Description
Black vinyl with poster and 4-page insert. Limited 500 copies
Back in the glory days of the NWOBHM the summer of 1980 looked like the beginning of the end of Jameson Raid. As it turns out – over thirty years later – it was just the end of the beginning; or so it seemed. It was the summer of 1980, recalls Terry Dark. Acy and Smithy gone… Phil and me still keen, still enjoying making metal music. Now we had something to prove; that we, as singer and drummer, could replace the exceptional guitar section of our band with all their abilities and still do the business. So… New musicians required and a musicians wanted advert is placed. Even though Birmingham is the true home of heavy metal we didn’t know what to expect. All we had decided was that we wanted experienced players who could quickly take over the guitar parts and get us back on stage once more. It was not an easy situation for the two remaining members of Jameson Raid to find themselves in. After all, Acy and Smithy were bassist John Ace and guitarist Ian Smith who’d actually formed the band in the first place. Ian and Acy both left at the same time, confirms Dark. They simply did not believe that JR could make it; they thought punk would last much longer and metal would never recover. John Hinch, our manager (and the former Judas Priest drummer), was able to persuade them to stay for a while longer but to be honest their minds were made up: Acy wanted to pursue a career, a proper job, and Ian wanted to sign up on off-shore drilling boats and see the world. To be honest, Phil and I felt relieved when they had gone. We felt we could manage better without them than with them, and that their attitude to the music business was holding us back. End Of Part One (featuring four tracks: The Hypnotist, The Raid, Getting Hotter and Straight From The Butchers) would prove to be the bands Eighties vinyl swansong; not that Dark and Kimberley realised this at the time. Hungry for success and determined to press on the pair set about finding a new guitarist and bassist; after all, the NWOBHM was starting to hit its stride and metal’s popularity was on the rise once more. The long and daunting process of auditioning new recruits began. The arrival of new members Pete and Mike certainly introduced a subtle but distinct difference in the band’s writing style, adds Kimberley. After several weeks rehearsals the first gig was planned at Wolverhampton Lafayette club, in late December I think, says Green. However, a twist of fate – White Spirit being involved in a road traffic accident of some kind – had left a slot open at Walsall Town Hall. At first, Terry was very reluctant to do this as Jameson Raid mark 2 were untested and, possibly, not ready, but we collectively decided what the hell’ and went for it. We played, we saw, we fucking kicked ass he laughs, rather misquoting Julius Caesar. My first gig ever, sixteen years old, 2,000 people. YES he roars. The band were now looking forward to more success. This dream was broken when, far too early, Mike decided to leave the band. Why? I can’t remember now. It was in 1982 but I can’t be more exact. I know some of his reasons were a little indefinable, and I know his girlfriend at the time certainly played an inglorious role. It happened fairly suddenly as I recall and Mike was determined about it so we didn’t try to persuade him to stay; Phil and I had done that with Acy and Smithy and it wasn’t a happy situation. By the end of 1982 it was all over. The memory did limp on for a while longer as Green created a new band under the banner The Raid – the informal name by which Jameson Raid were known to fans and friends – but it was final throw of the dice and wasn’t to last long. Consigned to the history books, nothing more was heard about Jameson Raid until their much-welcomed reformation in 2010. All the tracks on this album are performed by Jameson Raid 2. Some of the songs appeared on Just As The Dust Had Settled but in every case we have used a different version for this release, either another studio version (Fortune Teller and Electric Sun) or a live rehearsal version. Bulldogs have never seen the light of day before; Ian and Acy just couldn’t make the number work. But then the new guys came along and Mike Darby added some great touches and Pete Green’s bass sings. And although the version you will hear is still incomplete, you can see that it would have been very interesting if we’d ever been able to do it properly in a studio. Also previously unreleased are Trouble and Tim And Nevs Green And White Pick-Up Truck, a vehicle – if you’ll excuse the pun! – for Phil’s drum work. Most of the tracks Jameson Raid 2 covered from Jameson Raid 1 are more up-tempo and grittier, I would say, but maybe that’s up to the listener to decide…
Track listing:
1. Electric Sun-original version London 1980
2. Fortune Teller-complete version London 1980
3. Gettin Hotter-Jameson Raid 2 version
4. Trouble-unreleased 1981 track
5. Nev And Tims Gren And White Pick-Up Truck-Phils drum work
6. Titanic-live rehearsal version
7. The Hypnotist-live rehearsal version
8. Straight From The Butchers-Jameson Raid 2 version
9. Catcher In The Rye-Jameson Raid 2 version
10. Bulldogs-unreleased 1980 track