Joe Jackson

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Biography

Joe Jackson (born David Ian Jackson , 11 August 1954, Burton upon Trent , Staffordshire) is an English musician and singer-songwriter now living in Berlin, whose five Grammy Award nominations span from 1979 to 2001. He is probably best known for the 1979 hit record|hit song and first single " Is She Really Going Out with Him? ", which still gets extensive US FM radio airplay (radio)|airplay ; for his 1982 hit, " Steppin' Out (Joe Jackson song)|Steppin' Out "; and for his 1984 success with "You Can't Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want)".
He was popular for his pop/rock and new wave music early on before moving to more eclectic, though less commercially successful, pop/ jazz / classical music|classical hybrids.

Biography

Born in Staffordshire, David Jackson (as he was then known) grew up in Portsmouth in the Paulsgrove area and he attended the City of Portsmouth Boys' School . His parents later moved to Gosport when he was a teenager.
He initially learned to play the violin but soon switched to piano and prevailed on his dad to install one in the hall of their Paulsgrove council house. From the age of 16, he played in bars, and won a scholarship to study musical composition at London's Royal Academy of Music .
Jackson's first band, in Gosport, was Edward Bear (not to be confused with the 1970s Canadian band fronted by Larry Evoy ). The band was later renamed Edwin Bear and later Arms and Legs, but dissolved in 1976 after two unsuccessful single (music)|singles . Although he was still known as David Jackson while in Arms & Legs, it was around this time that Jackson picked up the nickname "Joe", based on his perceived resemblance to the puppet character Joe 90 . He then spent some time in the cabaret circuit to make money to record his own demo (music)|demos . However, whilst at school he had been known as 'Joe' to his schoolmates and teachers from 1972 onwards.
In 1978, a record producer heard his tape, and got him signed to A& M Records . The album Look Sharp& #33; (Joe Jackson album)|Look Sharp! was recorded straight away, and was released in 1979, quickly followed by '' I'm the Man (Joe Jackson album)|I'm the Man (also 1979) and Beat Crazy in 1980. He also collaborated with Lincoln Thompson in reggae crossover.

In 1981, Jackson produced an album for the British power pop group The Keys. The Keys Album was the group's only LP.

The Joe Jackson Band concert tour|toured extensively. After the break-up of the band, Jackson took a break and recorded an album of old-style swing music|swing and blues tunes, '' Jumpin' Jive (Joe Jackson album)|Jumpin' Jive , featuring songs of Cab Calloway , Lester Young , Glenn Miller , and most prominently, Louis Jordan . The album, and associated single release, was credited to 'Joe Jackson's Jumpin' Jive .

Jackson's 1982 album Night and Day (Joe Jackson album)|Night and Day paid tribute to the wit and style of Cole Porter (and indirectly to New York City). Night and Day was Jackson's only studio album to reach either the United States or UK Top 40|Top 10 , peaking at #4 (US) and at #3 (UK), and the cuts "Steppin' Out" and "Breaking Us In Two" were record chart|chart hits. The tracks "Real Men" and "A Slow Song" have pointed obliquely to the city's early 1980s gay culture. Jackson lived in New York for the next 20 years, incorporating the sound of the city into his music throughout the 1980s and beyond.
Almost two years later, Jackson recorded the UK #14 album Body & Soul (Joe Jackson album)|Body and Soul , also heavily influenced by pop standard|pop and jazz standards and salsa music|salsa , showcasing the US #15 hit single "You Can't Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want)".

In 1986, he collaborated with Suzanne Vega on the single "Left of Center" from Pretty in Pink s Pretty in Pink (soundtrack)|soundtrack (with Vega singing and Jackson playing piano).

Jackson followed with the live album Big World , a three-sided double record – the fourth side consisted of a single centring groove and a label stating "there is no music on this side". The instrumental "Will Power" set the stage for things to come later, but before he left pop behind, he put out two more albums, Blaze of Glory (Joe Jackson album)|Blaze of Glory and Laughter & Lust .

For some years he drifted away from the pop style, going on to be signed by Sony Classical in 1997. They released his Symphony No. 1 (album)|Symphony No. 1 in 1999, for which he received a Grammy Award for Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Album|Best Pop Instrumental Album in 43rd Grammy Awards|2001 .

In 1995, Joe Jackson contributed his version of "Statue of Liberty" on a tribute album to the English band XTC called "Testimonial Dinner" (released 1998).

In 2003, he reunited his original quartet for the album Volume 4 (Joe Jackson album)|Volume 4 , and a lengthy tour. As before, the quartet consisted of Jackson, Graham Maby , Dave Houghton and Gary Sanford (Musician)|Gary Sanford .
In 2004, Jackson performed a cover of Pulp (band)|Pulp 's " Common People (song)|Common People ", with William Shatner for Shatner's album Has Been .

