Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!: Day 235 - The Jags

Evening Standards - The Jags

Island Records

Produced by Simon Humphrey and The Jags

Released 1980

 Side A
1. Evening Standards
2. Party Games
3. Tune Into Heaven
4. Last Picture Show
5. The Tourist
Side B
6. Desert Island Discs
7. Woman's World
8. Back Of My Hand
9. She's So Considerate
10. Little Boy Lost
11. Single Vision / BMW

I think this week we'll shine the spotlight on some albums from the 1980's and today's choice is New Wave/Power Pop outfit The Jags.

The Jags had a pretty short life of four years between 1978-1982. In that time they managed to release two albums and a handful of singles, though they are probably more known because of one song: Back of My Hand. A lot of people seemed to think that the song was by Elvis Costello when it first came out as there is a similarity between the vocal style, at least on this particular track.

The Band Were:
Nick Watkinson (vocals), John Alder (guitar/backing vocals), Steve Prudence (bass), firstly Neil Whittaker and then Alex Baird (drums), Michael Cotton (bass/backing vocals) and Patrick O'Toole (piano/keyboard).

Back of My Hand was their highest placed single peaking at #17 in the UK after spending 10 weeks on the charts.

The second single, Woman's World got stuck at #75 the week after it's release and departed the chart the follwing week. A third single from the Debut Album Evening Standards, Party Games sunk without trace. 

The Debut Album is actually quite good I think. Had a play of it last night for the first time in years and whilst sounding a bit dated they did actually have quite a few decent tunes in their arsenal.

The band were from North Yorkshire and signed with Island Records in 1978. After the release of their second album in 1981, No Tie Like A Present, they folded in 1982. It seemed fitting that their final single should be called The Sound of G-O-O-D-B-Y-E!

Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!