by CBS, was put on medium rotation for several months on the then fledgling MTV network.
With an overhauled New York City line-up (Conway and Whitman were replaced by Patti Smith
drummer Jay Dee Daugherty
and Television
/Tom Verlaine
guitarist Jimmy Ripp
), the group reclaimed the name "The Beat" and released the 5 song 12" Mini-Album To Beat or Not To Beat in 1983 on the independent Jem/Passport label in the U.S.. One song from the album, "Dance, Dance", was made into a music video in 1984 and received limited exposure on MTV. To Beat or Not To Beat, with an additional song, was released in Europe where the group relocated (and would remain for the next several years) to promote the release and tour.
In 1985 another 6 song 12" Mini-Album "Longtime Gone" was produced by former Motorhead drummer Lucas Fox and recorded in London with UK musicians, being released only in Europe. A live album recorded in Madrid, Spain with Spanish members titled Live At The Universal followed in 1986. Collins relocated to San Francisco, releasing the album One Night, with yet another incarnation of an all American Beat, this time credited as "Paul Collins + The Beat", through Sony in 1989 (again only in Europe). One Night was their first album to feature acoustic instruments such as mandolin and acoustic guitar. This was their final studio album before disbanding. Collins would go on to record several solo albums before later re-forming a new version of The Beat.
. The Paul Collins' Beat music videos "On The Highway" and "Dance, Dance" are occasionally aired on the VH1 Classic and MTV2 television networks.
In 2006 Collins resurrected "Paul Collins' Beat" with the help of bassist Juancho Bummer and a slightly younger Spanish lineup and recorded a live album entitled Live In Europe, released as a free MP3 CD album download on their official website followed by a CD of all new original material, "Flying High", recorded in Madrid, Spain. That was followed in March 2008 with Ribbon Of Gold. This album contains several songs the band performs live in concert, including Falling In Love With Her, I Still Want You, Big Pop Song and She Doesn't Want To Hang Around With You. Paul Collins' Beat latest release is a split 7" with the Italian powerpop band Radio Days (band), released by the italian label Surfin Ki Records. In 2009, Bill Graham catalog released Live At Berkely Theatre with Eddie Money through Wolfgang's Vault
,
In addition to touring and recording with Paul Collins' Beat bassist Juancho Bummer is currently working on new material with his group Thunderboss, featuring lead guitar
ist Ross "The Boss" Friedman and drummer J.P. Patterson of notable rock groups The Dictators
and Manowar.
Today, Collins continues to tour and record new material, playing dates in the Japan, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, USA (most recently SXSW in Austin, Texas), and throughout Europe in France, Germany, England, Norway, Brazil, Canada, Sweden, Italy, Sweden and Germany.
and recorded an album of new material with Jim Diamond
at his Ghetto Recorders studio in Detroit, Michigan. Diamond is a respected Record producer
, who is best known for his work with The White Stripes
. The studio relies on recording equipment that is at least 20 years-old and Diamond is said to use a 2" 24-track tape machine among other mixing boards and various pieces of equipment. The planned release date for the new album will be in August 2010. The album will include artwork by famed artist Bill Stout in addition to a guest performance by Wally Palmar, vocalist and harmonica player from The Romantics
and Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band
.
, punk rock
, power pop
, new wave, Alternative rock
, ska
, garage rock
, Hardcore punk
, classic rock and roll
, skate punk
, emo
, melodic hardcore
, Grindcore
, crust punk
, grunge
, skacore
, heavy metal
, Thrash metal
, crossover thrash
, metalcore
, rapcore
, post-hardcore
and speed metal
.
The business model for The Beat Army is a simple process in which a band or artist agrees to book a club or festival gig for both themselves and Paul Collins' Beat, who agree to perform the show as a headlining act. Once Collins and his management approve the contract, the band serves as a booking agent and the venue is chosen based upon its style of music and the type of people it attracts. After the performance, Collins divides the proceeds evenly between his band, himself and the members of the opening act.
With Collins' solo albums heavily rooted in the genres of alt-country, Americana, folk and country music, he continues to maintain a diversified fanbase. The Beat Army has enabled Collins to book shows with country bands, singer-songwriters, folk artists, and rockabilly bands.
drummer Dennis Conway, Thunderboss bassist Juancho Lopez, Protones guitarist Octavio Vinck, bassist Steven Huff, Drummer Fabian Jolivet (Pistones), Patti Smith Group
drummer Jay Dee Daugherty
, guitarist Patrick Collins, Milk 'n' Cookies drummer Mike Ruiz, drummer Manolo Iglesias (Tequila), future Television
guitarist Jimmy Ripp
, Needles & Pins guitarist Larry Whitman, Secret Affair
drummer Paul Bultitude
, and Rebel Waltz bassist Timm Buechler.