Jackson toured 45 US and European cities in 2005 with Todd Rundgren and the string quartet Ethel (string quartet)|Ethel , appearing on '' Late Night with Conan O'Brien performing their collaborative cover version of " While My Guitar Gently Weeps ".

Thereafter, he embarked on a short tour in a piano-bass-drums trio format. He toured Europe in Spring 2007, again in a trio format. Jackson's album, Rain (Joe Jackson album)|Rain was released by Rykodisc on 28 January 2008 in the UK and one day later in the US.. Rykodisc press release The album included a CD and a bonus DVD containing over 40 minutes of material, including concert and behind-the-scenes footage and interviews. Jackson performed two UK shows in spring 2008, followed by a full UK tour.

Other activities

Jackson has actively campaigned against smoking ban s in both the United States and the United Kingdom,. Forestonline.org. 22 February 2005 writing a 2005 pamphlet The Smoking Issue , a 2007 essay Smoke, Lies and the Nanny State , and issuing a satirical song ("In 20-0-3") on the subject. It was in 2003, soon after the New York smoking ban, that Jackson left the city and returned to Portsmouth, England, where he has a flat in the oldest part of the city that overlooks the harbour. In the DVD interviews in Rain , it was stated that he moved to Berlin in early 2007.
He has been quoted as saying he now spends most of his time in Berlin, but still has places in Portsmouth and New York City. Jackson noted his enthusiasm for cask ale|real ale in his autobiography, A Cure For Gravity , published in 1999, which Jackson has described as a "book about music, thinly disguised as a memoir". It traces his working class upbringing in Portsmouth and charts his musical life from childhood until his twenty-fourth birthday. Life as a pop star, he insisted, was hardly worth writing about. A Cure for Gravity , 1999, autobiography ISBN 1-86230-083-6

Cover versions & popular use of music

In 1990, thrash metal band Anthrax (band)|Anthrax recorded a cover version of Jackson's "Got the Time" for their Persistence of Time album.

In 1995, American Punk band Pansy Division covered Jackson's "Real Men" for their album Pile Up .

In 1997 American Ska/Punk band Buck O' Nine covered Jackson's "I'm the Man" for their album Twenty-Eight Teeth .

In 1999 American Punk band Goldfinger (band)|Goldfinger covered " Is She Really Going Out With Him? " on their live cover album '' Darrin's Coconut Ass: Live from Omaha .

In 2001, Tori Amos covered Jackson's song "Real Men" on her album Strange Little Girls .

In 2002, "Steppin' Out" appeared in the popular video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City . A loop of the instrumental portion of this song is used as the theme tune for the WYES-TV (New Orleans) weekly arts and entertainment program, ''Steppin' Out''. The melody is also used frequently as 'bumper music' on The Neal Boortz Show .
In 2003, Sugar Ray covered "Is She Really Going Out With Him? " for their album In the Pursuit of Leisure , and Mandy Moore recorded "Breaking Us In Two" for her album Coverage (album)|Coverage .

In 2009, American power pop singer-songwriter Marykate O'Neil covered "It's Different For Girls" on her album Underground .

In 2011, Grammy-winning, Chicago based jazz singer Kurt Elling covered "Steppin' Out" on his album The Gate (album)|The Gate .

In 2012, Los Angeles based artist AM (musician)|AM covered "Steppin' Out" on his second album with Shawn Lee.

Discography

Original albums

Look Sharp& #33; (Joe Jackson album)|Look Sharp! (1979, A& M Records|A& M ) #20 Billboard 200|US , #40 UK Albums Chart|UK

'' I'm the Man (Joe Jackson album)|I'm the Man (1979, A& M) #22 US, #12 UK

"The Harder They Come" (EP) 1980

Beat Crazy (1980, A& M) #41 US, #42 UK

'' Jumpin' Jive (Joe Jackson album)|Jumpin' Jive (1981, A& M) #42 US, #14 UK

Night and Day (Joe Jackson album)|Night and Day (1982, A& M) #4 US, #3 UK

'' Mike's Murder Movie Soundtrack (1983, A& M) #64 US

Body & Soul (Joe Jackson album)|Body and Soul (1984, A& M) #20 US, #14 UK

Big World (1986, A& M) #34 US, #41 UK

Will Power (album)|Will Power (1987, A& M) #131 US

Tucker (album)|Tucker Original Soundtrack (1988, A& M)

Blaze of Glory (Joe Jackson album)|Blaze of Glory (1989, A& M) #61 US, #36 UK

Laughter & Lust (1991, Virgin Records|Virgin ) #116 US, #41 UK

Night Music (album)|Night Music (1994, Virgin)

Heaven and Hell (Joe Jackson album)|Heaven & Hell (1997, Sony )

Symphony No. 1 (album)|Symphony No. 1 (1999, Sony)

Night and Day II (2000, Sony )

Volume 4 (Joe Jackson album)|Volume 4 (2003, Rykodisc )

Rain (Joe Jackson album)|Rain (2008, Rykodisc)

The Duke (2012, Razor & Tie)

Live albums

Big World (1986) Recorded live; audience asked to remain quiet so no applause or chat-ups.

