The Jam-Strange Town (1979)

[dual506]

Thanks so much for this xx

Break it up!!

[mod69]

they worry themselves about the dreadful snow...weller singing about our mums ha

[weimaraner2]

I totally agree. Was a huge part of my life growing up during this era.

He was pure genius with lyrics. Still love a town called malice, I recon this was his best for me.

I do get annoyed when DJs or younger people refer to the Jam as a punk band !

Never were they were all about being mods and the whole smart cool dress code.

Cant ever see Paul in ripped black jeans and chains hanging everywhere.

[stevej061069]

"we've got our own manifesto, we're kind to queers..."

It's a long time since you've been able to get away with a line like that in a song. A brilliant song from a fucking BRILLIANT band.

[Mistagamebrain]

This band is way too underrated and/or forgotten

[donutden]

MrTayloroo thats because he thinks he's Weller/Lennon

[RayCrayon16]

Bruce Foxton's hair is just awesome.

[MrTayloroo]

noel gallaghers favourite song

[MrSlimjimk]

The footage at the start is a bit naff, it's like they looked back at it and thought nah, let's just get you boys on the stage where you belong

[Swaggs303]

dont know dont care n i gotta go mate

[edbrooks47]

you need this

how 'bout billy hunt?

[Gaston624]

I'm 14, living up to the mod life. It'll never die, the music, clothes and lifestyle is too amazing. I need myself some bowling shoes!

[Fab4Mitchum]

Uber cool.

[tony671]

i was 16 in 79 and had been into the jam since in the city all my m8s got into punk and i didnt it was mod for me and when i heard all mod cons that was it, 32yr later as i type this i have a fred perry, levis and desert boots on and i still listen to the jam! pow! weller was the spokesman for my generation of late 70 kids 1000s of us wanted to dress like weller! the real ace face, the coolest man on the planet, the modfather!pow! a fuckin legend

[MrTillyayre]

@tony671 love your comment. cheers.

[TheBigdene]

hated them back in 79 but as time  gose by find my self playing them more and more good stuff

[bamjanner]

lol! Been doing a bit of research (reSEARCH, for the Yanks) and old Weller's almost certainly a four by two. The name comes from yiddish 'veller mensch' which means good man. In the Pickwick papers, Sam Weller was asked by the judge if he preferred his surname spelled with a v or a w and Sam said a v. There is of course no w in Yiddish.So big schozz Paul is a Jewboy and I was right all along.

[ianjrivers]

@bamjanner Interesting thought, but then again, you're only Jewish if your mother is, otherwise you're not...!

[bamjanner]

@ianjrivers Fair point mate - apparently that was introduced into Rabbinic law because the daddy jews were knocking up the domestic help left, right and centre. At least you knew it was kosher if the mother was Jewish.

[MrPhilroo123]

pure mad memories, ace music, footy, unemployment, social madness, the jam boxed it right off, the north loved em, just ask em.

[bungalowlegs]

@MrPhilroo123 yes the north did love them and we still do ... from a northerner of course !! all the best

[davesgcr]

Comment made before - but hits a chord (pun) from when living for the first time in London in 1980 and coming to terms with it all. Classic and loved track - remember buying the single as soon as it came out in Finchley Road Our Price records - how "London is that !

Gutted when this era ended - !

[TheHumbuckerboy]

@DaveyBoyEssexUK I would add 'Down In The Tube Station At Midnight' and one of my more obscure favourites,'Life From A Window' .

[peterhopcraft]

First time that a cleaning product made the charts - Mr Sheen.

[TheHumbuckerboy]

This (along with 'Going Underground' ) is my favourite Jam song.Weller was really on top form here !

[DaveyBoyEssexUK]

@TheHumbuckerboy this song , Going Underground, When You`re Young and Thick as Thieves are my favourites , This to me is the Jam at their Peak

[TheChipper1964]

just epic... nuff said.

[redsull123]

0:00 - 0:08 there just isn't any modern music that has legendary intros like these

[shawnnimby]

cause they don't know, I'm really a spaceman from those UFO's

[INFINITOCACHIRULO]

ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL SONGS TO COME OUT OF THE 1970'S.

