[Music] RIP Ranking Roger

[Austrian Gull]

Really talented vocalist for the Beat. Loved them as a kid.

56 - no age at all.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Loved them too. Stand down Margaret. RIP

 

[Motogull]

Sake. Fantastic band.

 

[Grassman]

Saw him a number of times at The Forum here in T.Wells. So much energy in those performances. The Beat were a brilliant band in their day.

 

[Weststander]

Loved him and them, putting them in the same bracket as the brilliant The Specials. RIP.

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

Shocking news. Far to young. What life energy and talent he had.

The apt Stand Down Margaret (insert Teressa) as well.

 

[Freddie Goodwin.]

Very sad.

 

[papajaff]

Oh no way. Saw The Beat and Selector at the Dome last year. Roger's son was with him these days. Cracking gig.
Rubbish news. RIP Rankin Roger

 

[sydney]

 

[studio150]

Far too young to leave us. RIP

 

[Is it PotG?]

RIP.

Love everything about this song.

 

[Trufflehound]

Really sad news.

I saw The Beat around the time of their breakthrough, late 1979. They were third on the bill behind Teardrop Explodes and Human League, neither of whom were particularly big then either (TE had released one single that wasn't a hit, HL got top billing because they had at least just released an album).

Tears of a Clown and John Peel's relentless plugging of the band was about to change Ranking Roger's world. I had no idea he was only 16 then and a year younger than me...

RIP

 

[Uh_huh_him]

That's terrible.

The Beat were one of my favourites growing up.
Still listen to them regularly

One of the greatest pop songs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnljPqBZq6M

 

[knocky1]

Great man. Have a hazy memory of seeing them down the Suite great night but can't remember when it was. Summer '80 of '81?

 

[Saunders]

They were one of my favourites RIP

 

[chaileyjem]

Loved The Beat.
Loved Roger.
RIP.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfKXCaPvmrM

 

[Bevendean Hillbilly]

Really sad news.

I saw The Beat around the time of their breakthrough, late 1979. They were third on the bill behind Teardrop Explodes and Human League, neither of whom were particularly big then either (TE had released one single that wasn't a hit, HL got top billing because they had at least just released an album).

Tears of a Clown and John Peel's relentless plugging of the band was about to change Ranking Roger's world. I had no idea he was only 16 then and a year younger than me...

RIP

God. I saw Teardrop Explodes and Human League on the same bill at Eric’s in Liverpool when I was a young un...didn’t know what hit me.

Magazine were my fave though. They still stack up well all this time later.

 

[jimhigham]

Such sad news. Saw them live at Boileroom in Guildford a few years back and Ranking Roger ruled the roost.

Gave us the slice of fried gold that tops of the denouement in Ferris Bueller too. Respect.

RIP

 

[Bevendean Hillbilly]

56 though. Jesus what rotten luck.

One by one
Only the good die young.

Except Hitler.

 

[Trufflehound]

God. I saw Teardrop Explodes and Human League on the same bill at Eric’s in Liverpool when I was a young un...didn’t know what hit me.

Magazine were my fave though. They still stack up well all this time later.

You may have been let in to Eric's by a current festival-going friend of mine. His first job after leaving school at 16 was as a bouncer on the door, 1978-79-ish.

First day on the job he naively achieved notoriety by refusing entry to some funny-looking guy, not realising he was the unofficial leader of the Liverpool "scene" by virtue of being the coolest looking. It went something like this:

Funny-looking guy: "Don't you know who I am?"
Friend: "No, and I don't care who you are. If you haven't got a ticket, you're not coming in."
Funny-looking guy: "But I'm Pete Burns."
Friend: "Who? If you haven't got a ticket, you're not coming in."
Funny-looking guy: "But I'm Pete Burns..."