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/
The Living End
The Jesus and Mary Chain Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I get ahead on my motorbike
I feel so quick in my leather boots
I feel so quick in my leather boots
My mood is black when my jacket's on
My mood is black when my jacket's on
And I'm in love with myself
And I'm in love with myself
There's nothing else but me
And an empty road
And a cool cool wind and it makes feel so good
Just like I knew it would
Just like I knew it would
I get so wild on my motorbike
I get so wild on my motorbike
I'm breaking loose on this moonlit night
I'm breaking loose on this moonlit night
I cut the road like a sharpened knife
I cut the road like a sharpened knife
And I'm in love with myself
And I'm in love with myself
There's nothing else but me
There's nothing else but me
And an empty road
And a cool cool wind makes me feel so good
I'm moving too fast, I'm moving too fast
I'm moving so fast that I can't control the wheels
I'm moving so fast, I'm moving so fast
Yeah, I'm going for a tree, yeah it's going for me, yeah
My head is dripping into my leather boots.
The Jesus and Mary Chain's song, The Living End, speaks of the euphoric feeling of being on a motorcycle and the freedom it brings while also highlighting the potential danger when one pushes the limits too far. The lyrics speak of the thrill of being on a motorcycle, feeling untouchable in leather boots and jacket, and being in love with oneself. The song's protagonist is portrayed as wild and reckless, breaking loose on a moonlit night and cutting through the road like a sharpened knife. The danger factor is introduced when the singer confesses to moving too fast, and his head is dripping into his boots, implying that he has crashed.
Line by Line Meaning
I get ahead on my motorbike
I feel a sense of exhilaration when I ride my motorbike ahead of everyone else.
I feel so quick in my leather boots
My leather boots give me a feeling of speed and agility when I ride.
My mood is black when my jacket's on
I feel a sense of darkness and intensity when I wear my jacket, which I associate with riding my motorbike.
And I'm in love with myself
I have a strong sense of self-confidence and pride in myself when I ride my motorbike.
There's nothing else but me
When I ride my motorbike, all of my attention and focus is on myself and my experience.
And an empty road
I enjoy riding my motorbike when there is no one else around to distract me or get in my way.
And a cool cool wind and it makes feel so good
The sensation of the wind on my face and body adds to my enjoyment of riding.
Just like I knew it would
My experience riding my motorbike is exactly what I expected it to be.
I get so wild on my motorbike
Riding my motorbike makes me feel uninhibited and daring.
I'm breaking loose on this moonlit night
I am taking risks and letting go of my inhibitions while riding on a moonlit night.
I cut the road like a sharpened knife
I feel powerful and unstoppable when I ride my motorbike, like I am cutting through the road with a sharp knife.
I'm moving too fast, I'm moving too fast
My speed on my motorbike is getting out of control.
I'm moving so fast that I can't control the wheels
I am putting myself in danger by riding faster than I can safely control.
Yeah, I'm going for a tree, yeah it's going for me, yeah
I am headed towards a tree, and I know it's going to hurt me when I crash.
My head is dripping into my leather boots.
I am bleeding profusely from my head injury, which is dripping into my previously mentioned leather boots.
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Written by: JAMES MCLEISH REID, WILLIAM ADAM REID
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Andrés Minaya
[Verse 1]
I get ahead on my motorbike
I get ahead on my motorbike
I feel so quick in my leather boots
I feel so quick in my leather boots
My mood is black when my jacket's on
My mood is black when my jacket's on
[Chorus]
And I'm in love with myself
And I'm in love with myself
There's nothing else but me
There's nothing else but me
And an empty road
And a cool, cool wind and it makes feel so good
Just like I knew it would
Just like I knew it would
[Verse 2]
I get so wild on my motorbike
I get so wild on my motorbike
I'm breaking loose on this moonlit night
I'm breaking loose on this moonlit night
I cut the road like a sharpened knife
I cut the road like a sharpened knife
[Chorus]
And I'm in love with myself
And I'm in love with myself
There's nothing else but me
There's nothing else but me
And an empty road
And a cool, cool wind makes me feel so good
[Outro]
I'm moving too fast, (I'm moving too fast)
I'm moving so fast that I can't control the wheels
I'm moving so fast, (I'm moving so fast)
Yeah, I'm going for a tree, yeah it's going for me, yeah
My head is dripping into my leather boots
Gwyll2501
My dad played this album a lot when I was a baby. He once said it helped me get to sleep. I still find that hilarious, but it would explain a lot.
theWARMJET
Lol make some sense, bc white noite seems to calm down a bit, like the sound of waves. He must be a good father for sure
sexobscura
@theWARMJET
just like Jeffrey Dahmer
larrote
@theWARMJET he was just trying to sound edgy
Andrés Minaya
[Verse 1]
I get ahead on my motorbike
I get ahead on my motorbike
I feel so quick in my leather boots
I feel so quick in my leather boots
My mood is black when my jacket's on
My mood is black when my jacket's on
[Chorus]
And I'm in love with myself
And I'm in love with myself
There's nothing else but me
There's nothing else but me
And an empty road
And a cool, cool wind and it makes feel so good
Just like I knew it would
Just like I knew it would
[Verse 2]
I get so wild on my motorbike
I get so wild on my motorbike
I'm breaking loose on this moonlit night
I'm breaking loose on this moonlit night
I cut the road like a sharpened knife
I cut the road like a sharpened knife
[Chorus]
And I'm in love with myself
And I'm in love with myself
There's nothing else but me
There's nothing else but me
And an empty road
And a cool, cool wind makes me feel so good
[Outro]
I'm moving too fast, (I'm moving too fast)
I'm moving so fast that I can't control the wheels
I'm moving so fast, (I'm moving so fast)
Yeah, I'm going for a tree, yeah it's going for me, yeah
My head is dripping into my leather boots
sexobscura
3rd verse
different from the 1st
Flinchey
Happy 35th anniversary to one of the greatest debut album of all time, and this should belong in everyone’s record collection.
zodiacloveteam
This shit is nuts. I remember my cousin gave me this album and it wasn't like anything I had heard. I soon realized that underneath all the noise and reverb, there were really catchy hooks and great lyrics at its foundation.
georgeharrison70
1985? Wow, truly astounding how a song like this was released so many years ago. William Reid should get an award for the guitars on Psychocandy, lol.
lyonslaforet
Psychocandy is among the most important albums released in 1985.