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/
Halfway to Crazy
The Jesus and Mary Chain Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Suicide could save me
Oh is that much too extreme
It's such a sad and sorry scene
Lovers tongue tied
And tied to the tongue
Making deals going bad by the dawn
Every dog must have it's day
That's me being torn at the seams
Going mad in the middle of a dream
Catch me getting it wrong from the start
Catch me 'cause I'm falling apart
Crazy I'm halfway to crazy
Suicide would waste me
Homicide would break me
Tongue tied and tied to the tongue
Oh is life as bad as dreams
I guess that's just the way it seems
The Jesus and Mary Chain's song "Halfway to Crazy" is a song that explores the idea of being caught in a downward spiral of life. The lyrics paint a picture of a person who is struggling with their mental health and contemplating suicide as a way out. The opening line, "Crazy I'm halfway to crazy," sets the tone for the rest of the song. The singer is acknowledging that they are not in a good place mentally and are teetering on the brink of insanity. They go on to say that suicide could save them, but they question whether that is too extreme.
The lyrics then delve into the theme of failed relationships. The line "Lover's tongue-tied and tied to the tongue" suggests that communication breakdowns have led to the end of what was once a loving relationship. The following line, "Making deals going bad by the dawn," indicates that the singer has made bad decisions in their life, which have resulted in their current state. The line "Every dog must have its day, and then it's got to pay and pay" suggests that the person singing the song feels like they have paid a heavy price for their mistakes.
The chorus delves back into the idea of being crazy and contemplating suicide. The lines "Catch me getting it wrong from the start, Catch me 'cause I'm falling apart" suggest that the person singing the song is aware that they have made mistakes in life and things are falling apart. The repeated line "Crazy I'm halfway to crazy" reinforces the idea that the person's state of mind is precarious. The final line "Oh, is life as bad as dreams, I guess that's just the way it seems" indicates that the person singing the song is struggling to find meaning in their life and is questioning whether their reality is any worse than their dreams.
Line by Line Meaning
Crazy I'm halfway to crazy
I feel like I'm losing my mind.
Suicide could save me
Sometimes I think death would be preferable to living in this state of mind.
Oh is that much too extreme
I know suicide is a drastic solution, but I can't help feeling that way.
It's such a sad and sorry scene
My mental state is pitiful and depressing.
Lovers tongue tied
I can't express my emotions properly to the people I care about.
And tied to the tongue
I feel like I'm trapped and unable to communicate how I feel.
Making deals going bad by the dawn
My attempts at connecting with others keep failing and leaving me feeling worse in the morning.
Every dog must have it's day
Everyone gets their chance to succeed or fail.
And then it's got to pay and pay
But sometimes those failures have consequences that echo throughout life.
That's me being torn at the seams
My mental state is causing me great distress and inner turmoil.
Going mad in the middle of a dream
I feel like I'm losing my grip on reality.
Catch me getting it wrong from the start
I can't seem to get anything right.
Catch me 'cause I'm falling apart
I'm breaking down and need help.
Crazy I'm halfway to crazy
I'm still losing my mind.
Suicide would waste me
I know I would be throwing away any chance at a better life.
Homicide would break me
Killing someone would only make things worse for me and others.
Tongue tied and tied to the tongue
I feel trapped by my inability to communicate.
Oh is life as bad as dreams
I can't tell if my waking life is worse than the nightmares that plague me.
I guess that's just the way it seems
I'm starting to accept that maybe life really is as bad as it seems.
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind