Editing I Just Can't Stop It

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{Infobox album
| name       = I Just Can't Stop It
| type       = studio
| artist     = [[The Beat (British band)|the Beat]]
| cover      = I Just Cant Stop It.jpg
| border     = yes
| alt        =
| released   = {{Start date|1980|5|23|df=y}}
| recorded   =
| venue      =
| studio     =
| genre      = * [[Ska]]
* [[two-tone (music genre)|two-tone]]
* [[new wave music|new wave]]
| length     = {{duration|m=36|s=24}}
| label      = * [[Go-Feet Records|Go-Feet]]
* [[Sire Records|Sire]]
| producer   = [[Bob Sargeant]]
| prev_title =
| prev_year  =
| next_title = [[Wha'ppen?]]
| next_year  = 1981
| misc         = {{Singles
 | name        = I Just Can't Stop It
 | type        = studio
 | single1     = [[The Tears of a Clown#The Beat version|Tears of a Clown]]"/"Ranking Full Stop
 | single1date = 30 November 1979
 | single2     = [[Hands Off...She's Mine]]"/"Twist and Crawl
 | single2date = 14 February 1980
 | single3     = [[Mirror in the Bathroom]]
 | single3date = 25 April 1980
 | single4     = [[Best Friend (The Beat song)|Best Friend]]"/"[[Stand Down Margaret]]
 | single4date = 8 August 1980
}}}}
'''''I Just Can't Stop It''''' is the debut studio album by the British [[Two-tone (music genre)|two-tone]] band [[The Beat (British band)|the Beat]], released on 23 May 1980{{citation needed|date=May 2025}} by [[Go-Feet Records]] in the United Kingdom. It was released the same year in the United States on [[Sire Records]], with the band credited as "The English Beat"; in Australia, it was released on Go-Feet under the band name "The British Beat".

The album was well-received; ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' raved that the music was "wild and threatening, sexy and sharp,"<ref name=RS1980>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/theenglishbeat/albums/album/219758/review/5941384/i_just_cant_stop_it |title=The English Beat: I Just Can't Stop It |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |issue=325 |date=4 September 1980 |access-date=12 August 2007 |last=Rose |first=Frank |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080422234001/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/theenglishbeat/albums/album/219758/review/5941384/i_just_cant_stop_it |archive-date=22 April 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> while [[AllMusic]] later wrote it "was a stunning achievement" which had not been diminished by time.<ref name=Allmusic/>

The album was reissued on CD in 1990 by [[I.R.S. Records]] in the U.S, and in 2012 by [[Demon Music Group|Edsel Records]] in the UK and [[Shout! Factory]] in the U.S.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://englishbeat.net/discography/ |title=Discography |publisher=englishbeat.net |access-date=19 November 2020}}</ref>

== Artwork ==
The "Beat Girl" icon seen on the cover and used on the band's merchandising was designed by [[Birmingham, England|Birmingham]]-based cartoonist [[Hunt Emerson]].<ref name="Marco">{{cite web |url=https://marcoonthebass.blogspot.com/2008/12/beat-girl-noted-cartoonist-hunt-emerson.html |title=The Beat Girl – Noted Cartoonist Hunt Emerson Designs a 2-Tone Era Icon |website=Marco on the Bass |date=16 December 2008 |access-date=27 March 2019}}</ref>

