Medialoper
Chasing the long tail of new media
Certain Songs #713: The Jam – "Beat Surrender"
November 28, 2016 by Jim Connelly
Album: Snap!
The first Jam single — "In The City," in case you can't remember — was a guitar-fueled rock n roll tale of a young man who couldn't wait to tell you all the things he was discovering in the city.
Fast-forward a few years later, and the final Jam single — released as a salve to stunned fans who were still processing their recent break-up — is a horn-filled dance song about a slightly-less-young who has loosened up enough that he just wants you to get up on your feet already.
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Filed Under: Certain Songs Tagged With: Beat Surrender, The Jam
Certain Songs #712: The Jam – "The Bitterest Pill (I Ever Had to Swallow)"
According to my records, I bought "The Bitterest Pill (I Ever Had To Swallow)," on October 7, 1982.
Three weeks later, October 30 to be exact, 90.7 KFSR — a hotbed of Jam fans — went on the air.
In between those two events, The Jam broke up, making the title of that single somewhat apropos.
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Filed Under: Certain Songs Tagged With: The Bitterest Pill (I Ever Had To Swallow), The Jam
Certain Songs #711: The Jam – "The Gift"
Album: The Gift
The final track on the final Jam album, "The Gift" was nothing more than a up dance number in the tradition of Martha & The Vandellas "Heat Wave."
But it was also nothing less, either, and the one-two closing punch of "Town Called Malice," and "The Gift" has always been a huge reason The Gift ended being my favorite Jam LP.
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Filed Under: Certain Songs Tagged With: The Gift, The Jam
Certain Songs #710: The Jam – "Town Called Malice"
Entering the U.K. charts at #1 the week it was released, "Town Called Malice" was yet another totally and utterly undeniable single that somehow never gained traction here in the U.S., though I do remember occasionally seeing the video on MTV, so that was something.
Out of all of their singles, I always thought that "Town Called Malice" was the one with the best opportunity to break in the U.S., as it was a great example of Brits taking American R&B and rocking it up a bit. I mean, if "Rock The Casbah" could do it, then why not "A Town Called Malice?"
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Filed Under: Certain Songs Tagged With: The Gift, The Jam, Town Called Malice
Certain Songs #709: The Jam – "Running on the Spot"
In early June of 1982, Tim & I drove up to San Francisco to see The Jam on their Trans-Global Express tour.
It was, of course, awesome, with the fire and skill of Paul Weller, Bruce Foxton & Rick Buckler making it all the way to the very back row of The Warfield, which was good, because that's where we were sitting!
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Filed Under: Certain Songs Tagged With: Running on the Spot, The Gift, The Jam
Certain Songs #708: The Jam – "Ghosts"
Talking about going out on a high note. As I'm sure I've mentioned, The Gift is my favorite album by The Jam, a near-perfect combination of their punk-rock roots and the more soul-oriented music that Paul Weller ended up exploring with The Style Council.
By opening and closing each side with the more driving numbers, they filled in each side with funk workouts like "Precious," proto-Britpop songs like "Carnation," and the low-key gorgeous soul number, "Ghosts."
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Filed Under: Certain Songs Tagged With: Ghosts, The Gift, The Jam
Certain Songs #707: The Jam – "Funeral Pyre"
And then there was that time The Jam were on Tomorrow with Tom Snyder.
It was summer of 1981, and of course, they were neither the first nor the last New Wave (because sure why not) band to show up and have a discussing with the disheveled, chain-smoking Snyder. And while The Jam's appearance wasn't as notable as the infamous PIL "We're not a band, we're a corporation" appearance (which, if you've never seen, you should stop everything and watch it right now, I'll wait), it had a moment that I'll never ever forget.
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Filed Under: Certain Songs Tagged With: Funeral Pyre, The Jam
Certain Songs #706: The Jam – "That's Entertainment"
Album: Sound Affects
Unlike The Clash, I didn't try to make everybody I came into contact with listen to The Jam.
Maybe it was because The Jam didn't change my life the way The Clash did, or maybe it was because I so resolutely failed with The Clash, who were even getting radio airplay by mid-1979, that I didn't even meet another Jam fan — outside of Tim, of course — until I joined KFSR in its pre-on-air days in early 1981.
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Filed Under: Certain Songs Tagged With: Sound Affects, That's Entertainment, The Jam
Certain Songs #705: The Jam – "But I'm Different Now"
While I'm still not certain that it's my favorite Jam album — The Gift has always killed me — as I've been planning and writing these posts, I've come around to thinking that Sound Affects is their best album.
I certainly think it's the album that balances all of their strengths — riff-based rock, Beatlesque psychedelia, soul basslines, acoustic introspection — into one ever-changing and ever-surprising package.
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Filed Under: Certain Songs Tagged With: But I'm Different Now, Sound Affects, The Jam
Certain Songs #704: The Jam – "Start!"
Switching gears after the apocalyptic fever dream of "Going Underground," "Start" — The Jam's second straight U.K. #1 single — is a far more introspective and, ahem, Beatlesque tune.
Or at least the bassline is: Bruce Foxton famously steals Paul McCartney's bass part from George Harrison's "Taxman." Even if he adds an extra note during every bar, it's so utterly brazen that it could only be a interpreted as a homage.
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Filed Under: Certain Songs Tagged With: Sound Affects, Start!, The Jam
Previously on Medialoper
Certain Songs #1729: R.E.M. – "Perfect Circle (Greensboro 11-10-1989)"
Certain Songs #1728: R.E.M. – "(Untitled)"
Certain Songs #1727: R.E.M. – "I Remember California"
Certain Songs #1726: R.E.M. – "World Leader Pretend"
Certain Songs #1725: R.E.M. – "Get Up"
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