The Jam

The Jamwere  an Englishrockband formed in 1972 inWoking,Surrey. They 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, reached number one on theUK Albums Chart. When the group disbanded in 1982, their first 15 singles were re-released and all placed within the top 100.
The band drew upon a variety of stylistic influences over the course of their career, including 1970spunkandnew waveand 1960sbeat music,soulandrhythm and blues. The trio were known for their melodic pop songs, their distinctly English flavour and theirmodimage. The band launched the career ofPaul Weller, who went on to formthe Style Counciland later started a solo career. Weller wrote and sang most of the Jam's original compositions and played lead guitar, using aRickenbacker 330.Bruce Foxtonprovided 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".
The Jam formed  atSheerwater Secondary SchoolinWoking, Surrey, England, in 1972. The line-up consisted ofPaul Welleron bass and lead vocalswith various friends. They played their first gigs at Michael's, a local club. The line-up began to solidify in the mid-1970s with  Weller, guitarist/vocalist Steve Brookes and drummerRick Buckler. In their early years, their sets consisted of covers of early Americanrock and rollsongs by the likes ofChuck BerryandLittle Richard. They continued in this vein until Weller discovered the Who's debut albumMy Generationand became fascinated withModmusic. As he said later, "I saw that through becoming a Mod it would give me a base and an angle to write from, and this we eventually did. We went out and bought suits and started playingMotown,StaxandAtlanticcovers. I bought aRickenbackerguitar, aLambrettaGP 150 and tried to style my hair likeSteve Marriott's circa '66."Eventually Brookes left the band, but although they advertised for a new guitarist (Gary Webb later known asGary Numanclaims to have failed an audition) he was not replaced. Up to this point Weller had been playing bass and Foxton had been the band's second guitar player; he persuaded Foxton to take over bass duties.The line-up of Weller, Foxton, and Buckler would persist until the end of the Jam's career.
Throughout their career, the Jam were managed by Weller's father, John Weller, who then managed Paul's subsequent career until his death in 2009.The Jam were signed toPolydor RecordsbyChris Parryin February 1977.
On 29 April 1977, Polydor released the Jam's debut single, "In the City", which charted in the Top 40 in the UK.On 20 May, the band released their debut albumof the same name.The album, like those ofthe ClashandSex Pistols, featured fast, loud and pointed songs. What set it apart from the records of those two bands was its more prevalent 1960s rock influences. The Jam coveredLarry Williams's "Slow Down" (also covered bythe Beatles) and thetheme songof the 1960s TV seriesBatman.
On 1 May 1977, the Jam joined the Clash's White Riot Tour as an opening act, alongside theBuzzcocks,the Slits,Subway Sect, andthe PrefectsatGuildford Civic Halland concluded the tour on 30 May 1977 at theCalifornia BallroominDunstable.
The Jam had political lyrics, condemningpolice brutality("In the City") and expansionist development ("Bricks and Mortar"). However, one of their most openly political songs, "Time for Truth", bemoaned the decline of theBritish Empireand expressed disparaging sentiments about "Uncle Jimmy" (the Prime Minister,James Callaghan) in no uncertain terms ("Whatever happened to the great Empire?" / "I think it's time for truth, and the truth is you lost, Uncle Jimmy"). These pro-Empire sentiments and ostentatious displays of theUnion Flagbegan to earn the group the tag of "Conservative".
After the non-LP single "All Around the World" nearly reached the UK Top 10, the Jam, having achieved a notable and loyal following in such a short time,were pressed to produce more material quickly. Their second album,This Is the Modern World, was released later in 1977. Bruce Foxton, generally considered a lesser songwriter than Weller, contributed two songs to the LP ("Don't Tell Them You're Sane" and "London Traffic"),both of which attracted criticism. His composing output gradually decreased, leaving Weller firmly established as the band's chief songwriter.
In March 1978, the Jam released "News of the World", a non-album single that was both written and sung by Foxton. It charted at No. 27 in the UK, and was the band's second biggest hit to date.This was the only Foxton solo composition to be released as a Jam A-side. When the band went back into the studio to record a third album of primarily Foxton contributions, their songs were dismissed by producers as poor, and they held off recording an album in hopes that Weller would once again find inspiration."News of the World" was used in the opening theme of the BBC television showMock the Weekduring its extended run.
The Jam released their next single, the double A-side "David Watts"/"'A' Bomb in Wardour Street". "David Watts" was a cover of a Kinks song, throughout which Weller and Foxton traded lead vocals. "'A' Bomb in Wardour Street" was a Weller original.It became their most successful 7" since "All Around the World".
It was not until their next single, "Down in the Tube Station at Midnight", that the Jam really regained their former critical acclaim.Around this time, the Jam slimmed their team of two producers to one,Vic Coppersmith-Heaven, who helped develop the group's sound.In 1978, the Jam released their third LP,All Mod Cons, which included three previously released tracks among the 12 in total: "David Watts", "'A' Bomb In Wardour Street", and "Down in the Tube Station at Midnight". It also contained two songs previously rejected for single release, the manic "Billy Hunt" and the acoustic ballad "English Rose".