, was reported to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Although ruled a suicide the identity of the true trigger puller is highly suspect when circumstances, location and witnesses are taken into account and remains an unsolved mystery. Before joining The Beat, Whitman was Producer, songwriter and member of L.A. pop group Needles & Pins whose only release was the Spector influenced 45 RPM single "Don't You Worry" b/w the ironically titled "I Wanna Play With Guns".
A poster of The Beat's self-titled first album can be seen in the opening credits of some episodes of "WKRP In Cincinnati".
Portions of the album The Kids Are The Same were recorded in 1980 at Twentieth Century Fox Music Scoring Stage during a Musician's Union strike against the motion-picture and television industries. The Beat is quite possibly the only Rock and Roll group to record in this historic studio.
Although The Beat's song "There She Goes" is included on the Soundtrack album of the film Caddyshack
and listed in the closing credits it was not used in the final cut of the film.
The True Crime novel "Small Sacrifices" by Ann Rule tells the story of Diane Downs who shot her three children (killing one) and herself in the family car while Duran Durans "Hungry Like the Wolf" played on the car stereo. The police report inventory of the glove box revealed the fact that only two cassettes were in the car at the time of the murders. "The Beat" and Duran Duran.
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
and power pop
Power pop
Power pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...
group from Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California that formed in the late 1970s. The Beat resurfaced in the 1990s and continues to tour and record new material as Paul Collins' Beat. Frontman Paul Collins
Paul Collins (musician)
Paul Collins is an American writer, author, music producer, and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known for his work in the power pop groups The Nerves, The Breakaways and The Beat.-Biography:...
has released several projects with his alternative country
Alternative country
Alternative country is a loosely defined sub-genre of country music, which includes acts that differ significantly in style from mainstream or pop country music...
group The Paul Collins Band, who play Americana music inspired by country rock
Country rock
Country rock is sub-genre of popular music, formed from the fusion of rock with country. The term is generally used to refer to the wave of rock musicians who began to record country-flavored records in the late 1960s and early 1970s, beginning with Bob Dylan and The Byrds; reaching its greatest...
and folk rock
Folk rock
Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
.
Early development
The roots of The Beat lie in The NervesThe Nerves
The Nerves were a mid-'70s American power pop trio based in Los Angeles, featuring guitarist Jack Lee, bassist Peter Case, and drummer Paul Collins. All three members composed songs and sang. They managed an international tour in the U.S. and Canada, including dates with The Ramones, and...
, a seminal power pop combo featuring Paul Collins
Paul Collins (musician)
Paul Collins is an American writer, author, music producer, and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known for his work in the power pop groups The Nerves, The Breakaways and The Beat.-Biography:...
(born 1956, New York City), Peter Case
Peter Case
Peter Case is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist, who has had a wide-ranging career ranging from new wave music to folk rock to solo acoustic performance.-Early career:...
(the future frontman of The Plimsouls
The Plimsouls
The Plimsouls are an American rock band formed in Paramount, California in 1978.-Formation:Formed by singer, guitarist and songwriter Peter Case , the Plimsouls began as a trio in 1978 which included Case, bassist Dave Pahoa and drummer Louie Ramírez...
), and Jack Lee. Collins played the drums; all three members composed and sang. Collins contributed several songs to the band including "Walking Out On Love," "Let Me Into Your Life" and one song, "Working Too Hard", to the group's only release, a 1976 self-titled four-song EP distributed by independent Bomp! Records
Bomp! Records
Bomp! Records is an Los Angeles-based indie label formed in 1974 by fanzine publisher and music historian Greg Shaw.-History:The label has featured punk, pop, powerpop, garage rock, new wave, old school rock, neo-psychedelia among other genres, and its roster has included artists such as The Modern...
. The Nerves are most famous for Lee's "Hanging on the Telephone
Hanging on the Telephone
"Hanging on the Telephone" is a song written by Jack Lee and first performed by Lee's short-lived US West Coast power pop trio The Nerves, who placed it as the lead-off track on their 1976 EP, the band's only release. New Wave band Blondie popularised the song when it was released as the second...
" later popularized by Blondie
Blondie (band)
Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s...
on their breakthrough album Parallel Lines
Parallel Lines
Parallel Lines is the third studio album by American New Wave band Blondie, released in 1978 by Chrysalis Records. Their most popular and best-selling effort, Parallel Lines was the first Blondie album to be produced by Mike Chapman. The album reached number one in the United Kingdom in February 1979...
. After The Nerves' demise Collins and Case formed The Breakaways which went through several guitarists until Case and Collins both moved to guitar and recruited Mike Ruiz (drums) and Steven Huff (bass and backing vocals). Case left the group after a few months of rehearsals to pursue a solo career which led to the eventual formation of The Plimsouls. Collins, Huff and Ruiz officially became "The Beat" when pressed for a group name prior to an interview to promote the release of The Breakaways recording of "Walking Out On Love" (credited as Paul Collins) on Bomp's Waves Vol. 1.
Transition years
The LA power pop scene was beginning to garner national attention and with the help of Collins' friend from The NervesThe Nerves
The Nerves were a mid-'70s American power pop trio based in Los Angeles, featuring guitarist Jack Lee, bassist Peter Case, and drummer Paul Collins. All three members composed songs and sang. They managed an international tour in the U.S. and Canada, including dates with The Ramones, and...
days in San Francisco, Eddie Money
Eddie Money
Eddie Money is an American rock guitarist, saxophonist and singer-songwriter who found success in the 1970s and 1980s with a string of Top 40 hits and platinum albums...
and his Producer Bruce Botnick
Bruce Botnick
Bruce Botnick is an American audio engineer and record producer, best known for his work with The Doors, and with Love. He engineered Love's first two albums, and co-produced their third album, Forever Changes, with the band's singer-songwriter, Arthur Lee.In November 1970, he took over production...
, Collins was able to ink a deal with Columbia/CBS and Bill Graham
Bill Graham
William Carvel "Bill" Graham, PC QC is a former Canadian politician, who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of National Defence, and Leader of the Opposition and interim Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada.-Personal life:...
Management. CBS released their self-titled debut
The Beat LP
The Beat was the debut album by American power pop band The Beat, released in 1979 on Columbia Records. The Beat featured rhythm guitarist, lead vocalist and primary songwriter Paul Collins, bassist and second vocalist Steven Huff, lead guitarist and third vocalist Larry Whitman, and drummer and...
in October 1979. All 12 songs were Collins originals; Peter Case
Peter Case
Peter Case is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist, who has had a wide-ranging career ranging from new wave music to folk rock to solo acoustic performance.-Early career:...
, Steven Huff and Eddie Money
Eddie Money
Eddie Money is an American rock guitarist, saxophonist and singer-songwriter who found success in the 1970s and 1980s with a string of Top 40 hits and platinum albums...
had one co-writing credit each, all on different songs. Continuing in The Nerves' vein, the album consisted of harmony-laden, driving guitar pop songs, including a re-recorded version of "Working Too Hard". The album was critically acclaimed and is today remembered as a classic of the power pop
Power pop
Power pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...
genre (see [ this] 4.5-star review in Allmusic). The group appeared on Dick Clark
Dick Clark (entertainer)
Richard Wagstaff "Dick" Clark is an American businessman; game-show host; and radio and television personality. He served as chairman and chief executive officer of Dick Clark Productions, which he has sold part of in recent years...
's American Bandstand
American Bandstand
American Bandstand is an American music-performance show that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989 and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as producer...
, (March 8, 1980), The Merv Griffin Show and that same year contributed a song to the soundtrack LP of the popular comedy movie Caddyshack
Caddyshack
Caddyshack is a 1980 American comedy film directed by Harold Ramis and written by Brian Doyle-Murray, Ramis, and Douglas Kenney. It stars Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Ted Knight, Michael O'Keefe, Cindy Morgan, and Bill Murray...
. Despite promotion, respectable airplay on commercial and College radio, diligent touring alongside such popular artists as Ian Gomm
Ian Gomm
Ian Robert Gomm is a British singer-songwriter, who was the rhythm guitarist for Brinsley Schwarz from 1970 to 1974. He was named "Best Rhythm Guitarist" by NME in 1971.[]...
, The Jam
The Jam
The Jam were an English punk rock/New Wave/mod revival band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. They were formed in Woking, Surrey. While they shared the "angry young men" outlook and fast tempos of their punk rock contemporaries, The Jam wore smartly tailored suits rather than ripped...
and a tour of Europe, The Beat found little commercial success.
