Jam Packed

 

The Jam - All Around The World [2058 903 UK 1977 24-Bit 48kHz FLAC]

Kicking off a splurge of Jam non-album singles from original UK pressings. All Around The World was their second single and is revered as marking the move from punk/new wave into Mod'ism. No more so than on the hip-flip Carnaby Street written and sung by Bruce Foxton.

A1 All Around The World 

B1 Carnaby Street

The Jam - News Of The World [2058 995 UK 1978 24-Bit 48kHz FLAC]

This Bruce Foxton composition was never that well received at the time, however in my opinion it is a Jam classic and following its use as a TV theme in the UK, I can only hope that Foxton still gets the revenues he deserves. 

For the initiated, until just a few years ago News Of The World was a British tabloid Sunday newspaper which fed the gutter-public hunger for gossip and scandal. Owned by dirty digger, Rupert Murdoch, it had to close when the paper itself became the news and scandal broke out when it was revealed that journalists were hacking the phones of politicians, celebrities ....and sadly, murdered teenagers.

A1 News Of The World 

B1 Aunties And Uncles (Impulsive Youths) 

B2 Innocent Man

The Jam - Strange Town [POSP 34 UK 1979 24-Bit 48kHz FLAC]

One of Weller's finest backed with one of the greatest b-sides of all time, now how often have I said that on these pages?

A1 Strange Town 

B1 The Butterfly Collector

The Jam - When You're Young [POSP 69 UK 1979 24-Bit 48kHz FLAC]

One of the first singles I ever bought, cleaned up and ripped here in glorious high res. There is a smidgen of crackle in places but I think it still sounds great. Weller's dedication to youth is backed with the full band version of Foxton's Smithers-Jones.

A1 When You're Young

B1 Smithers-Jones

The Jam - Going Underground [2x7" POSPJ 113 UK 1980 24-Bit 48kHz FLAC]

The kids wanted hits and hits is what they got. Another Jam non-album single, and likely their biggest backed with the psyche-mod gem The Dreams Of Children. This original UK pressing came with a bonus 7" of live tracks recorded at The Rainbow in London during November 1979. In a shrewd move, the US market got Going Underground as a bonus 7" in limited quantities with the Sound Affects LP.

A1 Going Underground 

B1 The Dreams Of Children 

C1 Away From The Numbers (Live) 

C2 The Modern World (Live) 

D1 Down In The Tube Station At Midnight (Live)

The Jam - Funeral Pyre [POSP 257 UK 1981 24-Bit 48kHz FLAC]

Down in amongst the streets tonight

Books will burn, people laugh and cry in their turmoil

(Turmoil turns rejoiceful)

Shed your fears and lose your guilt

Tonight we burn responsibility in the fire

We'll watch the flames grow higher

But if you get too burnt, you can't come back home

And as I was standing by the edge

I could see the faces of those who led pissing themselves laughing

(And the flames grew)

Their mad eyes bulged, their flushed faces said

The weak get crushed as the strong grow stronger

We feast on flesh and drink on blood

Live by fear and despise love in a crises

(What with today's high prices)

Bring some paper and bring some wood

Bring what's left of all your love for the fire

We'll watch the flames grow higher!

But if you get too burnt, you can't come back home

And as I was standing by the edge

I could see the faces of those who led pissing themselves laughing

(And the flames grew)

Their mad eyes bulged their flushed faces said

The weak get crushed as the strong grow stronger

In the funeral pyre

We'll watch the flames grow higher

But if you get too burnt, you can't come back home

In the funeral pyre

We'll watch the flames grow higher

But if you get too burnt, you can't come back home

In the funeral pyre

We'll watch the flames grow higher

But if you get too burnt, you can't come back home

In the funeral pyre

When I feel so young, well I just can't grow up to meet the demands

When I feel so old, when I feel so young

Well, I just can't grow up to meet their demands

Well, I just can't grow up to meet their demands

A1 Funeral Pyre

B1 Disguises

The Jam ‎- Absolute Beginners [POSP 350 UK 1981 24-Bit 48kHz FLAC]

A Weller dedication to the hip novel by Colin MacInnes, set in the streets of a late fifties London where youth culture was beginning to find its feet. I suppose if the book (and movie) was written today it would just have to be called Absolute Millennials or Absolute Snowflakes and feature the 'cast' of Love Island discovering the complexities of gender fluidity set to a backdrop of social media frenzy, moving along to the beat of auto-tuned talent-less personality pop stars. 

The original film version of the book was a badly conceived musical, let down by some wooden acting by Patsy Kensit & David Bowie, saved by a half decent soundtrack (on which Weller appears). Check out the flipside for another excellent Weller b-side.

A1 Absolute Beginners

B1 Tales From The Riverbank

The Jam - Town Called Malice / Precious [POSPX 400 UK 1982 24-Bit 48kHz FLAC]

Whilst Town Called Malice was The Jam's biggest commercial single (cleverly released as a live 12"), for me it was always about Precious, the double A-side which was released in its full six minutes on the 12". The track opened my eyes and my ears to so much more music. 

A1 Town Called Malice (Live)

AA Precious (Extended Version)

The Jam - The Bitterest Pill (I Ever Had To Swallow) [POSP 505 UK 1982 24-Bit 48kHz FLAC]

Weller goes sentimental and many original Jam fans shrug their shoulders in disbelief. This is not Woking's finest at his best and to be honest he did struggle writing decent singles in the later years of The Jam. It's not a bad song ...it's just not a great Jam song.

A1 The Bitterest Pill (I Ever Had To Swallow) 

B1 Pity Poor Alfie 

B2 Fever

The Jam - Beat Surrender [2x7" POSPJ 540 UK 1982 24-Bit 48kHz FLAC]

The last from The Jam was far from their best, but this double seven inch was great value. It gave the band another number one, however more likely for sentimental reasons. It's fascinating to look back and then realise the writing was very much on the wall from all the post-Town Called Malice singles onwards. I recall that Weller had already written A Solid Bond In Your Heart as a potential single, but in the end he chose to save that for his next project.

A1 Beat Surrender

B1 Shopping

C1 Move On Up

D1 Stoned Out Of My Mind

D2 War

....and that's your lot!

All these crackly original singles are as ripped an posted to the ESWA 2.0 board in 2018 and Needle Time in 2019.