That's Entertainment (song)
Encyclopedia
"That's Entertainment" is a 1980 song by British punk
/Mod Revival
ist group The Jam
off their fifth album, Sound Affects
.
's Sold On Song 2004 Top 100, at #43.
It was never released as a domestic single in the UK during the band's lifetime, but incredibly it made the charts as an import, backed by a live version of "Down in the Tube Station at Midnight
," peaking at #21.
It was given its first full UK release in 1983 and peaked at #60.
A second reissue in 1991 also made the Top 50.
It remains one of the two all-time biggest selling import singles in the UK, alongside The Jam's own "Just Who Is the 5 O'Clock Hero?
," which would hit the charts at #8 as an import in 1982. The group's appearance on the Rolling Stone list was surprising, given their lack of visibility in America and their lack of appearance on such American lists in the past.
Though it remains perhaps The Jam's most famous effort, it is one of the least "distinctively Jam" songs of their career, venturing far from the driving rhythms and chiming electric guitars that dominate most of the group's work. The song uses an almost entirely acoustic arrangement with only very light percussion, not even using a snare drum
. Like much of Sound Affects
, the song has strong undercurrents of pop-psychedelia. The only electric guitar part in the song is played backwards over one of the verses, a hallmark of psychedelia. Moreover, the entire song's swirling aesthetic is very evocative of 1960s British pop.
The minimalist, slice-of-life lyrics only list various conditions of British working class
life. Consider the first verse:
culminating in the laconic, ironic chorus of "That's entertainment, That's entertainment!"
The most frequent interpretation is that the song is a rejection of the romanticism (typified by That's Entertainment!
) often afforded the British working class lifestyle (such as in television programmes), although there are some other interpretations as well. Either way, it is The Jam's most frequently covered song.
The song appeared in the 2006 film Stranger than Fiction starring Will Ferrell
, Emma Thompson
, Queen Latifah
and Maggie Gyllenhaal
.
, Reef
, The Wonder Stuff
, Busted, Billy Bragg
) and American (Face to Face
, Velocity Girl
). The song is frequently used in a more shallow sense ("That's entertainment!") by television companies (notably ITV
, who launched their 2002 new look with it).
compilation. This featured engineer Peter Wilson on drums and Paul Weller on all other instruments. A later demo version with Bruce Foxton
and Rick Buckler
in their respective roles appeared on the Direction Reaction Creation
boxed set. These versions feature a fuller arrangement, but lacked the flourishes of the final released version.
The version which appears on The Sound of the Jam
and Paul Weller's Hit Parade is the "Snap!" version with the bass and drums removed.
The demo version of the song was used in the soundtrack to the film Stranger Than Fiction.
The Hit Parade
version was also used in the film, American Dreamz
.
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
/Mod Revival
Mod Revival
The mod revival was a music genre and subculture that started in England in 1978 and later spread to other countries . The mod revival's mainstream popularity was relatively short, although its influence has lasted for decades...
ist group The Jam
The Jam
The Jam were an English punk rock/New Wave/mod revival band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. They were formed in Woking, Surrey. While they shared the "angry young men" outlook and fast tempos of their punk rock contemporaries, The Jam wore smartly tailored suits rather than ripped...
off their fifth album, Sound Affects
Sound Affects
Sound Affects is the fifth studio album by British rock band The Jam. The cover art is a pastiche of the artwork used on various Sound Effects records produced by the BBC during the 1970s.-Influences:...
.
Song profile
"That's Entertainment" is probably The Jam's best known and most acclaimed song; it is the group's lone entry, at #306, on the list of the 500 greatest songs of all-time released by Rolling Stone in 2004. It consistently makes similar British lists of all-time great songs, such as BBC Radio 2BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
's Sold On Song 2004 Top 100, at #43.
It was never released as a domestic single in the UK during the band's lifetime, but incredibly it made the charts as an import, backed by a live version of "Down in the Tube Station at Midnight
Down in the Tube Station at Midnight
"Down in the Tube Station at Midnight" was the second single taken from the album All Mod Cons by The Jam. Released on 21 October 1978, it charted at number 15 and was backed by a cover of the Who song "So Sad About Us", and "The Night", written by Bruce Foxton...
," peaking at #21.
It was given its first full UK release in 1983 and peaked at #60.
A second reissue in 1991 also made the Top 50.
It remains one of the two all-time biggest selling import singles in the UK, alongside The Jam's own "Just Who Is the 5 O'Clock Hero?
Just Who Is the 5 O'Clock Hero?
"Just Who Is the 5 O'Clock Hero?" is a song and single released by The Jam on 3 July 1982, it features on their sixth studio album The Gift. Contrary to popular misconception the single was not released as a single in Britain but was a Dutch import...
," which would hit the charts at #8 as an import in 1982. The group's appearance on the Rolling Stone list was surprising, given their lack of visibility in America and their lack of appearance on such American lists in the past.
Though it remains perhaps The Jam's most famous effort, it is one of the least "distinctively Jam" songs of their career, venturing far from the driving rhythms and chiming electric guitars that dominate most of the group's work. The song uses an almost entirely acoustic arrangement with only very light percussion, not even using a snare drum
Snare drum
The snare drum or side drum is a melodic percussion instrument with strands of snares made of curled metal wire, metal cable, plastic cable, or gut cords stretched across the drumhead, typically the bottom. Pipe and tabor and some military snare drums often have a second set of snares on the bottom...
. Like much of Sound Affects
Sound Affects
Sound Affects is the fifth studio album by British rock band The Jam. The cover art is a pastiche of the artwork used on various Sound Effects records produced by the BBC during the 1970s.-Influences:...
, the song has strong undercurrents of pop-psychedelia. The only electric guitar part in the song is played backwards over one of the verses, a hallmark of psychedelia. Moreover, the entire song's swirling aesthetic is very evocative of 1960s British pop.
The minimalist, slice-of-life lyrics only list various conditions of British working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
life. Consider the first verse:
- "A police car and a screaming siren"
- "Pneumatic drill and ripped-up concrete"
- "A baby wailing, stray dog howling"
- "The screech of brakes and lamp light blinking"
culminating in the laconic, ironic chorus of "That's entertainment, That's entertainment!"
The most frequent interpretation is that the song is a rejection of the romanticism (typified by That's Entertainment!
That's Entertainment!
That's Entertainment! is a 1974 compilation film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to celebrate its 50th anniversary. It was followed by two sequels and a related film called That's Dancing!....
) often afforded the British working class lifestyle (such as in television programmes), although there are some other interpretations as well. Either way, it is The Jam's most frequently covered song.
The song appeared in the 2006 film Stranger than Fiction starring Will Ferrell
Will Ferrell
John William "Will" Ferrell is an American comedian, impressionist, actor, and writer. Ferrell first established himself in the late 1990s as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, and has subsequently starred in the comedy films Old School, Elf, Anchorman, Talladega...
, Emma Thompson
Emma Thompson
Emma Thompson is a British actress, comedian and screenwriter. Her first major film role was in the 1989 romantic comedy The Tall Guy. In 1992, Thompson won multiple acting awards, including an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award for Best Actress, for her performance in the British drama Howards End...
, Queen Latifah
Queen Latifah
Dana Elaine Owens , better known by her stage name Queen Latifah, is an American singer, rapper, and actress. Her work in music, film and television has earned her a Golden Globe award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Image Awards, a Grammy Award, six additional Grammy nominations, an Emmy...
and Maggie Gyllenhaal
Maggie Gyllenhaal
Margaret Ruth "Maggie" Gyllenhaal born November 16, 1977) is an American actress. She is the daughter of director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter Naomi Foner Gyllenhaal and the older sister of actor Jake Gyllenhaal. She made her screen debut when she began to appear in her father's films...
