All the Rage, the band’s first LP, went to #26 in the US, propelled by their hit single “Tenderness” (#27 US, #95 UK); I loved this song back in ’84. It appeared in two iconic 80’s films: Sixteen Candles and Weird Science, giving it broad exposure though I do remember it getting heavy rotation on MTV. Mick Jones plays guitar on that track. General Public released three other singles from All the Rage: “General Public,” “Never You Done That” and “Hot You’re Cool.”

We saw Dave Wakeling play live most recently this past April at Turner Hall in Milwaukee as part of The (English) Beat (totally revamped of course, I’m pretty Wakeling was the only original member of the band playing). Besides Beat songs, they performed two songs from All The Rage, “Tenderness,” of course, and “Never You Done That.”

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Wakeling, along with The Beat’s Ranking Roger, formed General Public after The Beat’s dissolution. GP was a super-group of British new wave/ska/punk musicians: besides Wakeling and Ranking Roger, members included Mickey Billingham of Dexys Midnight Runners on keyboards, Horace Panter of The Specials on bass, Stoker of DMR and The Bureau on drums and Mick Jones of The Clash on guitar (though Jones left the group midway through the recording of All the Rage).

“Tenderness,” a poppy new wave single, made it to #27 on the charts in the US, fairing less well in the UK where it only hit #95. I remember hearing it A LOT the summer of ‘84 and at one point I know I borrowed the full length LP All the Rage, upon which “Tenderness” appeared, and probably made a cassette copy. “Limited Balance” is much more heavily reggae, a slow rock steady beat that makes me wish I was sitting on a Caribbean beach, tropical drink in hand.

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