Beats International

Beats International, a British dance music and hip-hop collective, were formed in the late 1980s in Brighton, East Sussex by Norman Cook. Following his departure from The Housemartins, Norman Cook assembled a group that included vocalist Lindy Layton, rapper DJ Baptiste (The Crazy MC), MC Wildski, keyboardist Andy Boucher, and graffiti artist REQ. Beats International's debut single was the hip-house offering "Blame It on the Bassline" in 1989. The band's breakthrough came with their first full-length album, Let Them Eat Bingo, released in April 1990. This album featured the UK Number-one single "Dub Be Good to Me", a re-working of the SOS Band’s number one "Just Be Good to Me," which also sampled the bassline from The Clash’s "Guns of Brixton". In addition to this success, Let Them Eat Bingo included hits such as "Won't Talk About It" and "Burundi Blues", both of which showcased the band's eclectic mix of acid house, electronic music, and hip-hop. Their second album, Excursion on the Version, released in October 1991, saw a greater emphasis on dub and reggae sounds, but did not achieve the same commercial success as its predecessor. Beats International disbanded in 1992.