Beshara were a
British reggae band from
Moseley and
Washwood Heath
Washwood Heath is a ward in Birmingham, within the formal district of Hodge Hill, roughly two miles north-east of Birmingham city centre, England. Washwood Heath covers the areas of Birmingham that lie between Nechells, Bordesley Green, Stechfo ...
,
Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the We ...
, that formed in 1976.
["Reggae, steady and rarin’ to go", ''Daily News'', 9 January 1985, p. 12.] The band are most notable for their 1981
lovers rock hit "Men Cry Too", which reached number 2 in the
British reggae charts.
Although known for their
lovers rock singles, they were also very capable of recording
roots reggae.
["Beshara", ''Echoes'', 5 September 1987, p. 8.]["Reggae with verve and passion", ''Newspaper article - review'', 1983.] This can be heard in the hymnal recording, "Glory Glory".
History
The original line-up and founding members of the band were Elias Pharoah (bass),
Ray Watts aka Ray Beshara (rhythm guitar, backing vocals) and Dixie Pinnock (drums), who then recruited Errol Nanton (lead vocals) and Michael Nanton (keyboards).
They were formerly named Cool Dimension and The Kushites until 1979 when the band settled on the name Beshara meaning "surprise" in Arabic and "mystical" in Swahili.
["Reggae club date", ''Herald Express'', 1983.]
Over the years, the line-up of the band changed along with the roles of various members but as of 1980 the ever-present nucleus that was widely known as Ray Watts (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Dixie Pinnock (drums, backing vocals), Michael Nanton (keyboards, backing vocals) and Tony Garfield (bass, vocals), were to remain as the core members in their new roles.
In July 1980 and courtesy of
John Peel, Beshara received their first radio airplay. Peel played their
2 Tone
Two-tone, two tone, or 2 tone, etc., may refer to:
Audio and sound
* Two-tone analysis, in nonlinear system measurement
* Two-tone attention signal
* Two-tone chime, such as the "ding dong" sound of a doorbell
* Two-tone sequential paging, se ...
(but more authentically 1960s sounding) single, "When You're Wrong" on national
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance ...
.
Throughout the years, Beshara gigged extensively all over the UK in the nation's major colleges, universities and clubs, attracting multicultural audiences. They were cited by
Musical Youth
Musical Youth are a British-Jamaican reggae band formed in 1979 in Birmingham, England. They are best remembered for their 1982 single "Pass the Dutchie", which was a number 1 in multiple charts around the world. Their other hits include " Y ...
as one of their influences.
During their active years, Beshara never released (although recorded) an album but released many singles and enjoyed success with early recordings such as "Glory Glory", "Men Cry Too" (which reached number 6 on the British reggae charts) and "Shadow of Love" (number 10 on the British reggae charts).
The band won an award from the Hummingbird’s 1st Annual Black Music Awards in 1987 for ‘Best Sound recording’. In the late 1980s, the band members were headhunted by
Ijahman Levi, to back him on his African and European tour. Beshara received much acclaim when they toured the UK and either played alongside or backed
UB40,
The Abyssinians,
Beres Hammond,
Simply Red
Simply Red are a British soul and pop band formed in Manchester in 1985. The lead vocalist of the band is singer and songwriter Mick Hucknall, who, by the time the band initially disbanded in 2010, was the only original member left. Since t ...
,
Dennis Brown,
Bim Sherman,
Musical Youth
Musical Youth are a British-Jamaican reggae band formed in 1979 in Birmingham, England. They are best remembered for their 1982 single "Pass the Dutchie", which was a number 1 in multiple charts around the world. Their other hits include " Y ...
,
Bad Manners,
Johnny Clarke,
Smiley Culture
David Victor Emmanuel (10 February 1963 – 15 March 2011), better known as Smiley Culture, was a British reggae singer and DJ known for his "fast chat" style. During a relatively brief period of fame and success, he produced two of the most cr ...
