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
Video
Related Posts
Boo Radleys, The Five years after forming as shoegaze wannabes in 1988, The Boo Radleys issued their third album, Giant Steps (1993), which took them…
Faith No More Formed as a post-punk outfit in 1982, Faith No More fired hard-drinking vocalist Chuck Mosley. His replacement was Mike Patton,…
Manic Street Preachers Formed in Wales in 1988, and obsessed with The Clash and Public Enemy, the Manic Street Preachers survived early media vitriol to emerge…
Happy Mondays Manchester (UK) band Happy Mondays took their name from a New Order song but came last in a 'Battle of the Bands'…
Primal Scream Originally a guitar pop band formed by early Jesus & Mary Chain drummer Bobby Gillespie, Primal Scream got harder, wilder and heavier…
Menswe@r Daydreamer (1995) was the only song this short-lived band had in their arsenal when they started. It turned out to be…
My Bloody Valentine Quiet - loud, quiet - loud. For people whose singing voices were slightly less audible than falling snow, My Bloody…
Breeders, The Formed in 1990 when Kim Deal was still the bassist for The Pixies, The Breeders gave her an outlet to…
