I Just Can't Stop It
1980 studio album by the Beat
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I Just Can't Stop It is the debut studio album by the English two-tone band the Beat, released on 23 May 1980 by Go-Feet Records in the United Kingdom. It was released the same year in the United States on Sire Records, with the band credited as "The English Beat"; in Australia, it was released on Go-Feet under the band name "The British Beat".
| I Just Can't Stop It | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 23 May 1980 | |||
| Genres | ||||
| Length | 36:24 | |||
| Labels | ||||
| Producer | Bob Sargeant | |||
| The Beat chronology | ||||
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| Singles from I Just Can't Stop It | ||||
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The album was well received; Rolling Stone raved that the music was "wild and threatening, sexy and sharp,"[1] while AllMusic later wrote it "was a stunning achievement" which had not been diminished by time.[2]
The album was reissued on CD in 1990 by I.R.S. Records in the U.S, and in 2012 by Edsel Records in the UK and Shout! Factory in the U.S.[3]
Artwork
The "Beat Girl" icon seen on the cover and used on the band's merchandising was designed by Birmingham-based cartoonist Hunt Emerson.[4]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  [2] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | A−[5] |
| Encyclopedia of Popular Music |  [6] |
| Record Mirror | [7] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [8] |
| Smash Hits | 9/10[9] |
| Sounds | [10] |
| Spin Alternative Record Guide | 10/10[11] |
| Tom Hull – on the Web | A−[12] |
At the end of 1980, I Just Can't Stop It appeared in numerous lists of the best albums of the year: NME ranked it third,[13] Sounds ranked it 13th,[citation needed] The Village Voice ranked it 21st[citation needed] and OOR ranked it 41st.[citation needed] In 1995, Spin ranked the album at No. 94 in its list of the "Top 100 Alternative Albums".[14] Fast 'n' Bulbous ranked the album at number 283 in its list of "The 500 Best Albums Since 1965".[15] A 2002 poll of KCPR DJs ranked it at No. 40 in a list of the "Top 100 Records of the 80s".[citation needed] Les Inrockuptibles included it in its list of "50 Years of Rock 'n' Roll."[citation needed] Music journalist Simon Reynolds lists it as one of the five most important albums of "2-Tone and the Ska Resurrection" in his 2005 book Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978–1984.[16] In 2016, Paste ranked I Just Can't Stop It at No. 48 on its list of the 50 best new wave albums.[17]
"Mirror in the Bathroom" was ranked at No. 3 in the NME "Singles of the Year" list[citation needed] and at No. 24 in Sounds' "Singles of the Year" list.[citation needed] In 2003, Q ranked the song at No. 517 in its list of the "1001 Best Songs Ever".[18] In 2002, Gary Mulholland included the song in his list This Is Uncool: The 500 Greatest Singles Since Punk and Disco.[19] In 2001, Michaelangelo Matos included it in his list of "The Top 100 Singles of the 80s."[citation needed] In 2006, 97x ranked it at No. 186 in its list of "The 500 Best Modern Rock Songs of All Time."[citation needed] In 1990, Robert Christgau ranked "Twist & Crawl" at No. 10 in his list of the best songs of the 1980s.[20]
Track listing
All tracks are written by The Beat (as per ASCAP: Roger Charlery, Andy Cox, Everett Morton, David Steele and Dave Wakeling),[21] except where noted. Note that despite the group author credits on the label, Saxa is not listed as a co-author of any song according to ASCAP.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Mirror in the Bathroom" | 3:10 | |
| 2. | "Hands Off...She's Mine" | 3:01 | |
| 3. | "Two Swords" | 2:19 | |
| 4. | "Twist & Crawl" |
| 2:35 |
| 5. | "Rough Rider" (originally performed by Prince Buster & the All Stars) |
| 4:53 |
| 6. | "Click Click" | 1:28 | |
| 7. | "Big Shot" | 2:34 | |
| 8. | "Whine & Grine/Stand Down Margaret" ("Whine & Grine" originally performed by Prince Buster & the All Stars) |
| 3:51 |
| 9. | "Noise in This World" | 2:19 | |
| 10. | "Can't Get Used to Losing You" (originally performed by Andy Williams) | 3:04 | |
| 11. | "Best Friend" | 3:01 | |
| 12. | "Jackpot" (originally performed by the Pioneers) |
| 4:19 |
The U.S. release of the album on Sire Records added "Tears of a Clown" and "Ranking Full Stop", originally released as double A-sides of a single on 2 Tone Records in 1979 (TT 6).[21] These tracks remained on subsequent CD reissues of the album.[21]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Mirror in the Bathroom" | 3:10 | |
| 2. | "Hands Off...She's Mine" | 3:01 | |
| 3. | "Two Swords" | 2:19 | |
| 4. | "Twist & Crawl" |
| 2:35 |
| 5. | "Tears of a Clown" (originally performed by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles) | 2:39 | |
| 6. | "Rough Rider" |
| 4:53 |
| 7. | "Click Click" | 1:28 | |
| 8. | "Ranking Full Stop" | 2:44 | |
| 9. | "Big Shot" | 2:34 | |
| 10. | "Whine & Grine/Stand Down Margaret" |
| 3:51 |
| 11. | "Noise in This World" | 2:19 | |
| 12. | "Can't Get Used to Losing You" |
| 3:04 |
| 13. | "Best Friend" | 3:01 | |
| 14. | "Jackpot" |
| 4:19 |
Personnel
Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.[22]
The Beat
- Dave Wakeling – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
- Ranking Roger – toasting, vocals
- Andy Cox – lead guitar
- David Steele – bass guitar
- Everett Morton – drums
- Saxa – saxophone
Production and artwork
- Bob Sargeant – production
- Alvin Clark – engineering
- Mark Dearnley – engineering
- Mike Dunne – engineering
- Trevor Hallesy – engineering
- Nick Rogers – engineering
- Hunt Emerson – artwork
"Thanks to: John Peel, the Specials, Selecter, A/W Hunt Emerson"
Charts
| Chart (1980–81) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[23] | 66 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[24] | 30 |
| Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[25] | 30 |
| UK Albums (Official Charts)[26] | 3 |
| US Billboard 200[27] | 142 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[28] | Gold | 100,000^ |
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^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||