Following two successful and critically acclaimed non-LP singles, "Strange Town" and "When You're Young",the band released "The Eton Rifles" in advance of their new album. It became their first top 10, rising to No. 3 on the UK charts.November 1979 saw the release of theSetting Sonsalbum, another UK hit, peaking at No. 4,and their first chart entry in the US, albeit at 137 on theBillboard200.The album began life as aconcept albumabout three childhood friends, though in the end many of the songs did not relate to this theme.
The band's first single of 1980 was intended to be "Dreams of Children". Due to a labelling error, however, the A- and B-sides of the single were reversed, resulting in the more conventional "Going Underground", the single's planned flipside, getting much more airplay and attention.The single was eventually officially recognised (and listed) as a double A-side by the time the release reached No. 1 in the UK.
Sound Affects,released in November 1980, was a No. 2 hit in the UKand peaked at No. 72 on the US Billboard charts, the band's most successful album in the US.Weller said that he was influenced bythe Beatles'RevolverandMichael Jackson'sOff the Wall.It included the acoustic "That's Entertainment". According to Weller he wrote "That's Entertainment", a bitter slice-of-life commentary on the drudgery of modern working-class life, in around 15 minutes upon returning inebriated from the pub.Despite being only available as an import single,it peaked at No. 21 on the UK charts.Despite the group's lack of commercial success in America, it even made American magazineRolling Stone'slist of the 500 greatest songs of all time.
"Start!", released before the album, became another No. 1 single.Commenting on its similar bassline to The Beatles'Revolvercut "Taxman", Foxton said "Basslines like "Start!" just come to you. It’s not an intentional thing...it’s not quite like "Taxman", note-wise – you couldn’t sue me for it."
Two non-LP singles, "Funeral Pyre" and "Absolute Beginners" (named afterColin Macinnes'novel of the same title) were released in 1981,both reaching No. 4 on the UK charts.
The 1982 releaseThe Gift– the band's final studio LP – was a commercial success, peaking at No. 1 on the UK chartswhile spending an unprecedented 16 weeks on the USBillboardcharts.It featured several soul, funk, and R&B-stylised songs;most notably the No. 1 hit "Town Called Malice" has a Motown-style beat,and has been described by theIrish Independentas "aclass-wartirade set to a post-punkNorthern Soulgroove"."Town Called Malice", a reality-based tale about dealing with hardship in a small, downtrodden English town, is one of a handful of Jam songs Weller still performs (along with "That's Entertainment", "Man in the Corner Shop", "Strange Town", "Art School", "Start!" and "In the Crowd").
When "Town Called Malice" reached number one in the UK the group had the honour of performing both it and its double A-side, "Precious" onTop of the Pops.After the string-laden soul ballad "The Bitterest Pill (I Ever Had to Swallow)" peaked at No. 2, the band followed with their finale and another No. 1, "Beat Surrender".The latter featuredTracie Youngon vocals;a few months later, she also guested onthe Style Council's debut single "Speak Like a Child".
On 30 October 1982, after a world tour, Weller announced his intention to disband the Jam.They also made their final appearances onTop of the PopsandThe Tubeto promote "Beat Surrender".The tour included five consecutive nights at theWembley Arena.The last date on the original itinerary had been scheduled for 9 December 1982 atGuildford Civic Hall, close to the band's hometown of Woking. Due to ticket demand, an additional date was added at theBrighton Conference Centreon 11 December 1982 for their last performance.
The decision to split was solely Weller's. Explaining at the time that he disliked the idea of continuing for as long as possible simply because they were successful, he later toldThe Daily Mirrorin advance of a 2015 Sky documentary on the band, "I wanted to end it to see what else I was capable of, and I'm still sure we stopped at the right time. I'm proud of what we did but I didn't want to dilute it, or for us to get embarrassing by trying to go on forever. We finished at our peak. I think we had achieved all we wanted or needed to, both commercially and artistically."
Weller's decision to move on, announced by his father, the band's manager, at an extraordinary band meeting in the summer of 1982, "came as a shock" to Buckler and Foxton, who wanted to keep the band together. Buckler told theWoking News and Mailin 2012: "It was like we were going to be driving over a cliff at the end of the year, and you keep thinking 'Well, maybe he'll change his mind'."Both Buckler and Foxton described the experience as bitter, but in later years both expressed understanding, if not complete acceptance.
Following the split, Foxton did not speak to Weller for over 20 years, and Buckler said in 2015 that he still had not spoken to Weller since, despite repeated attempts by Buckler and Foxton in 1983 and 1984 to meet up with and talk to Weller.As the farewell tour neared its end,Polydorreleased a live album titledDig the New Breed, a collection of songs from various concert performances over the band's five-year career which, while commercially successful, met with mixed reviews. The month after the final concert in Brighton, Polydor re-released all sixteen of the band's singles, nine of which re-entered the UK charts on 22 January 1983.
Snap!was the first Jam compilation album released after the band split,reaching No. 2 on the UK Albums Chart in 1983.This was followed byGreatest Hits, released in 1991, which also peaked at No. 2 on the UK Albums Chart.
