Jack Names the Planets
Encyclopedia
"Jack Names the Planets" is a song by Ash
. It was their first official single release in February 1994. It was originally released on vinyl only. The single version of the song is also entirely different from the album version that appears on their EP, Trailer
. The single was re-released in 2002 in CD format, and the Raptor 12" version of "Season" as an extra B-side, as a limited edition release on 2 December 2002, as part of the promotion for the Intergalactic Sonic 7″s greatest hits collection.
The song first appeared on the Shed demo tape, recorded in 1992 and again on the Garage Girl and Pipe Smokin' Brick demo-tapes. They were first signed when a copy of Garage Girl was given to Stephen 'Tav' Tavner, and signed them on the basis of "Jack Names the Planets".
Only 2,000 copies of the single were released, and the single was recorded on a £300 budget. However, the band was unhappy with the version released on the 1994 single, and re-recorded it for their debut album.
The title of the track is taken from a chapter of a Stephen King
and Peter Straub
novel called The Talisman. This book is further referenced in some of the lyrics.
The single's B-side, "Don't Know", first appeared on the Garage Girl demo tape.
In 1995, the song appeared on the soundtrack for the film Angus. Clips from the movie were interspersed with footage of Ash performing as figures in moving posters for the video of "Jack Names the Planets", which was also released in 1995. Phil Harder
directed the video.
The first 50,000 pressings of Ash's debut full-length album, 1977 began with "Jack Names the Planets" and "Don't Know" as hidden track
s found by rewinding the CD, before the usual opener "Lose Control". "Jack Names the Planets" also appeared on Ash's first greatest hits collection Intergalactic Sonic 7″s, and is considered somewhat of a fan and band favourite. It is rarely not included in their live setlist.
During the spoken section at the beginning of the song, two Dutchmen
, Oscar "Wilde" Vermeer and Patrick "The Brewer" Schrama (who met Tim Wheeler during a holiday in France), suggest that the song should have been called "Jack Names The Planet Nieuw-Vennep
", given that, in their opinion, "Nieuw-Vennep" is a good name for a planet. Nieuw-Vennep is a town of thirty thousand inhabitants in the west of Holland
, midway between The Hague
and Amsterdam
.
2002 CD re-release
Ash (band)
Ash are an alternative rock band that formed in Downpatrick, Northern Ireland in 1992. The band has sold 8 million albums worldwide.-Band beginning, Trailer and 1977 :...
. It was their first official single release in February 1994. It was originally released on vinyl only. The single version of the song is also entirely different from the album version that appears on their EP, Trailer
Trailer (album)
Trailer is a punk influenced mini album by the band Ash featuring their first three singles. An expanded edition also includes 4 b-sides. The album was released in October, 1994 through Infectious Records...
. The single was re-released in 2002 in CD format, and the Raptor 12" version of "Season" as an extra B-side, as a limited edition release on 2 December 2002, as part of the promotion for the Intergalactic Sonic 7″s greatest hits collection.
The song first appeared on the Shed demo tape, recorded in 1992 and again on the Garage Girl and Pipe Smokin' Brick demo-tapes. They were first signed when a copy of Garage Girl was given to Stephen 'Tav' Tavner, and signed them on the basis of "Jack Names the Planets".
Only 2,000 copies of the single were released, and the single was recorded on a £300 budget. However, the band was unhappy with the version released on the 1994 single, and re-recorded it for their debut album.
The title of the track is taken from a chapter of a Stephen King
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
and Peter Straub
Peter Straub
Peter Francis Straub is an American author and poet, most famous for his work in the horror genre. His horror fiction has received numerous literary honors such as the Bram Stoker Award, World Fantasy Award, and International Horror Guild Award, placing him among the most-honored horror authors in...
novel called The Talisman. This book is further referenced in some of the lyrics.
The single's B-side, "Don't Know", first appeared on the Garage Girl demo tape.
In 1995, the song appeared on the soundtrack for the film Angus. Clips from the movie were interspersed with footage of Ash performing as figures in moving posters for the video of "Jack Names the Planets", which was also released in 1995. Phil Harder
Phil Harder
Philip Harder is a music video director and commercial director represented by Bob Industries in Santa Monica, California. He had a music video company Harder/Fuller Films, 1985 - 2005...
directed the video.
The first 50,000 pressings of Ash's debut full-length album, 1977 began with "Jack Names the Planets" and "Don't Know" as hidden track
Hidden track
In the field of recorded music, a hidden track is a piece of music that has been placed on a CD, audio cassette, vinyl record or other recorded medium in such a way as to avoid detection by the casual listener...
s found by rewinding the CD, before the usual opener "Lose Control". "Jack Names the Planets" also appeared on Ash's first greatest hits collection Intergalactic Sonic 7″s, and is considered somewhat of a fan and band favourite. It is rarely not included in their live setlist.
During the spoken section at the beginning of the song, two Dutchmen
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, Oscar "Wilde" Vermeer and Patrick "The Brewer" Schrama (who met Tim Wheeler during a holiday in France), suggest that the song should have been called "Jack Names The Planet Nieuw-Vennep
Nieuw-Vennep
Nieuw-Vennep is a town in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Haarlemmermeer, and lies about 10 km southwest of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol....
", given that, in their opinion, "Nieuw-Vennep" is a good name for a planet. Nieuw-Vennep is a town of thirty thousand inhabitants in the west of Holland
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, midway between The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
and Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
.
Track listing
1994 7"- "Jack Names the Planets" (Wheeler)
- "Don't Know" (Ash)
2002 CD re-release
- "Jack Names the Planets" (Wheeler)
- "Don't Know" (Ash)
- "Season" (Wheeler)