Paul Collins Beat: The 'King Of Power Pop' Returns to London's Dirty Water Club to Launch European Tour

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PAUL COLLINS is THE formative figure in powerpop and, indeed, a major figure in rock’n’roll history. He's a man with an impressive résumé, even if he may not be a household name.

He started out in THE NERVES, whose sole release, a 1976 self-titled four-song EP distributed by the independent Bomp Records, is most famous for “Hanging on the Telephone”, which went unnoticed when it was originally released, but turned into a UK top 5 single when covered by Blondie.

After The Nerves’ ended, Collins and bassist Peter Case briefly played in THE BREAKAWAYS before recruiting Steve Huff (bass & backing vocals) and Mike Ruiz (drums) into what would later become THE BEAT. Case, however, quit to go solo before eventually forming The Plimsouls. Collins now took lead vocals on all of the songs, with the addition of Larry Whitman (lead guitar & backing vocals), and The Beat were on their way.

The Los Angeles powerpop scene was beginning to garner national attention and Collins signed the band with Columbia/CBS and Bill Graham Management and their self-titled debut was released in October 1979. All 12 songs were Collins originals with other band members taking co-writing credits each, all on different songs.

Continuing in the style of The Nerves, the album consisted of harmony-laden, driving guitar pop songs. The album was critically acclaimed and is today remembered as a classic of the genre. The group appeared on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand and contributed a song to the soundtrack LP of the massively popular movie “Caddyshack”. Despite this promotion, diligent touring alongside such popular artists as Ian Gomm and The Jam and a tour of Europe, The Beat found limited commercial success.

(The British ska group of the same name were first to establish themselves as “The Beat” in Europe, however, which forced the American “Beat” to be referred to as “Paul Collins Beat” on that continent. The Collins’ “The Beat” was first to release their album in their home territory, though, forcing the British group to use the name “The English Beat” in the USA. In 2015, the two bands toured together as “Two beats, hearting as one”!)

After a second album for CBS, The Kids Are The Same, in 1982, with the group billed as “Paul Collins’ Beat”, the group self-financed the production of three videos, including “On The Highway”, which had been modestly promoted to AOR radio by CBS which was put on rotation for several months by the then fledgling MTV network, much to the chagrin of their former label.

This MTV exposure kept the group busy to the point of burnout. But with line up changes a New York line-up reclaimed the name “The Beat” and released the five-song 12” mini-album To Beat or Not To Beat in 1983. “Dance, Dance” was made into a music video in 1984 and received exposure on MTV. With better sales on its European release Collins relocated, for several years, to promote the release and tour, recording and releasing more records, and gaining a steady following on the continent. 

Today, after performing Americana style alt-country music as the Paul Collins Band he’s revived The Paul Collins Beat and performs to fans across Europe, including several visits to the UK, with a live show that is as energetic and enthralling as you might imagine it was back in LA back in the late 1970s and early ’80s.

Paul Collins Beat have two of their classic 80s EPs reissued this month, ‘Always Got You On My Mind’ is taken from Long Time Gone / To Beat Or Not To Beat which was just issued through Lolipop Records on 28 April.

To Beat Or Not To Beat, featuring current Television guitarist Jimmy Ripp and Patti Smith drummer Jay Dee Daugherty was originally released in 1983, followed two years later by Long Time Gone, produced in the UK by former Motorhead and Warsaw Pakt drummer Lucas Fox.Speaking of ‘Always Got You On My Mind’, Collins says, “Steve Huff and I were living full time in New York – up all night, sleep all day, that was our M.O. Hanging out all the cool clubs like Danceteria and Mud Club. We had been touring all over the area with Jay Dee Daugherty and Jimmy Ripp".

"After one long tour out west we got back to NY and we really wanted to have one more cut to round out the EP To Beat or Not To Beat as it was being released in Europe, so we went back into the studio.We came pretty close a you can hear the slick production sound on this recording, thankfully the song holds up and it still sounds good today."

Paul hits Europe on tour from May, including a UK show at a special Dirty Water Club night at The Finsbury, London on Saturday 13 May. Support comes from LUCY & THE RATS and SEE NO EVILS. Tickets priced £8.50 are available here.

Special Thanks to Gerry Ranson and Vive Le Rock for contributing to this article.