The English Beat- Mirror In The Bathroom

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Loosely touched on in In praise of "I Just Can't Stop It" by the English Beat . However, considering this is currently the best song in history it probably deserves a full thread. So here it is.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Sunday, 19 February 2006 21:23 (7 years ago) Permalink

Roots Manuva's favourite song ever, which isn't really that surprising when you think about it.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Sunday, 19 February 2006 21:25 (7 years ago) Permalink

Any kind of English Beat is far more preferable to NO English Beat. Trust me on this one.

― All the robots-UH descend from the bus-UH there's a freakout brewing in my (Bimb, Sunday, 19 February 2006 21:33 (7 years ago) Permalink

much prefer twist and crawl meself.

― frenchbloke (frenchbloke), Sunday, 19 February 2006 21:36 (7 years ago) Permalink

Wow. I'm not sure, whether this is the best song of the album, but this was the first Beat song I liked. The live version on the "Dance Craze" soundtrack album is fantastic, probably better than the studio track.

― zeus (zeus), Sunday, 19 February 2006 22:44 (7 years ago) Permalink

There are so many great tracks on that album, but I think "Mirror in the Bathroom" takes the cake. What I want to ask is... where is the love for General Public?

― cnwb (cnwb), Sunday, 19 February 2006 22:58 (7 years ago) Permalink

I got a Beat comp from my school-assigned mentor, and Mirror in the Bathroom is as good, if not better, than Stand Down Margaret!!

― WillS, Monday, 20 February 2006 00:36 (7 years ago) Permalink

Madness > Specials > Bad Manners >>>>>> Beat

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 20 February 2006 01:16 (7 years ago) Permalink

Great, great song. I'm pleased by the nascent English Beat love on this board.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Monday, 20 February 2006 01:29 (7 years ago) Permalink

TOO MUCH DANCING FOR GEIR

It's one of my favourite cuttings from The Beat. Not my number one but it's up there.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!! (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Monday, 20 February 2006 02:20 (7 years ago) Permalink

I love this song.

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 20 February 2006 05:51 (7 years ago) Permalink

One of the crucial reasons I mentioned "Grosse Pointe Blank" on the recent "Best '80s Film Soundtracks" thread.

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Monday, 20 February 2006 05:57 (7 years ago) Permalink

Madness > Specials > Bad Manners >>>>>> Beat

Geir doesn't surprise me often, I'm sort of shocked that he said this of all things! Out of all those bands, the Beat definitely had the strongest and sweetest and most sophisticated sense of melody by a country mile. I'm wondering what songs he's even heard of theirs... 'Save It For Later'? 'I Confess'? 'Doors of Your Heart'? 'Best Friend'? 'Hands Off She's Mine'? 'Walkaway'? 'Sole Salvation'? So many great goddamn pop songs. Honestly, some of their stuff is not a million miles away from the likes of his beloved XTC. Geir my dear chap, I beseech you - get your ears out of your fookin' arse.

― NickB (NickB), Monday, 20 February 2006 09:57 (7 years ago) Permalink

I second that.

― mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 20 February 2006 10:07 (7 years ago) Permalink

I love the Beat, but I love XTC too. Anyway, don't make this to another Geir-bashing bully thread, please.
But I agree that the Beat had an extremely stronge sense of melody, of course, especially on "Special Beat Service".

― zeus (zeus), Monday, 20 February 2006 11:09 (7 years ago) Permalink

I'm not bashing Geir at all, just surprised at what he wrote given his usual take on things.

― NickB (NickB), Monday, 20 February 2006 11:22 (7 years ago) Permalink

I also second that. (I second also that? Yes, that's it.)

― mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 20 February 2006 11:24 (7 years ago) Permalink

I agree with Geir.

Madness and the specials are two of the most, er, special bands ever. They, er, beat The Beat by a country mile.

Madness>Specials>Bad manners>Beat. Though the beat were a great band, Bad manners pip them by virtue of a string of great, early 80's singles, esp Walkin in the sunshine.

