JAMC's early gigs have become the stuff of legend in underground circles. Playing in front of small audiences, the band earned their notoriety by playing very short gigs, some lasting no more than ten minutes and consisting of a constant wall of feedback and distortion. The group became know as well for playing with their backs to the audience and refusing to speak to them. Many shows culminated with the Reids trashing their equipment, which was often followed by the audience rioting. All of this delighted manager and Creation Records boss Alan McGee, who obviously found it very easy to get attention for the band, as well as aliened more commercially-minded music business figures.
Their debut single, "Upside Down", came out in 1984 on Creation, but they signed to the WEA-backed Blanco y Negro the following year. Said label released their debut album, titled 'Psychocandy', which fused together the Reid's two primary influences, the guitar noise and avant-garde rock of The Velvet Underground with the 60s pop leanings of Phil Spector and The Beach Boys. It included songs such as the indie sensation "Just Like Honey". The record divided many music fans due to its deliberately abrasive sound yet still received positive critical reviews and is now considered a landmark recording in the history of alternative music.
Gillespie left the band before the next album, 'Darklands, came out, going on to front Primal Scream. He was briefly replaced by John Moore (later of Black Box Recorder), before former Biff Bang Pow! drummer Dave Evans. The aforementioned 'Darklands' also received supportive reviews, and it showed a less noisy and more contemplative sound that was welcomed by both many post-punk fans and many mainstream rock fans. Notable songs from that period include "April Skies" and "Happy When It Rains".
Albums
# Psychocandy (November 1985)
# Darklands (September 1987)
# Automatic (September 1989)
# Honey's Dead (March 1992)
# Stoned & Dethroned (1994)
# Munki (June 1998)
# Damage and Joy (2017)
Plus the following - (sessions, singles, b-sides, live recordings et cetera)
# Barbed Wire Kisses (April 1988)
# The Sound of Speed (1993)
# Hate Rock N' Roll (1995)
# 21 Singles (2002)
# BBC Live in Concert (2003)
# The Complete John Peel Sessions (2003)
# The Power of Negative Thinking: B-Sides & Rarities (2008)
For the iconic indie label Sub Pop, the band recorded 1998's 'Munki' album, which would turn out to be their last before splitting the following year. The album is often thought of as sounding 'divided' due to the Reids' crumbling relationship. Jim Reid has recalled: "Me and William weren't really getting along at all. That last year we barely even spoke. 'Munki' is one of my favorite albums, but it was really divided. William would go into the studio with the rest of the band and record while I wasn't there, and then I'd go in with them when William wasn't there."
William Reid then recorded as the artist Lazycame. Brother Jim formed the band Freeheat, which disbanded in 2003. Jim Reid is currently recording solo material and he has, to date, recorded and released one single Song For A Secret which was released on Transistor Records.
Like some of their influences such as Dee Dee Ramone, Lee Hazelwood, Iggy Pop and Lou Reed, throughout their career the boys were rumored to have ongoing substance abuse issues, which may have contributed to their notoriety. They reportedly dabbled in regular use of things like amphetamines and heroin, which made for lyrical reference in songs like Some Candy Talking and the album title Stoned & Dethroned.
Despite not having huge commercial success, they've gone on to influence a range of other music groups such as Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Butthole Surfers, My Bloody Valentine, and Spacemen 3.
The Jesus and Mary Chain reunited to play at the Coachella Festival on April 27, 2007, followed by two more shows in Spain at the Summercase Festival. More shows followed in late 2007 and early 2008 in London.
Calling themselves 'Sister Vanilla' an LP, Little Pop Rock, was released in 2007 and reunites the brothers along with their sister, Linda, singing on most tracks.
Damage And Joy is the brand new studio album by The Jesus And Mary Chain, released on March 24th, 2017.
Other personnel;
Richard Thomas (drums 1988-1990)
Ben Lurie (bass/rhythm guitar/backing vocals 1989-1998)
Steve Monti (drums 1990-1995)
Matthew Parkin (bass 1992)
Barry Blackler (drums 1992)
Nick Sanderson (drums 1993-1998)
Mark Crozer (rhythm guitar 2007-now)
Loz Colbert (drums 2007-now)
JAMC singer Jim Reid is name-checked in the 2017 song "Lollipop (Ode to Jim)" by Canadian band Alvvays which begins "I saw Jim Reid in the corridor.." and contains other allusions to JAMC themes.