The band's second CBS LP, The Kids Are The Same was released two years later in 1982 with drummer Ruiz now replaced by Dennis Conway, who played for both Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
and Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
. The group was now billed worldwide as "Paul Collins' Beat".
The British 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...
group of the same name were first to establish themselves as "The Beat" in Europe, prompting a voluntary decision for the U.S. group to be billed as "Paul Collins' Beat" in Europe. In the U.S., Collins' "The Beat" was first to release an album in turn forcing the British group to use the name "The English Beat" in the U.S., albeit only after the British group was threatened with a lawsuit by Columbia
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
, Collins' record label.
Not as critically successful as its predecessor, The Kids Are The Same was also a commercial flop. A two year lag between releases, a name change and this "sophomore slump" resulted in the group being dropped from CBS-Columbia. Undaunted, the group self-financed the production of 3 videos featuring songs from the LP now abandoned by their former label. One of these videos "On The Highway", which had been modestly promoted to AOR radio by CBS, was put on medium rotation for several months on the then fledgling MTV network.
With an overhauled New York City line-up (Conway and Whitman were replaced by Patti Smith
Patti Smith
Patricia Lee "Patti" Smith is an American singer-songwriter, poet and visual artist, who became a highly influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album Horses....
drummer Jay Dee Daugherty
Jay Dee Daugherty
Jay Dee Daugherty is an American drummer and songwriter most known for his work with Patti Smith. As a member of the Patti Smith Group, he has been nominated twice to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.- Biography :...
and Television
Television (band)
Television was an American rock band, formed in New York City in 1973. They are best known for the album Marquee Moon and widely regarded as one of the founders of "punk" and New Wave music. Television was part of the early 1970s New York underground rock scene, along with bands like the Patti...
/Tom Verlaine
Tom Verlaine
Tom Verlaine is a singer, songwriter and guitarist, best known as the frontman for the New York rock band Television.-Biography:...
guitarist Jimmy Ripp
Jimmy Ripp
Jimmy Rip is an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer, who is known for his work with Jerry Lee Lewis, Mick Jagger, Michael Monroe and the former Television band leader Tom Verlaine.Rip began playing guitar at the age of six....
), the group reclaimed the name "The Beat" and released the 5 song 12" Mini-Album To Beat or Not To Beat in 1983 on the independent Jem/Passport label in the U.S.. One song from the album, "Dance, Dance", was made into a music video in 1984 and received limited exposure on MTV. To Beat or Not To Beat, with an additional song, was released in Europe where the group relocated (and would remain for the next several years) to promote the release and tour.
In 1985 another 6 song 12" Mini-Album "Longtime Gone" was produced by former Motorhead drummer Lucas Fox and recorded in London with UK musicians, being released only in Europe. A live album recorded in Madrid, Spain with Spanish members titled Live At The Universal followed in 1986. Collins relocated to San Francisco, releasing the album One Night, with yet another incarnation of an all American Beat, this time credited as "Paul Collins + The Beat", through Sony in 1989 (again only in Europe). One Night was their first album to feature acoustic instruments such as mandolin and acoustic guitar. This was their final studio album before disbanding. Collins would go on to record several solo albums before later re-forming a new version of The Beat.
Later years
Collins embarked on a solo career in the 1990s, releasing "Paul Collins" in 1992, featuring numerous guest appearances by S.F. Bay Area notables. Collins then returned to his "hometown" of New York City. Focusing his songwriting on Country, Folk and Americana he formed "The Paul Collins Band" which produced the 1993 release "From Town To Town". Collins continues to tour, while retaining a cult following; he is particularly popular in SpainSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. The Paul Collins' Beat music videos "On The Highway" and "Dance, Dance" are occasionally aired on the VH1 Classic and MTV2 television networks.
In 2006 Collins resurrected "Paul Collins' Beat" with the help of bassist Juancho Bummer and a slightly younger Spanish lineup and recorded a live album entitled Live In Europe, released as a free MP3 CD album download on their official website followed by a CD of all new original material, "Flying High", recorded in Madrid, Spain. That was followed in March 2008 with Ribbon Of Gold. This album contains several songs the band performs live in concert, including Falling In Love With Her, I Still Want You, Big Pop Song and She Doesn't Want To Hang Around With You. Paul Collins' Beat latest release is a split 7" with the Italian powerpop band Radio Days (band), released by the italian label Surfin Ki Records. In 2009, Bill Graham catalog released Live At Berkely Theatre with Eddie Money through Wolfgang's Vault
Wolfgang's Vault
Wolfgang's Vault is a private music-focused company established in 2003 dedicated to the restoration and archiving of live concert recordings in audio and video format and the sale of music memorabilia. It began with the collection of the late promoter Bill Graham, and added multiple other music...