Live 1980/86 (1988, A& M) #91 US, #66 UK

Summer in the City: Live in New York (2000, Sony)

Two Rainy Nights (2002, Great Big Island)

Afterlife (Joe Jackson album)|AfterLife (2004, Rykodisc)

Live at the BBC (Joe Jackson album)|Live at the BBC (2009, Spectrum)

Live Music (Joe Jackson album)|Live Music (2011, Rykodisc)

Live in Germany 1980 (2011 Immortal)

Compilation albums

Stepping Out: The Very Best of Joe Jackson (1990) #7 UK Albums Chart|UK

This Is It& #33; (The A& M Years 1979–1989) – Joe Jackson) (1997, A& M Records|A& M )

Joe Jackson – Collected (2010, Universal Music Group Nashville|Universal Nashville )

Video albums

''Steppin' Out: The Videos (The Very Best of Joe Jackson)'' (2001, A& M Records|A& M )

Joe Jackson – 25th Anniversary Special (2003, Image Entertainment )

Singles

Year	Title	Chart positions									Album
Year	Title	UK	AUS	CAN	GER	NL cite web	url=http:/ / charts.org.nz/ search.asp? cat=s& artist=joe+jackson& artist_search=starts& title=& title_search=starts	US Hot 100 cite web	US Alt.	US Rock	Album
1978	" Is She Really Going Out with Him? "	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	Look Sharp& #33; (Joe Jackson album)
1979	" Is She Really Going Out with Him? " (re-issue)	13	15	9	—	46	18	21	—	—
	"Sunday Papers"	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
	"One More Time"	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
	"Fools in Love"	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
	"I'm the Man"	—	—	23	—	—	—	—	—	—	'' I'm the Man (Joe Jackson album)
	" It's Different for Girls "	5	85	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1980	"Kinda Kute"	—	—	91	—	—	—	—	—	—
1980	"The Harder They Come"	—	—	—	—	34	—	—	—	—	non-album track
1981	"Jumpin' Jive"	43	61	—	—	—	32	—	—	—	'' Jumpin' Jive (Joe Jackson album)
1982	"Real Men"	—	6	—	—	17	48	—	—	—	Night and Day (Joe Jackson album)
1982	" Steppin' Out (Joe Jackson song)	6	30	5	28	—	21	6	—	7
1983	" Breaking Us in Two "	59	90	40	—	—	35	18	—	—
1983	"Memphis"	—	—	—	—	—	—	85	—	—	'' Mike's Murder (soundtrack)
1984	"You Can't Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want)"	—	96	30	—	—	—	15	—	—	Body & Soul (Joe Jackson album)
	"Happy Ending"	58	47	—	—	19	—	57	—	—
	"Be My Number Two"	70	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1986	"Left of Centre" ( Suzanne Vega featuring Joe Jackson)	32	35	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	Pretty in Pink (soundtrack)
1986	"Right and Wrong"	—	64	—	—	—	—	—	—	11	Big World
1988	"Is She Really Going Out with Him? (Live)"	—	—	—	—	5	—	—	—	—	Live 1980/ 86
1989	"(He's a) Shape in a Drape"	—	87	73	—	35	—	—	—	—	Tucker (soundtrack)
1989	"Nineteen Forever"	—	79	58	—	44	—	—	4	16	Blaze of Glory (Joe Jackson album)
1991	"Obvious Song"	—	—	64	—	—	—	—	2	28	Laughter & Lust
	"Stranger Than Fiction"	—	—	79	53	71	—	—	—	—
	"Oh Well"	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	20	25
2001	"Stranger Than You"	—	—	—	—	91	—	—	—	—	Night and Day II
"—" denotes a title that did not chart, or was not released in that territory.

Copyright Citations

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1. B-52's 2. Steve Vai 3. Todd Rundgren 4. Counting Crows 5. Suzanne Vega 6. Donald Fagen 7. The Clarks 8. Neil Sedaka 9. Graham Parker 10. Graham Parker and The Rumour

Pop & Rock Music Artists

Joe Jackson

Biography

Biography

Other activities

Cover versions & popular use of music

Discography

Original albums

Live albums

Compilation albums

Video albums

Singles

References

Literature

External links

Copyright Citations