,
I Roy
Roy Samuel Reid (28 June 1942 – 27 November 1999), better known as I-Roy, was a Jamaican deejay who had a very prolific career during the 1970s.
Biography
Born in 1944 in Saint Thomas Parish, Jamaica, Reid graduated from Dinthill Technical C ...
,
Pat Kelly,
Leroy Smart,
Sugar Minott,
Macka B,
Adeva,
CJ Lewis,
John Holt,
Matumbi, They Must Be Russians, Sandra Reid, Sandra Lobban and Thelma Mae.
["Beres wows a select few", ''The Weekly Gleaner'', 15 September 1987, p. 25.]["John Holt / Beshara – Odeon Birmingham", ''Newspaper Article'', 1983.]
The 1980s also saw them achieve well-earned TV exposure by appearing on the ''Rockers Roadshow'' hosted by
Mikey Dread, ''Black on Black'', ''Here & Now'', ''Format V'' and ''Together''.
["Rockers Roadshow", ''TV Times'', 16 December 1983.] Beshara also appeared as a
gospel group in the
BBC drama ''Marjorie and The Preacher Man'' starring the acclaimed British actor
John Rhys-Davies. The BBC then used a Beshara song called "United" as the theme song for the BBC documentary ''Ring In The Park''. The song would later be covered by
Pato Banton and renamed "United We Stand" while also featuring the vocals of
Ray Watts.
In 1992, Beshara were asked by
BBC WM to perform a headline concert in Handsworth, Birmingham, which was broadcast on BBC WM.
In the same year, the band decided to part ways only to reunite again in 1998 and they began to record in 1999 what was set to be their debut album, produced by Beshara, Paul Horton of Ecks Productions and Christopher Grey of Greyology Inc. This was also the same year that Beshara shared the stage with
Alton Ellis.
["Reggae Revival featuring the Legendary Alton Ellis", ''Enterprise'', October 1999, p. 31.] Ray Watts died in 2000.
Due to this, the remaining members of the band decided they could no longer stay together without him and went their separate ways.
In 2001, the ex-band members arranged a memorial tribute concert for Watts at the Irish Centre, Birmingham, which led to Beshara performing and sharing the stage with
Steel Pulse, along with many other artists from Birmingham, including Skibu, Reggae Revolution, Jeremiah, Birry The Poet, and many more.
["Ray Watts Memorial", ''Enterprise'', February 2001, p. 4.] In the same year, Pato Banton’s album ''Life is Miracle'', which featured a song written by and featuring Watts called "United We Stand", received a
Grammy nomination for
Best Reggae Album.
The song has also featured on the
Pato Banton albums, ''Universal Love'' and ''Time Come'' (Brazil Version).
2005 saw the ex-members reunite to perform a one-off show at the "32 Years of
Lovers Rock" anniversary concert at the
Hackney Empire in
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
. They shared the stage with
Louisa Mark
Louisa Lynthia Mark, also known as "Markswoman" (11 January 1960 – 17 October 2009), was a British lovers rock singer, best known for her work between the mid-1970s and early 1980s. Her 1975 single "Caught You in a Lie" is regarded as the fi ...
and
Peter Hunnigale
Peter Hunnigale, also known as Mr. Honey Vibes (born 12 December 1960, South London, England) is a British reggae singer best known for his lovers rock releases.
Biography
Hunnigale started his career as bass guitarist with the Vibes Corner Col ...
among others.
Past members Steve Morrison and Michael Nanton, who began and crafted their musicianship in Beshara, now make up the integral part of the Reggae Revolution band. The Reggae Revolution have backed and toured the world with artists such as
Sting
Sting may refer to:
* Stinger or sting, a structure of an animal to inject venom, or the injury produced by a stinger
* Irritating hairs or prickles of a stinging plant, or the plant itself
Fictional characters and entities
* Sting (Middle-earth ...
