Steel Pulse

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Steel Pulse is a British roots reggae band from Handsworth, a district of Birmingham. The group came together at Handsworth Wood Boys School and was formed in 1975 by, among others, the singer and guitarist David Hinds and the guitarist Basil Gabbidon, inspired by Catch a Fire by Bob Marley and the Wailers. The first single was Kibudu, Mansetta And Abuku, followed by Nyah Luv. Because the members were Rastafarians, they were at first unable to get gigs in Birmingham's Caribbean clubs. They therefore began playing at punk venues, such as the Hope and Anchor in London, and joined Rock Against Racism.

Music and breakthrough

On Island Records came the single Ku Klux Klan, about racism, which in concert was accompanied by a parody of the sect. The debut album Handsworth Revolution came out in 1978 and was seen as a step in the development of roots reggae outside Jamaica. In 1982 the group founded its own label, Wise Man Doctrine, and released True Democracy. Earth Crisis followed in 1984, and then Babylon the Bandit, with which the band won a Grammy. Steel Pulse was the first non-Jamaican group to win the Grammy for best reggae album. Later came albums such as State of Emergency, Victims, Vex, Rage and Fury and Mass Manipulation.

Influence

The lyrics deal with racism, oppression and African heritage, in a warm reggae sound with keyboards, guitar and multi-part vocals. On 21 May 1981, the night of Bob Marley's funeral, the band played a concert in Washington that was broadcast worldwide. For reggae in Britain and in the United States, Steel Pulse was thus an important voice.

Listening

Discography

Studio albums

• 1978Handsworth Revolution
• 1979Tribute to the Martyrs
• 1980Caught You
• 1982True Democracy
• 1984Earth Crisis
• 1988Babylon the Bandit
• 1988State of Emergency
• 1991Victims
• 1994Vex
• 1997Rage and Fury
• 2004African Holocaust
• 2019Mass Manipulation

See also

• Tribute to the Martyrs
• Caught You