Jameson Raid (band)
Encyclopedia
Jameson Raid are a British
heavy metal
band. Described in The International Encyclopedia of Hard Rock & Heavy Metal as "cult heroes for the Midland rock circuit… Their music is a poppy form of heavy metal…" MalcolmDome wrote: "Jameson Raid are one of the many bands who were definitely contenders for glory during the halcyon days of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal. Sadly, they never quite lived up to their obvious potential".
at the turn of 1895/96, the band can originally be dated back to 1973, when bassist John Ace and guitarist Ian Smith, played together in Spectaté II at the school they attended in Sutton Coldfield
. The band went their separate ways to go to university – aside from Smith who went to sea – at which point Ace formed a covers
outfit. When this split, Ace, together with the rhythm guitarist Stewart Harrod, persuaded Smith to return and added the drummer Phil Kimberley. Their first gig took place on 26 August 1975, under the generally disliked name Notre Dame. It's roadie, Nick Freeman, was credited with recalling the event from his school history books and proposing it to the band. With Hoi Polloi singer Terry Dark joining in December 1976, and Stewart leaving a few days later, Jameson Raid's most well-known line-up was complete.
Jameson Raid released their first single
, the "Seven Days Of Splendour" EP
in February 1979. "The combination of influences which had given birth to the band’s overall sound was quite difficult to pin down, as there were elements of 70's rock/pop (particularly David Bowie and Mott The Hoople), heavier acts such as Thin Lizzy and the occasional nod towards punk snottiness…" noted author Malc Macmillan, and the three tracks on the EP ("Seven Days Of Splendour", "It’s A Crime" and "Catcher In The Rye") illustrated Macmillan’s conundrum in terms of an inability to categorise the band’s sound. But the EP was well received and, as Martin Popoff pointed out, showcased "a masterful bit of songwriting throughout these three tracks". The first 1,000 copies came in a white sleeve, with a further pressing of 2,000 in a black sleeve; both featured what Popoff called "a spoofed band history" together with the lyrics to all three songs.
In March 1980 the band, along with Magnum
, played support to Def Leppard
at the Birmingham Odeon on the latter's 'On Through the Night' tour.
In May 1980, EMI released the second of its 'Metal For Muthas' NWOBHM compilation album
s. Metal For Muthas II Cut Loud, featured the Jameson Raid track "Hard Lines", although the band were unhappy that EMI had, unbeknownst to them, completely remix
ed the song (which the band had already mixed to their satisfaction) and in doing so pretty much destroyed it. The band were credited as The Raid on this release.
Fighting against a tide of apathy, Smith and Ace handed in their notice and played their final gig with the band in Birmingham in July 1980. A second 7" EP, widely referred to as 'The Hypnotist', but actually entitled End Of Part One, was released at this time. Featuring four tracks ("The Hypnotist", "The Raid", "Getting Hotter" and "Straight From The Butchers"), the EP proved to be the band’s vinyl swansong.
Kimberley and Dark soldiered on, recruiting guitarist Mike Darby and bassist Peter Green. In 1981 Darby left and was replaced by James Barrett, who in turn gave way to Steve Makin in 1982. The four-track Electric Sun demo cassette (featuring "Electric Sun", "Run For Cover", "Poor Little Rich Girl" and "Getting Hotter") was made available, but later that year Kimberley and Dark quit and the band was effectively over. During an interview for Classic Rock
magazine in 2010, Terry Dark said: “We just seemed to be either a year too early, or a year too late... But whatever the reason things never quite happened for us.” A green vinyl LP, Jameson Raid, comprising the End Of Part One EP, the Electric Sun demo tracks, the Metal For Muthas take of "Hard Lines" and an unreleased track "Running Blind" from the final 1983 line up, 'The Raid', was a bootleg and not an official release, although has become an expensive collector's item. Both of the EPs featured in the 2010 edition of Record Collector.
In 1983, Green and Makin drafted in drummer Roger Simms, and with Makin handling both guitar and vocal duties, they tried to resurrect the band as The Raid, but with no great success nor longevity. Makin went on to front several other bands before being invited to appear on the solo album by Cozy Powell
, The Drums Are Back (1992). He joined Slade
in 1993.
The classic line-up of Terry Dark, Ian Smith, John Ace and Phil Kimberley re-united in 2008, and their back catalogue album, Just As The Dust Had Settled, was released by Shadow Kingdom Records in March 2010. The band played gigs both in Germany and the UK in July 2010.
In 2011 John Ace left the band is line. Peter Green, the bass player from 1980 to 1983, rejoined in June 2011.
