R.I.P Rick Buckler (the jam)

Wasn't lucky enough to see The Jam live but did get to meet Rick at The Boardwalk when he was managing a band called The Highliners. They say never meet your heroes, but he was a top bloke and happily chatted for ages.

Think he was more surprised that some young psychobilly (I know) recognised him and could discuss in detail his body of work with The Jam, especially as drummers are usually overlooked as just the guy in the background.
 
stonerblue said:
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Boy wasn't they just 3 young boys from Woking surrey, The sound coming from them Rickenbackers and Rick drums makes your hair stand up on the back of the neck.

A Very Special Band and Rick and Bruce really do get little recognition at times in the music media
The proper fans of the jam are all about the whole package and not just Weller, They worked so hard on the sound and it worked when it shouldn't, even live they were amazing and the sound was so tight,

Funny only the other week I was watching The Tube and The Jam Last Ever TV Gig and it was the finished article and had grown to 5 or 6 people on stage with female vocals and horns and keyboards and it was smooth as silk.

It was a crying shame Weller walked away, because I think they would have become world-renowned and broke the USA like the clash did, Rick and Bruce were left to defend for themselves and a bitter ending with Weller never talking to Rick again,

R.I.P Rick. you will never be forgotten and your part in the jam will never be made to fade into the shadows because you were a major part of THE JAM
 
Very sad news. I had no idea Rick was in poor health.

The Jam have always fascinated me over the years, it started as a teenager when I used to watch the charts religiously ,when they were relevant ,and and I can remember just being blown away by " and new entry at No 1..The Jam "

How does that happen ? And they did it time and again. Growing up in notts in the 80s I was always acutely aware of the tight band of loyal dedicated Jam fans ,who would proudly show off their badges/ t shirts etc and this I suppose was replicated in every town and city across the country,..and looking back ...that's how they stormed the charts time and again,their loyal band of followers made it happen by rushing out to buy every single release...this together with elite marketing from their record label ,Polydor,London,iirc

I can still remember feeling really sad when" Bitterest Pill "was released and it was announced as their final record...I was thinking ,I've missed out on something here ,.BP was an absolutely brilliant single release.

The backing vocal of Tracey Young on BP was a sign of things to come ,and to soften the blow I really got into The Style Council, who I absolutely loved , and was aware of other Weller projects Inc Tracie/ Tracey ? And the band called The Questions who released" The Price you pay" around the same time as Tracies "the house that Jack Built" .,it was clear that Wellers unfathomable creative energy was at odds with the tight 3 man band look and was spilling over into mutiple different areas..

My main musical interest was the new wave/ gothic punk electronic scene , and this didn't sit well with The Jam etc but I've never been one to stick to one category or set of rules ....and I was able to continue my appreciation of Wellers voice when I started watching City home and away in the late 80s ,and was the regular drinking partner of huge Blue and Jam fan John Kierans ...I can look back now and remember many a day we,d rush off from watching City play rubbish somewhere ..to a Weller gig at the Apollo Manchester orr ,old trafford cricket ground,being soothed by Wellers voice after a City defeat in the old days ...I can also remember rushing over to Sheffield from Manchester to see Ricks jam tribute band ( or was itFoxtons? ) at Sheffield university.

The Jam played a part in one of the greatest days of my life,back in May 2012, just after we'd won the league under Mancini, I'd been to the game and eventually headed back to town ,loads of us met up in The Hare and Hounds ,and I was still coming to terms with the high emotions of the hours before..I needed a release .and the pub DJ put on 'Start' by The Jam in the backroom..,Wow what a moment as the opening riff started up and I grabbed Jackie from Blackley and whisked her to the dance floor to have prob the happiest dance I've ever had
What a way to celebrate the title after years of football mediocrity.

RIP Rick.

Edit ..got a bit confused ,beat surrender was the last jam single release not bitterest pill
Both great tracks .
 
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ancoats said:
Boy wasn't they just 3 young boys from Woking surrey, The sound coming from them Rickenbackers and Rick drums makes your hair stand up on the back of the neck.

A Very Special Band and Rick and Bruce really do get little recognition at times in the music media
The proper fans of the jam are all about the whole package and not just Weller, They worked so hard on the sound and it worked when it shouldn't, even live they were amazing and the sound was so tight,

Funny only the other week I was watching The Tube and The Jam Last Ever TV Gig and it was the finished article and had grown to 5 or 6 people on stage with female vocals and horns and keyboards and it was smooth as silk.

It was a crying shame Weller walked away, because I think they would have become world-renowned and broke the USA like the clash did, Rick and Bruce were left to defend for themselves and a bitter ending with Weller never talking to Rick again,

R.I.P Rick. you will never be forgotten and your part in the jam will never be made to fade into the shadows because you were a major part of THE JAM
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I think if I ever had to change my name,the new name would be Rickenbacker,it's a great name,I think there was an American flying ace in WW1 called Eddie Rickenbacker, so I would have good ancestry.
Edit - I've just looked him up and Eddie was also a Congressional Medal of Honor winner and head of Eastern Airlines for many years,so he must have been a stand up guy.
 