THE MELODY, RHYTHM, VOCALS AND LYRICS ARE PURE ENERGY AND TRUE TO THE JAM'S CONCEPT OF PUNK. SINCE THE MID-70'S NO OTHER GROUPS, IN ANY TYPE OF MUSIC GENRE, HAVE COME CLOSE TO WHAT THE JAM, THE SEX PISTOLS, AND THE CLASH ACHIEVED WITH THEIR MINDS, INSTRUMENTS AND BASIC KNOWLEDGE OF MUSIC THEORY TO PERFORM AND RECORD EXCELLENT SONGS DURIGN THEIR BRIEF CAREERS AS PUNK BANDS.

[ChrissTownshend]

Awesome!



[davidlinnie1]

cant believe i was 12

[calboy64]

one of the best

[shovingwords]

this is one of the best "pop" songs ever written. stunning piece of music!

[genogeno683]

lets have a magic hand for a magic band

[donnysoulboy1959]

carlsberg did do bands and this is it

[southlondon63]

when i first moved to London when i was 17 this was my anthem

[somonelse666]

@southlondon63 i now live in london and i'm 16 and this has been my anthem since i heard it...

[karlcurtis10]

I love this song brings back so many happy memories....turn volume up full blast, press play, sit back and enjoy

[ghills1234]

What a great song, reminds me of my younger days.

I was actually reminded about this song by a book I read, unusual I know.

I really enjoyed it, a lot of it based in London, it was a great story and this song comes up in it. Fantastic novel, that has actually reminded me of a few brilliant songs that are mentioned.

[hibeegirl17]

paul, rick and bruce..what else can u say!!!

[madasahammer1]

@hibeegirl17 paul weller, rick buckler and bruce foxton?

[kiwismogmonster]

No reality TV , here........ "betrayed by your accent"

[mainface]

where did i park my scooter?

[thatfingio]

The second single I ever bought ,The Skids Into the Valley being the first .

This still sounds fresh ,always one of my favourite Jam tunes this was :)

[calhugs9]

ive seen weller and he was awsome man awsome

[redbugiii]

Thanks for postin' full video!!!! DAR-----Jupiter Beach, Florida, USA is a strange town

[redbugiii]

Thanks for postin' full video!!!! DAR-----Jupiter Beach, Florida, USA

[mrfishjersey]

Its awesome that so many youngsters love the Jam again, but a big part of it was the era, the music had passion, the kids had passion. My daughters now love The Jam, bless them they have great taste :-)

[titbumwilly1]

bought this on it's release from metro music in sheerness, rode to my mates in the pouring rain, and played it non-stop. great times, and THE band of a generation.

[breezester]

word

[jmal7211]

Brilliant, I bought this single back in 1979

[DaveyBoyEssexUK]

Certainly one of my favourites along with Thick As Thieves, When You`re Young, Eton Rifles and Burning Sky

[HonkyCat90]

The fathers of mod revival. We owe 'em big

[tony671]

79 what a great year turned 16 music was fuckin amazing!!! the jam ,the specials,madness ,the beat,elvis castello,the clash all in the charts. i couldn't name a song in the top 20 now which is sad ."ha u think its funny! turnin rebellion into money"

[wide2west]

@tony671 haha I'm 18 and neither can I mate!

born in the wrong era without a doubt

[tomdav97]

my favourite jam song

[MissEgasMoniz]

My fav Jam track.

[robsouthyorkshireuk]

Saw him do it live the other week in Sheffield. Amazing.

[harry2026]

8 in 79 would be better, Quality.

[markmcglashan]

I love this song, I love the video which was filmed at Victoria underground despite Paul mentioning Oxford Street. I love the arrangement of the song as well as the fury in Paul's voice when he say rush our money to the record shops, This song is a touch of class.

[mikey4664]

seeing him again tomorrow

[philcross73]

nice to see a good song/video being ruined by racism.... Mankind has achieved so much, yet we still find it in ourselves to belittle others... Grow up you wankers!!

[GelGsound]

Poor jews. :( They've copped SH*T since the beginning of time for no reason. They've been everyone's favourite scapegoat since the time of the Egyptians. Antisemitism is just a ridiculous prejudice. Archaic,backwards philosophy.

@bamjanner you are a twat.

[shaneuk666]

I wish I was born in the late 60s, so I could grow up to the 70s and go to all the gigs in 80s. 

[somonelse666]

@shaneuk666 i compleatly agree with you, unfortunally i'm 15 and don't posess a time machine :(

O, and i can't spell either.....

[TheSean42]

@somonelse666 just listening to the music's as good as a time machine mate

[supertomcat1000]

@bamjanner, your such an arsehole!! why bring this jewish malarky into this thread? hes got a norman name you cabbage! weller, =norman/viking blood you twat. juss enjoy his talent, or piss off!

[bamjanner]

@supertomcat1000Get realpal. Home counties are full of Jews. I think we've proved conclusively that Weller's a Jewboy,lol.

You probably think Simon Cowell's an Englishman!!!

[u414336]

PW got himself banned from the Colston Hall in Bristol with this song because when he sang 'break it up, brake it up burn it out and shake it up' the crowd ripped the seats out and threw them onstage at the end....FU*KING awesome...!!!

[iwontshareyouify]

fucking brilliant

but my wife says it is old sweat music

what should i do to her?

[groinhat]

@iwontshareyouify The wife of a Jam fan is obviously a sophisticated woman of good taste, but if she's unconvinced then you better put on 'Funeral Pyre' full bung and hump her senseless, then make sweet sweet love to her with 'The Bitterest Pill' playing in the background.

If she reads a lot put on 'Going Underground' and shag her up the bum.

[MegaPapa1968]

I've lived in seven different towns in my lifetime and I can relate to this so much. How on Earth could Weller have known about how it feels when he was so young? Genius. Legend of our generation.

[iwontshareyouify]

@MegaPapa1968

well put



[MegaPapa1968]

Lived in seven different towns in my lifetime and I can relate to this so much. How could he have known about that when he was only that age? What a genious. Legend.

[captaincomputa]

No autotune back then,just real talent,get that!

[ScowlingWolf]

oh throw back,,,, this was me at  thirteen

[smid27]

bamjanner, you are a sad fascist and need to get a life..idiot that you are

[bamjanner]

I like it, but is Weller a Jewboy? Look at the schnozz on him. If he is, I'd have to change my opinion. One of his nippers has a touch of the tar brush too - the yids always did breed off their slaves

[supermcgannon]

@bamjanner Fuck off back to your hole and read your BNP newsletter you fascist twat.

[conorsmells]

@bamjanner cor mate you have on fuckin opinion weller aint a jew and why bring race into it just enjoy the music that he brang to us

[PROTEK123]

@bamjanner What the Fuck u on about ?? If u gonna come here and slate him Why the fuck u come and listen in the 1st place ??? and BTW ime a round head not a cavalier but ime not jewish !!! thats the only problem with the internet... it allows YOU access

[iwontshareyouify]

@bamjanner

bamjanner are you an agent provocoteur?

[jeffiegirl]

i have in my possession a plectrum Paul used in 1983 at Brid Spa and also the songlist that was pinned to the floor.

[ChrisJGay]

This is one of the best Jam songs. As always great Lyrics that are stil true today. Top song

[CatapultYourMom]

I'm worried about the dreadful snow.

[fatbhoyed]

Pure class, stands the test of time, I love this stuff.......

[Skinsta74]

The Jam.....Nuff said!

[ozmosyd]

Pure Class ... it just aint the same anymore regarding the lyrics. Music had meaning before ...

[ViajanteB4]

Excelente!

[malcolmnash]

Great lyrics - great delivery, nobody writes like the Modfather

[tomdav97]

quality!! one of my favourite

[davesgcr]

Very pertinent to me as I moved to London when this came out ! - sort of a long ago memory of an interesting time - great , great stuff !

[soulman1888]

even weller don't write lyrics like this now, In my opinion being a long time jam, style council and weller fan weller lost the plot years ago :)

[Violetta2509]

Paul ♥

[wozzi71]

paul weller was the nuts in the jam but absolute toilet in the style council and his solo hit and miss but the jam were the nuts

[philipchimp]

@wozzi71 couldnt agree more my friend!

[philipchimp]

@wozzi71 

[TimBambiStalin]

I love the Jam

[marksnewhome]

pure class

[JamesTKirkCobain]

I don`t get the appeal of this band at all. Their music sounds ordinary, nothing revealing or standout. I mean it could fit in a commercial for shoes or cake. What am I missing here? 10 billion bands out there and this is one of the best? Yeah OK., and Justin Bieber is a genius.

