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General Public
Ranking Roger and Dave Wakeling, 1994
Background information
Origin	United Kingdom
Genres	Rock, New Wave
Years active	1984 - 1995
Labels	I.R.S., Virgin Records, Epic Records
Associated acts	The Beat Dexys Midnight Runners The Specials The Clash
Former members
Dave Wakeling Ranking Roger Mickey Billingham Horace Panter Stoker Mick Jones Kevin White

General Public was a rock band, formed by The Beat vocalists Dave Wakeling and Ranking Roger.

[edit] Career

After the 1983 break-up of The Beat (known as The English Beat in North America), Wakeling and Roger decided to continue working together in a new venture. They joined up with keyboardist Mickey Billingham (ex-Dexys Midnight Runners), guitarist Mick Jones of The Clash, bassist Horace Panter (The Specials) and drummer Stoker (ex-Dexys Midnight Runners/The Bureau) to form a quasi-"supergroup" of the UK punk/ska/mod scene. The band was dubbed General Public, and was signed to Virgin Records in the UK and I.R.S. Records in North America.

The band recorded and released the album All the Rage in 1984. Jones left General Public part way through the recording process, but is listed in the album's inner sleeve credits as a group member (although he did not appear in any of the band photographs). Jones' replacement, guitarist Kevin White also played on the album, and was also listed an official group member. White's picture also appeared on the album's back cover.

In the UK, General Public had a minor hit with the eponymous track called "General Public", which reached # 60 in the UK Singles Chart in 1984.^[1] As well, the B-side "Dishwasher" became a surprise top 40 in the Netherlands, after its use as a theme tune to the then popular pop radio show Avondspits.

Later in the year, the band fared even better in North America, where their second single "Tenderness" was a Top 40 hit in Canada (#11), and the U.S. (#27).

For the follow-up album, White and Stoker were replaced by brothers Gianni and Mario Minardi on guitar and drums, respectively. Despite featuring a track from the soundtrack to the movie, Weird Science, Hand to Mouth was significantly less successful than their debut album, and the band split up.

Their song "Taking The Day Off" was featured in the 1986 comedy film, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, by film director John Hughes.

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

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 record producer Jerry Harrison. Sales were poor, and Roger was tired of travelling to America, and they soon broke up again.

Since 2004, Dave Wakeling has toured the U.S. as The English Beat, and he often performs General Public tracks in his set list with a full backing band.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Studio albums

[edit] Compilation albums

[edit] Singles

[edit] See also

• List of number-one dance hits (United States)
• List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• General Public at Allmusic