U.S. release of "Pictures of Matchstick Men" single.

Status Quo began life in 1962 when schoolmates Francis Rossi and Alan Lancaster (both students at Sedgehill Comprehensive School in Catford, U.K.) formed a freakbeat band called The Scorpions. They changed their name to The Spectres, and in 1963 they added drummer John Coghlan. They began writing their own material and in 1965 they met Rick Parfitt; he and Rossi became friends and they made a commitment to continue to work together. In 1966, The Spectres signed a five-year contract with Piccadilly Records. The Spectres released three singles (two in 1966 and one in 1967); all three were commercial failures. By 1967, the band had discovered psychedelia and changed their name to Traffic (later to Traffic Jam), to avoid confusion with Steve Winwood’s Traffic. By this point the band’s lineup included organist Roy Lynes and they released the single “Almost But Not Quite There”, which also flopped. In late 1967 they changed their name to The Status Quo (shortened to Status Quo in 1969), and in early 1968 they released to psychedelic-flavored “Pictures if Matchstick Men” b/w “Gentleman Joe’s Sidewalk Cafe”. This is today’s featured single.

“Pictures of Matchstick Men” opens up with a four-note riff (D/F/C/G) repeated twice (the first time the lead guitar is the lone instrument; the rest of the band enters the second time. The same four chords are used during the verses. The opening riff is quite memorable – it’s very difficult to forget once you’ve heard it – and no doubt this is one of the reasons why this track is probably Status Quo’s best-known song. But “Pictures of Matchstick Men” also owes much to its use of phasing. The lead guitar (played by Rossi) and bass guitar (played by Lancaster) play the same melody throughout most of the song, at first in unison but in slightly different tempos. As a result, the lead guitar and bass guitar fall out-of-phase, resulting in a dissonant, aural strangeness not unlike flanging (but using a different tactic to achieve the result). This sound is augmented nicely by Roy Lynes’ wah-wah organ. The lyrical content is rather weird (telling the tale of a man who is haunted by visions of a face until he is driven to distraction), and, one suspects, LSD-influenced: “When I look up to the skies/I see your eyes a funny kind of yellow/I rush home to bed I soak my head/I see your face underneath my pillow/I wake next morning, tired, still yawning/See your face come peeping through my window”. According to Rossi, the song was for the most part written in the bathroom: “I wrote it on the bog (i.e. toilet). I’d gone there, not for the usual reasons – having a crap and what have you – but to get away from the wife and mother-in-law. I used to go into this narrow frizzing toilet and sit there for hours, until they finally went out. I got three quarters of the song finished in that khazi. The rest I finished in the lounge.” It seems a rather inauspicious beginning for such a classic song, but I suppose it’s plausible. In any case, this is probably about as psychedelic you could get on a pop single in 1968. As other fans have noted, the song is a tour-de-force that seemingly transports the listener into another world, and it’s as colorful as the band’s Carnaby Street clothing.

The B-side of this single, “Gentleman Joe’s Sidewalk Cafe”, was good enough that it was originally slated to be the A-side of the single, but then the A-side and B-side were swapped. In any case, this song is not without it’s appeal. It opens with a melancholy melody, which soon launches into a mid-tempo pop song, in which the protagonist frets about the possibility of losing his significant other: Hey Joe, have you seen my baby here?/Oh we used to share a table every night/Hey Joe, she’s the only girl who’s ever/Meant anything at all/If I lose her I lose all”. The melody is much simpler than the one employed on “Matchstick Men” – only three chords are used, and the song doesn’t use any psychedelic effects like phasing. Once again, Roy Lynes’ organ is put to good use, and it’s much more conspicuous than it was on the A-side. Overall, I liked the song – it remains somewhat of a fan favorite – even if the line about in which Rossi sings “Under a table we’d choose, she’d take off her shoes/And rub her feet against mine” was a bit too corny for me. Interestingly enough, the label on the single lists the track as “Gentlemen Joe’s Sidewalk Cafe”, even though all the discographies I’ve encountered have it listed as “Gentleman Joe’s Sidewalk Cafe”.

What’s really interesting about “Matchstick Men” is that in spite of how memorable it is, and in spite of its status as their first hit (it reached #12 in the U.S., and #7 in the U.K.), it’s not really representative of the Status Quo sound. The band itself never really took “Matchstick Men” seriously (which is perhaps why it almost ended up on the B-side). Nevertheless, they would dabble in psychedelia on their first full-length LP, “Picturesque Matchstickable Message From The Status Quo” (1968) and also on their second album, “Spare Parts” (1969), but they would struggle to repeat the success of “Matchstick Men”. In the 1970’s, they would reinvent themselves as a rock-blues boogie band (the aforementioned Rick Parfitt was now in the fold as the band’s rhythm guitarist, having joined the band in 1968; Roy Lynes had left the band in 1970). With this new direction, they went on to record 50 chart hits in the U.K. “Down Down” became their first and only #1 hit in the U.K. in 1975; they would eventually sell over 118 albums worldwide. They were less successful in the United States, where “Matchstick Men” remains their only hit.

The single (catalog #: 7001) was issued in the United States by Cadet Concept Records, a blues/jazz/folk label started by Marshall Chess, the son of Chess Records founder Leonard Chess. It was a subsidiary of Chess Records, and was arguably a vehicle for the Rotary Connection, a pet project of Marshall Chess which featured the late Minnie Ripperton on lead vocals (long before her salad days as a solo artist on Epic Records). Apparently, the label also secured U.S. distribution rights for U.K. bands, as shown by the fact that they issued “Pictures Of Matchstick Men”, which was also the first single issued by Cadet Concept. It features the standard Cadet Concept label design – gray with black print, with “Cadet” printed in pink and “Concept” printed in orange, both words printed with a swirl-style font across the top of the label. The track name and artist are printed on the bottom; publishing information is on the left side, and the catalog number and track length are on the right side. Cadet Concept also issued “Messages from the Status Quo” (catalog #: LPS-315), their first U.S. full-length LP, in 1968.

Album cover for Ian Hunter's "All American Alien Boy".