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dennishasdoneit said:
Very sad news. I had no idea Rick was in poor health.

The Jam have always fascinated me over the years, it started as a teenager when I used to watch the charts religiously ,when they were relevant ,and and I can remember just being blown away by " and new entry at No 1..The Jam "

How does that happen ? And they did it time and again. Growing up in notts in the 80s I was always acutely aware of the tight band of loyal dedicated Jam fans ,who would proudly show off their badges/ t shirts etc and this I suppose was replicated in every town and city across the country,..and looking back ...that's how they stormed the charts time and again,their loyal band of followers made it happen by rushing out to buy every single release...this together with elite marketing from their record label ,Polydor,London,iirc

I can still remember feeling really sad when" Bitterest Pill "was released and it was announced as their final record...I was thinking ,I've missed out on something here ,.BP was an absolutely brilliant single release.

The backing vocal of Tracey Young on BP was a sign of things to come ,and to soften the blow I really got into The Style Council, who I absolutely loved , and was aware of other Weller projects Inc Tracie/ Tracey ? And the hand called The Questions who released" The Price you pay" around the same time as Tracies "the house that Jack Built" .,it was clear that Wellers unfathomable creative energy was at odds with the tight 3 man band look and was spilling over into mutiple different areas..

My main musical interest was the new wave/ gothic punk electronic scene , and this didn't sit well with The Jam etc but I've never been one to stick to one category or set of rules ....and I was able to continue my appreciation of Wellers voice when I started watching City home and away in the late 80s ,and was the regular drinking partner of huge Blue and Jam fan John Kierans ...I can look back now and remember many a day we,d rush off from watching City play rubbish somewhere ..to a Weller gig at the Apollo Manchester orr ,old trafford cricket ground,being soothed by Wellers voice after a City defeat in the old days ...I can also remember rushing over to Sheffield from Manchester to see Ricks jam tribute band ( or was itFoxtons? ) at Sheffield university.

The Jam played a part in one of the greatest days of my life,back in May 2012, just after we'd won the league under Mancini, I'd been to the game and eventually headed back to town ,loads of us met up in The Hare and Hounds ,and I was still coming to terms with the high emotions of the hours before..I needed a release .and the pub DJ put on 'Start' by The Jam in the backroom..,Wow what a moment as the opening riff started up and I grabbed JACKIE from Blackley and whisked her to the dance floor to have prob the happiest dance I've ever had
What a way to celebrate the title after years of football mediocrity.

RIP Rick.
Click to expand...
TITS OUT JACKIE by any chance ??
 
manclad said:
TITS OUT JACKIE by any chance ??
Click to expand...
No,not her,altho I know her as well.
Last time I saw toj was at villa Wembley cup final, the time before that was villa away a few years ago when she offered out a male villa fan on the train to whitton....he didn't take her up on the offer as she definitely meant it.....when he hot off the train, out of Jackies earshot,he went absolutely mad with rage swearing and threatening etc....but it was too late pal.. she'd done your head in.

We lost 1nil ..of course.
 
It's still hard to think and take that Rick has passed on, I really do hope that somebody got hold of Weller to speak to him before his death or even just a phone call to put some of the wrongs right. Sounds like it did with the words on the internet Weller put out with the news breaking

Anyway here is a very underestimated song by The Jam and a strange video to boot. Rick smashed the clock on the wall has a very pop art feel to it

The Jam - Absolute Beginners​


 
Feels strange.days after .to have to accept that a unit ,that was part of your life ..has gone.
I feel humbled, as a music lover,reading posts from other blues who understand Drumming,and how good Rick was.The posters who actually met him and spoke to him and shared their thoughts online are really important
I'd basically loved the Jam ,the sound, the vinyl,without ever appreciating the musical acumen behind the band.
Rick appears to have been a special man.
I don't do regrets,but I wish I'd have been there for an early gig of the Jam...I'm still wondering how 3 people made. Such noise,Brilliant noise.
This all means there can be no re union gig.., and that hurts.
No idea of the beef between Paul and Rick,I didn't follow them that closely,just sad that the death came before a chance of any... reconciliation if that's the word.?
Watching the videos.,.takes me back to a Britain I don't recognise anymore
So much raw passion and aggression expression of feeling..,....where the fuck did that go ?
 
dennishasdoneit said:
Feels strange.days after .to have to accept that a unit ,that was part of your life ..has gone.
I feel humbled, as a music lover,reading posts from other blues who understand Drumming,and how good Rick was.The posters who actually met him and spoke to him and shared their thoughts online are really important
I'd basically loved the Jam ,the sound, the vinyl,without ever appreciating the musical acumen behind the band.
Rick appears to have been a special man.
I don't do regrets,but I wish I'd have been there for an early gig of the Jam...I'm still wondering how 3 people made. Such noise,Brilliant noise.
This all means there can be no re union gig.., and that hurts.
No idea of the beef between Paul and Rick,I didn't follow them that closely,just sad that the death came before a chance of any... reconciliation if that's the word.?
Watching the videos.,.takes me back to a Britain I don't recognise anymore
So much raw passion and aggression expression of feeling..,....where the fuck did that go ?
Click to expand...