http://thejesusandmarychain.uk.com/
April Skies
The Jesus and Mary Chain Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As I stand here
Don't you walk away
And the world comes tumbling down
Hand in hand in a violent life
Making love on the edge of a knife
And the world comes tumbling down
And it's hard
And it's hard
For me to stay
I'm going down
To be by myself
I'm going back
For the good of my health
And there's one thing
I couldn't do
Sacrifice myself to you
Sacrifice
Baby baby I just can't see
Just what you mean to me
I take my aim and I fake my words
I'm just your long time curse
And if you walk away
I can't take it
But that's the way that you are
And that's the things that you say
But now you've gone too far
With all the things you say
Get back to where you come from
I can't help it
Under the April skies
Under the April sun
Sun grows cold
Sky gets black
And you broke me up
And now you won't come back
Shaking hand, life is dead
And a broken heart
And a screaming head
Under the April sky
The Jesus and Mary Chain's "April Skies" deals with a tumultuous and unpredictable relationship. The opening lines of "Hey honey what you trying to say, As I stand here, Don't you walk away" showcase one half of the relationship trying to communicate with the other, who seems to be distant and aloof. The chorus, "And the world comes tumbling down, Hand in hand in a violent life, Making love on the edge of a knife" paints a picture of a love that is passionate and exhilarating, but also dangerous and could lead to harm or destruction. The singer wants to walk away from the relationship for the sake of their own sanity and wellbeing, but finds it difficult to do so because of their strong feelings for the other person. However, they ultimately come to the realization that they cannot sacrifice themselves for the other person, which leads to the end of the relationship.
The use of weather imagery throughout the song emphasizes the volatile nature of the relationship. The "April skies" are initially described as sunny and warm, but as the song progresses, the skies grow dark and the sun disappears, representing the deterioration of the relationship. The use of the phrase "Under the April sun, Sun grows cold, Sky gets black" highlights the contrast between the beginning of the relationship and its end.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey honey what you trying to say
The singer is asking their partner to be clear about what they want to communicate.
As I stand here
The singer is expressing their current state of being, standing in front of their partner.
Don't you walk away
The singer is pleading for their partner to stay and not abandon them.
And the world comes tumbling down
The artist expresses their view that everything's falling apart.
Hand in hand in a violent life
The artist and their partner are together through hard times.
Making love on the edge of a knife
The singer and their partner live dangerously, often balancing on the edge of something potentially fatal.
And it's hard For me to say
The singer finds it difficult to express themselves.
And it's hard For me to stay
The artist is struggling to maintain their current position.
I'm going down To be by myself
The artist plans to be alone.
I'm going back For the good of my health
The artist is returning to prioritize their well-being.
And there's one thing I couldn't do Sacrifice myself to you Sacrifice
The singer is unable to give up everything for their partner.
Baby baby I just can't see Just what you mean to me
The artist struggles to understand the importance of their partner to them.
I take my aim and I fake my words I'm just your long time curse
The singer admits that they often lie and are a source of trouble for their partner.
And if you walk away I can't take it
The singer fears losing their partner.
But that's the way that you are And that's the things that you say But now you've gone too far With all the things you say
The singer confronts their partner for going too far in their words and actions.
Get back to where you come from I can't help it
The artist demands that their partner leaves, even if they don't want to.
Under the April skies Under the April sun Sun grows cold Sky gets black And you broke me up And now you won't come back Shaking hand, life is dead And a broken heart And a screaming head Under the April sky
All the previous events have led to the artist feeling sad and alone under the April sky.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: BILLY REID, WILLIAM ADAM REID
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@EchoSiera
[Verse 1]
Hey, honey, what you trying to say?
As I stand here, don't you walk away
And the world comes tumbling down
Hand in hand in a violent life
Making love on the edge of a knife
And the world comes tumbling down
[Chorus 1]
And it's hard for me to say
And it's hard for me to stay
I'm going down to be by myself
I'm going back for the good of my health
And there's one thing I couldn't do
Sacrifice myself to you
Sacrifice
[Verse 2]
Baby, baby, I just can't see
Just what you mean to me
I take my aim and I fake my words
I'm just your longtime curse
And if you walk away
I can't take it
[Chorus 2]
But that's the way that you are
And that's the things that you say
But now you've gone too far
With all the things you say
Get back to where you come from
I can't help it, under the April skies
Under the April skies
Under the April sun
Under the April skies
[Bridge]
Under the April sun
Under the April sun
Under the April skies
Under the April sun
Under the April skies
[Verse 3]
The sun grows cold, the sky gets black
And you broke me up and now you won't come back
Shaking hand, life is dead
And a broken heart and a screaming head
Hey, hey
[Outro]
Under the April skies
Under the April sun
Under the April skies
Under the April skies
@violator791
Sun grows cold
Sky gets black
And you broke me up
And now you won't come back
Shaking hand, life is dead
And a broken heart
And a screaming head
Some of the best lyrics ever written from the single most underrated band ever.
@mrobeak
I’m 68 and this is still my favourite record of the eighties
@AntonMuller
I'm 64 and still cannot get enough of the JAMC's timeless tunes...
@Onionbaron
I think I remember the 80's... 😁
@mobombhead8540
I'm 62 and love them. Saw them live in Hamburg end December '21 when they did the entire Darklands album and then a selection of other songs afterwards. Amazing night.
@praptichoudhuri3575
im 16 and wish more people my age listened to my favorite music
@nigellaird8655
@@AntonMuller Yeah JAMC were so cool, eighties sucked until these guys came along : great tunes, authentic lyrics, & the feed-back - wow ... They felt dangerous & so cool .. Love this track
@cathwardell
im 45 and this is still my fave song of all time, i can listen to this over an over and never get sick of it,long live The Jesus & Mary Chain.xxx
@AMSRMX16
And now you're 55
@broomhandlecowboy
Great song …. And we’ll still be listening to it when we’re 85.
@hayden8784
good on ya cath x