[TimBambiStalin]

@JamesTKirkCobain ok i'll bite, suprising based on your moniker, The Jam was the quintessential BALLS MALE HORNY on SPEED music of the Vespa and Lambretta riding Mods of England in the 70's and early 80's.

Kirk Cobain would approve of them.

love,

Tim Bambi Stalin

a Vespa rider

[forestfan3]

@JamesTKirkCobain  what a tosser you are

[XxJacobyLouisxX]

@JamesTKirkCobain Justin Beiber is a dick, and so are you :) The Jam are most amazing and there are no bands or artists as good as they were in their day.

Love the Jam! :D 

[Nicomagic6]

Great single but I think the All Mod Cons album will be their 'defining moment'. Weller had discovered his songwriting style and Foxton and Buckler flourished within it. Foxton's busy basslines perfectly complimented Weller's chordal guitar lines. (Funnily enough it was the same with Entwhistle and Townsend). Weller developed a knack of knowing when to strike a chord full on, when to damp it and when to throw in a lead fill.

[millwallpaul76]

i had a pair of those shoes pure class good days

[parrottamer]

i <3 paul weller

[Mods130]

@parrottamer he is the modfather im a 14 yar old mod (:

[EDLKTF]

@Mods130 He is the Modfather I'm a 16 year old Mod (y)

[Mods130]

@EDLKTF thats good!!!!!1!!!!! do you have a scooter im geting my vintg one when im 16 i got anuthe for it allreday my girlfriends dads scooter is wall good he is a mod and so is she

[DANNYM35]

The way Weller says 'manifesto' sends a shiver down my spine!

[Blitzkriegpunk77]

15 years old when this came out learned the words reading smash hits and been singing it ever since - goodbye to a generation of honest well written music from the heart probably never to be seen again still the memories remain........................­..

[forestfan3]

those shoes were do I GET THEM?

[franktherat11]

@forestfan3 try shelleys shoes carnaby street or oxford streeet london

[DANNYM35]

@forestfan3

Do them in Merc down Carnaby Street.. try The Face aswell. Can't go wrong fella!

[mertonparka]

why did Foxton always have that bloody stupid long hair style? Bloody hippy, never trust one!

[jonnyreyn]

loved this song then and still love it now !!

[nevadajo7]

forgotten how good this song is :)

[buddhabder]

This takes me back.  Play this and then flip it over for The Butterfly Collector on the B-side. The Jam's B-side were always top class.

[paulmote]

GREAT GREAT song! The Jam were so awesome! Why are they not in the R N' R hall of fame is beyond me. I mean REALLY, Genisus? ABBA? but no Jam, the BUzzocks, New York dolls, the damned, Big Star, i just don't get it

[JohnnyFriendly]

Simple reason - you have to pay to get in. And I mean pay BIG.

Glad to see many of the old time punkers still have enough integrity to bypass such a sham

[JoyDivisionSouth]

go and see SLF

still amazing for about £12

..plus they normally have good support

[davesgcr]

God ! - to be 21 again in 1979 ..........

Epic , truly epic stuff. Can never go through Woking on the train without thinking of this classic track.

[miley5566]

@davesgcr

you capture the nostalgia that music makes you feel really well with that comment. It made me smile.

Mind you, think about it - it probably says more about the quality of the song than the quality of being 21 in Woking in 1979.

[bamjanner]

@davesgcr It's not about Woking, it's about London. Do you think he's a Jewboy?

[lunny5]

@bamjanner this man cant be more english so just go away?

[bamjanner]

@bamjanner What if I don't, Jewboy? Will you send the mossad round?!! lol

[iwontshareyouify]

@bamjanner

cunt

[bamjanner]

@iwontshareyouify Indeeed you are!

[flippyflyer]

@bamjanner how about i prong your little tight a**ehole with my fist and make you winper into my j*w girlfreind...i like how you talk..so braun ...shall we play bam bam?..let me make you my male c*nt.....sound good wally?

[bamjanner]

@flippyflyer Wouldn't happen mate. I'd fuck you up ugly...hurt you...forget it.

