Jazzateers were formed in 1980 by guitarist Ian Burgoyne and bassist Keith Band. By 1982, they had a vocalist called Paul Quinn (who I may just have payed homage to elsewhere in T.V.V.) and recorded an LP for Postcard Records that was never released.
Fast forward to 1983 and Paul has gone to be replaced by Graeme Skinner. By now the band has signed with Rough Trade Records.
Graeme Skinner left the band soon after and joined Hipsway who had a Top 10 hit with The Honeythief.
Ian Burgoyne and Keith Band, who wrote both of the tracks on this single, joined up again with Paul Quinn in Bourgie Bourgie. After that, they reformed Jazzateers with yet another lead singer - Matthew Wilcox.
Oh, and I should mention that another member of Mark 3 of Jazzateers was Mick Slaven and he would later team up with Paul Quinn as part of The Independent Group.
my entry in GUARDIAN 'secret weapon' a while back:
JAZZATEERS (1983)
ROUGH TRADE 46
what do you do when your band implodes days after you’ve signed to rough trade? well, if you’re keith band + ian burgoyne of jazzateers, you don’t tell geoff travis, you go into park lane studios in glasgae with a few mates + a few ideas… + come out with one of the finest lp’s ever made.
a perfect description of what it’s like to be male, human + in your early 20’s, ‘jazzateers’ contains no formal innovations, breaks no new new ground. all it has to offer is outstanding material + stunning performances.
you’ll swoon as singer grahame skinner’s i’m-about-to-choke-on-my-own-phlegm delivery is honeyed-up by future MIA-superstar paul quinn, while keith + ian’s gtrs speak, very loudly, for themselves.
the best nyc album without a 212 area code? definitely. the best album ever released on rough trade? certainly. oh, + it looks great, too.
jazzateers were pretty good. too bad every single band that is around today SUCKS SHIT. we should round up every "musician" in america and throw them into an internment camp.