Present line up:
Terry Dark - Vocals
Ian Smith - Guitar / vocals
Phil Kimberley - Drums / vocals
Pete Green - Bass / Vocals
Original line up, initially known as 'Notre Dame' June 1975
December 1976 to July 1980
1980 to 1981
1981
1982
1983
(Now known as The Raid)
2008 to Feb 2011
Feb 2011 to June 2011
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band. Described in The International Encyclopedia of Hard Rock & Heavy Metal as "cult heroes for the Midland rock circuit… Their music is a poppy form of heavy metal…" MalcolmDome wrote: "Jameson Raid are one of the many bands who were definitely contenders for glory during the halcyon days of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal. Sadly, they never quite lived up to their obvious potential".
Career
Taking their name from an incident in the TransvaalSouth African Republic
The South African Republic , often informally known as the Transvaal Republic, was an independent Boer-ruled country in Southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century. Not to be confused with the present-day Republic of South Africa, it occupied the area later known as the South African...
at the turn of 1895/96, the band can originally be dated back to 1973, when bassist John Ace and guitarist Ian Smith, played together in Spectaté II at the school they attended in Sutton Coldfield
Sutton Coldfield
Sutton Coldfield is a suburb of Birmingham, in the West Midlands of England. Sutton is located about from central Birmingham but has borders with Erdington and Kingstanding. Sutton is in the northeast of Birmingham, with a population of 105,000 recorded in the 2001 census...
. The band went their separate ways to go to university – aside from Smith who went to sea – at which point Ace formed a covers
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
outfit. When this split, Ace, together with the rhythm guitarist Stewart Harrod, persuaded Smith to return and added the drummer Phil Kimberley. Their first gig took place on 26 August 1975, under the generally disliked name Notre Dame. It's roadie, Nick Freeman, was credited with recalling the event from his school history books and proposing it to the band. With Hoi Polloi singer Terry Dark joining in December 1976, and Stewart leaving a few days later, Jameson Raid's most well-known line-up was complete.
Jameson Raid released their first single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, the "Seven Days Of Splendour" EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
in February 1979. "The combination of influences which had given birth to the band’s overall sound was quite difficult to pin down, as there were elements of 70's rock/pop (particularly David Bowie and Mott The Hoople), heavier acts such as Thin Lizzy and the occasional nod towards punk snottiness…" noted author Malc Macmillan, and the three tracks on the EP ("Seven Days Of Splendour", "It’s A Crime" and "Catcher In The Rye") illustrated Macmillan’s conundrum in terms of an inability to categorise the band’s sound. But the EP was well received and, as Martin Popoff pointed out, showcased "a masterful bit of songwriting throughout these three tracks". The first 1,000 copies came in a white sleeve, with a further pressing of 2,000 in a black sleeve; both featured what Popoff called "a spoofed band history" together with the lyrics to all three songs.
In March 1980 the band, along with Magnum
Magnum (band)
Magnum are a British progressive rock band from Birmingham, England. Formed as a four piece by Tony Clarkin , Bob Catley , Kex Gorin and Bob Doyle in order to appear as the resident band at The Rum Runner night club Birmingham...
, played support to Def Leppard
Def Leppard
Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1977 in Sheffield as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement. Since 1992, the band have consisted of Joe Elliott , Rick Savage , Rick Allen , Phil Collen , and Vivian Campbell...
at the Birmingham Odeon on the latter's 'On Through the Night' tour.
In May 1980, EMI released the second of its 'Metal For Muthas' NWOBHM compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
s. Metal For Muthas II Cut Loud, featured the Jameson Raid track "Hard Lines", although the band were unhappy that EMI had, unbeknownst to them, completely remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
ed the song (which the band had already mixed to their satisfaction) and in doing so pretty much destroyed it. The band were credited as The Raid on this release.
Fighting against a tide of apathy, Smith and Ace handed in their notice and played their final gig with the band in Birmingham in July 1980. A second 7" EP, widely referred to as 'The Hypnotist', but actually entitled End Of Part One, was released at this time. Featuring four tracks ("The Hypnotist", "The Raid", "Getting Hotter" and "Straight From The Butchers"), the EP proved to be the band’s vinyl swansong.
