I Just Can't Stop It

by Ranking Roger, Daniel Rachel

This is the story of one of the UK’s biggest 2-Tone bands, The Beat, who at the height of their fame in the early 80’s, had three top-selling UK albums and like the Specials, epitomized the 2-tone multi-racial approach to music and life in urban Britain.
The story begins in 1979, when 16 year-old Birmingham school boy Roger – a punk fan – was invited to appear on stage at a local pub with the newly formed ska band, The Beat. Roger’s energetic style and Jamaican-influenced vocals, paired with Dave Wakeling's angelic pop vocals, immediately distinguished the band from the other ska bands making waves, The Specials, Selecter and Madness.
Now back recording new albums, and playing sell-out international dates, The Beat – fronted by Ranking Roger – tell, for the first time, their extraordinary story with acclaimed music writer Daniel Rachel (‘Walls Come Tumbling Down’).

Genres: Music, Autobiography, Memoir, Nonfiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2019

About the author

Born, Roger Charlery, lead singer with Ska Revival, 2 Tone band, The Beat [known in the USA as The English Beat.

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ranking Roger was a great performer, who I was lucky enough to see many times. With The Beat doing a 40th anniversary tour recently, Roger penned an autobiography but died suddenly mid-tour from metastatic lung cancer while at the height of his powers. This makes his book all the more poignant, particularly as he ends it by saying how much he was enjoying performing, and that only "illness or war" would stop him doing it. It is not a book filled with much reflection, but tells the story of an ordinary teenager from Birmingham who ends up fronting one of the most political and successful bands of the 1980s. "I said stop!"

[Mark · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love The Beat and feel privileged to have enjoyed seeing Roger perform with such energy and enthusiasm in recent years that it’s difficult to believe he’s no longer with us. This book gives us a superficial overview of his life, but is sadly lacking in detail and left me wanting to know so much more.
The less than complimentary aside about Dexys for example deserves an explanation. His relationships with his parents, partner and children are glossed over. I feel a better author could have brought more shape, depth and analysis to this disappointing biography.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A look back at the life on Ranking Roger. The cover of the book is perfect. He looks like he is loving life and so ebullient. I regret not going to see the Beat in 198o when they played my home town of Dunfermline. Made up for that in recent years when I saw them play in Dunfermline. Both Roger's version and Dave's version. Thoroughly enjoyed both but Roger's band had a rougher better edge imo. However Dave's band are well worth seeing if you ever get the chance.

Back to the book. It wasn't all laughter on the road but it was mostly good spirits at gigs. Glad he got the chance to tell his tale before cancer deprived the world of a wonderful human.

Ray Smillie

[Martin Castle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book which covers such an intense period in British music with 2 Tone. So many things I didn’t know about the band even after seeing them a number of times! It’s the background as always to where the songs came from that makes this book so good. It’s just like having a conversation with a mate over a beer reminiscing and laughing about stories. Definitely recommend.

[Alan Sylvan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read from one of my heroes when I was growing up!

I got this book as a Christmas gift shortly after Ranking Roger had sadly passed. While reading all his observations and great stories, it was difficult knowing those were his last observations and his journey was sadly completed. He seemed so full of life and had plenty of love for seemingly everyone he met. I wish I had seen The Beat when they were together or even afterwards. I really missed out on all the love & unity from RR :(

[David Ronan · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️
Loved this book and was lucky enough to see the beat a lot as I had a connection to the band in the 2000s that led me to get to know Everett and Roger. They even came to my bands gigs.
I can't believe I never realised he grew up only two roads away from the road I grew up in too (obviously very different times) but I did know we shared a birthday.

[Lisastrawberry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent telling of The Beat and General Public history, in Ranking Roger's inimitable style-- I was a fan of both bands in the 80's and enjoyed hearing the back story on lots of my favorite songs. It's so sad the Roger's life was cut short at 56. What a wonderful, genuine person, what a talent.

[Grace · Rating 2 out of 5]

Randomly found this at GCT NYPL and glad I did since I didn't realized RR passed this year. So far, off to a good start.
2.5?
I didn't realize that Ranking Roger recently passed away - shortly after he finished writing the book. I wonder if that's why the book wasn't properly edited? I.e., the kiss and tell sections were poorly written and off putting.

Didn't know much about the history of the Beat and it was fun to learn more about some of my favorite artists - especially the Clash. Inspired me to read more musician memoirs.

[Tim Leggatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this band in the 80s and loved reading more about them, particularly Roger who seemed one of the genuine "nice people" in music. We will all miss him.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

A worthy read if you are a fan of The Beat.

[Joseph Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read but I felt it could have been way more detailed.

[Jim Dunedin · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘I Just Can’t Stop It: My Life in the Beat’, Ranking Roger and Daniel Rachel. The story of the Beat is an endless fascination, young guys start a Ska band with a pop song sensibility, their saxophone player is a ska legend of at least a generation older, two of them will launch the super successful Fine Young Cannibals, and later times will see two versions of the original band touring the USA and the UK respectively. In amongst it all is the seemingly happy/go lucky toaster Ranking Roger. You get the highs and lows, the band-mate tensions, stories from the road, a certain redemption with the reformed band, and the pathos of a life lost to soon to cancer.
From my Medium review at: https://medium.com/music-voices/the-r...