Ian Hunter Patterson (a.k.a. Ian Hunter) was born on June 3, 1939 in Owestry, Shropshire, England. His father worked for the British intelligence service MI5; this kept the family on the move and by one account, Hunter had attended seventeen different schools by the age of eleven. Eventually, the family settled in Shrewsbury. There, Hunter was apprenticing for Sentinel/Rolls Royce when he and Colin York and Colin Broom, performing as a trio, won a talent competition performing “Blue Moon” on acoustic guitar. York and Broom were members of a Northampton-based rhythm and blues group called The Apex Group, and Hunter soon joined The Apex Group and moved to Northampton. Hunter left The Apex Group in 1958, and kicked around in a few local groups. Having fallen into debt, however, he opted to return to Shrewsbury. Once there, he got a job with McGowans fruit and vegetable company, and started dating Diane Coles. He also played in a harmonica duo with Tony Wardle. Hunter returned to Northampton and rejoined The Apex Group; Coles soon followed him there and the two married. Hunter pursued a musical career, forming Hurricane Harry and the Shriekers, a band that competed directly with The Apex Group (this resulted in his eventual dismissal from the latter band). When Hunter’s new band toured Germany with some success, he began to realize he might be able to support himself as a musician. In 1966, Hunter moved to London and joined The Scenery. By early 1968, that band had run its course and, with a family to support (Hunter had two children by now), Hunter resorted to taking day jobs, working as a journalist and road-digger.
Hunter never gave up the idea of working as a full-time musician, however, and in 1969, he auditioned for a band called Silence, which featured Mick Ralphs on guitar, Verden Allen on organ, Pete “Overend” Watts on bass, and Dale “Buffin” Griffin on drums. The band’s manager, Guy Stevens, felt that the band lacked an credible singer with stage presence and thus sought to recruit a new lead singer. Hunter auditioned for the band on a lark and got the job. The band signed with Island Records and released four critically acclaimed albums, and drew enthusiastic live audiences. But the albums were commercial failures, and by 1972, Mott the Hoople was ready to call it quits when David Bowie, a fan on the band, offered to write them a song. The band signed with Columbia Records, and the resulting song “All the Young Dudes”, and the album of the same name (produced by Bowie) were both hits, and the band was saved from a premature demise. Mick Ralphs left the band in 1973 to form Bad Company; Hunter assumed lead guitar duties, and for a time Mott the Hoople continued as a quartet. This lineup recorded “Mott” (1973), another successful album which contained “All the Way from Memphis”. Later that year, the band added Luther Grosvenor (a.k.a. Ariel Bender) on lead guitar and Morgan Fisher on keyboards. This lineup recorded “The Hoople” (1974) and “Live” (1974). Soon Bender was replaced by ex-Bowie guitarist Mick Ronson, but in December 1974, both Hunter and Ronson left Mott the Hoople. Hunter quickly launched a solo career, initially collaborating with Ronson, releasing his self-titled debut album in April 1975. For his second album, Hunter did not collaborate with Ronson, and opted for a jazzier sound than on his debut album, collaborating with saxophonist David Sanborn. “All American Alien Boy” was released in January 1976, and a U.K.-only single, “All American Alien Boy” b/w “Rape” was released in May 1976. This is today’s featured single.
The single version of “All American Alien Boy” is about three minutes shorter than the album version (clocking in at 4 minutes and 4 seconds), with slightly different lyrics. Stylistically, the song sounds similar to David Bowie during his Philly soul period, with a sax line that sounds like it’s been lifted from “Young Americans” (not to mention the backing vocals). Lyrically, the song is Hunter’s take on being an Englishman living in America (“reflections on being hit by America”, as Hunter himself said), with lines like “Just a whitey from blighty – heading out west/Got my little green card ’n my bulletproof vest/Goin’ to New York City – where the buzz is the best.” The idea of being an Englishman in the United States is a theme that Hunter has revisited several times in his music, most recently in “American Spy”, but “All American Alien Boy” is still unique in being one of his most convincing stabs at white-boy funk. Although both the single and album version are good, my preference is for the album version.
The B-side of the single, “Rape”, is one of the stand-out tracks from “All American Alien Boy”. The song opens with an excerpt from “Singing in the Rain” (an allusion to the rape scene in “A Clockwork Orange”?) Then, accompanied by backing vocals provided by Ann E. Sutton, Gail Kantor, and Erin Dickens, he tells a tale of injustice perpetrated against an unnamed female victim, while her assailant stands to go unpunished (“A knife full of life penetrated the bait/While he thinks ‘o the sister and the mother that he hates/And he thinks he’ll get off ‘cos he’s sick, and stoned”). This is one of the headier songs from this album, especially with the soaring, almost ethereal vocals at the end of the track, and represents a worthy addition to the Ian Hunter catalog.
The single (catalog #: CBS 4268) was released in the U.K. As far as I know, the single did not have a picture sleeve. “All American Alien Boy” was not as successful as the first album, and Hunter’s third solo album, “Overnight Angels” (1977), was not even released in the U.S. Hunter reunited with Mick Ronson for his fourth solo album, “You’re Never Alone with a Schizophrenic” (1979), which was Hunter’s first album on Chrysalis some critics consider to be his best album. “Live: Welcome to the Club” (1980) and “Short Back ‘n’ Sides” (1981) sold well in spite of the lack of a hit single. Hunter switched back to Columbia for “All of the Good Ones Are Taken” (1983), on which Mick Ronson only played on one track. Hunter kept a low profile for the next six years, resurfacing in 1989 with “Yui Orta” on Polygram Records, on which Mick Ronson got equal billing. For the first half of the 1990s, Hunter once again dropped out of sight; in the meantime, his longtime collaborator, Mick Ronson, died of cancer in 1993. Hunter returned in 1995 with “Dirty Laundry”, released in the U.S. and Norway. “The Artful Dodger” followed in 1996, an album initially released in the U.K. only. “Rant” was released in 2001 on Repertoire Records, followed by “Shrunken Heads” (2007).

Album cover for Ducks Deluxe's debut LP.

