VIA PRESS RELEASE | Rhino has entered into a long-term license agreement with The English Beat’s catalog and merchandise, marking the beginning of this exciting partnership with the release of an expanded version of the influential ska group’s 1980 debut, I Just Can’t Stop It.
The acclaimed album will be reissued as a 2-LP set on crystal-clear vinyl exclusively for Record Store Day Black Friday on November 24. The album is limited to 8,000 copies worldwide at participating indie retailers while supplies last. In addition, the band’s catalog is now available digitally through Rhino, including I Just Can’t Stop It and Special Beat Service.
Rhino Entertainment President Mark Pinkus expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership: “I am thrilled to have the incredible opportunity to work with the English Beat catalog. For Rhino to collaborate with such a legendary band is an absolute privilege, as it allows us to immerse ourselves in the timeless magic of their music, share in their creative brilliance, and contribute to the legacy of a group that has inspired generations.”
I Just Can’t Stop It (Expanded) includes the original album, a selection of rare mixes and live recordings. The original, which peaked at No.3 on the U.K. album chart, featured hit singles like “Hands Off…She’s Mine,” “Twist & Crawl,” and a fiery cover of Smokey Robinson and the Miracles’ “Tears Of A Clown.” The newly expanded version adds alternative mixes for all three songs and a dub version of “Stand Down Margaret.” The double album also includes live recordings from 1982 for “Mirror In The Bathroom,” “Best Friend,” and more.
Known simply as The Beat in their native England, the band’s lineup comprised Saxa (saxophone), Andy Cox (guitar), David Steele (bass), Everett Moreton (drums), Ranking Roger (vocals), and Dave Wakeling (vocals/guitar). Since its debut on Sire Records in America in May 1980, I Just Can’t Stop It has earned widespread praise for its irresistibly danceable sound.
In the liner notes for I Just Can’t Stop It (Expanded), music journalist Neil Kulkarni writes: “Multiracial in an era seething with racial division, deeply class-conscious, gloriously diverse in influences, The Beat provided a dancefloor-directed escape from the grim realities of early-’80s British life but also confronted those realities with songs about paranoia (“Mirror In The Bathroom”), insecurity (“Noise In This World”), and the new decade’s instability (“Stand Down Margaret”). Far beyond the revivalist constraints of the 2 Tone scene, The Beat’s imaginative hybrid sound was punchy, possessed with an infectious energy, and delivered with a unique sense of style on this absolute riot of a record.”
