Then Jeric… Read Full Bio ↴Then Jerico were a British rock band from the late 1980s.
Then Jerico produced two outstanding albums of creative songwriting, instrumentation, arrangement and production. The singles "Big Area" and "Sugar Box" being especially memorable. The song "Big Area" was featured in the 1989 science fiction film "Slipstream" starring Mark Hamill.
The band included singer Mark Shaw, bassist Jasper Stainthorpe, drummer Steve Wren, and guitarist Scott Taylor.[2]
The band played at The Limelight Club in NYC in 1983 and signed to London Records in 1984. The single "The Big Sweep" was recorded for London but they objected to the lyrical subject matter (an anti-Robert Maxwell/Rupert Murdoch statement). It was initially released by the track's producer Martin Rushent on his own Immaculate label in 1985 and later as a limited edition by London Records along with the new song, "Fault".[2]
The band's songs "Muscle Deep" and "The Motive" charted in 1987.[2] They enjoyed success with two albums, First (The Sound of Music) (1987) co-produced by Mark Shaw and Owen Davies, which reached number 35 in the UK Albums Chart,[3] followed by The Big Area in 1989 that went gold and reached number 4 in the UK Albums Chart.[3] Producer Rick Nowels took care of about more than half of the tracks on that album which also led to the appearance of Belinda Carlisle on side vocals on the single "What Does It Take".[4]
Released in 1988, ahead of the group's second album, "Big Area" achieved their greatest chart success, peaking at number 13 in the UK Singles Chart.[3]
The original Then Jerico line-up split up in early 1990,[5] with Mark Shaw leaving the band to pursue a solo career. He released his only studio album, Almost for EMI in 1991.[6][7] It was produced by guitarist Andy Taylor and included two singles "Love So Bright" and "Under Your Spell".[7] Mark Shaw has also worked off and on with Spandau Ballet lead singer Tony Hadley and the SAS Band.[2]
In 1998, Shaw re-activated Then Jerico, writing the materials for Orgasmaphobia, a self-financed album[6][8] released on Eagle Rock. The album was co-produced by Mark Shaw and Andy Taylor with collaborations from Taylor, Simple Minds' keyboard player Mick MacNeil and author Iain Banks.[8] In 2000, a live album Alive & Exposed was released by Yeaah! Records credited to 'Then Jerico... Mark Shaw Etc.'.[9] It was a recording made in the summer of 1992 of a concert at The Grand Theatre, Clapham in London.[9][10] It contained a new song "Step into The Light".[10]
Shaw embarked on a new Then Jerico tour in 2012 with an original line-up of the band, made up of Mark Shaw, guitarists Rob Downes and Scott Taylor, bass player Jasper Stainthorpe and drummer Steve Wren.[11]
A Reprise Tour was launched for 2013[12] to promote the release of the 'Reprise' compilation album[12] on Warner / Rhino Music with a number of appearances including at Henley's Rewind the 80s Music[13][14] and at the Let's Rock Bristol festivals.[15]
As of February 2014 the 'original' Then Jerico called it a day; however, lead singer Mark Shaw has continued, as he vowed to do, with a new and improved line-up to fulfill Let's Rock festival dates in May, June and July. In 2015 Shaw has been playing club shows prior to a new album release in 2016 and a forthcoming performance at "Let's Rock London", Clapham Common, London, on 16 July 2016.
Reeling
Then Jerico Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now they're my home
Now here I cannot feel the wind
Can't feel the rain or cold
And I believe in gentle harmony
How I loathe all this obscenity
Is the way my life's got to be
Look at me, oh look at me
Is this the way I've always been, oh no, oh no
Now I'm dreaming somebody
Would simply come and kidnap me, oh no, oh no
Everyday I lie awake and pray to God
Today's the day, oh no, oh no
Here I am, here I am
When will someone understand, oh no, oh no
And all at once I feel this
Oh, how it clings to me
It reels and calls me towards it
Confounding destiny
And I can feel the magnets pinch my hands
The more I run, the more I am convinced
[Incomprehensible]
Just like we settle in the foggy mist
Look at me, oh look at me
Is this the way I've always been, oh no, oh no
Now I'm dreaming somebody
Would simply come and kidnap me, oh no, oh no
Everyday I lie awake and pray to God
Today's the day, oh no, oh no
Here I am, here I am
When will someone understand, oh no, oh no
Look at me, oh look at me
Is this the way I've always been, oh no, oh no
Now I'm dreaming somebody
Would simply come and kidnap me, oh no, oh no
Everyday I lie awake and pray to God
Today's the day, oh no, oh no
Here I am, here I am
When will someone understand, oh no, oh no
The lyrics of Then Jerico's song Reeling can be interpreted as a depiction of being trapped in a situation or a way of life that is suffocating and restrictive. The lines "We dug these holes we crawled into/Now they're my home/Now here I cannot feel the wind/Can't feel the rain or cold" suggest that the singer has been stuck in a particular circumstance for so long that it has become their comfort zone, despite its negative aspects.
