Rick Buckler the drummer from The Jam passed away aged 69 the other day. They were often described as a Mod band. I always thought them more New Wave/Punk.
Like so many of the bands of my youth they sang with working class teenage angst.
I never got to see them live but I did once see Bruce Foxton the bassist and his band play at a outdoor music festival in Rochdale with some of my friends.
One of my pals N died when he was only about forty. He was such a character and could be so funny on our pub trips to Hebden Bridge and Haworth. I miss him very much.
I have lost contact with so many people but then again I have lived nearly a quarter of a century in Ireland.
I once blogged about us (N and me) going on a school trip to Belle Vue Zoo in Manchester and feeding our home made sandwiches to the Polar bears. Remember jars of Princess beef paste jars?
Our mums added the salt and pepper. The Polar bears reached out and pawed the sandwiches like a famous Manchester City German goalkeeper used to save goals.
Then we went on the paddle boats and N created an enormous tide ripple and splash and two fit girls on another boat in our class got their short skirts and no doubt knickers wet?
We howled with laughter and so did the girls and we bought them hot dogs from Wimpy. Belle Vue is now an housing estate in Gorton.
I have chosen " Going Underground" by The Jam for one of their videos to play.
Paul Weller wrote it in response to the awful then Conservative government that cared nothing for the millions of unemployed and seemed content to make England into an American aircraft carrier with an enormous nuclear arsenal.
My West Cork smallholding is a nuclear free zone!
I remember going on a massive 200000 plus CND March in London in the early eighties. A time when political parties had much differing views and not with policies seperated by the thickness of cigarette paper like todays parties.
Only last week Keir Starmer visited Hinkley Point praising nuclear power. This week he wants to put British troops in Ukraine. The mind boggles. You become a peace keeper soldier Mr Prime minister?🤔
Any way enjoy the tune. Did any of you ever see The Jam live?
This song would be a good digging song for us gardeners:
Great post Dave. I enjoyed how you wrote down your thoughts and your reminiscing.
ReplyDeleteThanks Rachel. Some times I like what I write.
DeleteYou and your friend sound like a couple of scallies 😁
ReplyDeleteThere was about ten of us sometimes invading Yorkshire JayCee.
ReplyDeleteAnd then driven back by Yorkshirewomen wielding rolling pins.
DeleteYes we visited Holmfirth. North Batty and her sort were prevalent in their numbers.
DeleteNora even.
DeleteI saw them at The Top Rank Suite in Sheffield - October 26th 1980 - and they were bloody brilliant. "Going Underground" captured the times we were living in, the anger and the quest for a better future. The Jam weren't just a band, they had something meaningful to say. Paul Weller was an effing genius.
ReplyDeletePaul Weller is a working class hero YP. I recently saw a You Tube video of him hod carrying. He still can do the building labourer tasks like myselfin our sixties. I have a lot of time for people like Paul.
ReplyDeleteThis song needs to be played loudly. Whatever became of working class teenage angst. Is there a new outlet?
ReplyDeleteTotally agree Jules. I think teenage angst became blog writers like us.
ReplyDeleteOne of Mr B's favorite bands. We went to see Paul Weller play at Albert Hall about 3 years ago. Sad to see our heroes passing. Good choice of tribute Dave.
ReplyDeleteThanks Tigger's Mum. They rocked.
DeleteMy mate and I saw The Jam 11 times we loved them and Paul Weller still now his dad John let us in free at Hammersmith Palais and we were right at the front! Our parents didn’t know we had gone down that London to see our band!
ReplyDeleteI’m not far from ye on the south side although my family from the north side!!
I saw The Jam 7 times all over the uk loved that band still have every album his writing really hit the spot for the youth then!
ReplyDeleteLove your blog and we are not far from ye on the south side although we come from the north side!
Thanks Sean. The most I have seen a band is Clannad and Jethro Tull 5 times. My friend met a punter at a Rock festival who said he had seen them 757 times. Thanks for saying you like my blog.
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