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/
Head
The Jesus and Mary Chain Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You empty head,
You're late she says
Your blonde head,
Your blonde head
So you knock at the door,
The beat of your heart
Your cold empty heart
I think you're crawling up my spine
I think you're crawling up my spine
Hey hey hey
Hey hey hey
Don't you to stay,
Want you to stay
Hey
Walk away,
You empty head,
You're late she said
Your blonde head,
Your blonde head
So the knives on the street
There's a man on your cross
Cold empty cross,
Cold empty cross
I think you're crawling up my spine
I think you're crawling up my spine
Hey hey hey
Hey hey hey
Want you to stay
Don't want you to stay
I walk away
I walk away
I walk away from your head
Off your head
Off your head
Hanging from your head
I walk
I walk
I walk
Your head
Your head
From your head
From your head
From your head
?
The Jesus and Mary Chain's song "Head" is a hauntingly sung piece that speaks to feelings of loss, abandonment, and rejection. The singer of the song is being told to walk away by a woman who refers to him as an "empty head" and mocks his blonde hair. The individual is described as having a "cold, empty heart," a clear indication that they are being deemed unfeeling or lacking in emotional depth. Despite this, the singer is compelled to continue pursuing this woman, and the beat of his heart is a physical manifestation of his desire to connect with her.
The phrase "crawling up my spine" can be interpreted in a few ways, but it seems to indicate an intense feeling that is hard to shake. Perhaps the obsession with this woman is felt on a deep, visceral level, or maybe the singer is haunted by the memory of previous heartbreaks. Either way, it's clear that the intensity of the emotions at play is something that the singer can't shake.
Ultimately, the singer is left feeling rejected and alone, walking away from the woman's "head" and the pain that it represents. The repetition of the phrase "I walk away" underscores the finality of this decision, and the fact that the singer is forced to move on despite their feelings.
Line by Line Meaning
Walk away,
The singer is telling someone to leave.
You empty head,
The person being addressed is being insulted for being thoughtless or foolish.
You're late she says
The person the singer is addressing is tardy and someone else has already mentioned it to them.
Your blonde head,
The person being spoken to has blonde hair.
So you knock at the door,
The person being addressed has arrived at a door and is about to knock.
The beat of your heart
The person being spoken to is nervous, as evidenced by their heart beating rapidly.
Your cold empty heart,
The singer is insulting the person being addressed, saying they are heartless and unemotional.
I think you're crawling up my spine
The artist is becoming uncomfortable and uneasy due to the presence of the person being addressed.
Hey hey hey
A vocal interlude that does not convey a specific meaning.
Don't you to stay,
The artist is telling the person being addressed to leave and not stick around.
Want you to stay
The singer is expressing a desire for the person being addressed to remain.
So the knives on the street
The artist is describing a dangerous situation where there are knives on the streets.
There's a man on your cross
The person being addressed is being associated with religious iconography, specifically a man being crucified.
Cold empty cross,
The singer is describing the cross as being empty and lacking meaning or significance.
I walk away
The singer is leaving the situation.
Off your head
The artist is telling the person being addressed to calm down and stop being irrational.
Hanging from your head
The person being addressed is being associated with a negative image of something hanging from their head.
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Written by: JAMES MCLEISH REID, WILLIAM ADAM REID
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@alessandrahaneke
As soon as I get my head round you
I come around catching sparks off you
I get an electric charge from you
That second hand living it just won't do
And the way I feel tonight
I could die and I wouldn't mind
And there's something going on inside
Makes you want to feel makes you want to try
Makes you want to blow the stars from the sky
I can't stand up I can't cool down
I can't get my head off the ground
As soon as I get my head round you
I come around catching sparks off you
And all I ever got from you
Was all I ever took from you
And the world could die in pain
And I wouldn't feel no shame
And there's nothing holding me to blame
Makes you want to feel makes you want to try
Makes you want to blow the stars from the sky
I'm taking myself to the dirty part of town
Where all my troubles can't be found
AMAAAAAZING!!
@mnmlstellar
Love this Song 🖤
#lyrics
As soon as I get my head 'round you
I come around catching sparks off you
I get an electric charge from you
That second hand living, it just won't do
And the way I feel tonight
Oh, I could die and I wouldn't mind
And there's something going on inside
Makes you want to feel, makes you want to try
Makes you want to blow the stars from the sky
I can't stand up, I can't cool down
I can't get my head off the ground
As soon as I get my head 'round you
I come around catching sparks off you
And all I ever got from you
Was all I ever took from you
And the world could die in pain
And I wouldn't feel no shame
And there's nothing holding me to blame
Makes you want to feel, makes you want to try
Makes you want to blow the stars from the sky
And I'm taking myself to the dirty part of town
Where all my troubles can't be found
Makes you want to feel, makes you want to try
Makes you want to blow the stars from the sky
And I can't stand up, I can't cool down
I can't get my head up off the ground
Makes you want to feel, makes you want to try
Makes you want to blow the stars from the sky
And I can't stand up, I can't cool down
I can't get my head off the ground
I said head
Ohw, head
Eah, head
Ohw, head
Makes you want to feel, makes you want to try
Makes you want to feel, makes you want to try
Ohw, head
Ohw, head
Ooh, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Ahh yeah, yeah, yeah...
@patrickjmt
the jesus and mary chain - so fucking awesome
@KK-hj5kj
imagine finding you here LOL
@lesfaul4924
"The Frogs on your radio tonight and forever"
@andreabarone622
@@lesfaul4924 a
@ayoubsbai6339
Omg, you are the last one i could imagine finding on here. Good to know you are into post-punk and indie rock
@ciao214Z
gawd these hipster avatars
@nehiyaw1010
Calories burned by each member:
Singer- 10
Lead guitarist- 50
Drummer- 2509
@davidepistilli9702
it's actually drum machine lol
@davidepistilli9702
on the whole album as well as synth bass. that's why I love it!
@Glaigers
Epic comment 😂