The Jags
Biography
The Jags, a mod revival fueled new wave/power pop band, was formed in 1978 by the Yorkshire-based songwriting team of Nick Watkinson (vocals) and John Alder (guitar), with Steve Prudence (bass) and Alex Baird (drums). In July 1978, they signed to Island Records and released a promising four-track EP. Their 1980 debut LP, Evening Standards, included a highly derivative though memorable single called "Back of My Hand", which had reached the U.K. Top 40 the previous fall. Breaking through into the rock mainstream in a big way, the band seemed set for success, even performing on Top of the Pops.
However, the follow-up single, "Womans World", barely scraped its way on to the charts. Though Evening Standards featured a really solid set of punchy power pop songs, critics focused instead on Watkinsons heavily Elvis Costello-like delivery, writing the band off as merely mimics. As steam ran out of the Anglo-American power pop craze, the band attempted to change their sound a bit. 1981s No Tie Like the Present featured a slightly new direction, but it was generally overlooked.
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By 1982, the Jags had disbanded for good, saddled with the one hit wonder label. Still, "Back of My Hand" had a revival of sorts in the 90s that has since continued, appearing on several compilations. Besides being cherished by many underground rock fans, its also been included in the soundtrack of the American comedy film You, Me And Dupree. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.
Biography text from Last.fm, available under CC BY-SA.