Kimberley and Dark soldiered on, recruiting guitarist Mike Darby and bassist Peter Green. In 1981 Darby left and was replaced by James Barrett, who in turn gave way to Steve Makin in 1982. The four-track Electric Sun demo cassette (featuring "Electric Sun", "Run For Cover", "Poor Little Rich Girl" and "Getting Hotter") was made available, but later that year Kimberley and Dark quit and the band was effectively over. During an interview for Classic Rock
Classic Rock (magazine)
Classic Rock is a British magazine dedicated to the radio format of classic rock, published by Future Publishing, who are also responsible for its "sister" publication Metal Hammer. Although firmly focusing on key bands from the 1960s through early 1990s, it also includes articles and reviews of...
magazine in 2010, Terry Dark said: “We just seemed to be either a year too early, or a year too late... But whatever the reason things never quite happened for us.” A green vinyl LP, Jameson Raid, comprising the End Of Part One EP, the Electric Sun demo tracks, the Metal For Muthas take of "Hard Lines" and an unreleased track "Running Blind" from the final 1983 line up, 'The Raid', was a bootleg and not an official release, although has become an expensive collector's item. Both of the EPs featured in the 2010 edition of Record Collector.
In 1983, Green and Makin drafted in drummer Roger Simms, and with Makin handling both guitar and vocal duties, they tried to resurrect the band as The Raid, but with no great success nor longevity. Makin went on to front several other bands before being invited to appear on the solo album by Cozy Powell
Cozy Powell
Colin Flooks , better known as Cozy Powell, was an English rock drummer who made his name with many major rock bands.-Early history:...
, The Drums Are Back (1992). He joined Slade
Slade
Slade are an English rock band from Wolverhampton, who rose to prominence during the glam rock era of the early 1970s. With 17 consecutive Top 20 hits and six number ones, the British Hit Singles & Albums names them as the most successful British group of the 1970s based on sales of singles...
in 1993.
The classic line-up of Terry Dark, Ian Smith, John Ace and Phil Kimberley re-united in 2008, and their back catalogue album, Just As The Dust Had Settled, was released by Shadow Kingdom Records in March 2010. The band played gigs both in Germany and the UK in July 2010.
In 2011 John Ace left the band is line. Peter Green, the bass player from 1980 to 1983, rejoined in June 2011.
Present line up:
Terry Dark - Vocals
Ian Smith - Guitar / vocals
Phil Kimberley - Drums / vocals
Pete Green - Bass / Vocals
Original line up, initially known as 'Notre Dame' June 1975
- Ian Smith - Guitar / vocals
- John Ace - Bass / vocals
- Phil Kimberley - Drums / vocals
- Stewart Harrod - Rhythm Guitar / vocals
December 1976 to July 1980
- Terry Dark - Vocals
- Ian Smith - Guitar
- John Ace - Bass
- Phil Kimberley - Drums / vocals
1980 to 1981
- Terry Dark - Vocals
- Mike Darby - Guitar
- Peter Green - Bass
- Phil Kimberley - Drums / vocals
1981
- Terry Dark - Vocals
- James Barrett - Guitar
- Peter Green - Bass
- Phil Kimberley - Drums / vocals
1982
- Terry Dark - Vocals
- Steve Makin - Guitar
- Peter Green - Bass
- Phil Kimberley - Drums / vocals
1983
(Now known as The Raid)
- Steve Makin - Guitar / vocals
- Peter Green - Bass
- Roger Simms - Drums
2008 to Feb 2011
- Terry Dark - Vocals
- Ian Smith - Guitar / vocals
- John Ace - Bass/ vocals
- Phil Kimberley - Drums / vocals
Feb 2011 to June 2011
- Terry Dark - Vocals
- Ian Smith - Guitar / vocals
- Phil Kimberley - Drums / vocals
Albums
- Seven Days Of Splendour EPExtended playAn EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
(GBH Records, 1979) - End Of Part One EPExtended playAn EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
(Blackbird Records, 1980) - Just As The Dust Had Settled LPAlbumAn album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
(Shadow Kingdom Records SKR030CD, March 2010) - Just As The Dust Had Settled Limited Edition Vinyl LPAlbumAn album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
(High Roller Records HR141, July 2010) - Jameson Raid Live At The O2 Academy Limited Edition Vinyl LPAlbumAn album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
(High Roller Records HR180, June 2011)
Tracks on sampler albums
- Metal For MuthasMetal for MuthasMetal For Muthas is the name given to a series of heavy metal compilations made during the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. The original compilation was Metal For Muthas , released in February 1980...
II (EMI RecordsEMI RecordsEMI Records is the flagship record label founded by the EMI company in 1972 and launched in January 1973 as the successor to its Columbia label. The EMI label was launched worldwide...
1980) One Track, 'Hard Lines'. - NWoBHM Vol. 2 (1992) One track, 'It's a Crime'.