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/
Sidewalking
The Jesus and Mary Chain Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm messing in the dark and feelin' all alone
I've got ice in my fire got the heat in my wire
inject a little heat, I'm burnin' up the tires
Sidewalking, sidewalking, sidewalking, sidewalking
Talking like I'm on and I'm the only one
and I gotta get a call and I gotta get a ride
gonna get a car got Jesus on my side
Sidewalking, sidewalking, sidewalking, sidewalking
Messing in the dark and walking all alone
alone in the streets and I know just where I'm goin'
Sidewalking, sidewalking
Chilled to the bone, chilled to the bone
hot wired heat and all the way home
The Jesus and Mary Chain's Sidewalking is a captivating song that revolves around the themes of isolation, loneliness, and the need for companionship. The first verse sets the mood with the singer being "Chilled to the bone and five miles from home." He is walking alone in the dark and feeling isolated, with his only company being the coldness that surrounds him. However, he injects some heat into his life and starts walking faster and faster, burning up his tires. This signifies his need to escape his current situation that's causing him such despondency.
The chorus of the song "Sidewalking" is repeated multiple times throughout the track, signifying the repetition of the singer's situation. He is "Talking like he's on and he's the only one," but deep down, he knows that he's just pretending. His loneliness is so crushing that he equates his feeling of being "Chilled to the bone" with a need for warmth, even if it's just his tires that are burning.
The second verse highlights the singer's desperation to escape his loneliness. He needs to get a call or a ride, or he may even steal a car to feel some sense of companionship. The closing lines of the song once again reinforce the singer's need for heat and the loneliness that comes along with it. He is "chilled to the bone, chilled to the bone, hot-wired heat and all the way home."
Line by Line Meaning
Chilled to the bone and five miles to home
The singer is cold and exhausted, and has a long way to go before reaching home.
I'm messing in the dark and feelin' all alone
The singer is lost and feels isolated.
I've got ice in my fire got the heat in my wire
The singer has a mix of emotions, both cool and hot.
inject a little heat, I'm burnin' up the tires
The artist is using their emotions as fuel to keep moving forward.
Sidewalking, sidewalking, sidewalking, sidewalking
The chorus repeats the word 'sidewalking,' which symbolizes moving forward with determination.
Talking like I'm on and I'm the only one
The singer feels confident and like they are the only one who can do what they need to do.
I'm making like I'm done and staring like a gun
The singer is acting like they have already accomplished their goal and looking forward with intensity.
and I gotta get a call and I gotta get a ride
The artist needs help to reach their destination.
gonna get a car got Jesus on my side
The artist is relying on their faith to help them succeed.
Messing in the dark and walking all alone
The artist is still lost and alone.
alone in the streets and I know just where I'm goin'
Despite feeling lost and alone, the singer is confident in their direction.
Sidewalking, sidewalking
The final line of the song emphasizes the importance of determination and moving forward.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@slint69
Chilled to the bone and five miles to home
I'm messing in the dark and feeling all alone
I got ice in my fire got the heat in my wire
Inject a little heat I'm burning up the tyres
Sidewalking sidewalking sidewalking sidewalking
Talking like I'm on and I'm the only one
I'm making like I'm done and staring like a gun
And I gotta get a car and I gotta get a ride
Gotta get a car got jesus on my side
Sidewalking sidewalking sidewalking sidewalking
Messing in the dark and walking all alone
Alone in the streets I know just where I'm going
Sidewalking sidewalking
Chilled to the bone Chilled to the bone
Hot wired heat all the way home
@putter9198
Today is 2 months since my big brother passed away due to cancer, here i sit and remember the song from when we where younger... and he was the one who got me listening to JAMC , so at the age of 52 i sit here listen to sidewalking with tears in my eyes.. thanks for bringing a piece of him back to me...
@pissed555
Beklagar :-( :-(
@putter9198
@dekrepitus Tack!
@longlivedubitout7535
and we lived our lives in black 🖤🖤🖤
@richardb8080
Nice post , bud. RIP to your brother.
@tmc1372
That’s so sad. I’m so sorry.
This band has been instrumental in my life, in a very weird way. I’m not going to get into it. But this is the first time I’ve have the nerve, guts, desire to listen to this.
In fact, my first purchase of artwork was from the
Innovative, graphic design, his name is David Carson. I bought a piece of artwork from him that he created back in the day, when this song hit radio, and it was in the day that cut and paste, or actually was scissors and glue and marketing was at its pre tech height. sidewalking. Jesus and Mary chain. that hangs on my wall and I’ll never let it go.
@andriejuslasys1761
Pure evil and malevolence...there was a time when JAMC were the greatest band on the planet bar none...and lucky (old) me got to see them several times in their heyday...all the stories you hear are true....relentlessly aggressive and sure of their own superiority they were iconic and iconoclastic.
@PaulHunter-ih1ye
Simply the Greatest Record in the history of Rock Music ❤❤
@sheilae.7506
I saw them in concert around 1992 (?). They were great. A girl that came with us jumped on the stage (small venue) and grabbed the sunglasses off James Reid, the lead singer, and he was not happy. She gave them back.
@kurtdahlke9526
You can be 'anything you want' cool, but you'll never be JAMC cool ...