Beshara

Beshara were a British reggae band from Moseley and Washwood Heath, Birmingham, that formed in 1976. The band are most notable for their 1981 lovers rock hit "Men Cry Too", which reached number 2 in the British reggae charts. Although known for their lovers rock singles, they were also very capable of recording roots reggae. This can be heard in the hymnal recording, "Glory Glory".

History

The original line-up and founding members of the band were Elias Pharoah (bass), Ray Watts aka Ray Beshara (rhythm guitar, backing vocals) and Dixie Pinnock (drums), who then recruited Errol Nanton (lead vocals) and Michael Nanton (keyboards). They were formerly named Cool Dimension and The Kushites until 1979 when the band settled on the name Beshara meaning "surprise" in Arabic and "mystical" in Swahili.

Over the years, the line-up of the band changed along with the roles of various members but as of 1980 the ever-present nucleus that was widely known as Ray Watts (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Dixie Pinnock (drums, backing vocals), Michael Nanton (keyboards, backing vocals) and Tony Garfield (bass, vocals), were to remain as the core members in their new roles. In July 1980 and courtesy of...

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