We’re back to the 80s again this month, and this one had me a bit stumped. I was racking my brains trying to come up with bands starting with the letter J, which is why I’ve cheated a bit as this month’s band starts with ‘The’ (yeah, real naughty of me). The Jam happened to be one of those bands that I was fortunate to discover back in the 80s as my sister worked in a record store at the time, and as she was introduced to new bands, so was I. 🙂
The Jam were formed in England in 1972, and were influenced by the Mod music and lifestyle. They gained a small following on the punk scene and incorporated 1960s rock and R&B influences within their music, which would later have them tagged as ‘revivalists’. In 1977, they signed with Polydor Records and released their debut album. A second album was released later that same year and it was around this time that the bands lead singer, Paul Weller, became the chief songwriter.
In the years that followed, they released three more albums, including Sound Affects in 1980, which included the song ‘That’s Entertainment’; one of the bands most celebrated songs. Their next album, Start! reached No.2 in the U.K and would become their most successful album in America. The album The Gift released in 1982, not only reached No.1 in the U.K, but also became their final album. It featured ‘Town Called Malice’, which had become a No.1 hit. The Jam played a farewell tour of the U.K before disbanding in 1982.
Other bands formed or who had hits in the 1980s starting with the letter J include:- Joy Division, Japan, Judas Priest.
What other bands of the 1980s that begin with the letter J can you think of? How have you discovered new music?
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