General Public
The band General Public formed after the 1983 break-up of The Beat (aka The… Read Full Bio ↴The band General Public formed after the 1983 break-up of The Beat (aka The English Beat). Ex-Beat vocalists Dave Wakeling and Ranking Roger joined up with keyboardist Mickey Billingham (Dexys Midnight Runners), bassist Horace Panter (The Specials) and drummer Stoker (Dexys Midnight Runners/The Bureau) to form the band. Guitarist Mick Jones of The Clash was also originally announced as a band member.

General Public signed to I.R.S. Records and released All the Rage (1984). However, by the time the album was released, Jones was no longer a member of General Public, although he did play guitar on the majority of the album's tracks. Kevin White (who also played on the album) was now the group's official guitarist and sixth member.

In Britain, General Public had a minor hit with the eponymous track called "General Public", which reached # 60. The band fared better in North America, where their second single "Tenderness" was a top 40 hit in the US and Canada, reaching #27 on the U.S. charts, thanks in part to heavy play from MTV and Los Angeles-based modern rock station KROQ. (Ironically, The Beat never had any top 40 hits in the UK.) [Chart info cited from: The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, Billboard Books (2004).]

For the follow-up album, White and Stoker were replaced by brothers Gianni Minardi and Mario Minardi on guitar and drums, respectively. Unfortunately, despite featuring a track from the soundtrack to Weird Science, Hand to Mouth (1986) was significantly less successful than the debut album, and the band soon split up. They both front two versions of the band, with Roger & Everett Moreton ( as The Beat ) in the UK & Dave in America ( as The English Beat ).

Roger and Wakeling worked on various solo projects for the next few years, before reuniting in 1994 to perform a cover of The Staple Singers hit "I'll Take You There" for the Threesome soundtrack. The song, credited to General Public, was a surprise top 40 hit in the US and Canada, and a minor hit (#73) in the UK.

The duo (now the only members of General Public) stayed together to release the album Rub It Better in 1995, recorded with the aid of producer Jerry Harrison. But sales were dismal, and Roger was tired of the grind of touring, so they soon broke up again.

Beginning in 2000, Dave Wakeling began calling his backing band alternately either General Public or The English Beat. He then toured (mostly in North America) as either "The English Beat featuring Dave Wakeling" or "Dave Wakeling & General Public". Aside from Wakeling, this new backing band featured no original members of The (English) Beat or General Public, although reportedly Ranking Roger and other Beat members turned up as guest performers at a handful of shows.
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General Public Lyrics


Anxious Hanging on the line Waiting to be picked Same old story Ever…
Are You Leading Me On Say you'll be there I'll change my clothes and wash my…
As A Matter Of Fact Matter of order As a matter of fact First to get told Last…
Big Bed This one is called the big bed "Cause it's kind of…
Blowhard The kind that knows exactly what you should have done But…
Burning Bright Turn it up Watch the skies for signs or planes Same old…
Cheque In The Post Cheque in the post, cheque in the post I`m looking…
Come Again There's been so much eye for an eye Now I can't…
Cry On Your Own Shoulder Don`t you think that you`ve already done enough? Doesn`t you…
Day-To-Day Day to day, day to day Yeah, you know Day to day Day…
Faults And All can't take my own advice your letter reached me the other…
Forward As One Duck & cover in the tower of babel Train your children…
Friends Again Sitting there, Making out that it`s just not fair at all Col…



General Public Come and join the federation We could have communication You…
Handgun Now there`s a place I know, and I sometimes love Where…
Hold It Deep This tiny spark could brighten up your darkest day And righ…
Hot You're Cool In a far far cooler light This could seem too deep…
I'll Take You There Oh . . . mmm I know a place Ain't nobody cryin' Ain't…
In Conversation In conversation in conversation in conversation in conversa…
It Must Be Tough Maybe you will and maybe you won't Maybe you care, but…
It's Weird Musical thing keep you rocking So all you got to do…
Love Without The Fun You know you're not the only one Who'd like to grab…
Murder What made the truth sound like a lie Led step by…
Never All There The tips he gets turn out to be rubbish He`s crossed…
Never Not Alone When you`re out on the street In amongst a thousand people …
Never You Done That Well who would've guessed? Well I guess I should The second …
Punk But here comes the musical thing keep You rockin' an swing…
Rainy Days Musical thing called the rainy days Specially designed not …
Rub It Better Now come in all G.P. crew This one is dedicated to…
Tenderness Aah, ah, ah, oh Aah, aah, aah, oh I don't know where…
Too Much Of Nothing Are the lights so bright That you can`t see How a little…
Warm Love Look at the ivy on the old clinging wall Look at…
Where's The Line Always tried to keep in touch, but somehow the ringing…


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