From its inception, General Public was a band known better for what it usedto be than what it would become. Created in 1983 by Dave Wakeling and"toaster" Ranking Roger -- former members of the phenomenal ska-pop English Beat -- General Public looked good out of the starting gate, butfailed to work up a sweat. The band recorded three albums in 12 years andtook a very long hiatus.
Even guest appearances from the Clash's Mike Jones and former Beat bandmateSaxa could not help the Public's first album, . . .All the Rage,make a name for itself at home or in the U.S. The repeated disappointmentof 1986's Hand to Mouth prompted the band to break things off forgood.
Far from grief-stricken, the boys immediately launched into independentprojects. Roger released Radical Departure in 1988 and teamed upwith the Specials' Neville Staples to tour under the name Special Beat.Before moving to Los Angeles and devoting his life to the Greenpeace cause,Wakeling released one last album called No Warning and the titletrack to John Hughes' 1988 film She's Having a Baby.
But who needs a heart when money is involved? Despite the distance andproblems between them, Roger and Wakeling reunited in 1994 to record areggae-pop version of the Staple Singers' "I'll Take You There" for theThreesome soundtrack. The success of that single prompted them therecord one more album for old time's sake: Rub It Better would proveto be General Public's best effort yet. A modern mix of contemporary rock,dancehall, hip hop, soul, pop and politics, even Rub It Better couldnot keep General Public united for more than a few months. |
