Album dossier / 1981

Wha'ppen?

The Beat · Ska/2 Tone/Reggae

The Beat's second album traded their debut's punk-fired ska urgency for a mellower, dub-and-Afrobeat-inflected sound, reaching #3 in the UK and landing at No. 4 on NME's albums of 1981 list. The shift was deliberately triggered by a fan-club letter from an American aerobics instructor who found their debut too fast to exercise to, prompting singer Ranking Roger to describe the band's new 'one-drop' rhythm approach (rim shot and snare hitting together) on tracks like 'Doors of Your Heart' and 'Monkey Murders.' Recorded at London's Roundhouse Studios with producer Bob Sargeant in half the time and budget of its predecessor, the album layered in guest musicians including veteran keyboardist Dave 'Blockhead' Wright (ex-XTC) and a falsetto guest vocal from the Congos' Cedric Myton on 'Doors of Your Heart.' Sargeant has said working on Wha'ppen deepened his own interest in cross-cultural production, calling it a key influence on his later career blending African, Creole and Western pop sounds.