== Critical reception ==
{{Music ratings
| rev1      = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1Score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref name=Allmusic>{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/i-just-cant-stop-it-mw0000189815 |title=I Just Can't Stop It – The English Beat |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=12 May 2004 |last=Greene |first=Jo-Ann}}</ref>
| rev2      = ''[[Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s|Christgau's Record Guide]]''
| rev2Score = A−<ref>{{cite book |chapter=The English Beat: I Just Can't Stop It |chapter-url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_album.php?id=3594 |access-date=4 May 2009 |title=Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s |title-link=Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s |last=Christgau |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Christgau |publisher=Pantheon Books |year=1990 |isbn=0-679-73015-X}}</ref>
| rev3      = ''[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]''
| rev3Score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite book|title=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music|publisher=Omnibus Press|edition=5th concise|year=2011|last=Larkin|first=Colin|title-link=Encyclopedia of Popular Music|authorlink=Colin Larkin (writer)}}</ref>
| rev4      = ''[[Record Mirror]]''
| rev4Score = {{Rating|2|5}}<ref>{{cite journal|title=Albums|journal=Record Mirror|date=24 May 1980|page=20|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Record-Mirror/80s/80/Record-Mirror-1980-05-24.pdf|access-date=2 March 2021}}</ref>
| rev5      = ''[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide]]''
| rev5Score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref>{{cite book |chapter=English Beat |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t9eocwUfoSoC&pg=PA277 |access-date=17 March 2010 |last=Considine |first=J. D. |author-link=J. D. Considine |title=The New Rolling Stone Album Guide |title-link=The Rolling Stone Album Guide |editor1-last=Brackett |editor1-first=Nathan |editor1-link=Nathan Brackett |editor2-last=Hoard |editor2-first=Christian |editor2-link=Christian Hoard |publisher=Fireside Books |edition=4th |year=2004 |isbn=0-7432-0169-8 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac/page/277 277–278]}}</ref>
| rev6      = ''[[Smash Hits]]''
| rev6Score = 9/10<ref>{{cite magazine |title=The Beat: I Just Can't Stop It |magazine=Smash Hits |volume=2 |issue=11 |date=29 May – 11 June 1980 |last=Cranna |first=Ian |page=30}}</ref>
| rev7      = ''[[Sounds (magazine)|Sounds]]''
| rev7Score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/the-beat-ii-just-cant-stop-iti-go-feet- |title=The Beat: I Just Can't Stop It (Go Feet) |magazine=Sounds |date=24 May 1980 |access-date=19 November 2020 |last=Silverton |first=Peter |url-access=subscription |via=Rock's Backpages}}</ref>
| rev8      = ''[[Spin Alternative Record Guide]]''
| rev8Score = 10/10<ref>{{cite book |chapter=English Beat |last=Hermes |first=Will |author-link=Will Hermes |title=Spin Alternative Record Guide |title-link=Spin Alternative Record Guide |editor1-last=Weisbard |editor1-first=Eric |editor1-link=Eric Weisbard |editor2-last=Marks |editor2-first=Craig |publisher=Vintage Books |year=1995 |isbn=0-679-75574-8 |page=127}}</ref>
| rev9      = ''[[Tom Hull – on the Web]]''
| rev9Score = A−<ref>{{cite web|last=Hull|first=Tom|authorlink=Tom Hull (critic)|date=26 April 2021|url=http://tomhull.com/ocston/blog/archives/2939-Music-Week.html|title=Music Week|website=Tom Hull – on the Web|accessdate=27 April 2021}}</ref>
}}
At the end of 1980, ''I Just Can't Stop It'' appeared in numerous lists of the best albums of the year: ''[[NME]]'' ranked it third,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nme.com/bestalbumsandtracksoftheyear/1980-2-1045402 |title=1980 Best Albums And Tracks Of The Year |website=NME |date=10 October 2016 |access-date=30 October 2016}}</ref> ''[[Sounds (magazine)|Sounds]]'' ranked it 13th,{{CN|date=December 2023}} ''[[The Village Voice]]'' ranked it 21st{{CN|date=December 2023}} and ''[[OOR]]'' ranked it 41st.{{CN|date=December 2023}} In 1995, ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]'' ranked the album at No. 94 in its list of the "Top 100 Alternative Albums".<ref>{{cite book |editor1-last=Weisbard |editor1-first=Eric |editor2-last=Marks |editor2-first=Craig |title=Spin Alternative Record Guide |date=1995 |publisher=Vintage Books |location=New York |isbn=0679755748 |page=454 |chapter=Top 100 Alternative Albums}}</ref> ''Fast 'n' Bulbous'' ranked the album at number 283 in its list of "The 500 Best Albums Since 1965".<ref>[http://fastnbulbous.com/best-albums-since-1965/ Best Albums Since 1965 | Fast 'n' Bulbous<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> A 2002 poll of [[KCPR]] DJs ranked it at No. 40 in a list of the "Top 100 Records of the 80s".{{CN|date=December 2023}} ''[[Les Inrockuptibles]]'' included it in its list of "50 Years of Rock 'n' Roll."{{CN|date=December 2023}} Music journalist [[Simon Reynolds]] lists it as one of the five most important albums of "[[Two-tone (music genre)|2-Tone]] and the [[Ska]] Resurrection" in his 2005 book ''[[Rip It Up and Start Again|Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978–1984]]''.<ref>{{cite book |title=Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978–1984 |title-link=Rip It Up and Start Again |last=Reynolds |first=Simon |author-link=Simon Reynolds |publisher=Faber and Faber |year=2005 |isbn=0-571-21569-6}}</ref> In 2016, ''[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]]'' ranked ''I Just Can't Stop It'' at No. 48 on its list of the 50 best [[new wave music|new wave]] albums.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/new-wave/the-best-new-wave-albums/ |title=The 50 Best New Wave Albums |website=Paste |date=8 September 2016 |access-date=19 November 2020}}</ref>

