Produced by Roy Thomas Baker, on paper Jet had a lot going for them, they should’ve been on the runway to success but it was not to be, which is head scratching considering this is one of Glam Rocks finest moments.
Written by: Eric
ARTIST: Jet (UK)
ALBUM: Jet
LABEL: CBS
SERIAL: S-80699
YEAR: 1975
CD REISSUE: Discogs Reissue List
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: England
LINEUP: Andy Ellison – lead vocals * Davey O’List – guitar * Martin Gordon – bass * Peter Oxendale – keyboards * Chris Townson – drums
TRACK LISTING: 01 Start Here * 02 Brain Damage * 03 It Would Be Good * 04 Song For Hymn * 05 Nothing To Do With Us * 06 Tittle-Tattle * 07 Fax ‘N’ Info * 08 My River * 09 Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend * 10 Whangdepootenawah * 11 Cover Girl
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Background
Produced by Roy Thomas Baker, on paper Jet had a lot going for them. Former John’s Children Andy Ellison and Chris Townson who was also a member of the short-lived but very cool The Jook, Davey O’List from The Nice and Roxy Music and a couple of guys from Sparks – bassist Martin Gordon and Peter Oxendale. CBS had high hopes for the band and a UK tour with Hunter-Ronson should have put Jet on the runway to success but it was not to be.
The Songs
Which is head scratching considering this is one Glam Rocks finest moments. ‘Start Here’ opens the set and sounds like a glittery collision between T-Rex and Sparks but Jet were not mascara wearing copycats.
As usual Baker’s production is over the top and there’s all kind of things going on including classical bridges on ‘It Would Be Good’ and church organs and bells on ‘Song For Hymn’. ‘Nothing To Do With Us’ was the album’s second single and despite a critical thumbs up, it strangely failed to chart. ‘My River’ didn’t make a dent either although it might have been more progressive than British radio could handle at the time which might go a long way in explaining Jet’s failure to capture the public’s attention.
Perhaps they were a little too ‘out there’ and Glam bam cuts like ‘Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend’, the Split Enz-ish ‘Whangdepootenawah’ and the driving ‘Cover Girl’ couldn’t save the band from the corporate axe and in late 1975 CBS cut their losses.
In Summary
Firing Davey O’List due to his unreliability, Jet went back into the studio to demo a second album, but split-up and reorganized as the new wave act Radio Stars. Peter Oxendale put out a record in 1979 with Glitter Band‘s Gary Shepard and I raved about ‘Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is’ on GDM a few years ago. In 2010 RPM released a sweet two-disc package which includes the Jet album as well as demo and live tracks.
Jet on Video
Start Here
Tittle Tattle