A five-CD box setDirection Reaction Creation, featuring all of the Jam's studio material (plus a disc of rarities) peaked at No. 8 on theUK Albums Chartupon its release in 1997;an unprecedented achievement for a box set. In 2002,Virgin Radiocounted down the top 100 British music artists of all-time as polled by listeners and the Jam were No. 5 on the list. Weller made two other appearances in the poll; as part of The Style Council at No. 93 and as a solo artist at No. 21.
In early 1983, Weller announced the formation of a new band,the Style Council, a duo with keyboard playerMick Talbot, formerly of the minormod revivalbandthe Merton Parkas. They would eventually split in 1989.He subsequently embarked on a successful career as asolo artist.
Following a short stint recording demos withJake BurnsandDolphin Taylor, previously of Irish punk outfitStiff Little Fingers, Foxton released his debut single "Freak" onArista Records. Entering theUK Singles Chartat No. 34 on 30 July 1983, it eventually peaked at No. 23and secured an appearance onTop of the Pops. Foxton's solo albumTouch Sensitivefollowed in 1984, but subsequent singles "This Is the Way", "It Makes Me Wonder" and "My Imagination (S.O.S.)" failed to enter the Top 40. A final single "Play This Game to Win" was released onHarvest Recordsin November 1986.
Foxton went on to replaceAli McMordiein a reformed Stiff Little Fingers in 1990, remaining with the band until January 2006, when he quit to pursue other projects. Later that year he joinedSimon Townshend(Pete Townshend's brother), andMark BrzezickiandBruce Watson(both ofBig Country) in the bandCasbah Club, which released an album calledVenustraphobia.
After the Jam split, Buckler formedTime UKwithJimmy Edwardsand Ray Simone,formerly ofMasterswitch, ex-Tom Robinson Bandguitarist Danny Kustow and (briefly) formerRadio Stars/SparksbassistMartin Gordon. The band released three singles "The Cabaret", "Playground of Privilege" and "You Won't Stop" before folding. In 1986, Buckler and Foxton released the single "Entertain Me" under the nameSharp.
In 2006, Buckler, who had not been playing for several years after Sharp quit, formed a band namedthe Gift, playing material fromthe Jamwith musicians Russell Hastings and David Moore.Hastings, who spent many years as a local musician including a couple of years in a Jam tribute band, took on guitar and lead vocal duties. In 2006, Foxton performed on stage with The Gift at some of their concerts,and went on to join the band as bassist, with Moore moving to second guitar and keyboards. At this point the group changed its name toFrom the Jam.In a 2007press release, Foxton and Buckler announced they were working on a new album and UK tour,which led to press speculation about a full or partial reunion of the Jam, to celebrate the 30th anniversary ofIn the City.Weller did not take part, and has publicly expressed his lack of interest in any type of reformation.In a 2006 interview with BBC Radio 6 Music, Weller stated a reunion of the Jam would "never, ever happen", and that reformations are "sad". He said: "Me and my children would have to be destitute and starving in the gutter before I'd even consider that, and I don't think that'll happen anyway ... The Jam's music still means something to people and a lot of that's because we stopped at the right time, it didn't go on and become embarrassing."
After the Jam split, Weller and Foxton reportedly did not speak to one another for 20 years.In June 2006, it was reported that Weller and Foxton met backstage at The Who's Hyde Park concert, and a ten-minute conversation ended with an embrace.Foxton claimed that the two became friends again in 2009 and this led to them collaborating for two tracks on Weller's solo albumWake Up the Nationin early 2010.In May 2010, Weller and Foxton appeared together on stage for the first time in 28 years at The Albert Hall in London, performing three songs together.Foxton ruled out a Jam reunion.
From 26 June to 27 September 2015, an exhibition entitledThe Jam: About the Young Idearan atSomerset Housein London.For the first time, all three members of the band, the Weller family and music archivist Den Davis opened up their archives for the exhibition. Despite Foxton's reported hopes that the opening would bring all three together on stage for the first time since their 1982 split, Buckler did not attend.NMEreported at the time that, while Foxton and Weller apparently reconciled no later than 2010, "Weller and Buckler are said to have not been in the same room since their band’s demise."The exhibition was curated by Tory Turk, Nicky Weller(Paul's sister) and Russell Reader.
In September 2015,The Jam: About the Young Idea, the documentary film, directed by Bob Smeaton, was broadcast onSky Arts.The documentary was released onDVD, packaged with a recording of their 1980 live performance on German TV showRockpalast.
About the Young Ideawas an exhibition held at theCunard BuildinginLiverpool, which was opened by Buckler and ran from 1 July to 6 October 2016.Curators Nicky Weller, Den Davies and Russell Reader drew together a wide range of memorabilia including personal items provided by the band members. A free app allowed visitors to engage with the exhibits by scanning VCodes.
This Is the Modern Worldwas an exhibition held at Valley Gardens,Brighton, running from 1 August to 29 August 2022. Curated by Nicky Weller, it included a collection of previously unseen Jam and Style Council memorabilia.
The song "News of the World" was used as the theme tune for the Britishsatiricalpanel gameMock the Week.
Other members
Additional personnel
Studio albums