"[[Mirror in the Bathroom]]" was ranked at No. 3 in the ''NME'' "Singles of the Year" list{{CN|date=December 2023}} and at No. 24 in ''Sounds''' "Singles of the Year" list.{{CN|date=December 2023}} In 2003, ''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]'' ranked the song at No. 517 in its list of the "1001 Best Songs Ever".<ref>[http://www.muzieklijstjes.nl/Q1001bestsongsever.htm Q - 1001 best songs ever (2003)<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> In 2002, Gary Mulholland included the song in his list ''This Is Uncool: The 500 Best Singles Since Punk Rock''.{{CN|date=December 2023}} In 2001, Michaelangelo Matos included it in his list of "The Top 100 Singles of the 80s."{{CN|date=December 2023}} In 2006, [[WSUN (FM)|97x]] ranked it at No. 186 in its list of "The 500 Best Modern Rock Songs of All Time."{{CN|date=December 2023}} In 1990, [[Robert Christgau]] ranked "Twist & Crawl" at No. 10 in his list of the best songs of the 1980s.<ref>[http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/list/decade80.php Robert Christgau: Decade Personal Best: '80s<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

== Track listing ==
{{Track listing
| headline     = Original UK release
| total_length = 
| all_writing  = [[The Beat (British band)|The Beat]] (as per [[American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers|ASCAP]]: [[Ranking Roger|Roger Charlery]], [[Andy Cox]], Everett Morton, [[David Steele (musician)|David Steele]] and [[Dave Wakeling]]),<ref name="notes">{{cite AV media notes |title=I Just Can't Stop It |others=[[The Beat (British band)|The Beat]] |publisher=Go-Feet Records/Shout! Factory |location=Los Angeles |year=2012 |id=826663-13177-B1 |type=CD liner notes}}</ref> except where noted. Note that despite the group author credits on the label, Saxa is not listed as a co-author of any song according to ASCAP.
| title1       = [[Mirror in the Bathroom]]
| length1      = 3:10
| title2       = [[Hands Off...She's Mine]]
| length2      = 3:01
| title3       = Two Swords
| length3      = 2:19
| title4       = Twist & Crawl
| writer4      = {{hlist|The Beat|[[Dick Bradsell]]}}
| length4      = 2:35
| title5       = Rough Rider
| note5        = originally performed by [[Prince Buster]] & the All Stars
| writer5      = {{hlist|[[Eddy Grant]]|Patrick Grant|Dervan Gordon|Lincoln Gordon}}
| length5      = 4:53
| title6       = Click Click
| length6      = 1:28
| title7       = Big Shot
| length7      = 2:34
| title8       = Whine & Grine/[[Stand Down Margaret]]
| note8        = "Whine & Grine" originally performed by Prince Buster & the All Stars
| writer8      = {{hlist|The Beat|Prince Buster}}
| length8      = 3:51
| title9       = Noise in This World
| length9      = 2:19
| title10      = [[Can't Get Used to Losing You]]
| note10       = originally performed by [[Andy Williams]]
| writer10     = {{hlist|[[Doc Pomus]]|[[Mort Shuman]]}}
| length10     = 3:04
| title11      = [[Best Friend (The Beat song)|Best Friend]]
| length11     = 3:01
| title12      = Jackpot
| note12       = originally performed by [[The Pioneers (band)|the Pioneers]]
| writer12     = {{hlist|George Agard|[[Sydney Crooks]]|[[Jackie Robinson (musician)|Jackie Robinson]]}}
| length12     = 4:19
}}
The U.S. release of the album on [[Sire Records]] added "[[The Tears of a Clown#The Beat version|Tears of a Clown]]" and "Ranking Full Stop", originally released as [[A-side and B-side#Double A-side|double A-sides]] of a single on [[2 Tone Records]] in 1979 (TT 6).<ref name="notes"/> These tracks remained on subsequent CD reissues of the album.<ref name="notes"/>

