Dozens of English guitar bands converted to dance music following the success of Happy Mondays and others. Mike Edwards and company were a guitar band of no fixed style until 1988 when they took a holiday in Spain and decided to reinvent themselves.
Needing a new moniker to inspire their resurrection, they paired a popular Spanish first name with a typically English surname and Jesus Jones was born.
They began to mix all their favourite music; the menacing rap of Public Enemy, the guitar chaos of Sonic Youth, and especially the charged, booming beats of Acid House – though they struggled to incorporate those different types of music on their debut album, Liquidizer.
The musical contradiction and confusion continued on their second album, Doubt (1991), but this was offset by their breakthrough single, Right Here, Right Now, Edward’s optimistic tale of watching television coverage of Eastern Europe’s liberation.
The track became an international hit and was subsequently globally licensed for promotional and advertising campaigns.
The group took some time off and re-emerged in 1993 with a collection of less accessible, more sonically adventurous tracks titled, appropriately enough, Perverse.
Jesus Jones then took an extended hiatus and did not return to the recording studio until December 1996, for their fourth album, Already (1997). Drummer Gen left the band before the album was released, and the band and their record label EMI parted company shortly after.
The band returned in 2001 with a new drummer (Tony Arthy) and the low-selling album London.
Mike Edwards
Vocals, guitar
Jerry DeBorg
Guitar
Al Jaworski
Bass
Iain Baker
Keyboards
Gen (Simon Matthews)
Drums
Barry D
Keyboards
Tony Arthy
Drums