,
In addition to touring and recording with Paul Collins' Beat bassist Juancho Bummer is currently working on new material with his group Thunderboss, featuring lead guitar
Lead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
ist Ross "The Boss" Friedman and drummer J.P. Patterson of notable rock groups The Dictators
The Dictators
The Dictators are an American punk rock band formed in New York City in 1973. Critic John Dougan said that they were "one of the finest and most influential proto-punk bands to walk the earth." The Dictators are represented in the "Punk Wing" of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, in Cleveland, Ohio...
and Manowar.
Today, Collins continues to tour and record new material, playing dates in the Japan, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, USA (most recently SXSW in Austin, Texas), and throughout Europe in France, Germany, England, Norway, Brazil, Canada, Sweden, Italy, Sweden and Germany.
Comeback Album
In 2010, Collins Paul Collins' Beat signed a record deal with Alive NaturalsoundAlive Records
Alive Naturalsound Records – also known simply as Alive Records – started in 1994 in Los Angeles, California, by Patrick Boissel, is an independent record label specializing in garage rock, punk blues, garage punk, psychedelic rock, power pop and blues-rock music. It grew out of Boissel's...
and recorded an album of new material with Jim Diamond
Jim Diamond (music producer)
Jim Diamond is a music producer, studio engineer, and bass guitar player based in Detroit, Michigan. He worked on the first two White Stripes albums and played bass with The Dirtbombs.- Background :...
at his Ghetto Recorders studio in Detroit, Michigan. Diamond is a respected Record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, who is best known for his work with The White Stripes
The White Stripes
The White Stripes was an American rock band, formed in 1997 in Detroit, Michigan. The group consisted of the songwriter Jack White and drummer Meg White . Jack and Meg White were previously married to each other, but are now divorced...
. The studio relies on recording equipment that is at least 20 years-old and Diamond is said to use a 2" 24-track tape machine among other mixing boards and various pieces of equipment. The planned release date for the new album will be in August 2010. The album will include artwork by famed artist Bill Stout in addition to a guest performance by Wally Palmar, vocalist and harmonica player from The Romantics
The Romantics
The Romantics is an American New Wave band from Detroit, Michigan, formed in 1977. The band adopted the name "The Romantics" because they formed on Valentine's Day, 1977. The Romantics achieved popularity in the United Kingdom, The U.S...
and Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band
Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band
To date, Ringo Starr has toured with eleven versions of his All-Starr Band where "everybody on stage is a star in their own right." Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band is a concept that was created by producer David Fishof...
.
The Beat Army
During 2005, Collins launched a new music program and partner-based booking agency that was recently re-named as The Beat Army. Combining admirable business ethics with his love for all things music, Collins created a forum where fans, bands, clubs, radio stations, blogs and record stores can network. The interaction between Paul Collins' Beat and other bands has enabled him to cross-promote his new projects, book shows on several continents and establish a worldwide network of industry friends, fans, musicians and artists from the genres of rockRock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, 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...
, power pop
Power pop
Power pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...
, new wave, Alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
, 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...
, garage rock
Garage rock
Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. During the 1960s, it was not recognized as a separate music genre and had no specific name...
, Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
, classic rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
, skate punk
Skate punk
Skate punk is a sub genre of punk rock, originally a derivative of the West Coast hardcore punk scene, that is named after its popularity among skateboarders and association with skateboarding culture. Skate punk most commonly describes the sound of melodic hardcore bands from the 1990s with an...
, emo
Emo
Emo is a style of rock music and its associated subcultureEmo may also refer to:- Businesses :* Emo , an Irish oil company and filling station chain* Emo Speedway, a racetrack in Emo, Ontario...
, melodic hardcore
Melodic hardcore
Melodic hardcore is a subgenre of hardcore punk with a strong emphasis on vocal melody. The genre is commonly defined with fast hardcore drum beats, complex guitar riffs and melodic singing with occasional screaming and shouting.-History:...