Ducks Deluxe was formed in February 1972; the original lineup consisted of Martin Belmont (guitar), Sean Tyla (guitar), Ken Whaley (ex-Help Yourself, bass) and Michael Cousins (a.k.a. Magic Michael, drums). Cousins was soon replaced by Tim Roper and Nick Garvey also joined. Ducks Deluxe soon had a twice-weekly booking at the Tally Ho in Kentish Town, and a manager, Dai Davies. Whaley left and rejoined Help Yourself. Ducks Deluxe performed at Man’s Christmas party in December 1972, and one of the two tracks they recorded, “Boogaloo Babe”, was included on the two-record 10-inch budget LP “Christmas at the Patti”, which was their first appearance on a record. The band signed with RCA Records in 1973 and released their first single, “Coast to Coast” b/w “Bring Back That Packard Car”. A second single, “Fireball” b/w “Saratoga Suzie”, was released in 1974, along with a full-length album. The album did not generate much sales, even though the band secured a spot on tour opening for Lou Reed. Nick Garvey left the band and was replaced by Micky Groome (ex-Nashville Teens). The band’s next single, “Love’s Melody” b/w “Two Time Twister”, was released later that year. This is today’s featured single.
The A-side of the single, “Love’s Melody”, sounds more like power pop than much of the band’s other output. The song definitely has a catchy hook that screams of hit single potential, and appropriately sentimental lyrics (“For everyone who needs somebody/Love is gonna find a way”). There is a very brief instrumental break about 2 minutes and 9 seconds into the song, but the focus is really not on any one instrumentalist; rather, the overall sound is what impresses this listener, although the keyboards do seem to enhance the musical ambience (apparently played by Andy McMasters, who had just joined the band as keyboardist). In “Love’s Melody”, one gets a glimpse of why Ducks Deluxe became a favorite of John Peel and many critics, although they did not achieve the commercial success they deserved.
The B-side of the single, “Two Time Twister”, is a non-album track that lacks the sentimentality of “Love’s Melody”; rather, it is a great put-down song in which Tyla sings with undisguised contempt for his former significant other. Even so, he does not completely dismiss the possibility of reconciliation, or so it seems: “Well if you want me, you’ll have to come and get me/You’ll have to come crawling on your knees”. One is reminded of a similarly-themed song, “Don’t Shift a Gear”, which Tyla recorded with his next band, Tyla Gang, a few years later. One again the keyboards come through, although this time it’s a rollicking piano that adds to the musical texture. “Two Time Twister” is a great song, and while not one of Ducks Deluxe’s better-known songs, was a worthy addition to their catalog. Although this album did not appear on their next full length album, “Taxi to the Terminal Zone” (1975), but it was on the compilation album “Side Tracks and Smokers” (2010).
This single (catalog #: RCA 2477) was issued on RCA Records in 1974. As far as I know, no picture sleeve was issued. The band’s next studio album, “Taxi to the Terminal Zone”, was also a commercial flop, and in spite of the fact that Ducks Deluxe recorded a John Peel session in March 1975 (their second), RCA dropped them from the roster. Consequently, they were reduced to issuing an EP, “Jumpin'” (1975), on Skydog Records, a French label. Tim Roper subsequently left the band, so Brinsley Schwarz and Billy Rankin (both ex-Brinsley Schwarz) joined the band for their farewell tour, which ended with a concert at the 100 Club on July 1, 1975. The band was inactive for over thirty years until they reunited in 2007 for their thirty-fifth anniversary. The lineup for the first reunion was Martin Belmont, Sean Tyla, Micky Groome, and Billy Rankin. The permanent lineup (2008-present) is Belmont, Tyla, Kevin Foster (bass) and Jim Russell (drums). A six-song EP, “Box of Shorts”, was released in July 2009; a compilation album, “Side Tracks and Smokers” was released a year later.

Cover of Blue Ash's "No More, No Less" LP.

Blue Ash was formed in Youngstown, Ohio in the summer of 1969 by teenagers Frank Secich (bass) and Jim Kendzor (vocals). Bill Yendrek (guitar) and David Evans (drums) were recruited later that summer. Legend has it that the band members were expelled from high school because of their long hair; they subsequently used their free time to practice. They played their first live performance at “The Freak Out” in Youngstown on October 3, 1969. They gained a loyal following by playing an endless stream of one-nighters over the next year. In October 1970, Bill Yendrek was replaced by guitarist/songwriter Bill “Cupid” Bartolin. Secich and Bartolin would become the band’s main songwriting tandem.
Blue Ash continued playing 250-300 dates a year throughout Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, and West Virginia, while the Secich-Bartolin songwriting team accumulated an enormous amount of original material. In June 1972, Blue Ash signed a production contract with Peppermint Productions of Youngstown and started recording and sending out demos. In late 1972, the band was signed to Mercury Records. Mercury released their debut album, “No More, No Less” on May 2, 1973, and released their debut single, “Abracadabra (Have You Seen Her?)” b/w “Dusty Old Fairgrounds” about two weeks later. This is today’s featured single.
“Abracadabra (Have You Seen Her?)” became Blue Ash’s signature tune and gained significant radio airplay, thus exposing it to a far larger audience than those who scored a copy of the first album, whether in its original pressing or on cassette or CD-R (at least before Collector’s Choice Music reissued the album on CD in 2008). The track has all the earmarks of a great rock anthem, starting off with David Evans’ drum beat, followed by a catchy riff by Bartolin. While Blue Ash is generally considered a power pop band, “Abracadabra” sounds more like hard rock in the tradition of such bands as The Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive. Regardless, the song screams hit single potential which makes it somewhat disappointing that this single did not chart.
The B-side of the single, “Dusty Old Fairgrounds”, is a Bob Dylan cover that is redone as a 1970s rocker. The evocative lyrics (“Well, it’s all up from Florida at the start of the spring/The trucks and the trailers will be winding/Like a bullet we’ll shoot for the carnival route/We’re following them dusty old fairgrounds a-calling”) are well-complemented by Bartolin’s Hendrix-esque guitar playing. The band runs through the song as if on speed, and the two minutes and 49 seconds of the song pass quickly. “Dusty Old Fairgrounds” is a worthy addition to Blue Ash’s body of work.
The single (catalog # is unknown) was released on Mercury Records in May 1973. “No More, No Less” would sell 19,500 copies of 20,000 copies pressed. That the album didn’t fare better can partially be attributed to the fact that around the time “No More, No Less” was being released, Mercury was also releasing albums by Bachman-Turner Overdrive, the New York Dolls, and Rod Stewart. Mercury decided that their biggest priority was promoting Rod Stewart’s album, with BTO being a close second. The rest would go to the New York Dolls and Blue Ash, and the label apparently decided that a New York-based band was a safer bet for getting a decent return on their investment, and the Blue Ash release got very little promotion. Mercury released two more singles by Blue Ash before dropping them from the label in 1974. That year, David Evans left the band and was replaced by Jeff Rozniata. It would be another three years before they were signed to a label: Playboy Records, a division of Playboy International. They released a single, “Look At You Now” b/w “Singing and Dancing”, in May 1977; the song became a regional hit in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Mississippi, as well as Pennsylvania and Ohio. As a result, Playboy decided to release a full-length album. Blue Ash’s second album, “Front Page News”, was released in October 1977, and did relatively well, selling about 55,000 copies. With “Front Page News” generating decent sales and “Look At You Now” hitting #1 in some markets, Playboy was going to allocate $25,000 to fund a tour of Texas. Plans for the Texas tour were being solidified when Playboy International pulled the plug on Playboy Records in 1978. The band forged ahead for a time, even expanding to a quintet with the addition of Brian Wingrove on keyboards and recording some new material. But by 1979 they had called it quits, the band slowly fizzling out as band members concentrated on their day jobs instead. The “No More No Less” era lineup of Kendzor, Secich, Bartolin and Evans reunited in 2003, and there was enough interest in the band to bring about the release of “Around Again” (2004), a 2-CD compilation of previously unreleased material. Bartolin died of complications from cancer in on October 3, 2009 (40 years to the day after Blue Ash played their first gig), seemingly putting an end to the latest Blue Ash incarnation.

Off Broadway's "Stay In Time" 45 RPM single.

