Jack the Ripper (song)
Encyclopedia
"Jack the Ripper" is a song by English musician Screaming Lord Sutch
Screaming Lord Sutch
David Edward Sutch , also known as "Screaming Lord Sutch, 3rd Earl of Harrow", or simply "Screaming Lord Sutch", was a musician from the United Kingdom...

, released as a 7" single in the UK and Germany in 1963 on Decca
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....

. It was produced by Joe Meek
Joe Meek
Robert George "Joe" Meek was a pioneering English record producer and songwriter....

 and recorded in his Holloway Road studio in Islington
Islington
Islington is a neighbourhood in Greater London, England and forms the central district of the London Borough of Islington. It is a district of Inner London, spanning from Islington High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the area around the busy Upper Street...

, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

. The song was banned by the BBC upon its release.

Musical composition

"Jack the Ripper" is two minutes and forty-eight seconds long, in the key of B-flat major, and 4/4 time.

The song begins with the sound of footsteps and a woman screaming, followed by a rendition of the "Danger Ahead" motif by the guitar and drum kit, accompanied by a ghoulish moan from Screaming Lord Sutch. The song itself is a three-chord song
Three-chord song
A three-chord song is a song whose music is built around three chords that are played in a certain sequence. Perhaps the most prevalent type of three-chord song is the simple twelve bar blues used in blues and rock and roll....

, with a vamp played by guitar and bass, with accompaniment by piano and drum kit, which is repeated throughout.

Personnel

  • Screaming Lord Sutch
    Screaming Lord Sutch
    David Edward Sutch , also known as "Screaming Lord Sutch, 3rd Earl of Harrow", or simply "Screaming Lord Sutch", was a musician from the United Kingdom...

     – singer
  • Roger Mingay – electric guitar
    Electric guitar
    An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...

  • Ken Payne – bass guitar
    Bass guitar
    The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....

  • Andy Wren – piano
    Piano
    The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...


  • Pete Newman – saxophone
    Saxophone
    The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...

  • Carlo Little
    Carlo Little
    Carlo Little was a rock and roll drummer, based in the London nightclub scene in the 1960s. He played in an early version of The Rolling Stones...

     – drum kit
    Drum kit
    A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....

  • Joe Meek
    Joe Meek
    Robert George "Joe" Meek was a pioneering English record producer and songwriter....

     – producer
    Record producer
    A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...



Cover versions

  • In 1986, Canadian garage punk band The Gruesomes
    The Gruesomes
    The Gruesomes are a Canadian Garage Punk band formed in 1985 from Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-History:Bobby Beaton , Gerry Alvarez , John Davis and his brother Eric Davis were all between the ages of 16 and 19 and had absolutely no previous musical experience...

     covered the song and released it on the Jack the Ripper EP.
  • Detroit rock duo The White Stripes
    The White Stripes
    The White Stripes was an American rock band, formed in 1997 in Detroit, Michigan. The group consisted of the songwriter Jack White and drummer Meg White . Jack and Meg White were previously married to each other, but are now divorced...

     have performed a cover of "Jack the Ripper" live, incorporating the guitar riff from the "Peter Gunn
    Peter Gunn
    Peter Gunn is an American private eye television series which aired on the NBC and later ABC television networks from 1958 to 1961. The show's creator was Blake Edwards...

    " theme by Henry Mancini
    Henry Mancini
    Henry Mancini was an American composer, conductor and arranger, best remembered for his film and television scores. He won a record number of Grammy Awards , plus a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously in 1995...

    .
  • In 2006, English garage rock band The Horrors
    The Horrors
    The Horrors are an English band from Southend on Sea, formed in 2005. Their debut Strange House, was released in 2007 and reached number thirty-seven on the UK Albums Chart, their second album Primary Colours was released in 2009 and peaked at number 25 in the UK...

     covered the song for the B-side of their debut single, "Sheena Is a Parasite
    Sheena Is a Parasite
    "Sheena is a Parasite" was the debut single by the UK band The Horrors, released in April, 2006. It did not chart as it contained both stickers and inserts, therefore breaking chart rules....

    ", later included on their 2006 debut EP, The Horrors EP
    The Horrors EP
    The Horrors EP was released in October, 2006. At first it was only released in America but was eventually released in the UK...

    . A rerecorded version was later included on their 2007 debut album, Strange House
    Strange House
    Strange House is the debut album by The Horrors. It entered the UK album charts at #37. The band announced the title via a MySpace bulletin on 11 January 2007. It was released on 5 March 2007 on Loog Records. Several alternative titles for the album were considered, including Through Wax Seals and...

    .
  • Others: The Fuzztones
    The Fuzztones
    The Fuzztones are a garage rock revival band formed in 1980. Founded by singer-guitarist Rudi Protrudi The Fuzztones are a garage rock revival band formed in 1980. Founded by singer-guitarist Rudi Protrudi The Fuzztones are a garage rock revival band formed in 1980. Founded by singer-guitarist Rudi...

     (1993), The Vice Principals (2000), Casey Jones and the Governors, The Revillos
    The Rezillos
    The Rezillos are a punk/new wave band, who formed in Edinburgh in 1976 and still play gigs around the world in a re-formed line-up. Although frequently aligned with the punk movement, the Rezillos' irreverent glam rock image and affection for campy girl-group iconography, set them distinctly apart...

    , The Phantoms, The One-Way Streets, The Beguiled (1988).

In 2008, The Fall covered the song on their Halloween show at Hackney Empire, as well as Black Lips.
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