Steel Pulse ’s first and second albums cemented their reputation as a reggae band with punk rock and ska undertones. In spite of this, Steel Pulse ’s first two albums on the Mango label in 19, Handsworth Revolution and Tribute to the Martyrs, have a ska beat and feel to them, which reflects the era in which they started. Unlike the ethnically mixed, England-based ska groups that gained popularity in the late 1970s -like the Specials and the English Beat-Steel Pulse ’s members are all of Jamaican ancestry and have African-centered influences. Steel Pulse has consistently emphasized societal problems through their lyrics. President Bill Clinton ’s inauguration and appeared on the Tonight Show, 1993.Īwards: Grammy Award for best reggae album, 1986, for Babylon the Bandit Grammy Award nominations, 1991, for Victims, and 1992, for Rastafari Centennial: Live in Paris-Elysee Montmartre.Īddresses: Record company -MCA Records, 1755 Broadway, New York, NY 10019. Group formed in the Handsworth section of Birmingham, England, 1975 released first album, Handsworth Revolution, on Island/Mango label, 1978 switched to Elektra and released album True Democracy, 1982 signed with MCA and released album State of Emergency, 1988 recorded single “Can ’t Stand It ” for film Do the Right Thing, 1989 played at U.S. Members include Kevin Batchelor (born December 19, 1960, in Missouri joined group 1989), trumpet Selwyn “Bumbo ” Brown (born June 4, 1956, in London, England), keyboards, vocals Alvin Ewen (born August 27, 1961, in Birmingham, England joined group 1987), bass David Hinds (born June 15, 1956, in Birmingham, England), rhythm guitar, lead vocals, songwriter Gerry Johnson (born March 23, 1959, in New York joined group 1990), saxophone Phonso Martin (joined band in 1977 left group 1991), vocals, percussion Sidney Mills (born Janujoined group 1990), keyboards Steve “Grizzly ” Nisbett (born March 15, 1948, in Nevis, West Indies joined band 1991), percussion Clifford “Moonie ” Pusey (born September 25, 1953, in Bridgeport, CT joined group 1990), lead guitar. Steel Pulse, however, frequently opened concerts for punk rock bands like Ultravox, XTC, the Stranglers, and Generation X -and were as likely to be part of a punk rock concert as a reggae festival. When English reggae bands were gaining international attention in the mid-1970s, few of them allied themselves with England ’s punk rock movement. President Bill Clinton ’s request -was the first reggae band to perform for a presidential inauguration.Īlthough other reggae bands -such as the Wailers -fused rock with reggae in the 1970s, it was Steel Pulse who focused most intensely on the mix. Steel Pulse established themselves as one of reggae ’s major forces throughout the 1980s and -at U.S. The band was extremely successful, and in 1986, they won the prestigious Grammy Award for their album named “Babylon the Bandit.” They went on to perform at some of the world’s best reggae festivals, including the Reggae Sunsplash USA.Formed in 1975 by David Hinds and Selwyn Brown in the Handsworth section of Birmingham, England, Steel Pulse is most noted within reggae circles for being one of the first international bands to mix reggae ’s African, salsa, and calypso beats with pop and rock music.
In the 80’s, they introduced some elements of dance and urban R&B in their sound, even though their purpose remained on the militant side. “Handsworth Revolution,” their debut album, was released in 1978, which is still considered the peak time of British reggae. The band originally formed in 1975, and at first, they faced quite a few difficulties in finding live gigs because owners were not willing to provide them with a platform for their Rastafarian politics. When originally formed, the lead members of the band were Micheal Riley, Basil Gabbidon, his brother Colin, Ronald McQueen, and David Hinds.Īll of the people involved in founding this band belonged to poor West Indian families. This band is from the Handsworth Area of Birmingham in England, which has quite a large amount of Indian, Afro-Caribbean, and other migrants. Their styles are Reggae-Pop, Roots-Reggae, and Contemporary Reggae. They were one of the best British Roots-Reggae bands and their only rival was Aswad, considering their success. Steel Pulse is a Roots-Reggae musical band that has the honor of being the first non-Jamaican act to win the Grammy Award for the best Reggae album.
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