The power pop band Off Broadway was formed in 1977 in Oak Park, Illinois by Cliff Johnson (lead vocals), Rob Harding (guitar and backing vocals), John Ivan (guitar), John Pazdan (bass), and Ken Harck (drums, vocals). Cliff Johnson and John Pazdan were members of Pezband, another power pop band based in Oak Park. Pezband had been formed a few years earlier and enjoyed critical acclaim with such albums as “Pezband” (1977) and “Laughing in the Dark” (1978). Critical success did not translate to sales, however, and Johnson and Pazdan left to form Off Broadway. The band signed with Atlantic Records and released their first album, “On”, in 1979. The album also spawned their first single, “Stay In Time” b/w “Full Moon Turn My Head Around”. This is today’s featured single.
“Stay In Time” was Off Broadway’s biggest hits, and has all the earmarks of a great power pop song. Opening with a drum beat which is soon joined by Harding and Ivan’s guitars. Cliff Johnson’s vocals are somewhat reminiscent of Cheap Trick’s Robin Zander, and are effective even when delivering such relatively lightweight sentiments as “[e]veryday when you turn away from your world boy/You’re ignoring your life an oh, what a shame boy”. The song has a relatively simple arrangement and a strong, catchy hook, as if the pop melodies of The Beatles have been wedded to the punchier rock of of the 1970s. “Stay In Time” was definitely Off Broadway’s moment in the sun, and peaked on the Billboard singles chart at #51.
The B-side of the single, is a more up-tempo rocker, and one of the stronger songs from their excellent debut album “On”. The lyrics aren’t any more ponderous than those of “Stay In Time” (with lines like “[w]hen I’m edgy and I feel a little crazy and I’m going wrong/Should I take a drink or should I try to think about a simple song”), but the overall the song packs more energy than the A-side, the perfect antidote to those who would dismiss the band as Cheap Trick-lite. While this song is not as catchy as “Stay In Time”, it could easily have been a hit in its own right.
The single (catalog #: 3647) was released on Atlantic Records in 1979. No picture sleeve was issued, although a sleeve with the company’s name (“The Altantic Group”) was issued. The label features the Atlantic logo featured on 45 RPM singles issued during this era. The album “On” reached #101 on the Billboard album chart and sold hundreds of thousands of copies. The follow-up album, “Quick Turns” (1980), was significantly less successful. After a few years of touring, Off Broadway broke up in 1983. In 1996, Johnson, Harding and Harck, joined by Mike Gorman (guitar) and Mike Redmond (guitar), formed Black on Blond. After receiving numerous audience requests to play Off Broadway songs, they soon began playing concerts as Off Broadway. The new lineup released “Fallin’ In” (1997), Off Broadway’s first new studio album in 17 years. A live album, “Live at Fitzgerald’s” (1998), was subsequently released on Crash Records. Since then, Off Broadway has apparently become defunct once again, with former band members moving on to new projects; Cliff Johnson formed the band Cliff Johnson and the Happy Jacks.

Picture sleeve for Them's "Baby Please Don't Go" single

Them was not only a great rock band in its own right, it was arguably the first rock band from Northern Ireland to make a significant impact on the music scene. Them originated when Van Morrison, formerly of the Golden Eagles, formed an rhythm and blues club at the Maritime Hotel in Belfast with entrepreneurs Jimmy Conlon, Jerry McKenna and Gerry McCurvey. He set about to find a backing band and eventually joined up with a band called The Gamblers that had been formed in 1962 by Ronnie Millings (drums), Billy Harrison (guitar) and Alan Henderson (bass guitar). Eric Wrixon, who was still in school, was recruited as a piano player and keyboardist, while Morrison played saxophone and harmonica and shared lead vocal duties with Harrison. Following the suggestion of Wrixon, the band rechristened itself Them (after a 1954 science fiction movie). The band debuted on April 14, 1964, and within a week people were queuing down the street to get into the two hundred capacity venue. Supposedly their studio work never captured the brilliance of their live performances, as they fed off the energy of the audience. A tape of one of their songs recorded by a fan found its way to Dick Rowe of Decca Records. Rowe had become famous as the man who turned down The Beatles, and eager not to make the same mistake, he rushed to the Maritime Hotel to see them in concert and soon signed Them to a standard two year contract. The minors who were members of the band needed their parents’ permission, and when Eric Wrixon’s parents refused to sign, he was replaced with Patrick McAuley. After an initial single failed to chart (“Don’t Start Crying Now”, released in August 1964), Them’s manager, Phil Solomon, and Dick Rowe hired session musicians Jimmy Page, Peter Bardens, and Bobby Graham to back Morrison on a cover version of Big Joe Williams’ “Baby Please Don’t Go”. The session was recounted in Stephen Davis’s biography of Led Zeppelin, “Hammer Of The Gods”:

The sessions for Them were really uncomfortable for Jimmy, as the four tough Belfast musicians were replaced, one by one, with London session hacks, “The group went in thinking they were going to record,” Jimmy said, “and all of a sudden they find these other people playing on their records. It’s a miracle they didn’t replace Van Morrison. Talk about daggers!”