, Grindcore
Grindcore
Grindcore is an extreme genre of music that started in the early- to mid-1980s. It draws inspiration from some of the most abrasive music genres – including death metal, industrial music, noise and the more extreme varieties of hardcore punk....
, crust punk
Crust punk
Crust punk is a form of music influenced by anarcho-punk, hardcore punk and extreme metal. The style, which evolved in the mid-1980s in England, often has songs with dark and pessimistic lyrics that linger on political and social ills...
, grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
, skacore
Ska punk
Ska punk is a fusion music genre that combines ska and punk rock. It achieved its highest level of commercial success in the United States in the late 1990s. Ska-core is a subgenre of ska punk, blending ska with hardcore punk.The characteristics of ska punk vary, due to the fusion of contrasting...
, heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
, Thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
, crossover thrash
Crossover thrash
__FORCETOC__Crossover thrash, often abbreviated to crossover, is a form of thrash metal that contains more hardcore punk elements than standard thrash. The genre lies on a continuum between heavy metal and punk rock...
, metalcore
Metalcore
Metalcore is a subgenre of heavy metal combining various elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. The name is a portmanteau of the names of the two genres. The term took on its current meaning in the mid-1990s, describing bands such as Earth Crisis, Deadguy and Integrity...
, rapcore
Rapcore
Rapcore is a subgenre of rap rock fusing vocal and sometimes instrumental elements of hip hop with punk rock .-History:...
, post-hardcore
Post-hardcore
Post-hardcore is a genre of music that developed from hardcore punk, itself an offshoot of the broader punk rock movement. Like post-punk, post-hardcore is a term for a broad constellation of groups...
and speed metal
Speed metal
Speed metal is a sub-genre of heavy metal music that originated in the late 1970s from NWOBHM and hardcore punk roots. It is described by Allmusic as "extremely fast, abrasive, and technically demanding" music....
.
The business model for The Beat Army is a simple process in which a band or artist agrees to book a club or festival gig for both themselves and Paul Collins' Beat, who agree to perform the show as a headlining act. Once Collins and his management approve the contract, the band serves as a booking agent and the venue is chosen based upon its style of music and the type of people it attracts. After the performance, Collins divides the proceeds evenly between his band, himself and the members of the opening act.
With Collins' solo albums heavily rooted in the genres of alt-country, Americana, folk and country music, he continues to maintain a diversified fanbase. The Beat Army has enabled Collins to book shows with country bands, singer-songwriters, folk artists, and rockabilly bands.
Band members
Major members of Paul Collins' Beat have included Alice CooperAlice Cooper
Alice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
drummer Dennis Conway, Thunderboss bassist Juancho Lopez, Protones guitarist Octavio Vinck, bassist Steven Huff, Drummer Fabian Jolivet (Pistones), Patti Smith Group
Patti Smith
Patricia Lee "Patti" Smith is an American singer-songwriter, poet and visual artist, who became a highly influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album Horses....
drummer Jay Dee Daugherty
Jay Dee Daugherty
Jay Dee Daugherty is an American drummer and songwriter most known for his work with Patti Smith. As a member of the Patti Smith Group, he has been nominated twice to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.- Biography :...
, guitarist Patrick Collins, Milk 'n' Cookies drummer Mike Ruiz, drummer Manolo Iglesias (Tequila), future Television
Television (band)
Television was an American rock band, formed in New York City in 1973. They are best known for the album Marquee Moon and widely regarded as one of the founders of "punk" and New Wave music. Television was part of the early 1970s New York underground rock scene, along with bands like the Patti...
guitarist Jimmy Ripp
Jimmy Ripp
Jimmy Rip is an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer, who is known for his work with Jerry Lee Lewis, Mick Jagger, Michael Monroe and the former Television band leader Tom Verlaine.Rip began playing guitar at the age of six....
, Needles & Pins guitarist Larry Whitman, Secret Affair
Secret Affair
Secret Affair were a mod revival band, formed in 1978 and disbanded in 1982. They reformed to perform and record in the 2000s.-Career:In a period of a little over two years, Secret Affair posted five releases in the UK Singles Chart and released three albums...
drummer Paul Bultitude
Paul Bultitude
Paul Bultitude is an English musician and record producer. He was the drummer in power pop band Advertising, working with his cousin Dennis Smith, Tot Taylor and Simon Boswell, before replacing Seb Shelton as the drummer in Secret Affair...
, and Rebel Waltz bassist Timm Buechler.
