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By Simon, on November 26th, 2009 26th November ’82 was the release date of The Jam’s eighteenth and final UK single Beat Surrender, it had been previewed three weeks prior via a live performance on the premier edition of Channel 4′s “The Tube”, I inexplicably missed this and in the pre-net world of 1982 had to wait patiently until the single got it’s official release.
So I joined the Saturday morning queue at HMV to pick up my copy – the single was released in three formats, 7″, double 7″ and 12″ (although I cannot remember there being a 12″ available to buy at the time), I got the double gatefold 7″ version, B-Side was “Shopping” and the second disc was a trio of cover versions Stoned Out Of My Mind (The Chi-Lites) , War (Edwinn Starr) and my favourite of the trio Move On Up (Curtis Mayfield), all of the bonus tracks were a sure fire sign of . . . → Read More: The Jam "Beat Surrender"
By Simon, on November 23rd, 2009 Another year on from Settings Suns November 1980 saw the release of The Jam’s best album, the most cohesive album they released underpinned by four of the bands greatest recordings, Taxman Start, That’s Entertainment, Pretty Green and Man in the Corner Shop, add-in But I’m Different Now, Set the House Ablaze and Monday and for my mind there’s no argument that this is the strongest record the trio released.
Start was the bands second number one single entering the chart at number three it climbed to the top spot two weeks later following the bands previous chart topper the double A-side Dreams of Children / Going Underground. the video for the single featured Wellers “Wham” pop-art Rickenbacker 330
Then followed another hit despite not being released in the UK and charting as an import only That’s Entertainment has arguably become the band’s most recognizable track, written . . . → Read More: The Jam – Sound Affects
By Simon, on November 16th, 2009 30 years ago (sharp intake of breathe), Setting Suns was another November release for The Jam, the bands fourth album contained only one single release – but what a single it was - The Eton Rifles
The Eton Rifles gave the trio their first Top Ten Hit when it entered the charts at #3, it remains one of Weller’s most powerful songs, musically and in it’s content and message – despite the best efforts of members of the political elite attempting to hijack it for in the name of looking “hip“.
The song is quintessentially and unapologetically a British one – the language used is colloquial, and refers to an actual event involving Eton’s public school boys and trade union marchers that occurred in 1978 during the Right to Work protests (Wiki). Rifles has remained a live favourite for Weller fans long after the break-up of The Jam, it always leaves me euphoric at Weller gigs when it’s played, there’s a great article . . . → Read More: The Jam "The Eton Rifles"
By Simon, on November 9th, 2009 So to the second best album from The Jam All Mod Cons, another November release one year on from This is the Modern World, there were two singles gleaned from All Mod Cons, the first was a double A-side (does anyone do these anymore) a cover of The Kinks David Watts doubled up with A Bomb In Wardour Street which was followed by Down in the Tube Station at Midnight which charted ten places higher – peaking at number 15, the B-side included a cover version of The Who’s So Sad About Us and the back cover of the single was adorned with a photo of legendary drummer Keith Moon who had died a month earlier.
Tube Station kicked off one of the greatest runs of single releases in British music history - followed as it was by Going Underground / Dreams of Children, Start, That’s Entertainment, Funeral Pyre, Absolute Beginners, Town Called Malice / Precious, . . . → Read More: The Jam – All Mod Cons
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