Steel Pulse

Steel Pulse are a roots reggae musical band, from the Handsworth area of Birmingham, England. They originally formed at Handsworth Wood Boys School, and are composed of David Hinds (lead vocals, guitar), Basil Gabbidon (lead guitar, vocals), and Ronald McQueen (bass). They were the first non-Jamaican act to win the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album. After the band formed in 1975, their debut release, Kibudu, Mansetta And Abuku, arrived on the small independent label Dip, and linked the plight of urban black youth with the image of a greater African homeland. They followed it with Nyah Luv for Anchor. They were initially refused live dates in Caribbean venues in Birmingham due to their Rastafarian beliefs. Aligning themselves closely with the Rock Against Racism organisation and featuring in its first music festival in early 1978, they chose to tour with sympathetic elements of the punk movement, including the Stranglers, XTC and so on.... (Read more)
==Links to Peel==
Peel mentioned on his 29 September 1977 show visiting Virgin Records in Marble Arch, where he met a girl behind the counter called Fanny, who gave him a cassette from the group, which Peel played and was impressed, leading to him to invite the group to do a session for his show. The band probably was the first reggae group to record a second session for Kat's Karavan. They went on to record five, four of which John repeated at Christmas but none of which have seen a complete official release.
The release of Handsworth Revolution in summer 1978 was greeted by JP with advance play of four tracks in one show and complaints about the length of time he had waited to hear it.
Another JP favourite, John Cooper Clarke, said, "I knew Steel Pulse really well – those dudes were terrific, fabulous men. Handsforth (sic) Revolution was a big album. Rotten [Johnny] was a massive fan and he used to always wear their promo badges for photo shoots." 
== Festive Fifty Entries ==
*None
== Sessions ==
Five sessions. 'Jah Pickney (Rock Against Racism)' (from #2) available on Movement: BBC Radio 1 Peel Sessions 1977-1979 (BBC Worldwide Ltd.)
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1. Recorded: 1977-08-31. First broadcast: 29 September 1977. Repeated: 25 October 1977, 22 November 1977, 28 December 1977, 22 June 1977.
*Prodigal Son / Ku Klux Klan / Bad Man / Prediction
2. Recorded: 1978-04-04. First broadcast: 27 April 1978. Repeated: 18 May 1978, 07 June 1978, 27 December 1978, 24 May 1983
*Handsworth Revolution / Jah Pickney (Rock Against Racism) / Makka Splaff
3. Recorded: 1979-07-16. First broadcast: 13 August 1979. Repeated: 27 August 1979, 24 December 1979
*Unseen Guest / Uncle George / Reggae Fever
4. Recorded: 1980-04-09. First broadcast: 07 May 1980. Repeated: 20 May 1980, 16 June 1980, 23 December 1980
*Drug Squad / Shinin' / Nyahbingi
5. Recorded: 1981-12-05. First broadcast: 06 January 1982. Repeated 27 January 1982, 17 February 1982, 10 May 1982
*Ravers / Man No Sober / Blues Dance
== Other Shows Played ==
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;1977
*11 October 1977: Nyah Luv (7") Anchor ANC 1046
;1978
*03 February 1978: Ku Klux Klan (7") Island WIP 6428
*06 March 1978: Sound Check (v/a LP - Hope & Anchor Front Row Festival) Warner Bros.
*23 June 1978: Makka Splaff (The Colly Man) (v/a 10" - Short Circuit - Live At The Electric Circus) Virgin
*10 July 1978: Prodigal Son (7")' (Island)
*14 July 1978: Handsworth Revolution (album - Handsworth Revolution) Island ILPS 9502
*14 July 1978: Sound Check (album - Handsworth Revolution) Island ILPS 9502
*14 July 1978: Soldiers (album - Handsworth Revolution) Island ILPS 9502
*14 July 1978: Prediction (album - Handsworth Revolution) Island ILPS 9502
*27 July 1978: Bad Man (album - Handsworth Revolution) Island ILPS 9502
*31 July 1978: Soldiers (album - Handsworth Revolution) Island ILPS 9502
*06 September 1978: Handsworth Revolution (album - Handsworth Revolution) Island ILPS 9502