The singer expresses a desire for a more peaceful and harmonious existence, stating "And I believe in gentle harmony/How I loathe all this obscenity." However, they feel that their life is dictated by one "single opportunity," which has led them to where they are now.
The repeated line "Look at me, oh look at me/Is this the way I've always been, oh no, oh no" implies a sense of disillusionment with the self and a desire for change. The singer yearns to be rescued from their situation, as shown in the lines "Now I'm dreaming somebody/Would simply come and kidnap me, oh no, oh no."
The final lines of the song suggest that the singer is torn between the familiar and the unknown, as they feel pulled towards something that "reels and calls" them, despite it being uncertain and defying fate.
Overall, Reeling can be seen as a commentary on the human tendency to get stuck in cycles and patterns that are hard to break free from, even when they are unhealthy or damaging.
Line by Line Meaning
We dug these holes we crawled into
We created our own problems and now we're stuck in them
Now they're my home
I've become comfortable in my problems
Now here I cannot feel the wind
I'm numb to the outside world
Can't feel the rain or cold
I'm not affected by any external forces
And I believe in gentle harmony
I have faith in peace and tranquility
How I loathe all this obscenity
I hate the chaos surrounding me
Is the way my life's got to be
This is how my life has turned out
By a single opportunity
If I had just one chance to change things
Look at me, oh look at me
I wish someone would notice me
Is this the way I've always been, oh no, oh no
This isn't who I truly am
Now I'm dreaming somebody
I wish for someone to save me
Would simply come and kidnap me, oh no, oh no
Take me away from this life
Everyday I lie awake and pray to God
I'm constantly hoping for change
Today's the day, oh no, oh no
But it never seems to come
When will someone understand, oh no, oh no
Why can't anyone see my struggles
And all at once I feel this
Suddenly, I feel something new
Oh, how it clings to me
It's all-consuming
It reels and calls me towards it
It's pulling me in
Confounding destiny
Going against what was predetermined for me
And I can feel the magnets pinch my hands
I feel myself being pulled in two different directions
The more I run, the more I am convinced
The more I try to escape, the more I believe in my fate
[Incomprehensible]
Unknown
Just like we settle in the foggy mist
We become comfortable in our confusion
Lyrics Ā© Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAVID TAYLOR, ROB DOWNES, ALEX MUNGO, JASPER JOHN NIELSON STAINTHORPE, STEPHEN WREN, MARK ROBERT TIPLADY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@markferrett700
A criminaly underrated band....saw them live in London..........Great great bandšš
@KittyCatFurbabiesMaria1972
RIP Scott Taylor š you are already sorely missed , heaven has another Angel ...God Bless you Scott and thanks for all the brilliant memories and the music ā¤ļøā¤ļø Xx
@jimskea224
Saw them a couple of times, once in a large tent in London. Great songs. Great live band.
@manuelc7517
Underrated band, I saw them live back in 1989, Lisboa, BelƩm.
@KittyCatFurbabiesMaria1972
Best song of this album ! Even better live ....
@adrianhooper6605
FANTASTIC TUNE BEST TUNE OF 89 AND YES SO UNDER RATED AS A MAINSTREAM BAND LOVE THIS TUNE
@jerikoarea1992
Toujours mon groupe prƩfƩrƩ depuis 1986.
@indepthcardetailing2254
what a tune, love it.
@TheSHAWOFIT
When I listened to this so many years ago I did not realise the lyrics would come back to me after being so let down, Cheats will not prosper though will they ?
@KittyCatFurbabiesMaria1972
No they wonāt ....they realise in the end what they f***ed up ! and then itās too late , as in my experience I found that a leopard never changes its spots , it just finds new ways of wearing them š... x