Information
- • Hometown: - Woking, England
- • Nationality: - English
- • Years Active: - 1972–1982
- • Genre(s): - Mod Revival • Punk Rock • New Wave • Power Pop
- • Label(s): - Polydor
- • Associated Acts: - The Style Council • From the Jam • Time UK • Sharp
- • Website: -
Biography
The Jam were an English mod revival/punk rock band during the 1970s and early 1980s, which formed in 1972 at Sheerwater Secondary School in Woking, in the county of Surrey. The band released 18 consecutive Top 40 singles in the United Kingdom, from their debut in 1977 to their break-up in December 1982, including four number one hits. As of 2007, "That's Entertainment" and "Just Who Is the 5 O'Clock Hero?" remain the best-selling import singles of all time in the UK. They released one live album and six studio albums, the last of which, The Gift, hit number one on the UK Albums Chart. When the group disbanded in 1982, their first 15 singles were re-released and all placed within the top 100.
While the Jam shared the "angry young man" outlook and fast tempo of the mid-1970s British punk rock movement, in contrast with it the band wore smartly tailored suits reminiscent of English pop-bands in the early 1960s and incorporated mainstream 1960s rock and R&B influences into its sound, particularly from the Who's work of that period and also drew influence from the work of the Kinks and the music of American Motown. This placed the act at the forefront of the 1970s–1980s nascent Mod Revival movement. With many of the band's lyrics about working class life, Jam biographer Sean Egan commented that they "took social protest and cultural authenticity to the top of the charts."
The band drew upon a variety of stylistic influences over the course of their career, including 1960s beat music, soul, rhythm and blues and psychedelic rock, as well as 1970s punk and new wave. The trio were known for their melodic pop songs, their distinctly English flavour and their mod image. The band launched the career of Paul Weller, who went on to form the Style Council and later his solo career. Weller wrote and sang most of the Jam's original compositions and played lead guitar, using a Rickenbacker 330. Bruce Foxton provided backing vocals and prominent basslines, which were the foundation of many of the band's songs, including the hits "Down in the Tube Station at Midnight", "The Eton Rifles", "Going Underground" and "Town Called Malice" mainly using a Rickenbacker 4001 or a Fender Precision Bass, as well as, on rare occasions, an Epiphone Rivoli.
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Band Members
- • Paul Weller – vocals, lead guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
- • Rick Buckler – drums, percussion
- • Bruce Foxton – vocals, bass guitar, rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Videos
"Going Underground" is the first British #1 chart single by The Jam, released in March 1980. It debuted at #1 in the UK Singles Chart.
Going Underground
"That's Entertainment" is a 1980 song by British punk-mod revivalist group the Jam from their fifth album, Sound Affects.
That's Entertainment
"Town Called Malice" is a song recorded by British band the Jam from the album The Gift. It debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart.
Town Called Malice
"Absolute Beginners" was a single released by The Jam on 16 October 1981. Although the song did not appear on any albums.
Absolute Beginners
"Funeral Pyre" is The Jam's thirteenth single released on 29 May 1981. Backed by the B-side "Disguises", a cover of a Who track.
Funeral Pyre
"Beat Surrender" was The Jam's final single, and was released on 22 November 1982. It became the band's fourth and last No. 1.