― Ant, Monday, 20 February 2006 11:24 (7 years ago) Permalink

You're seriously arguing that on singles alone 'Lip Up Fatty', 'Buona Sera', 'My Girl Lollipop', 'Can Can', 'Special Brew' > 'Mirror In The Bathroom', 'Too Nice To Talk To', 'Hands of She's Mine', 'Drowning', 'Best Friend', 'I Confess', 'Tears of a Clown' etc?

― NickB (NickB), Monday, 20 February 2006 11:35 (7 years ago) Permalink

You're allowed to like Madness/Specials above the Beat. It's arguable, but possible.

Liking Bad manners more than the beat is up to you.

But to say they are >>>>> the beat is mad.

― mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 20 February 2006 11:55 (7 years ago) Permalink

Um...maybe. 'Walking in the sunshine', 'Just a feeling', 'Special brew', 'Lip up fatty'. All great singles. 'Drowning', 'Hands off - she's mine' 'Too nice to talk to', 'Save it for later' 'Mirror in the bathroom', 'Jeanette' um...er

I'll go and have a listen and come back to you.

Maybe I'm judging from a 10 year old's perspective, which was what made me LOVE Bad manners then.

To be honest, I may well be wrong here. Forgotten how good 'Drowning' was.....Still hate 'Can't get used to losing you' and 'Tears of a clown' though.

There again 'Got no brain' is pretty grim and 'Can can' is awful and overplayed.

― ant, Monday, 20 February 2006 12:00 (7 years ago) Permalink

Er.

'Drowning' is one of the best things i have heard ever...(today)

― Ant, Monday, 20 February 2006 12:02 (7 years ago) Permalink

'Drowning' is great. It's the Beat's 'Grey Day' perhaps.

― NickB (NickB), Monday, 20 February 2006 12:04 (7 years ago) Permalink

seriously tho, twist and crawl is ace. if you don't believe me, it's here ; http://s48.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=36DKDC6BWV7XV18MVXWIJROJPL

― frenchbloke (frenchbloke), Monday, 20 February 2006 12:13 (7 years ago) Permalink

Also, there's a bunch of videos that I've not got time to watch right here:
http://www.thebeatuk.com/video.html

― NickB (NickB), Monday, 20 February 2006 12:18 (7 years ago) Permalink

I have heard most of their most well-known songs, and I find them repetitive and boring, plus they are more disco than ska. Not to mention the fact that they sound less archetypically English than the other three bands I mentioned. There is something archetypically North London Cockney-Kitchen-Sink-Twee that I absolutely love about Madness and Bad Manners, that The Beat doesn't have much of at all.

There are two Beat songs that I really love - their versions of "Tears Of a Clown" and "Can't Get Used To Losing You". They were both cover versions.

It must be added that the main reason for my ranking them as follows is that I really consider Madness, Specials and Bad Manners very good and very underrated.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 20 February 2006 17:13 (7 years ago) Permalink

There is something archetypically North London Cockney-Kitchen-Sink-Twee that I absolutely love about Madness and Bad Manners, that The Beat doesn't have much of at all.

Well, that begins to explain. The Beat are from Birmingham in the first place.

plus they are more disco than ska

― mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 20 February 2006 17:18 (7 years ago) Permalink

(lost last line.)
.. and your issue with that is, what?

― mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 20 February 2006 17:18 (7 years ago) Permalink

Sounds less nutty without those upbeats. UK Ska at its best sounded nutty.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 20 February 2006 17:19 (7 years ago) Permalink

I didn't buy tickets in advance to see these guys in Denver and drove up there from the springs to find it sold out. I wanted to kill something. That was over a month ago. I'm still pretty pissed about it. Damn, now I'm listening to them and getting real upset again. I'll probably never forgive myself.

― Eric Wahl (Eric Wahl), Monday, 20 February 2006 20:41 (7 years ago) Permalink

to thread ... Great song.

― Cameron Octigan (Cameron Octigan), Tuesday, 21 February 2006 08:14 (7 years ago) Permalink

3 years pass...

i can't say how happy i was this morning when i accidentally listened to this song this morning with my ipod on shuffle. the kind of reggae influenced dance music which automatically makes my face smile and my legs move. btw i didn't know this song beforehand. this does not sound like ska at all to me. it has not got that chopped staccato beat. the beat is rounder and smoother.

