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/
Girlfriend
The Jesus and Mary Chain Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dirty little stories about needles and skin
Don't want to hear about how you scored
The guys who tripped, how you're dress got torn
Don't want to speak in the same old tongue
Don't want to bite and I don't want burned
Don't want to live in the same old place
Got new ideas and I got new taste
Come on you are my friend
Some things will never end
We done our time and we had some fun
I want to get things done
Don't want to hear about your sins
Dirty little stories about needles and skin
Don't want to hear about that stuff
You've done too much but it's not enough
One more kiss turns to one more hit
Well I don't feel like kissing on it
One more hit turns to one more crash
You move too slow but it's much too fast
Come on you are my friend
Some things will never end
We done our time and we had some fun
My life has just begun
The Jesus Mary Chain's song Girlfriend explores the idea of wanting to move on and explore new things in life. The lyrics convey a sense of disillusionment with drugs, sex and rock and roll, and a desire for something more meaningful. The singer does not want to hear about their girlfriend's past misdeeds, including drug use and promiscuity, insisting that it's time for something new.
The line "Don't want to speak in the same old tongue, Don't want to bite and I don't want burned" suggests that the singer wants to break free from old habits and patterns of behavior, and is looking for something fresh and exciting. The lines "Come on you are my friend, Some things will never end, We done our time and we had some fun, I want to get things done" signify that the singer values their friendship with their girlfriend but is now seeking to move on and achieve new goals.
Overall, Girlfriend is a song about change, growth and moving on from the past. It is an exploration of the human desire for something that is beyond the same old thing, and a call to action to embrace new ideas and new experiences.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't want to hear about your sins
I don't want to hear about the wrong things you've done in your past.
Dirty little stories about needles and skin
I don't want to hear about your drug problems and self-harm.
Don't want to hear about how you scored
I don't want to hear about your past drug deals.
The guys who tripped, how your dress got torn
I don't want to hear about the people you hung out with or the situations you put yourself in.
Don't want to speak in the same old tongue
I don't want to have the same repeated conversations or speak in the same way as before.
Don't want to bite and I don't want burned
I don't want to get hurt or hurt others.
Don't want to live in the same old place
I want change, I want to move on from where we are.
Got new ideas and I got new taste
I have different ways of thinking and different interests now.
Come on you are my friend
Despite all of this, we are still friends.
Some things will never end
There are some parts of our friendship that will always remain.
We done our time and we had some fun
We've been through a lot together, and had good times.
I want to get things done
I want to move on and achieve new things.
Don't want to hear about that stuff
I don't want to hear about your excessive drug use or other dangerous activities.
You've done too much but it's not enough
You've pushed yourself to the limit, but it's still not satisfying.
One more kiss turns to one more hit
Your drug habits are getting in the way of healthy relationships.
Well I don't feel like kissing on it
I don't want to engage in drug use or other destructive behaviors.
One more hit turns to one more crash
Continuing drug use will only lead to more problems.
You move too slow but it's much too fast
You're making progress too slowly and still coming up against bad situations.
My life has just begun
There is still so much more I can do and achieve in my life.
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Written by: William Reid
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Taekjoon Choi
This album is seriously underrated!!
Pablo Isusi
Totally Agree. My brother gave it to me 1000 years ago. Love them forever
Dick Schlitz
You’re right it got mixed reviews..stoned n dethroned...but it was their finest hour in my opinion..being labeled as a post punk noise band..and then to bring it with this record, that has so many jems...I remember being proud as a fan besides sinking into this record start to finish
Rob graham
One of their best from the best band in the world.
Jason Sammon
Jesus fuck
Douglas Fabiani
Linda canção ❣️
Douglas Fabiani
Linda canção!!!
Fabio Miguel
it´s my favorite album!
Greg Sullivan
Great album
David Hope
Really feelin' it at 0:45. Love this band. Very special.