There can't be many artists who have realised that one of their songs has been plagiarised - or "liberally borrowed from" - by standing in a room opposite the offending band playing it, but that is exactly what happened to Dave Wakeling, leader of Brummie ska revivalists The Beat.
His band, who emerged out of Two-Tone in the late 70s, had splintered off in different directions by the mid-80s but not before they had achieved success further afield than many of their peers. In songs such as Can't Get Used To Losing You, Hands Off... She's Mine and their jubilant cover of Tears Of A Clown, The Beat had a number of US hits with their bouncing instrumental March Of The Swivel Heads also soundtracking the frenzied race-home at the end of blockbuster teen comedy Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