The single had “Gloria” on the B-side. “Gloria” was a Van Morrison composition that had gained almost legendary status in the band’s live performances, where Morrison would often ad-lib the lyrics, and the song would often run twenty minutes. As one might have already guessed, “Gloria” became the stronger side and the single was even re-released with “Gloria” on the A-side and “Baby Please Don’t Go” on the B-side. And as one might have surmised from the title of this posting, this is the featured single of the day.
“Baby Please Don’t Go” was originally released as a single by Joe Williams’ Washboard Singers in 1935; Williams recorded another version in 1941 and the song has been covered by many artists since then; the most memorable example from recent years is the Aerosmith version from the “Honkin’ On Bobo” album, and AC/DC recorded a version that was included on the “’74 Jailbreak” EP. The original version features Joe Williams on guitar, singing while accompanied by – you guessed it – a washboard (and a violin). The 1935 recording sounds like it was recorded in the stone age, yet Williams and company turn in a spirited performance (I liked the washboard percussion at the end as well). The 1940’s version featured a harmonica (essentially replacing the violin) and a more traditional rhythm section (a bass guitar and drums). The chord progression on the song isn’t overly complex, and in the Them version, the song is driven by the main riff on Page’s lead guitar accompanied by a bass guitar. [One suspects that when Aerosmith recorded their cover version of the tune, they used the Them version, rather than the original version, as a template for their remake.] About 15 seconds into the song, an organ kicks in and not too long after that, drums and percussion. The lyrical content is very simple: it’s about a man begging his significant other not to leave him: Baby please don’t go/Baby please don’t go/Baby please don’t go/Down to New Orleans/You know I love you so/Baby please don’t go”. There is also a very interesting guitar effect about 1 minute and 20 seconds into the song that is difficult to describe; essentially, it sounds as if the guitar is muffled. A harmonica can be heard about 1 minute and 55 seconds into the song, and so much is going on here that until this point, one almost doesn’t notice that there hadn’t been any harmonica. Overall, the song moves along nicely, making it seem even shorted than its 2 minute 38 second length. Although “Gloria” ultimately became the more popular song and the band’s signature tune, the Them recording of “Baby Please Don’t Go” is a great song and it even became the theme music for the ITV music show “Ready Steady Go”.
“Gloria” is yet another of the classic songs covered in this blog that has been written about extensively, and as a result, it is very difficult to do it justice in a brief blog posting such as this. But if Van Morrison and Them can encapsulate teenage lust as well as they did in 2 minutes and 38 seconds, I guess I can try to encapsulate the song in a single paragraph. This is a very simple song: there are only three chords, although there are dynamic changes throughout the song, so that the band gets the most out of this rather simple riff. The song starts with the melody played on electric guitar by Harrison, followed by Morrison’s speak-singing Howlin’ Wolf voice (at the same time that Morrison starts singing, an organ can be heard – in the left channel in the stereo version – in the background, playing the same melody as the lead guitar; this could be either McAuley or perhaps session musician Arthur Greensdale, who was brought in by Rowe): “Like to tell ya about my baby/You know she comes around/She about five feet four/From her head to the ground/You know she comes around here/At just about midnight/She make ya feel so good, Lord/She make ya feel all right”. This is probably, as one critic suggested, one song that is as raunchy as it’s reputation, and in addition, it’s probably one of the best songs to get past the censors. About 1 minute and 20 seconds into the song, the tempo slows down, and the organ becomes more audible, and Morrison’s vocals seem even more desperate than before, as he describes the denouement of his anticipation:” Comes a-walkin’ down my street/When she comes to my house/She knocks upon my door/And then she comes in my room/Yeah, an’ she make me feel alright”. And then of course this gives way to the end of the song, in which the tempo picks up again, and Morrison delivers the last iteration of the famous chorus (“G-L-O-R-I-A!” with the rest of the band chanting “Gloria” in the background). It wouldn’t be doing the song justice if I didn’t also mention the fact that there seems to be two drums on this record – one providing rhythm, and the other one just thumping away. The extra drum may have been dubbed in, or perhaps it is Bobby Graham, also brought in by Rowe. In either case, there seems to be a lot going on in this pop song. “Gloria”, like “Baby Please Don’t Go”, has been covered numerous times (it’s so easy to play that Dave Barry once joked that if you throw a guitar down the stairs, it will play “Gloria”); the Status Quo, The Doors, the Patti Smith Group, and U2 come to mind as far as cover versions go, and AC/DC used the riff as the basis for “’74 Jailbreak”.
This single (catalog #: F12018) came with a picture sleeve – you can see it here as my default pic (as of 4-19-2008). And I happen to think it’s a rather nice sleeve, green and yellow with a picture of the band and track listing. It seems a bit weird that the word BABY appears in a larger font than the words PLEASE DON’T GO, with the word GLORIA appearing in a font size somewhere in between the two extremes; I have no idea why they did that. Interestingly enough, it was issued in the United States by Parrot Records, a division of London Records (Decca Records in the U.S.). After Parrot Records folded in 1973, the single was reissued by London Records. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention, that this single currently has the honor of being the oldest single covered in this blog, having been released in November 1964.

Wiseguy: Season One Volume One DVD cover

This posting does not deal with the usual subject matter of this blog, but I recently finished watching the “Wiseguy Season One Volume One” DVD set, so I thought I’d share my thoughts on it:

Wiseguy First Season Volume One
Mill Creek Entertainment
2 Discs (the box says 4 discs, but I assure you there are only 2)
7 hours 33 minutes
Color
I first encountered “Wiseguy” circa 1990, when CBS starting airing reruns after the cancellation of “The Pat Sajak Show” (1989-1990), and quickly fell in love with the show. I’m not really sure what prompted my initial affinity for the show, although I had been a fan of shows like “Danger Man” (a.k.a. “Secret Agent”) and I liked the idea of the main protagonist fretting over the unpleasant consequences of his own actions. I also liked the idea of multiple episode story “arcs”, which something the show does particularly well. While each episode conceivably could be viewed in isolation, each one containing its own denouement and certain issues resolved within it, most of the episodes are part of a larger arc that are meant to be viewed in sequence.
“Wiseguy” was created by producer Stephen J. Cannell (“The Rockford Files”, “Baa Baa Black Sheep”, “The A-Team”, “21 Jump Street”), whose shows have provided endless hours of escapism. The series followed Vincent Michael “Vinnie” Terranova, an undercover agent for the Organized Crime Bureau (OCB), presumably a fictional division of the FBI, as he infiltrates and brings down various criminal enterprises. Although the scriptwriting is of a high caliber, much of the appeal of the show derives from the cast. By 1987, when the show first aired, Ken Wahl, who starred in the show as Terranova, was a veteran actor best known for his roles in “The Wanderers” (1979) and “Fort Apache: The Bronx” (1981). Jonathan Banks, who played Terranova’s superior, Frank McPike, was probably best known as one of the bad guys in “Beverly Hills Cop”. Jim Byrnes, who plays Daniel “Lifeguard” Burroughs, Terranova’s contact person, did not have any television roles before “Wiseguy”, but later appeared in “Highlander: The Series”.
This budget-priced DVD set covers the first ten episodes of Wiseguy, covering the entire Sonny Steelgrave arc, as Terranova infiltrates the organization of Atlantic City crime boss Salvatore “Sonny” Steelgrave (the late Ray Sharkey).
Other recurring characters introduced in this arc include Elsa Raven as Carlotta Terranova, Vinnie’s mother, and Gerald Anthony as Father Pete Terranova, Vinnie’s older brother. Pete Terranova was killed off at the beginning of the second season; Carlotta Terranova appeared sporadically over the first three seasons. Here’s a synopsis of the episodes (SPOILER ALERT):
1. Pilot (part one): Vinnie Terranova is released from Newark State Penitentiary, where he has just completed an 18-month sentence designed to establish his cover. When his training officer is killed by David Steelgrave (Gianni Russo), Vinnie sets his sights on bringing down the Steelgrave empire. He succeeds in getting himself hired as Sonny Steelgrave’s driver, although Sonny’s right-hand man, Tony Greco (Robert Miranda) and his brother David remain wary of him. He runs afoul of a redneck sheriff, the appropriately-named Lewis Butcher (played by Cannell favorite Jack Ging), who goes about his business in a manner as subtle as a flying mallet. The Steelgraves soon uncover a plot by Norman Winfield to ship guns from their docks without the Steelgraves’ consent. This intransigence costs Winfield his life, but who was his buyer? Part one ends with Terranova being arrested for a hit-and-run incident involving Butcher.
2. Pilot (part two): Terranova locates the buyer of the contaband guns using a motel receipt he found in Winfield’s pocket. This leads to a meeting with the buyer, Renaldo Sykes (Mark Rolston), in which David Steelgrave is shot dead by Sykes’ associate Raya Montenegro (Adriana Baron), while Sonny and Tony Greco are both wounded. Terranova soon realizes that Sykes’ claim that he had already paid $100,000 to have the guns shipped may be true and that Greco, who runs the docks on behalf of Steelgrave, may have pocketed the money without the Steelgraves’ knowledge. In any case, Terranova has the OCB deposit $100,000 in Greco’s bank account. Greco finds out Terranova is a federal agent, but by then Sonny realizes that he is a turncoat and Greco has no choice but to cooperate with the OCB in exchange for enrollment in the Witness Protection Program. A final showdown with Sykes results in the death of both Sykes and Montenegro, although the police arrive, seizing the weapons and arresting Terranova yet again. Soon Terranova is installed as Sonny’s new right-hand man after he apparently helps Sonny kill an FBI agent.
3. New Blood: In the wake of David Steelgrave’s death, Sonny feels the squeeze from both New York City mob boss Paul “Pat the Cat” Patrice (Joe Dallesandro), who forces Steelgrave to allow his accountant Sid Royce (Dennis Lipscomb) to become his business manager, and corpulent Philadelphia mob boss Mack “No Money” Mahoney (Joe Shea). Special prosecutor Anthony Serrera (Vic Polizos) is investigating Steelgrave, and Patrice is behind an attempt to assassinate Serrera, hoping to frame Sonny. Terranova manages to pinpoint a pizzeria which is behind the attempt he and Steelgrave manage to narrowly thwart the plot.
4. The Loose Cannon: Patrice insists that Sonny collect the full 15 percent protection money from local hood Cecil DeMont (Raymond Forchion), which precipitates a war with DeMont and his henchmen. In the meantime, Sonny’s nephew, Lorenzo Steelgrave (David Marchiano) arrives in Atlantic City, but the younger Steelgrave appears to be, as the title implies, a loose cannon. Terranova dates local girl Gina Augustina (Yvette Heyden) who eventually figures out that Vinnie is a federal agent, leading to an exciting climax for this episode.
5. The Birthday Surprise: Terranova investigates the murder of his cousin Danny Tessio (Eddie Pagliaro). Sonny decides to do business with drug smuggler George Zaratzo, against the advice of Patrice and Royce. McPike uses strong-arm tactics to find Danny’s killer, and Sonny’s attempt to smuggle Zaratzo’s drugs into the U.S. via Buffalo is thwarted.
6. One on One: When several attempts to smuggle contraband via the docks are thwarted, Terranova begins to suspect that the local police have an undercover agent inside Steelgrave’s organization. This comes in the form of Karen Leland (Annette Benning), who is having an affair with the married Royce in order to obtain information about Steelgrave’s business. Royce, however, has his own ideas about who the mole is, and has Patrice’s henchmen kidnap McPike, hoping to get him to reveal the identity of the undercover agent. Terranova and Leland arrive at a Patrice-controlled laundromat and free McPike. Leland subsequently disappears and is presumed murdered, with Royce as the prime suspect.
7. Prodigal Son: Terranova’s mother is mugged, leaving her in the hospital. This prompts Vinnie to finally reveal his identity as a federal agent to his mother, against OCB policy. He also finds out that Steelgrave is head of a drug distribution network operating in Patrice’s territory. McPike must decide whether to report Terranova’s violation to his superiors.
8. A Deal’s a Deal: When singer Joey Romanowski has a hit, he wants to renegotiate his contract with Steelgrave, much to Sonny’s chagrin. He instead hires two rogue cops (Dan Lauria, Steve Vinovich) to rough up Joey. They get overzealous and crush his larynx, ending his career. Overzealous does not equal smart, however, and they are the first officers to arrive on the scene of their own mugging. McPike suspects the cops are responsible for the mugging, but they in turn take pictures of Terranova meeting with McPike, which puts Vinnie’s cover in danger.
9. The Marriage of Heaven and Hell: Sonny decides to marry Theresa Baglia (Martina Finch), daughter of Bronx mob don “Joey Bags” Baglia. Patrice finally decides to kill Sonny, perceiving him as a dangerous rival, and seeks someone inside Sonny’s organization to help him. Vinnie agrees to help him, but also arranges to have the OCB raid Sonny’s bachelor party 15 minutes before Sonny is to be killed. Sonny learns of the plot and garrotes Patrice in front of a V.I.P. crowd at his bachelor party.
10. No One Gets Out of Here Alive: Sonny decides not to kill Vinnie for his treachery, but realizes Vinnie is a cop and flees his bachelor party minutes before the OCB raids the place. Terranova pursues Sonny and both end up locked in a closed movie theater. After a violent fist fight, the two settle in and wait for the cops to show up. When they do, Sonny electrocutes himself rather than face the death penalty for murdering Patrice. In the meantime, Don Baglia’s son, Aldo Baglia, who presumably would have become Sonny’s new right-hand man, disposes of Patrice’s body and apparently evades the OCB dragnet.
Comments: I picked up this low-budget DVD set for $2.50 at WalMart. Although I was a fan of the show, I hadn’t seen any of these episodes in over 20 years, and I wondered if the show was as good as I remembered it to be. It was. Particularly memorable was the late Ray Sharkey’s performance as mob boss Sonny Steelgrave. He succeeds in taking a murderer and turning him into a likeable character. The supporting cast was also good; Jonathan Banks plays his role as the cantankerous McPike with relish, establishing an unusual on-screen chemistry with Wahl (speaking of which, how many shows have one of their key episodes ending with the hero being arrested by his partner?). Jim Byrnes does not have a lot to do here, although he would have a chance to shine in subsequent episodes. Elsa Raven and Gerald Anthony are worth a mention as his mother and brother respectively; they both provide some depth to the main protagonist and ultimately become fully developed characters in their own right. We also get some good performances by Joe Dallesandro as Patrice and Dennis Lipscomb as the oily Harvard-educated Sid Royce. While I generally abhor violence, many times during the arc I kept wishing Sonny would punch Royce’s lights out (“Go ahead, Sonny – this one’s justified”). And let’s not forget Annette Benning towards the beginning of her career as Karen Leland, and veteran actor Dan Lauria (this may have been another case of Cannell preferring actors that were already in his shows; I think Lauria guested in an episode of Cannell’s “The Greatest American Hero”).
There are several strong episodes here, but the best episode – and the most memorable one – in my opinion was the last episode in the arc, “No One Gets Out of Here Alive”. In this episode, Vinnie and Sonny, locked in a movie theater and waiting the arrival of the Feds, have some riveting dialogue. Sonny, realizing the net is closing, tries to justify his behavior and rails against Vinnie’s betrayal. One of the downsides of the DVD release of this episode is the absence of the Moody Blues’ “Nights in White Satin”, presumably due to copyright issues. The substitution of generic music diminished the scene in which it was used somewhat, but this is still easily the best episode of the arc. This episode also provides a good example of why I like this show: loose ends are rarely left as loose ends without a reason. Aldo Baglia, who we last see burying Patrice, surfaces in a later episode. A wanted felon in the U.S., he flees to Vancouver and has to suffer the indignity of working in a butcher’s shop and staying in a second-class hotel. He discovers Vinnie is also in Vancouver and tries to kill him. (Sid Royce also surfaces in a later episode, having joined the Witness Protection Program and working in Iowa as a shoe salesman under the alias Elvis Prim.)
If you’re looking for extras, this isn’t the set for you. There are no extras, and with 5 episodes on each DVD, the video quality isn’t the greatest. It would have been nice to see interviews with the cast members (especially given the direction which Ken Wahl’s career has taken), which might have provided some insight into the making of the show. Nevertheless, if you just want to see the episodes (the first season is also available on YouTube), and especially if you’re a fan of the show or of this genre, you can’t go wrong.

