Steel Pulse Artistfacts

1975-
David HindsVocals1975-
Selwyn BrownKeyboards1975-
Colin GabbidonDrums1975-1976
Basil GabbidonGuitar1975-1982
Ronald McQueenBass1975-1983
Steve NisbettDrums1977-2001
Alphonso MartinPercussion1977-1991
Sidney MillsKeyboards1988-
Warren ClarkeDrums2005-
Amlak TafariBass2005-
David Ellecirri JrGuitar2012-
Stephen Bradley Trumpet2017-
Zem AuduSaxophone2017-
Baruch HindsRap2017
Steel Pulse are a pioneering British reggae band formed in 1975 in the Handsworth area of Birmingham, England, by schoolmates David Hinds, Basil Gabbidon, and Ronald "Stepper" McQueen - all sons of West Indian immigrants.
Steel Pulse might sound like a gritty industrial moniker, but their name actually comes from a racehorse spotted by Basil Gabbidon. Keyboardist Selwyn Brown admitted to Uncut magazine, "I felt it was kind of weird for a reggae band, but we couldn't think of anything better."
One of Steel Pulse's biggest early influences was The Wailers; specifically their 1973 album Catch a Fire. That record was groundbreaking because it was recorded in the UK and carried a more progressive, polished feel than the rawer Jamaican-produced records. "Reggae was a shuffle, a skank, a simple bass. That was it," said Ronald McQueen. "Two-chord songs, three minutes and you had a reggae song. We tried to create something a bit more involved."
Steel Pulse's first gig came in mid-1976 at the Crompton Arms, a small Birmingham pub. The band earned £20 for the night - less impressive when divided among seven members. Worse still, the crowd was more interested in playing dominoes than hearing music.
Before they broke nationally, Steel Pulse cut their teeth playing nightclubs and community halls in their Birmingham neighborhood of Handsworth. Black-owned venues like the Santa Rosa and the Ridgeway gave them a platform, along with gigs in school halls and social clubs.
Steel Pulse's breakthrough came thanks to their manager Pete King, who saw a natural alliance between the rising punk scene and reggae. In August 1977, King booked the band to support Generation X (featuring a young Billy Idol) at a punk show in Soho. What followed was a series of gigs opening for the likes of The Clash, XTC, and the Stranglers.
At first, the band was horrified by the punk scene. "We'd walk into venues and the floors were sticky with beer, spit and vomit," David Hinds recalled to Uncut. "People had eyebrows pierced, or chains that went from their lips to the ear lobes. Hair was matted together and dyed. It was weird."

But the punks embraced reggae for its rebellious spirit, and Steel Pulse soon found themselves playing Rock Against Racism events, uniting youth cultures across race and genre.
Alongside bands like The Clash and The Ruts, Steel Pulse were part of a rare but powerful cultural crossover. While purists in both camps were skeptical at first, their collaborations and shared bills brought together fans who might never have encountered each other otherwise. The message of resistance and anti-racism spoke to both audiences.
Steel Pulse were the first non-Jamaican act to win the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album, taking the honor for Babylon the Bandit in 1986.
They were the first reggae band to appear on The Tonight Show and the first to perform for a US. presidential inauguration - at Bill Clinton's request.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

More Songfacts:

I Shot The SheriffBob Marley & the Wailers

Bob Marley's "I Shot The Sheriff" deals with police brutality in the Trenchtown section of Jamaica, where he grew up. He felt that police assumed young men in the area were all criminals.

Take It EasyEagles

The Eagles' first single, "Take It Easy," was written by Jackson Browne, who was living in the apartment below Glenn Frey when he wrote it.

Diamonds From Sierra LeoneKanye West

"Diamonds From Sierra Leone" by Kanye West is about the "blood diamonds" mined using child labor in Africa. It also serves as a shout-out to Roc-A-Fella records, known for a diamond-shaped hand signal.

The Great PretenderThe Platters

The Pretenders are named after the 1956 song "The Great Pretender" by The Platters.

Something In The AirThunderclap Newman

Pete Townshend never had a #1 UK hit with The Who or as a solo artist, but he did produce and play on a song that hit the top spot there: "Something In The Air" by Thunderclap Newman, a group he assembled.

Don't ChaThe Pussycat Dolls

Sir Mix-A-Lot is credited as a writer on The Pussycat Dolls' biggest hit, "Don't Cha," because it interpolates his 1988 song "Swass," where he goes, "Don't you wish your boyfriend was swass like me?"