The Jags
Encyclopedia
The Jags were a British rock band
formed in London
in 1978, and composed of Nick Watkinson (vocals
), John Alder (guitar
/backing vocals
), Steve Prudence (bass
), Alex Baird (drums
), Michael Cotton (bass/backing vocals) and Patrick O'Toole (piano/keyboard).
in July 1978 and initially released a four-track EP
.
On 8 September 1979, the powerpop single
"Back of My Hand", written
by Watkinson and left-handed guitarist Alder, entered the UK Singles Chart
. It had a chart
life of 10 weeks and peaked at Number 17. "Back of My Hand" was included on their debut album
Evening Standards, which was released the following year. Their follow-up single "Woman's World" entered the UK Chart on 2 February 1980 at Number 75 - dropping out the next week.
1981 saw the release of their second, and what proved to be, final album, No Tie Like a Present. The Jags disbanded in 1982.
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
formed in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1978, and composed of Nick Watkinson (vocals
Lead vocalist
The lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
), John Alder (guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
/backing vocals
Backing vocalist
A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
), Steve Prudence (bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
), Alex Baird (drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
), Michael Cotton (bass/backing vocals) and Patrick O'Toole (piano/keyboard).
Career
They signed to Island RecordsIsland Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
in July 1978 and initially released a four-track EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
.
On 8 September 1979, the powerpop single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
"Back of My Hand", written
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
by Watkinson and left-handed guitarist Alder, entered the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. It had a chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
life of 10 weeks and peaked at Number 17. "Back of My Hand" was included on their debut album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
Evening Standards, which was released the following year. Their follow-up single "Woman's World" entered the UK Chart on 2 February 1980 at Number 75 - dropping out the next week.
1981 saw the release of their second, and what proved to be, final album, No Tie Like a Present. The Jags disbanded in 1982.
Singles
- "Back Of My Hand" (1979) - UKUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
#17 - "Woman's World" (1980) - UK #75
- "Party Games" (1980)
External links
- The Jags Sounds Powered By Glasgow Mods Website Multimedia portal of Mod Life In Scotland
- http://www.magnetmagazine.com/2009/07/31/the-jags-power-goes-pop/#more-38967