Rupert Hine in 1973 finally came around to the idea of forming an actual band – Quantum Jump, the group was mired in managerial and contractual problems from the start and while the self-financed debut was written and recorded in 1973-74, it didn’t see release until 1976.
Written by: Eric
ARTIST: Quantum Jump
ALBUM: Quantum Jump
LABEL: The Electric Record Company
SERIAL: Trix 1
YEAR: 1976
CD REISSUE: Discogs Reissue List
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: England
LINEUP: Rupert Hine – lead vocals, keyboards * John G Perry – bass guitar, vocals * Trevor Morias – drums, percussion * Mark Warner – guitars, vocals * Ray Cooper, Morris Pert – percussion
TRACK LISTING: 01 Captain Boogaloo * 02 Over Rio * 03 The Lone Ranger * 04 No American Starship * 05 Alto Loma Road * 06 Cocobana Havana * 07 Constant Forest * 08 Something At The Bottom Of The Sea – a) Stepping Stones – b) The Roving Finger – c) Stepping Rocks – d) Untitled
Background
Rupert Hine needs no introduction on these pages as both an innovator and pop producer of renowned artists, playing a major role in the development of the hi-tech 80s sound, but in fact his career began much earlier. In 1965 he released his first single as the duo Rupert & David covering the Simon & Garfunkel classic ‘The Sounds Of Silence’.
Years later and following a couple hopelessly eccentric solo albums not to mention several non-charting singles, Hine in 1973 finally came around to the idea of forming an actual band – Quantum Jump. Including then Caravan bassist John G Perry and future Brand X percussionist Morris Pert; the group was mired in managerial and contractual problems from the start and while the self-financed debut was written and recorded in 1973-74, it didn’t see release until 1976.
The Songs
All things considered Quantum Jump with its off-kilter mix of funk, soul and jazz styles as well as 10cc-ish art rock created something quite original and way ahead of its time. While I’ve never been overly fond of Hine’s vocals, they are more than complimentary here while the playing is as versatile as it is exceptional and it’s hard to understand why Quantum Jump never became a commercial force.
In hindsight the platter probably would have shifted more units than it did had it not been for the controversial single ‘Lone Ranger’. Insanely catchy with a disco back-beat and cleverly schizoid use of an impossibly elongated word taken from New Zealand’s indigenous Maori people. The BBC had the song in rotation until the ultra-conservative broadcasters picked up on alleged drug and homosexual references all of which would be considered lightweight and inconsequential in today’s anything goes music world.
Tough luck and what might have been although the band shine with moments of brilliance throughout the albums remaining tracks including the hooky opener ‘Captain Boogaloo’ and the quirky but cool ‘No American Starship’ all culminating in the four-part ‘Something At The Bottom Of The Sea’ allowing the band to show-off their chops with nary a whiff of overindulgence.
In Summary
Touring followed including some dates with Split Enz but without a playable single it didn’t make much difference. A second album ‘Barracuda’ followed in 1977 but Quantum Jump called it a day by year’s end with Hine once again embarking on a prolific solo career. Now out of print on CD, Voiceprint’s reissue contains five bonus tracks making for a nice package if you can find it.
Quantum Jump on Video
Entire Album
