Joe Jackson (musician)

Joe Jackson ( born August 11, 1954 in Burton -upon -Trent, Staffordshire, United Kingdom) is an English musician. He now lives in Berlin.

Life

Joe Jackson ( born David Ian Jackson) came from a proletarian parents house and spent a problematic childhood (asthma, lack of social bonds). Having gone through a Beethoven recording he discovered music at age 14, he first learned the violin. Soon, however, his love for the piano emerged, which became his main instrument. Since the age of 16, he played in the pubs of his native city of Portsmouth. He successfully applied for a scholarship which enabled him to study composition at the Royal Academy of Music in London.

The view of the profession of classical composers did not appeal to him, so he pursued strengthened its ambitions in rock and pop field, going back even before his time at the Academy. His first band was called Arms and Legs, but broke up after two unsuccessful singles.

In the second half of the 1970s, Jackson became acquainted with the musicians of the later Joe Jackson band know: the bassist Graham Maby, drummer Dave Houghton and guitarist Gary Sanford. With these he began recording demo tapes, through which he received in 1978 a recording contract with A & M Records. The experienced immediately following album " Look Sharp! " Was published in 1979, and especially by the song Is She Really Going Out With Him? a commercial success. This was followed by the albums I'm the Man (1979 ) and Beat Crazy ( 1980). The former Joe Jackson band was very successful and attended numerous concerts around the world, the last on 15 December 1980. The Joe Jackson band broke up, and Jackson went on to other projects.

In 1981 he recorded an album, which differs significantly from the previous: Jumpin ' Jive Swing contains and blues standards by Cab Calloway, Lester Young, Glenn Miller, and especially by Louis Jordan.

The next album Night and Day (1982, in his opinion best) shows for the first time Jackson's compositional diversity and includes rock, pop and jazz elements; his lyrics were more complex. With Steppin 'Out he also managed a radio capabilities, and an even today often played pop song. With the soundtrack to the film Mike 's Murder Jackson entered new territory in 1983, but neither the film nor the soundtrack were able to convince the audience and critics.

1984 tied Joe Jackson with the album Body and Soul back to previous successes at. In keeping with the spirit of the age to come blower for use, but also South American rhythms and classical elements can be heard on the complex, sounded stressed album. Happy Ending, a duet with singer Elaine Caswell, established himself as a single from the album in the charts.

A special feature was formed in 1986 and a half - LP Big World ( no proper double LP, page 4 contained only a blank groove): Jackson and his fellow musicians played all the songs like a concert before an audience, but tell it to the recording conditions as in the studio. The audience would have to agree to give no sound. Thus, Big World is a synthesis of live and studio album.

In the aftermath Jackson gave a soundtrack to the film from Tucker, released a double live album with recordings from four tours and played the heavily interspersed with classical elements album Will Power a. Particular attention or commercial success were not granted these projects. The fans waited on News from the "real" Joe Jackson and were with the albums Blaze of Glory ( 1989) and Laughter and Lust (1991 ) rewarded.

After three years out appeared with Night Music ( 1994), a relationship of classical music album in which Jackson played almost all the instruments himself. Despite the commercial failure success of this production ( single release: Ever After ) Jackson went with Sony Classical in 1997 under contract. Here, he released the concept album Heaven and Hell (1997), however, on which he sang a few songs. For the unusual Symphony No.. 1 (1999) he received in the same year, although a Grammy Award, but the commercial success was limited. At the same time he published his autobiography, A Cure for Gravity, which is a remedy against the force of gravity also appeared in German translation under the title.

With a U-turn to Jackson beginning of the new millennium reported back to the pop and rock platforms: With a live album and ambitious Night and Day II, he drew on his band sound of the early 1980s. In 2003, he went even further: The original Joe Jackson band that had 23 years previously dissolved, played with volume 4 a highly acclaimed CD; the CD title alludes to the first three panels of the band and thus represents its continuation represents the subsequent tour was documented on the live album Afterlife, which was released in spring 2004.

Produced by Ben Folds - - On William Shatner's album Has Been (2004) you can hear Jackson duet in a new recording of the song Common People Pulp Group.

Due to artistic differences in 2004 he led the work on the soundtrack to the film The Golf biggest game of his life does not end. Jackson has a small guest appearance in the film.

In the spring of 2007 he returned to the concert stage. As part of a European tour Joe Jackson put together with bassist Graham Maby and drummer Dave Houghton also new song material. Following the tour, the three musicians went into a Berlin studio to record the album Rain, which was released in January 2008. The trio has since played more tours, most recently in the fall of 2010 in Europe and Germany. The sets were enriched for some cover versions (up to five songs per night). Between September 15, 2012, and November 17, 2012 took his most recent tour takes in the U.S. and Europe. This time he was accompanied by " the Bigger Band" with six other musicians: Regina Carter, Sue Hadjopoulos, Allison Cornell, Jesse Murphy, Adam Rogers and Nate Smith.

Probably the most famous song by Joe Jackson is from the year 1982: Steppin ' Out ( from the album Night and Day ); next likely the title You can not get what you want ( till you know what you want ) and Happy Ending (both from the album Body and Soul ), and the title Is She Really Going Out With Him? and Breaking Us In Two are among his most popular in Germany. Is She Really Going Out With Him? is on the live album Live 1980/86 contain three times: one version with a rock band, an a cappella version and one with acoustic instruments (accordion and wind instruments ) rehearsed version. Jackson could not decide for a version to. Since 1982, the play " Slow Song" usually marks the end of live concerts.

Discography

  • Look Sharp! , January 1979
  • I'm the Man, October 1979
  • Beat Crazy, October 1980
  • Jumpin ' Jive, 1981
  • Night and Day, 1982
  • Mike 's Murder ( Soundtrack ), 1983
  • Body and Soul, 1984
  • Big World, 1986
  • Will Power, 1987
  • Live 1980/86, 1988
  • Tucker, (Soundtrack ), 1988
  • Blaze of Glory, 1989
  • Laughter & Lust, 1991
  • Night Music, 1994
  • Heaven and Hell, 1997
  • Symphony No.. 1, 1999
  • Summer in the City: Live in New York, 2000
  • Night and Day II, 2000
  • Two Rainy Nights (Live ), 2002
  • Volume 4, April 2003
  • Afterlife (Live), March 2004
  • Rain, January 2008
  • Live Music (Live), May 2011
  • The Duke, June 2012

Compilations

  • Stepping Out - The Very Best Of, 1990 ( 1979-89 )
  • This Is It - The A & M Years 1979-1989, 1997 (2 CDs, digitally remastered, compiled by Joe Jackson himself )
  • Stepping Out - The Very Best Of, 1998 ( 1979-89 )
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