Funky Beggar

In July 1981, Spandau Ballet delivered their fourth single, Chant No. 1 (I Don't Need This Pressure On), with a suitably sweaty club video.

This saw Spandau Ballet step fully from the New Romantic movement into soul and funk and it worked, proving to be their biggest hit to date, spending seven weeks in the UK Top 20 and peaking at #3 in August 1981.

This resulted in the inevitable performance on Top Of The Pops.

To be honest, despite the chiselled features, slicked back hair and trendy threads, even as a 10-year old, I thought Tony Hadley was a bit of an arse, an opinion I'm not sure has shifted seismically in the last four decades.

However, the appeal for me here was the expanded line-up on stage, with three men in black leather trousers, carrying brass and grooving in the background in a way that Tony and the lads could only dream of. 

Yep, Beggar & Co. were here to steal the show. It wasn't their first appearance on TOTP, either. They'd had a #15 hit with their debut single (Somebody) Help Me Out, where the BBC and/or their record label had convinced them to dress a little more to (stereo)type with their band name.

Not ones to miss an opportunity to strike whilst the proverbial iron was hot, Beggar & Co.'s second single came in September 1981. Mule carried the subtitle Chant No. 2 in the hopes of drawing in some Spandau Ballet fans along the way.

Two weeks in, the single had reached #41, but was enough to get them back onto Top Of The Pops.

Sadly, a TOTP appearance doesn't guarantee a significant sales boost and, after a peak at #37 the following week, Mule (Chant No. 2) had two more weeks outside the Top 40 before disappearing altogether.

Being the 1980s, as you might expect, both versions of 'Chant' came with an extended version on the 12" single.

 

Fast forward to the 21st Century and Flash Atkins, the superhero alter ego of DJ and producer Ben Davis, had a stab at Chant No. 1 (I Don't Need This Pressure On) in 2010, with vocals by Danielle Moore (RIP).

Nobody has attempted the same with Mule (Chant No. 2) as far as I am aware, though in 2018 the always dependable Greg Wilson provided a satisfying update of Beggar & Co.'s debut single.