Rick's death has knocked me and many people for 6, it feels like a family member we loved and now have lost, We are losing our idols every other week it seems, From football music TV, and films they all moved on and left us. It's a wake-up and smell-the-coffee moment, the little time we all have left on this planet, It is now time for putting our wrongs and falls outs and feuds to bed,

From the moment you watched The JAM on TV how could you not relate to them? I quote the song,
Killing Me Softly. Roberta Flack.

Strumming my pain with his fingers
Singing my life with his words

I heard he sang a good song, I heard he had a style
And so I came to see him, and listen for a while
And there he was, this young boy, stranger to my eyes

Strumming my pain with his fingers
Singing my life with his words

The Jam was singing about the life our youth was living in the UK at the time because they were young, We all could relate to the songs and the anger/passion/pain song after song

Manchester Collyhurst Granada TV

The Jam Live Electric Circus Manchester 1977​

 
ancoats said:
It's still hard to think and take that Rick has passed on, I really do hope that somebody got hold of Weller to speak to him before his death or even just a phone call to put some of the wrongs right. Sounds like it did with the words on the internet Weller put out with the news breaking

Anyway here is a very underestimated song by The Jam and a strange video to boot. Rick smashed the clock on the wall has a very pop art feel to it

The Jam - Absolute Beginners​


Click to expand...

Never met the guy, obviously. But Weller comes across as the type of guy it could be difficult to get on with. Now, I could be way off there. He might well be that bloke who gives up his seat on the bus to old ladies, loves animals, donates to "charidee" etc etc. It's just a feeling I get watching him.
 
jimharri said:
Never met the guy, obviously. But Weller comes across as the type of guy it could be difficult to get on with. Now, I could be way off there. He might well be that bloke who gives up his seat on the bus to old ladies, loves animals, donates to "charidee" etc etc. It's just a feeling I get watching him.
Click to expand...

I think nobody really knows Weller but himself, he's had a couple of marriages and kids, but is a very private man and hates the limelight and all the fuss, The fall out on Weller side was with Rick and Bruce and a bitter split of the jam and a court case over royalties (money) But Bruce and Weller made up and even did some songs together and an album was recorded in Weller's studio as part of Bruce's From the Jam band,

Rick, I don't think ever made up with Weller ? Maybe in his last days somebody got them together or by Phone,
I hope so and I know Weller's sister Nicky was close to Rick and did loads of stuff like the jam About The Young Idea exhibition over the country
 
jimharri said:
Never met the guy, obviously. But Weller comes across as the type of guy it could be difficult to get on with. Now, I could be way off there. He might well be that bloke who gives up his seat on the bus to old ladies, loves animals, donates to "charidee" etc etc. It's just a feeling I get watching him.
Click to expand...
I know what you mean.
I've never met the man...,but rightly or wrongly ,....I feel as though I connected with him ....deep inside the 12" version of Money go round by style council ,.towards the end where he snaps out the the immortal words
"I must admit I'm a socialist!!! "
That 12" was never off my turntable early 80s ,and i know I'm going off topic....but a man who puts that much passion nto his work......yeah you could see there might be attrition hardcore at any given moment..if u didn't agree...with everything he said.
Watching from afar , as I have done over the years ,and now ,looking back, Rick didn't look someone to back down.
Just a feeling...
 
ancoats said:
Rick's death has knocked me and many people for 6, it feels like a family member we loved and now have lost, We are losing our idols every other week it seems, From football music TV, and films they all moved on and left us. It's a wake-up and smell-the-coffee moment, the little time we all have left on this planet, It is now time for putting our wrongs and falls outs and feuds to bed,

From the moment you watched The JAM on TV how could you not relate to them? I quote the song,
Killing Me Softly. Roberta Flack.

Strumming my pain with his fingers
Singing my life with his words

I heard he sang a good song, I heard he had a style
And so I came to see him, and listen for a while
And there he was, this young boy, stranger to my eyes

Strumming my pain with his fingers
Singing my life with his words

The Jam was singing about the life our youth was living in the UK at the time because they were young, We all could relate to the songs and the anger/passion/pain song after song

Manchester Collyhurst Granada TV

The Jam Live Electric Circus Manchester 1977​

Click to expand...

Thanks for posting this Ancoats, brilliant.
 
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