{{Track listing
| headline     = US LP release and CD reissues
| total_length = 
| title1       = Mirror in the Bathroom
| length1      = 3:10
| title2       = Hands Off...She's Mine
| length2      = 3:01
| title3       = Two Swords
| length3      = 2:19
| title4       = Twist & Crawl
| writer4      = {{hlist|The Beat|Dick Bradsell}}
| length4      = 2:35
| title5       = [[The Tears of a Clown#The Beat version|Tears of a Clown]]
| note5        = originally performed by [[The Miracles|Smokey Robinson and the Miracles]]
| length5      = 2:39
| writer5      = {{hlist|[[Henry Cosby]]||[[Smokey Robinson]]|[[Stevie Wonder]]}}
| title6       = Rough Rider
| writer6      = {{hlist|Eddy Grant|Patrick Grant|Dervan Gordon|Lincoln Gordon}}
| length6      = 4:53
| title7       = Click Click
| length7      = 1:28
| title8       = Ranking Full Stop
| length8      = 2:44
| title9       = Big Shot
| length9      = 2:34
| title10      = Whine & Grine/Stand Down Margaret
| writer10     = {{hlist|The Beat|Prince Buster}}
| length10     = 3:51
| title11      = Noise in This World
| length11     = 2:19
| title12      = Can't Get Used to Losing You
| writer12     = {{hlist|Doc Pomus|Mort Shuman}}
| length12     = 3:04
| title13      = Best Friend
| length13     = 3:01
| title14      = Jackpot
| writer14     = {{hlist|George Agard|Sydney Crooks|Jackie Robinson}}
| length14     = 4:19
}}

== Personnel ==
Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.<ref>{{cite AV media notes |title=I Just Can't Stop It |others=[[The Beat (British band)|The Beat]] |publisher=[[Go-Feet Records]] |year=1980 |id=BEAT 1 |type=liner notes}}</ref>

'''The Beat'''
* [[Dave Wakeling]] – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
* [[Ranking Roger]] – [[Toasting (Jamaican music)|toasting]], vocals
* [[Andy Cox]] – lead guitar
* [[David Steele (musician)|David Steele]] – bass guitar
* Everett Morton – drums
* Saxa – saxophone

'''Production and artwork'''
* [[Bob Sargeant]] – production
* Alvin Clark – engineering
* Mark Dearnley – engineering
* Mike Dunne – engineering
* Trevor Hallesy – engineering
* Nick Rogers – engineering
* [[Hunt Emerson]] – artwork

"Thanks to: [[John Peel]], [[the Specials]], [[The Selecter|Selecter]], A/W Hunt Emerson"

== Charts ==
{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
! scope="col" | Chart (1980–81)
! scope="col" | Peak<br />position
|-
! scope="row" | Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)<ref>{{cite book |title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 |last=Kent |first=David |author-link=David Kent (historian) |publisher=Australian Chart Book |edition=illustrated |year=1993 |isbn=0-646-11917-6 |pages=29, 46}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;" | 66
|-
{{Album chart|New Zealand|30|artist=The Beat|album=I Just Can't Stop It|accessdate=19 November 2020|rowheader=true}}
|-
{{Album chart|Norway|30|artist=The Beat|album=I Just Can't Stop It|accessdate=19 November 2020|rowheader=true}}
|-
{{Album chart|UK2|3|date=19800525|accessdate=19 November 2020|rowheader=true}}
|-
{{Album chart|Billboard200|142|artist=The English Beat|accessdate=19 November 2020|rowheader=true}}
|}

== Certifications ==
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|title=I Just Can't Stop It|artist=Beat|type=album|award=Gold|accessdate=19 November 2020|id=3106-1645-2}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{discogs master|8315}}

{{The Beat}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:I Just Can't Stop It}}
[[Category:The Beat (British band) albums]]
[[Category:1980 debut albums]]
[[Category:Sire Records albums]]
[[Category:I.R.S. Records albums]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Bob Sargeant]]