Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Yesterday while shopping i bought a copy of the complete Jam on dvd.I had forgotten what a good sound bruce got with his rickenbacker bass.

And what a nice variety of them he used!

http://www.stthomasu.ca/~pmccorm/research/bfoxton.jpg

http://www.stthomasu.ca/~pmccorm/research/bfoxtonmod.jpg

http://www.urbanimage.tv/watermarked/jam1_ab.jpg

http://www.pinnacle-entertainment.co.uk/artist_image/12359.gif

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/85/Paul_Weller_and_Bruce_Foxton_with_Rickenbackers_1024.jpg/350px-Paul_Weller_and_Bruce_Foxton_with_Rickenbackers_1024.jpg

and there were a couple of others....

More than anything else, HE made The Jam sound like they did. Weller may have wrote the lion's share of the songs, but Foxton crafted them and transformed them from the ragged messes of the demo's into the mighty epics they became.

One of the most unsung, yet influential players ever.

Ian in one of your last posts on the pics of playing your ric was that you in the kerbcrawlers,and was that your j birch bass in the background.And yes bruce foxton is a good bass player i hope that one day he goes back to using a ric.

Ian: I've been a Jam fan since 1977. As a guitar player, I've never looked too closely at Bruce's many basses. I recall reading once that one of his 'Rick basses' was actually a custom-built copy that he had commissioned. While I think that all three band members were important to their sound, I think you give Bruce more credit than he deserves. He's a great player and his contributions may have polished the songs, but they were Paul's songs and it was Paul's band. Bruce had no interest in the punk or mod revival music scene. The band was a paying gig for him that really took off. In my opinion, it was Paul's attitude, energy and songwriting that propelled the band. I didn't like the direction that Paul took with his music in The Style Council, but some of his newer solo material is worth listening to.

Sorry mate, but it wasn't Paul Weller's band. His lyrics may have come to be the driving force and focus for the band. Without Bruce Foxton or Rick Buckler ther would have been no Jam. Simple as that. Bruce Foxton is a fantatstic bass player, very underrated. Paul Weller seems to have disappeared up his own a**. 'News of the World' is a Foxton song and I think better than the majority of Jam numbers. Others will probably disagree. I don't rate much of Paul Weller's solo stuff myself. Sounds just like the Jam but with no balls. IMO!

Mark: I guess we'll just have to disagree on a few things. Rick is a very solid drummer and Bruce is a fantastic bass player. In my opinion, 'News Of The World' only wound up as an A-side because Weller was suffering from songwriter's between 'This Is The Modern World' and what became 'All Mod Cons'. Paul was the one who devised the style, look and sound of the band. He's lucky he had great musicians like Bruce and Rick to help him pull it off. I've always found it remarkable that those guys were professional enough put up with Paul's temper tantrums and antics. As much as I love his music, every interview I've ever read confirms that Paul is pretty much a jerk. Paul was the only member of the band that couldn't be replaced. When he wanted out, that was the end of the band. Bruce and Rick were very bitter about Paul's decision to move on. They worked very hard and Paul decided to quit while they were still at the top of the UK charts. That's my take on the band.

I agree with you that Paul Weller can be an arse. I suppose the 3 piece format helped with the driving sound. You can hear the bass and the drums. 'All Mod Cons' was one of their best albums. If I remember, Bruce Foxton played a Fender on that album. Still sounds good today.
I just believe that no band is one person, whatever that person brings to a band.

Mark: I think Bruce was playing a Fender on 'All Mod Cons', at least that's what is shown on the back cover art. Without Bruce and Rick, Paul might never have gone anywhere with his music. Without Paul's songs and ideas, Bruce and Rick had no direction to go. I was listening to some live Jam recordings yesterday. They made a lot noise for a three-piece band!

Shawn,
Yes it was me with my band. http://www.thekerbcrawlers.co.uk has more info and Rics!

As to The Jam... Weller was bass player at one stage. Pics exist of him with a Hofner violin. For a former bass player, his demos were pretty horrible.

I doubt that Foxton's motivation was that The Jam was 'just a job' - he propelled that band. He and Buckler were the engine room of The Jam.

I think evidence, if it's needed, is shown by the whole poor relation that was The Style Council. Also, Weller has still never made a record since that's anything as dynamic as half of The Jam's output.

Bruce had certainly 'gone to Fender' on the 'All Mod Cons' tour. Whether he used one in the studio is another thing. The only way to find out is to ask him....

He certainly returned to the Rics later on.

Ian if you look at the March '98 copy of bassist magazine i was in that with my 1964 hofner violin bass.Bruce foxton now has a new band now so you never know maybe he will go back to using the rickenbacker.

Will have a look!!

"BEATLEMANIA! My bass is a ...."
Nice article.

Rhyl, eh? We are in Wrexham on April 22nd..

Strange town Wrexham.

Our agent's secretary swears blind that it's NOT in Wales...

It's just on the border not far from chester,hope the gig goes well.