― alex in mainhattan, Wednesday, 23 September 2009 16:04 (3 years ago) Permalink

I love the bass in this song so much.

― l'homme moderne: il forniquait et lisait des journaux (Michael White), Wednesday, 23 September 2009 16:23 (3 years ago) Permalink

TUUUUUUUNE

― chap, Wednesday, 23 September 2009 16:26 (3 years ago) Permalink

bimble loved this band

― Dr X O'Skeleton, Wednesday, 23 September 2009 21:00 (3 years ago) Permalink

amazing song

― Jamie_ATP, Wednesday, 23 September 2009 22:34 (3 years ago) Permalink

I love songs that have that groove-like quality to them, where the bass and keys and guitars act as one instrument and can't really be separated from each other. This is such an incredible track, I love the instrumental sections where it sounds like the groove is accelerating, switching up a gear, and the tone of the guy's voice too. Perfect.

― dog latin, Wednesday, 23 September 2009 23:24 (3 years ago) Permalink

the reggae-dub mix of this song is even better than the original. one reason is that it is half a minute longer. still much too short for such a sweet tune.

― alex in mainhattan, Thursday, 24 September 2009 05:34 (3 years ago) Permalink

oh is that the one you're about to post an mp3 link to?

― Jamie_ATP, Thursday, 24 September 2009 07:34 (3 years ago) Permalink

Love love love love love this song and this band.

― adamj, Thursday, 24 September 2009 08:15 (3 years ago) Permalink

oh is that the one you're about to post an mp3 link to?

maybe later, right now i am busy at work.

― alex in mainhattan, Thursday, 24 September 2009 09:51 (3 years ago) Permalink

1 year passes...

Ok Alex, time's up. Post the link!

Please...

― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Thursday, 17 March 2011 03:23 (2 years ago) Permalink

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=UTNpaaPHENE
Oh sorry, time flies.

― alex in mainhattan, Thursday, 17 March 2011 13:10 (2 years ago) Permalink

Qnother try:

― alex in mainhattan, Thursday, 17 March 2011 13:12 (2 years ago) Permalink

the mp3 link will follow later hopefully...

― alex in mainhattan, Thursday, 17 March 2011 13:14 (2 years ago) Permalink

Man, that song. How weird that the bassist and guitarist went on to such a rhythmically leaden next project.

― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 17 March 2011 13:16 (2 years ago) Permalink

Bad Manners >>>>>> Beat

Still agog at this.

― ka£ka (NickB), Thursday, 17 March 2011 13:18 (2 years ago) Permalink

Geir, I hate to piss on your parade, but if you ever have a parade, I will be there, pissing on it.

― ka£ka (NickB), Thursday, 17 March 2011 13:18 (2 years ago) Permalink

Bad Manners >>>>>> Beat

Complete crap.

― Alex in NYC, Thursday, 17 March 2011 13:51 (2 years ago) Permalink

Not even sure Buster Bloodvessel would agree with that!

― Tom D (Tom D.), Thursday, 17 March 2011 13:53 (2 years ago) Permalink

Love the African touches in The Beat's sound.
Not really listened to them much in the last couple of decades but do know some of the singles were great.

Since I'm from the U.K. I think of them simply as The Beat. Still not 100% sure who the US based band were. Powerpoppers or something?
Heard they had some quality so possibly not just total usurpers.

As to Bad Manners, some decent upbeat pop good for dancing I guess but I think I'd rate The Beat higher.
Also not sure about Madness supposedly being better than The Specials. Guess Madness were almost like an 80s Kinks but I'd still rate The specials more.

― Stevolende, Thursday, 17 March 2011 15:23 (2 years ago) Permalink

no, the beat from L.A.(i believe) just coincidentally had that name and i remember seeing their record in the shop before i just can't stop it was release stateside.
Bad Manners were kind of more of a novelty act, iirc. i did see them once way back when. Madness were good for awhile, too, but i think the selecter beats BM and Madness hands down

― Marquis de Sade (outdoor_miner), Thursday, 17 March 2011 23:36 (2 years ago) Permalink

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