*16 October 1978: Prediction (7") Island
*08 November 1978: 'Revolution Dub Take 2 (12"-Prediction)' (Island)
;1979
*04 January 1979: Nyah Love (7") Tempus
*09 May 1979: unknown
*12 May 1979 (BFBS): Sound System (7") Island
*21 May 1979: 'Babylon Makes The Rules (12"-Sound System)' (Island)
*11 June 1979: 'Tribute Dub'
*11 June 1979: Unseen Guest (album - Tribute To The Martyrs) Island ILPS 9568
*11 June 1979: Tribute To The Martyrs (album - Tribute To The Martyrs) Island ILPS 9568
*18 June 1979: Biko's Kindred Lament (album - Tribute To The Martyrs) Island ILPS 9568
*23 June 1979 (BFBS): Biko's Kindred Lament (album - Tribute To The Martyrs) Island ILPS 9568
*23 June 1979 (BFBS): Blasphemy (Selah) (album - Tribute To The Martyrs) Island ILPS 9568
*25 June 1979: Unseen Guest (album - Tribute To The Martyrs) Island ILPS 9568
*26 June 1979: Blasphemy (Selah) (album - Tribute To The Martyrs) Island ILPS 9568
*27 June 1979: Tribute To The Martyrs (album - Tribute To The Martyrs) Island ILPS 9568
*28 June 1979: Unseen Guest (album - Tribute To The Martyrs) Island ILPS 9568
*30 June 1979 (BFBS): Babylon Makes The Rules (album - Tribute To The Martyrs) Island ILPS 9568
*03 July 1979: Babylon Makes The Rules (album - Tribute To The Martyrs) Island ILPS 9568
*07 July 1979 (BFBS): Tribute To The Martyrs (album - Tribute To The Martyrs) Island ILPS 9568
*18 July 1979: Tribute To The Martyrs (album - Tribute To The Martyrs) Island ILPS 9568
*23 July 1979: Biko's Kindred Lament (album - Tribute To The Martyrs) Island ILPS 9568
;1980
*03 March 1980: Don't Give In (7") Island WIP 6562
*13 March 1980: Don't Give In (7") Island WIP 6562
*15 March 1980 (BFBS): Don't Give In (7") Island WIP 6562
*17 March 1980: Don't Give In (7") Island WIP 6562
*20 March 1980: Don't Give In (7") Island WIP 6562
*27 March 1980 (BFBS): Don't Give In (7") Island WIP 6562
*26 May 1980: 'Caught You Dancing (7")' (Island)
*02 June 1980: 'Drug Squad (LP-Caught You)' (Island)
*12 June 1980: 'Nyahbingi Voyage (LP-Caught You)' (Island)
*23 June 1980: 'Reggae Fever (LP-Caught You)' (Island)
*25 June 1980: 'Nyahbingi Voyage (LP-Caught You)' (Island)
;1981
*25 October 1981 (BFBS): Uncle George (album - Tribute To The Martyrs) Island ILPS 9568
*29 November 1981 (BFBS): Handsworth Revolution (album - Handsworth Revolution) Island ILPS 9502
;1982
*06 January 1982: Blues Dance Raid
*14 February 1982 (BFBS): Ravers (12") Wise Man Doctrine 12 WMDS 001
*18 February 1982: Leggo Beast (12" - Ravers) Wise Man Doctrine 12 WMDS 001
*21 February 1982 (BFBS): Leggo Beast (12" - Ravers) Wise Man Doctrine 12 WMDS 001
*11 March 1982 (BBC World Service): Ravers (12" - Ravers / Leggo Beast) Wise Man Doctrine
*18 March 1982: Ravers (7") Wiseman Doctrine WMDS 001
*28 March 1982 (BFBS): Ravers (7") Wiseman Doctrine WMDS 001
*02 June 1982 (BFBS): Chant A Psalm (album - True Democracy) Wise Man Doctrine WMDLP 001
*02 June 1982 (BFBS): Blues Dance Raid (album - True Democracy) Wise Man Doctrine WMDLP 001
;1984
*Peel Mid Feb 1984: Steppin' Out (7") Wiseman Doctrine WMDS 003
*27 February 1984 (BBC World Service): Steppin' Out (12") Wise Man Doctrine
*29 February 1984 (BFBS): Body Guard (7" - Steppin' Out) Wise Man Doctrine WMDS 003
*19 March 1984 (BBC World Service): Tight Rope (album - Earth Crisis) Wiseman Doctrine WMDLP 002
*24 March 1984 (BFBS): Body Guard (album - Earth Crisis) Wiseman Doctrine WMDLP 002
*Peel March 1984: 'Earth Crisis (album - Earth Crisis) Wiseman Doctrine WMDLP 002
*24 May 1984: 'Your House'
*20 June 1984 (BFBS): Man No Sober (album - True Democracy) Wise Man Doctrine WMDLP 001
;1985
*28 May 1985: 'Prodigal Son (Compilation LP-Reggae Greats)' (Island)
;1986
*04 March 1986 / Peel March 1986: 'Blessed Is The Man (LP-Babylon The Bandit)' (Elektra)
*12 March 1986: 'Not King James Version (LP-Babylon The Bandit)' (Elektra)
;1996
*09 June 1996: Prodigal Son (7") Island
== See Also ==
*Gigography 1977 
*Gigography 1985
*Sounds
== External Links ==
*Wikipedia
*Official site
*Facebook
*AllMusic
Category:Artists