• The Myth Remastered
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November 2021 -
ANNIVERSARY GIGS CANCELLED DUE TO POSITIVE COVID-19 TESTS
It is with huge regret that we have to announce that our anniversary shows at The Limelight Theatre in Aylesbury on November 5th and 6th have been cancelled. After observing every possible measure to avoid Coronavirus, two members of the band yesterday tested positive on PCR tests for COVID-19.
To say that we are gutted is perhaps the understatement of the year. Following our return to rehearsals in the summer and two successful gigs, we have been focused entirely on delivering a special show to celebrate our thirty-plus years. The band members are now obliged to isolate, leaving us no option but to cancel.
We realise that these circumstances will create great inconvenience for many, many people, and we are acutely conscious of the travel and hotel arrangements that have been made. Ultimately the health of the band members and our audience has to be our primary concern. Given the uncertain conditions and pressure on venues, it is simply not viable to reschedule at this stage, so we will be offering full ticket refunds.
Please allow us time to organise this. We will contact you again soon with details of processing refunds. This contact will be made via the email you used to book the tickets. Please do not enquire through social media channels.
1st October 2021 - New News
After 559 days without a gig, we finally took to the stage on September 18th at The Space Chase Festival in Cannock. What a wonderful feeling. Summer’s End follows, and then it’ll be time for our delayed 30th anniversary gigs. On that note, we are pleased to have been able to release a few more tickets onto the Bandcamp page. Certain guests will not now be able to attend owing to the astronomical costs of flying, so snap them up quickly.
A recent stock take at HQ (pictured) revealed that a box of CDs marked ‘A Man Was Made’ actually contained copies of The Freedom Train, Matthew, On Impulse and ‘... and all the king’s men’. All of these titles long since ceased to be available on CD, so they constitute something of a ‘find’. We’ve added them to the Bandcamp page and once they are gone, that’s it. The price of £20 each reflects their rarity value and the fact that they are all cellophane wrapped in perfect condition. In short, they are collectors items.
We have a number of exciting gigs on the books for next year, where we’ll be hooking up with the great and the good of U.K. and international progressive rock acts, as well as running a few self-promo shows of our own...
If you live in the North, you won’t want to miss our return to The Wesley Arts Centre in Maltby on March 12th. PLEASE get your tickets in advance. The viability of the show depends on your commitment - we need to know if you’re coming so we can plan accordingly. It’s a splendid venue with great acoustics and very reasonably priced proper beer!
8th April 2021 - The Myth Remastered
We are pleased to announce the release of a remastered edition of their 1995 album, The Myth of Independence. Recorded at Marillion’s Racket Club Studios and produced by Mark Kelly, Myth was a landmark achievement for the band during a notable few years. Having come to Kelly’s attention playing a set at the launch of Marillion’s ‘Brave’ film in Milton Keynes in the summer of 1994, his offer to produce our fourth album was accepted without hesitation.
Looking back, Mark Kelly reflects:
“We spent an enjoyable couple of weeks recording and mixing at the Racket Club. I have to be honest and admit that as a producer I was given a pretty easy task - the band knew what they wanted, so my contribution to the arrangements etc was pretty minimal, although I did get a chance to play a bit of keyboards on a few tracks... I have to say, it’s aged very well!”
Released through the Cyclops label, The Myth of Independence introduced us to a wider audience, at gigs including the launch of Marillion’s ‘Afraid of Sunlight’ and subsequent supports in London and Utrecht. Soon after that, a slot on Fish’s ‘Sunsets on Empire’ UK tour cemented our presence in the progressive rock underground...
John Dexter Jones comments:
“We’d played nearly 300 gigs by the time we met Mark in 1994. On the day of the ‘Brave’ launch it was our fourth gig of the week - it was in the afternoon, and we had another that evening in a club in Milton Keynes, so that gives an idea of where we were back then. His help and contribution to what we were doing was pivotal. We’ve never spent long in the sunlit uplands, but those days were invaluable in shaping our belief that given the opportunities, we could do the business. The fact that we’re still here and we’ve recorded ten albums in the quarter of a century since those trips over to the Racket Club supports that view I think. Myth was hugely important for us, but it hasn’t been available as a CD for almost twenty years now and it’s probably the most enquired-about item at the merch desk. The remaster sounds just great...who knows? We might have to wheel out some of those songs when we’re allowed to gig again. Princess of the People anyone?”
