Album · The English Beat
Wha’ppen? by The English Beat
Wha’ppen? is an album by The English Beat, released in 1981. 1 song from it has charted on rock radio countdowns, with 1 countdown appearance in total. The biggest is “French Toast (Soleil Trop Chaud)”, on 1 list with a best position of #983.
Wha'ppen?, the second album from Birmingham's Beat (the English Beat to American record buyers), came out in 1981 on Go-Feet in Britain and Sire in the States, and it's the sound of a band deliberately easing off the throttle. Where I Just Can't Stop It had been a breakneck rush of ska, reggae and punk, this one slows to a mid-tempo sway, keeps reggae at its heart and lets in African rhythms, steel band shimmer and dub. Bob Sargeant produced it at Roundhouse Studios.
Dave Wakeling and Ranking Roger share the vocals over Andy Cox's guitar, David Steele's bass, Everett Morton's drums and Saxa's sax, with Dave "Blockhead" Wright on keys, and the words stay socially conscious and political even as the grooves go soft. Some fans grumbled that the band had mellowed out, and the singles stalled, but the album reached number 3 at home, won them a bigger American audience, and NME ranked it the 4th best album of the year.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
Songs from Wha’ppen? on radio countdowns
| # | Song | Strength | Lists | Best | #1s | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French Toast (Soleil Trop Chaud) | 1 | #983 | – | 2003 |
Only songs that appear on at least one countdown are listed. Release data from MusicBrainz.