The Black Crowes' "Thorn in My Pride" 45 RPM single

Today’s single brings us well into the 1990’s: 1992 to be exact. By then, I doubt that many people were actually buying and playing vinyl (I think it was in 1990 that the needle on my turntable broke, and I never bothered to replace it), but vinyl records were still being manufactured and imagine my surprise when I went on eBay and found today’s featured single: “Thorn in My Pride” b/w “Sting Me”.
Fans of music from that era will likely recognize those two tracks as being from the Black Crowes’ “Southern Harmony And Musical Companion” album. In 1992, The Black Crowes (Chris Robinson – vocals; Rich Robinson – guitars; Marc Ford – guitars; Johnny Colt – bass guitar; Eddie Harsch – keyboards; Steve Gorman – drums) were still basking in the afterglow of their successful debut album, “Shake Your Money Maker” (1990). Rather than rest on their laurels, the band released a follow-up effort that is probably their magnum opus, in which they took their blues-rock revival to new levels, and for anyone who enjoyed their Faces meets Humble Pie meets the Rolling Stones meets blues and soul act, the album was thoroughly enjoyable. But not only did they release one great album, they put two of the album’s best songs on one single.
“Thorn in My Pride” is a slow ballad, opening with an acoustic guitar, followed by Eddie Harsch’s organ, and the rhythm section of Colt and Gorman. The song really is a good example of the Black Crowes slowly building a wall of sound. Like many other bands, they understand the light-heavy dichotomy and the idea that tension can be built in a song by holding back, but unlike some of the songs reviewed here (e.g. The Who’s “Behind Blue Eyes”), there is no moment here where the dam bursts; instead, the music gradually builds, adding guitars, pianos, and eventually backing vocals, until the coda, where all this is stripped away, and we are left with Chris Robinson’s soulful vocals and and acoustic guitar, neatly creating a bookend for the song. And who could resist inscrutable lyrics like these: “Wake me when the day breaks/Show me how the sun shines/Tell me about your heartaches/Who could be so unkind?”. In the words of one reviewer, “The roots of Otis Redding and Humble Pie meet with a viable grace here…” This is classic Crowes all the way.
“Sting Me”, on the other hand, is a rocker that exhibits much of the happy sloppiness that the Black Crowes often exemplified. The opening of the track has the sound effect of a tape machine starting up, launching into Rick Robinson’s lead guitar, followed about ten seconds in by someone clapping, followed by Harsch’s organ and Gorman’s drums; the vocals don’t start until forty-eight seconds into the track, as if either the Crowes want to give us a feel for the sound of the track before launching into it, or they want to provide a really big intro for DJs to talk over (which given Chris Robinson’s criticism of commercialization seems unlikely). About three minutes in, there’s a powerful Rick Robinson guitar solo. The rhythm section is here, providing a solid backbone for the Black Crowes’ sound. But on this track, as with “Thorn”, what’s really noticeable (especially in comparison to their first album) are the keyboards, both the organ and the piano, and the decision to recruit Eddie Harsch in 1991 seems to have paid serious dividends; the band went from being a very good blues-rock revival band to a band that has a fuller, more refined sound. And if they were aiming for something that sounded a bit more like the Faces, adding a keyboardist was a step in the right direction (I always considered Ian McLagan a key component of the Faces’ sound). The lyrics seem to be directed towards an unknown woman: the chorus of “[c]an you sting me?” is a sexual metaphor, and Robinson’s asking “[w]hat’s a wasp without her sting?” is a question that seems to answer itself. The rhyme structure of the song is interesting as well: we get two rhyming lines followed by a non-rhyming line: If you feel like a riot/Then don’t you deny it/Put your good foot forward/No need for heroics I just/want you to show it/Now’s the time to shine”. Note the third line doesn’t rhyme with the first and second lines; the sixth line doesn’t rhyme with the fourth and fifth line; they don’t rhyme with each other; nor do they rhyme with any other lines in the song.
This single was issued with the black Def American label, with a barcode on the left side and the Def American logo (a map of the continental U.S.) on the right side. And here’s something that’s rather cool: a lot of the songs reviewed in this blog had special “single edits” to make the songs more AM radio-friendly (e.g. “No Sugar Tonight” was cut down to about two minutes). But by 1992, AM Top 40 radio had pretty much gone the way of the dinosaur, so such considerations were not a factor. As a result, the single has the full album-length version of “Thorn in My Pride”. I’m not sure about “Sting Me”, but I’d imagine that would also be the full-length version. Even if it isn’t, this is still a damn good single.

Picture sleeve for the promotional release of the "Silver Morning" single.

Brian Eno was born on May 15, 1948 in Woodbridge, Suffolk, and was educated at St. Joseph’s College, Birkfield, Ipswitch; at Ipswitch Art School; and at the Winchester School of Art, graduating in 1969. His professional music career began in the early 1970s as a member of the glam/art rock band Roxy Music (1971-73), initially operating the mixing desk, processing the band’s sound with a VCS3 synthesizer and tape recorders, and singing backing vocals, but eventually appearing onstage as a performing member of the group, often flamboyantly costumed. He quit the band after the promotional tour was completed for their second album, “For Your Pleasure” (1973), due to disagreements with lead singer Bryan Ferry and boredom with the rock star life. Eno embarked on a solo career, initially releasing a series of electronically inflected pop albums: “Here Come the Warm Jets” (1974), “Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)” (1974), “Another Green World” (1975), and “Before and After Science” (1977). He also produced a number of albums of highly eclectic and increasingly ambient electronic and acoustic albums, and is credited with coining the phrase ambient music, low-volume music designed to modify one’s perception of a surrounding environment. His efforts at composing ambient music began to consume more of his time, starting with “Ambient 1/Music for Airports” (1978) and “Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks” (1983). The latter album yielded the single “Silver Morning” b/w “Deep Blue Day”. This is today’s featured single.
The music on “Apollo” was originally recorded in 1983 for a feature length documentary movie originally entitled “Apollo” and later re-titled “For All Mankind”. The original version of the film had no narration, and simply featured footage of the Apollo moon missions accompanied by Eno’s music. The music on the album is thus a sort of ambient spacescape. “Silver Morning” is an instrumental track (as are all the tracks on the album”, in which Daniel Lanois’s pedal steel guitar provides the primary instrumentation, giving the song a warm, melodic, lazy feeling, conveying a sense of weightlessness quite effectively. With the pedal steel guitar, this track sounds not unlike one of the Grateful Dead’s side projects, and is an enjoyable listen.
The B-side of this single, “Deep Blue Day”, was included in the original “Apollo” soundtrack, but left out of the re-release of the film. Although the original version of the film had a limited theatrical run in so-called “art house” movie theaters, audience response was lukewarm. The filmmakers felt that the film could do better if it reached a wider audience, so they re-edited the film, added narration, re-structured the music and re-titled the film. As a result, several songs originally on the soundtrack were not included in the re-released version, including “Deep Blue Day”. Nonetheless, it is a compelling piece of music. In this case, the keyboards provide much of the lush, ethereal musical atmosphere, although Lanois’s pedal steel guitar adds texture to the composition, giving the track just a hint of a country flavor. This music won’t shake you to your foundations, but it is an evocative piece.
This single (catalog #: EGO 12) was issued on EG Records. There was a picture sleeve issued with this single (shown above). “Apollo” was one of two albums Eno would release in 1983; the other was “Music for Films Volume 2” (which contains some material also contained on “Apollo”). His next project was a collaboration with ambient musician Harold Budd entitled “The Pearl” (1984); next came the compilation albums “Benenungen” and “Benenungen II”, both released in 1985, along with his next album of all-new material, “Thursday Afternoon”. He would not release another album for seven years, with production work seemingly dominating his schedule. “Nerve Net” (1992) represented a return to more rock-oriented material, with heavily syncopated rhythms and a touch of jazz, which still retained Eno’s ambient sensibilities.