The Myth Remastered is set to be released in mid-May, but JUMP fans on the lookout for something new in the meantime should check out ‘Some More of the Night’, a six-song live download featuring ‘lost’ tracks from 2006. The songs were part of the Aylesbury show recorded for the band’s second live album ‘Something of the Night’, and turned up unexpectedly during a lockdown trawl through JUMP HQ’s cupboards...
16th March 2021 -
Some MORE of the Night is here!
In 2006 we released our second live album. Entitled ‘Something of the Night’, it was recorded in front of a full-house at the Limelight Theatre in Aylesbury as a marker for what was the third incarnation of the band. We had a couple of hours of material to choose from, and as a consequence, the running order of the album did not stick faithfully to the one on the night. We wanted to achieve a balanced flow that worked with the dynamics of the selections - that said, there were no overdubs or corrections made to the recordings, and the album stands as a robust representation of where we were back then.
The album has some ‘interesting’ moments, not least the start of ‘On Bended Knee’ - at the time a brand new song that we chose to debut on the night. Keen listeners will hear the tempo being furiously wound back as Andy B realises that it’s gone off at a breakneck (and wrong) pace. We left it on the CD - it always makes us smile. ‘Fool in Me’, as with ‘Nation of Friends’ on our first live offering ‘The Freedom Train’, is a one-off. By the time we recorded ‘The Beachcomber’ album, it was deemed not to fit with the feel of that set. As with ‘On Bended Knee’ it was the first performance of the song - there weren’t many more - but, again, it sounds pretty fresh so many years later.
Which brings us to an idle afternoon in COVID19 lockdown, 2021. I take a phone call from Ronnie, who’s been having a sort out. He’s found something. Or rather, he’s found ‘Something...’ Lurking in an anonymous cardboard box which contains broken guitar leads, a frayed strap and a book about Iron Maiden, he’s found the original recordings of Something of the Night... all of them. He sounds quite excited about his discovery - according to him, the ‘spare’ tracks are worth a listen. Emails duly received, I put on my cans and have a listen, and find myself grinning and wholeheartedly agreeing. When the album was first mooted, we considered a double CD but costs put us off, and so it was inevitable that the whole gig wouldn’t make it. I’d even forgotten that the ‘acoustic’ section on the night comprised five songs, not just the three on the CD...
We passed the recordings around the band and unanimously agreed that those present on the night, or those interested in some unique material, might care to add this little bit of JUMP history to their collection. As with the original album there are a few musical blemishes which induce the odd wincing smile in certain quarters, but hey, it’s a hundred per cent real. Are they in the right order? Who would know?
‘Some More Of The Night’ has been released as a six song download, featuring:
- In a Second
Pride of Britain
Soul Proprietor (full band acoustic)
The Curtain Call (full band acoustic)
Cold Wind Blow
Like a Drum
18th February 2021 -
Oyez! Oyez!
Things are still moving on with a lot of momentum at JUMP HQ. We were pleased and proud to be featured in PROG magazine, with John chatting with Grant Moon about all things Breaking Point. The issue features Jethro Tull’s Aqualung and also has a lengthy interview with the maestro Steven Wilson... yes, the one from Porcupine Tree who played their first gig at the Nags Head in Wycombe. Our diary suggests we either supported or played downstairs in the bar that night...
Breaking Point has received rave reviews and this month the interviews continue, so look out for more stories in the press. We’ve also got a couple of surprises coming your way, so keep your eyes on the social feeds. You will NOT be disappointed...
Don’t forget to check out the YouTube link for some videos - the latest one is for ‘The Voices’ and it’s another great job by Sam Jones... apparently there’s another on the way soon.
We can’t wait to get back on a stage and PLAY. Let’s hope that’s now firmly on the horizon. Keep yourselves safe, keep looking on the bright side and don’t let them tell you (that you’re old).
7th January 2021 -
Happy New Year!
We hope that 2021 finds you in good shape and that you’ve enjoyed listening to Breaking Point over these long winter nights! Our fourteenth album has been wonderfully received and we’ll be sharing a collection of the reviews here soon!
The Coronavirus pandemic has once again impacted our schedule. The 30th anniversary gigs that were rescheduled for May this year have now been further rescheduled for November 5 and 6. Taking an early decision on this was considered imperative to allow ticket-holders enough time to rearrange plans. For those unable to attend because of the rearranged dates, a full refund is available. Were sorry it had to happen but it was becoming clear that May might not be ideal...
Next month we will announce an exciting new project that we’ve been working on recently, and which is likely to be brought forward as a result of the lockdown that sees us once again unable to get together to rehearse. Look out for an announcement soon. We’ve also been invited to participate in another new external venture that also goes live very soon. All will be revealed in due course.
Stay safe, be kind.
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