[flippyflyer]

@bamjanner ahhhhh such a internet badass...... limey f*ck might bring your words to a real neighborhood here in LA..we're we'd sl*ce and dice your non jew nuts and have you ingest them and turn you into a the lil non jew girl you really are....

[iwontshareyouify]

@flippyflyer

yes bamjanner is a cunt mate he needs a cap busting in his ass my homey compton chilling gansta homey blud brother nigga yo

[tullowhill]

My second favorite Jam song after town called malice! I love the mid 8 in this song especially....

[ozjuice]

15 miles from oxford St and it's a strange town? He's right!

[potchoker]

quality .

[SeanCambo]

Prince Adores The Jam

[SgtPlmFry]

@SeanCambo

Cool, I didn't know that. He also loved T.Rex.

[raymacca14]

Slope off in a backstreet-buy myself a snort-Classic!

[biowkosan]

Yep...the quintessential Jam era for me, this song is a belter, as is` when your young` G.U. & D.I.T.T.S.....all transpose surprisingly well as classical guitar pieces...true!

[Jrhynie]

This was the UK in the 70s/80s. Wrong accent and manners earned you a good kicking. Especially near railway stations on Saturdays. Not quite the same today thankfully.

Great lyrics.

[26354BladeRunner]

You don't think so? You must live in a posh area!!!

[jimmythecreep]

they don't know, don't care...n' i gotta go mate, hehe...i cud go on n' on about how great these guys were...but u already know that. this is one of those songs that take me to a different place every time i hear it. truly a classic song by a band that has stood the test of time.

[TheBackspace11]

top 10 jam songs 1 when your young 2 down in the tube station at midnight 3 strange town 4 thats entertainment 5 going underground 6 the butterfly collector 7 away from the numbers 8 thick as thieves 9 moden world 10 town called malice

[GriefTourist]

always used to think this was an average Jam single but it is in fact rather splendid

[dustyrose64]

i love this song one of the best

[electricmoonmonkey]

before i came here (quality song btw) i typed spankwire in bing, and no porn site came up.. shit search engine, went to google in the end and pulled my cock off..google miles better!

[mickdimas]

Ah, reminds me of being a young f8ck!

[english0not0british]

tis a band like this that makes me feel proud to be english

[Bloomazz]

Tis a bandlike this that makes me feel proud to be British

[PhillipThunderGrunge]

the same "The Jam" that covered the Batman theme?

[TheTokenBrit86]

Yes.

[jacquielinka]

Paul Weller was at his best in the jam. Still brilliant!

[Vincent13]

@jacquielinka Paul Weller dressed his best in the Jam. But yeah still brilliant.

[outlookisgood]

smiling away to myself watching this vid just fantastic memories....thanks..:)))

[newromanticism2005]

new wave is one of my favorite child music genre..

[washingliquid]

we are the lads, we are the lads, we are we are we are the lads. i remember that old chant from football matches in the 70's. the bloke in the leather jacket, brothel creepers and bondage trousers seen ascending the tube station steps at the begining of this vid struck me as a bit of a lad.

[johnny1539]

im really a spaceman from those UFOs....quality.

[potchoker]

wot a tune

[potchoker]

uve gota walk in a straight line!!!!!!

[holysmoke45]

thanks for the upload .. what memories!

[potchoker]

NeW WaVe!!!

[RahenyBohs]

same guy who directed the 1990 tmnt film, directed the video for this

[splifsend]

woking or guildford something like that , cant remember to be sure

[RMSFC15]

Pretty sure they are from Woking. The Stranglers were from Guildford.

[trifelgeputinage]

''I'm sick of the clubs where the music's loud cos I don't see a face in a single crowd - there's no one there!'

Superb track, superb band, my favourite song ever - and I don't care if they're from North, South, East or West - they ARE the best.

[hampden12]

pish

[ScottishStovey]

wish the would re-form -- they even played my home town in `82 falkirk!!! no-one ever plays here!!

[sinister066]

one of the greatest songwriters this country has ever seen.

[potchoker]

i hate these southern fairys.... us northerns no how to make music... beatles oasis the jam stone roses.. the list goes on...

[cit1971]

the rolling stones are quite good heard of em

[andycap999]

The Jam aint from the north dummy

[indicadubman]

TUNE #1 FROM THE MODFATHER