Picture sleeve for The Jam's "A Town Called Malice".

The Jam formed in Woking, Surrey, U.K. in 1972 with a fluid lineup that consisted of Paul Weller on guitar and vocals together with various friends at the Sheerwater Secondary School. They played their first gigs at Michael’s, a local club. The lineup began to solidify in the mid 1970s with Weller (bass), Bruce Foxton (rhythm guitar), Steve Brookes (guitar) and Rick Buckler (drums). In their early years, their sets consisted of covers of early American rock and roll songs by such artists as Chuck Berry and Little Richard. They continued in this vein until Weller discovered The Who’s “My Generation” and became fascinated by Mod music and lifestyle. Eventually Brookes left the band and was not replaced. Weller persuaded Foxton to take over as bass guitarist, and Weller became the band’s sole guitarist. The Jam soon gained a following around London playing minor gigs. Although they were considered a punk band, in many ways they stood out from their punk peers, wearing neatly-tailored suits and playing professionally. Indeed, they were labeled by many as “revivalists”. They were signed to Polydor Records by Chris Parry in early 1977. In April of that year, Polydor released The Jam’s debut single, “In the City”. In early May, the band released its debut album, also called “In the City”. After their non-album single, “All Around the World”, reached the U.K. Top Ten, the band was pressed by Polydor to record more material. Thus their second album, “This Is the Modern World”, was released in November 1977. The album got mixed reviews; while some critics were not impressed, many hailed it as a progression from the first album, praising the stylistic variety. They followed this up with a non-album single: “News of the World”, released in March 1978. Around this time, Weller was listening to old Kinks albums and the band recorded a cover version of “David Watts” for their next single, which they followed up with “Down in the Tube Station at Midnight”. Their third album, “All Mod Cons”, was released in November 1978. This was followed by two more non-album singles (“Strange Town” and “When You’re Young”), and eventually the “Setting Sons” LP, which became their first album to chart in the U.S. (peaking at #137). The Jam kicked off the 1980s with a double-A side single “Going Underground” b/w “Dreams of Children”. “Sound Affects”, their fourth album, was released later that year, which contained psychedelic pop. The Jam abandoned the psychedelic pop of “Sound Affects” for their next two singles, “Funeral Pyre” and “Absolute Beginners”. Their fifth (and final) album, “The Gift”, contained songs influenced by soul, R&B and funk, including the #1 hit “A Town Called Malice” b/w “Precious”. This is today’s featured single.
“A Town Called Malice” was the beginning of Paul Weller’s obsession with Northern soul, one which would continue when he launched the Style Council in 1983. The song starts off with a Motown-type bass line, soon joined by an thumping percussion, and an organ somewhat reminiscent of the Spencer Davis Group. The instrumentation is soon joined by Weller singing a typical Jam-type working class drama, with a hint of optimism: “Better stop dreaming of the quiet life cos it’s the one we’ll never know/And quit running for that runaway bus cos those rosey days are few/And stop apologising for the things you never done/Time is short and life is cruel but it’s up to us to change this town called malice.” The track chugs along with the economy of a typical pop song, clocking in at a mere 2 minutes and 57 seconds, but even so, there’s a very brief instrumental break about 2 minutes into the song; the organ is featured prominently throughout the track. The result is a song that is derivative, yet bouncy and entertaining, and arguably one of the best singles of 1982. It is certainly one of The Jam’s best singles.

"A Town Called Malice" single without the picture sleeve.

The B-side, “Precious”, is a funky song that epitomizes the move away from the simple three-chord music of the band’s first two albums. Funk bass lines and wah-wah guitar effects featured prominently on “The Gift”, along with jazzy influences such as brass sections and saxophones, and nowhere is this more noticeable than on “Precious”. Weller forgoes the typical social commentary on this track, which is essentially a love song: “Your precious love – that means so much/Will it ever stop or will I just lose touch/What I want to say – but my words just fail/Is that I need it so I can’t help myself/Like a hungry child – I just help myself/And when I’m all full up – I go out to play”. “Precious” is the longest song on “The Gift”, clocking in at 4 minutes and 13 seconds, and this provides an opportunity for an extended (by the standards of early 1980s British pop) instrumental break, which gives the horn section a chance to shine, as the funky-sounding bass chugs along. Then we get one last lyric before the song ends abruptly with Weller’s concluding grunt. Overall it is not as notable a track as “A Town Called Malice” but is definitely better than the typical B-side. The 12-inch version of the single contained an extended version of the track.
The single (catalog #: 2059456) was released on Polydor Records on January 29, 1982. It was issued with a picture sleeve (shown above). It was the band’s third number one single in the U.K., and was number one for three weeks, keeping “Golden Brown” from The Stranglers out of the top spot. EMI, The Stranglers’ record company, objected to the sales of both the 7-inch and 12-inch versions of “A Town Called Malice” being aggregated to calculate sales, claiming that The Jam’s fans were buying both formats. Following a farewell tour of the U.K., Weller disbanded The Jam and went on to form the Style Council. Bruce Foxton released a solo album and joined Stiff Little Fingers in 1990, and remained with them until 2006. Rick Buckler formed a band called Time U.K. and in 1986, he and Foxton released a single under the name Sharp. To date there has been no reunion of The Jam, and Weller has publicly expressed his lack of interest in any kind of reunion. Foxton and Buckler, however, have played together in a band called From The Jam, which plays Jam material.