Trivia
Original Beat lead guitarist Larry Whitman (September 27, 1955 - July 26, 1997), a devoted fan of Phil SpectorPhil Spector
Phillip Harvey "Phil" Spector is an American record producer and songwriter, later known for his conviction in the murder of actress Lana Clarkson....
, was reported to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Although ruled a suicide the identity of the true trigger puller is highly suspect when circumstances, location and witnesses are taken into account and remains an unsolved mystery. Before joining The Beat, Whitman was Producer, songwriter and member of L.A. pop group Needles & Pins whose only release was the Spector influenced 45 RPM single "Don't You Worry" b/w the ironically titled "I Wanna Play With Guns".
A poster of The Beat's self-titled first album can be seen in the opening credits of some episodes of "WKRP In Cincinnati".
Portions of the album The Kids Are The Same were recorded in 1980 at Twentieth Century Fox Music Scoring Stage during a Musician's Union strike against the motion-picture and television industries. The Beat is quite possibly the only Rock and Roll group to record in this historic studio.
Although The Beat's song "There She Goes" is included on the Soundtrack album of the film Caddyshack
Caddyshack
Caddyshack is a 1980 American comedy film directed by Harold Ramis and written by Brian Doyle-Murray, Ramis, and Douglas Kenney. It stars Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Ted Knight, Michael O'Keefe, Cindy Morgan, and Bill Murray...
and listed in the closing credits it was not used in the final cut of the film.
The True Crime novel "Small Sacrifices" by Ann Rule tells the story of Diane Downs who shot her three children (killing one) and herself in the family car while Duran Durans "Hungry Like the Wolf" played on the car stereo. The police report inventory of the glove box revealed the fact that only two cassettes were in the car at the time of the murders. "The Beat" and Duran Duran.
Albums
- The Beat LPThe Beat LPThe Beat was the debut album by American power pop band The Beat, released in 1979 on Columbia Records. The Beat featured rhythm guitarist, lead vocalist and primary songwriter Paul Collins, bassist and second vocalist Steven Huff, lead guitarist and third vocalist Larry Whitman, and drummer and...
© 1979 CBS Records CD © 2005 Wounded Bird Records - The Kids Are The Same LP © 1981 CBS Records CD © 2005 Wounded Bird Records
- To Beat Or Not To Beat © 1983 EP Passport Records CD © 2005 Wounded Bird Records
- Long Time Gone CD © 1985 © 2005 Wounded Bird Records
- Live At Universal CD © 1986
- One Night CD © 1989
- Paul Collins CD © 1992
- From Town To Town CD © 1999 Caroline Records/Wagon Wheel Records
- Live In Spain © 1999 Wagon Wheel Records
- Let's Go (Paul Collins with The Yum Yums) © 1999
- Paul Collins CD © 2000 Julio's Records Label
- The Beat Or Not The Beat: A Tribute To Paul Collins CD © 2002 Wagon Wheel Records
- Flying High CD © 2007 Get Hip Recordings
- Live In Europe: The Concert Free Web Download CD © 2008 Wagon Wheel Records
- Ribbon Of Gold CD © 2008 Rock Indiana
- Live At Berkely Theatre with Eddie Money CD © 2009 Bill Graham Catalog on Wolfgang's Vault
Bootlegs
- Paul Collins' Beat - Live 1-17-80 Santa Monica Civic Center ©2002 Buddy Beat Records - CDR
- Paul Collins' Beat - Live 2.9.79 Old Waldorf S.F., Ca. - Japan - CDR
- The Beat 1978 to 1980 The Untold Story - Unreleased Demos and Outtakes - CDR
- Paul Collins' Beat Live In London 2006 - Recorded Live At The Borderline London, England - CDR
- Paul Collins' Beat Live @ SXSW 2007 - Official Music Festival Video Showcase - DVDR
- Paul Collins' Beat - Wild Weekend Festival Live 2008 - Greatest Hits Live ©2008 Mantis Recordings - CDR
External links
- Official site
- NoiseTrade Official site for Free Album Downloads
- Paul Collins' Beat Fan Site
- Paul Collins Beat reissues on Wounded Bird Records
- Paul Collins Beat on MySpace
- Paul Collins' Beat Concert Downloads on Wolfgang's Vault
- Punk Globe Magazine feature on The Beat Army
- John Wicks and Paul Collins Living Room House Concert Tour Official site
- Paul Collins Beat on iLike