The Jags

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The Jags
Background information
Origin	Scarborough, England
Genres	Power pop,[1] new wave[2]
Years active	1978–1982
Labels	Island
Past members	Nick Watkinson John Alder Steve Prudence Alex Baird Michael Cotton Patrick O'Toole Neil Whittaker Richard Mazda Barry Graham

The Jags were a British rock band formed in Scarborough, North Yorkshire in 1978, composed of 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).

A Scarborough-Guildford-Glasgow combo, THE JAGS marked their signing to Island Records in 1979 with a four-track debut 12” EP (Back of my hand/Double Visions/Single Visions/What Can I Do?).

Hitting you with a lorry-load of teenage angst, incessant pop hooks and nervous energy, BACK OF MY HAND (I’VE GOT YOUR NUMBER) was described as “simplest one of the best records Elvis Costello never made”. The song was included on the band’s debut album ‘Evening Standards’, which was released the following year.

Starting out in 1978 playing London pubs and college gigs, by ‘79 The Jags’ sound had moved from 60s beat and Thin Lizzy inspired rock to jangly power-pop.

Before long the music press had tagged the band as “Elvis Costello imitators,” an accusation the band would never shake.

With Costello held in such high esteem by the music journos it was inevitable the press would view The Jags as rivals to the ‘throne’, unworthy of even attempting his singular style. However, attend a gig and you’d witness a tight band with a sphere of influences.

But Costello hadn’t yet made his mark on the U.S., and Jags frontman Nick Watkinson half-jokingly told the Record Mirror in 1979, “We’ve got to make it over there [the U.S.] before Costello does. Then everybody will say he’s copying us!”

Yet, BACK OF MY HAND had its own merits outside any Costello influence. With a highly infectious chorus, cutting lyrics, hard-strumming guitars and short, sharp stops it remains a classic slice of power pop.

Career[]

They signed to Island Records in July 1978 and initially released a four-track EP.

On 8 September 1979, the power pop single "Back of My Hand", written by Watkinson and guitarist Alder, entered the UK Singles Chart. It had a chart life of 10 weeks and peaked at number 17.^[3] "Back of My Hand" was included on their debut album Evening Standards, which was released the following year. Their follow-up single "Woman's World" entered the UK chart on 2 February 1980 at number 75 - dropping out the next week.^[3]

1981 saw the release of their second, and what proved to be, final album, No Tie Like a Present. The Jags disbanded in 1982.

Discography[]

Albums[]

• Evening Standards (1980) (US No. 205)
• No Tie Like a Present (1981)

Singles[]

• "Back of My Hand" (1979) - UK No. 17, US No.  84
• "Woman's World" (1980) - UK No. 75
• "Party Games" (1980)
• "I Never Was A Beachboy" (1980)^[3]
• "Here Comes My Baby" (1981)
• "The Sound Of G-O-O-D-B-Y-E" (1981)

Only "Back Of My Hand" and "Here Comes My Baby" were released in the US.

References[]

External links[]

• The Jags Sounds Powered By Glasgow Mods Website Multimedia portal of Mod Life In Scotland
• "The Jags: Power Goes Pop". Magnet Magazine. 31 July 2009. Retrieved 17 April 2020.