.
Cover versions
There have been numerous subsequent renditions including British (MorrisseyMorrissey
Steven Patrick Morrissey , known as Morrissey, is an English singer and lyricist. He rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the alternative rock band The Smiths. The band was highly successful in the United Kingdom but broke up in 1987, and Morrissey began a solo career,...
, Reef
Reef (band)
Reef are an English band from Glastonbury. The band members includes Gary Stringer on vocals, Kenwyn House on guitar, Jack Bessant on bass and Dominic Greensmith on drums.-Early days:...
, The Wonder Stuff
The Wonder Stuff
The Wonder Stuff are a British alternative rock band, originally based in Stourbridge, West Midlands, in the Black Country, England.-Origins:...
, Busted, Billy Bragg
Billy Bragg
Stephen William Bragg , better known as Billy Bragg, is an English alternative rock musician and left-wing activist. His music blends elements of folk music, punk rock and protest songs, and his lyrics mostly deal with political or romantic themes...
) and American (Face to Face
Face to Face (punk band)
Face to Face is an American pop punk band from Victorville, California formed in 1991 by frontman Trever Keith. Originally known as "Zero Tolerance", Keith had been the only constant member of the band during their years of touring and recording albums. The group was initially signed by Dr. Strange...
, Velocity Girl
Velocity Girl
Velocity Girl was an American indie rock band formed in 1989 in College Park, Maryland, although it was generally known as a Washington, DC-area band...
). The song is frequently used in a more shallow sense ("That's entertainment!") by television companies (notably ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
, who launched their 2002 new look with it).
Other versions
A demo version was first released on the Snap!Snap! (The Jam album)
Snap! is a greatest hits album by The Jam, released in 1983, one year after the group disbanded. The double-album includes all sixteen of the band's UK singles, plus B-sides, album tracks and rarities...
compilation. This featured engineer Peter Wilson on drums and Paul Weller on all other instruments. A later demo version with Bruce Foxton
Bruce Foxton
Bruce Foxton is an English rock and roll musician who is best known as the bass player in punk rock bands The Jam and Stiff Little Fingers.-Biography:...
and Rick Buckler
Rick Buckler
Rick Buckler , is the former drummer of The Jam, an English rock band that enjoyed considerable success in the United Kingdom from 1977 until disbanding in 1982...
in their respective roles appeared on the Direction Reaction Creation
Direction Reaction Creation
Direction Reaction Creation is an anthology released by the British punk rock band, The Jam, in 1997. It includes 117 tracks over 5 discs, including all of the songs from their singles and six studio albums. Songs marked with * indicate a Paul Weller solo recording.The box set reached #8 in the UK...
boxed set. These versions feature a fuller arrangement, but lacked the flourishes of the final released version.
The version which appears on The Sound of the Jam
The Sound of the Jam
The Sound of the Jam is a compilation album and the fifth greatest hits album by the group The Jam, released to mark their twenty-fifth anniversary.There is also a 2-disc version which includes a DVD of 11 videos of The Jam playing...
and Paul Weller's Hit Parade is the "Snap!" version with the bass and drums removed.
The demo version of the song was used in the soundtrack to the film Stranger Than Fiction.
The Hit Parade
Hit Parade (Paul Weller album)
Hit Parade is a 2006 box set of Paul Weller's musical career. A single CD release and a double-disc DVD are also available.-Single disc:# The Jam – "Town Called Malice"# The Jam – "Going Underground"# The Style Council – "Shout to the Top!"...
version was also used in the film, American Dreamz
American Dreamz
American Dreamz is a 2006 comedy/parody film that satirizes both American politics and popular entertainment.Director/producer/writer Paul Weitz has stated that the movie is meant to satirize both the TV show American Idol and the Bush Administration...
.
External links
- "That's Entertainment" - Song and discussion at BBC
- Paul Weller Official site