, Pato Banton,
Apache Indian, Musical Youth, Gregory Isaacs and many more. They’ve also written or performed on the
Grammy nominated albums ''Rage & Fury'' and ''African Holocaust'' by
Steel Pulse, as well as ''Life Is A Miracle'' by
Pato Banton.
In 2010, Beshara were featured in a documentary called ''Made in Birmingham: Reggae, Punk, Bhangra'', which has had numerous screenings internationally and throughout the UK. It was awarded a special commendation from the RTS Midlands.
A non-performance clip of the band, originating from the 1979 documentary ''Format V'', was featured in the 2011
BBC Four documentary ''Reggae Britannia''.
On 23 September 2011, as a tribute to Ray Watts, Tony Garfield performed as Beshara at the "Giants of Lovers Rock Part 3" concert at the
indigO2
The O2 is a large entertainment district on the Greenwich peninsula in South East London, England, including an indoor arena, a music club, a Cineworld cinema, an exhibition space, piazzas, bars, and restaurants. It was built largely with ...
in London. Garfield shared the stage with
Janet Kay,
Freddie McGregor,
Susan Cadogan,
Carroll Thompson and many more.
Former members
* Ray Watts (aka "Ray Beshara") - Lead vocals, rhythm guitar
*Tony Garfield - Bass guitar, vocals
*Dixie Pinnock - Drums, BV's
*Michael Nanton - Keyboards, BV's
*Steve Morrison - Trombone, toasting
*Byron Bailey - Sax
*Errol Nanton - Vocals
*Paul Cunningham - Bass guitar, BV's
*David Carr (aka "Fluff") - Toasting, trumpet
*Elias Pharoah - Bass guitar
*Focett Gray - Lead guitar
Lead guitar (also known as solo guitar) is a musical part for a guitar in which the guitarist plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs and chords within a song structure. The lead is the fe ...
Television appearances
*''Rockers Roadshow'' (1983), Central Independent Television/Channel 4
*''Black on Black'' (1985), LWT/Channel 4
*''Here & Now'' (1985), Central Television
*''Format V'' (1979), ATV
*''Together'' (1983), BBC 1
*''Marjorie and the Preacher Man'' (1987), BBC 1
*''Reggae Britannia'' (2011), BBC Four
*''Born on the Same Day'' (2016), Channel 4
Filmography
*''Made in Birmingham: Reggae, Punk, Bhangra'' (2010), Swish Films/Birmingham Music Archive
Discography
Compilations
*''Out The Lights Vol.3'' (1991), Discotex
*''Out The Lights Vol.4'' (1992), Discotex
*''Relaxin' With Lovers Volume 5 - Santic And More Lovers'' (2004), Sony Music Entertainment Japan
*''Relaxin' With Lovers Volume 9'' (2006), Sony Music Entertainment Japan
*''The Best Of Original British Lovers Rock Vol. 2'' (2008), Jet Star
Singles
*"Africans" (1980) Rising Star
*"When You’re Wrong (Say You’re Wrong)"/"That’s Life" (1980) Voyage
*"Men Cry Too"/"Man-A-Reason" (1981) Mass Media Music
*"Won’t Let You Go"/"Rising Sun" (1982) Mass Media Music
*"Never Knew A Love Like (This Before)" (1983) Home Spun
*"Glory Glory" (1983) Home Spun
*"Shadow of Love" (1984) Sub Zero
*"Candi"/"Satta Massagana" (1987) C&E
*"I Wanna Be Your Man"/"You Are Everything" (1989) World Time Music
*"Men Cry Too (92)" (1992) Klassic Records
References
External links
Beshara discography
at Discogs
Discogs (short for discographies) is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the ...
Beshara
at Birmingham Music Archive
{{DEFAULTSORT:Beshara (Band)
Musical groups established in 1976
British reggae musical groups
Musical groups from Birmingham, West Midlands
Black British musical groups
Second-wave ska groups
English ska musical groups
English new wave musical groups
Lovers rock musicians
Performers of Rastafarian music
Real World Records artists
1976 establishments in England