Special Beat Service

Infobox Album
Name = Special Beat Service
Type = Album
Artist = The Beat


Released = 1982
Recorded = Roundhouse Studios, London
Genre = Ska/Two Tone
Length = 39:52
Label = Go Feet
I.R.S. Records
Producer = Bob Sargeant
Reviews =
* Allmusic Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:4sri282c056a link]
* "Rolling Stone" Rating|4|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/theenglishbeat/albums/album/126110/rid/5941258/ link]
Last album = "Wha'ppen?" (1981)
This album = "Special Beat Service" (1982)
Next album = "What is Beat?" (1983)

"Special Beat Service" was the third and final album by the UK's The Beat. It was released in the US under the name The English Beat. It reached #39 on the Billboard 200 album chart in 1983 on the strength of two singles, "I Confess" and "Save It for Later," the videos for which received modest airplay on the fledgling MTV video network.

An instrumental version of the song "Rotating Head" had previously been released as the b-side of the single, "Jeanette", under the title, "March of the Swivelheads". It was included on the soundtrack of the film "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" in 1986.

Track listing

All songs written by The Beat.

ide one

# "I Confess" – 4:34
# "Jeanette" – 2:46
# "Sorry" – 2:33
# "Sole Salvation" – 3:05
# "Spar Wid Me" – 4:32
# "Rotating Head" – 3:24

ide two

# "Save It for Later" – 3:34
# "She's Going" – 2:10
# "Pato and Roger A Go Talk" – 3:19
# "Sugar and Stress" – 2:57
# "End of the Party" – 3:32
# "Ackee 1 2 3" – 3:12

Personnel

* Ranking Roger – Toasting, vocals, percussion
* Dave Wakeling – Vocals, guitar
* David Steele – Bass, banjo
* Andy Cox – Guitar, mandolin
* Everett Morton – Drums
* Saxa – Saxophone
* Wesley Magoogan – Clarinet, lyricon, saxophone, sax FX unit
* Dave Blockhead – Keyboards, piano
* Bob Sargeant – Telephone, marimba
* Mark Fox – Percussion
* Jack Emblow – Accordion
* M. Mishra – Tabla
* Vince Sullivan – Trombone
* Dave Lord – Trumpet
* Steve Sidwell – Trumpet
* Pato – Toasting

* Martyn Atkins – Art Direction
* Brian Gaylor – Contributor
* Nick Rogers – Contributor
* Mark Dearnley – Engineer
* Trevor Hallesy – Engineer
* Geoff Pesche – Engineer, Remastering
* Mike Hedges – Producer, "Pato and Roger A Go Talk"
* Ranking Roger –Producer, "Pato and Roger A Go Talk"
* Bob Sargeant – Producer
* Marv Bornstein – Mastering
* Bob Carbone – Mastering
* Paul Fox - Drum Tech