Joe Jackson (born David Ian Jackson; 11 August 1954) He has also composed classical music. He has recorded 21 studio albums and has received five Grammy Award nominations.

Early life, family and education

Born David Ian Jackson in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, England, Jackson then spent some time performing on the cabaret circuit Although Maby continued to work with Jackson in the following decades, the full band would not reunite until 2004's Volume 4.

Change in style

In 1981, Jackson produced an album for the British power pop group the Keys. The Keys Album was the group's only LP.

After the Joe Jackson Band disbanded, Jackson recorded Jumpin' Jive, an album of old-style swing and blues tunes. It included songs by Cab Calloway, Lester Young, Glenn Miller, and Louis Jordan. and at No. 4 (US). Two singles released from the album, "Steppin' Out" and "Breaking Us in Two", were US top 20 hits. The tracks "Real Men" and "A Slow Song" referred obliquely to New York City's early 1980s gay culture, critiquing its exclusiveness and asking for a slow song in the disco respectively. "Real Men" also became a top 10 hit in Australia.

By 1984, New York had become Jackson's home base. He recorded Body and Soul there, Heavily influenced by pop, jazz standards and salsa, it had the US No. 15 hit single "You Can't Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want)".

In 1985, Jackson played piano on Joan Armatrading's album Secret Secrets, including the single "Love by You", and in 1986 he collaborated with Suzanne Vega on the single "Left of Center" from Pretty in Pinks soundtrack. Jackson's next album was Big World, with all-new songs recorded live in front of an audience instructed to remain silent while music was playing. Released in 1986, it was a three-sided double record; the fourth side consisted of a single centering groove and a label stating "there is no music on this side".

The instrumental album Will Power (1987), with heavy classical and jazz influences, set the stage for things to come later, but before Jackson left pop behind, he released two more albums, Blaze of Glory (which he performed in its entirety during the subsequent tour) and Laughter & Lust. In 2000, he released a follow-up album, Night and Day II. The album featured contributions by Graham Maby (bass), Sue Hadjopoulos (percussion), the string quartet Ethel, and three guest vocalists: Sussan Deyhim, Dale De Vere and Marianne Faithfull.

In 2003, he reunited his original quartet

In 2015, Jackson announced the completion of his follow-up to 2012's The Duke via his official website. The album's title, Fast Forward, and track list were confirmed in addition to North American tour dates. The titular first single was released for streaming via his official SoundCloud page. The entire record was briefly posted before being taken down a day later.

On 18 January 2019, Jackson released the album Fool. Jackson said about the album on his website: "One of my inspirations for this album was the band I've been touring with on and off for the last 3 years. I've had many different line-ups but this one is special." Jackson and the band performed "Fabulously Absolute" on The Tonight Show on 21 January 2019. Fool debuted in the top 20 album charts in Holland, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland. In the US, it debuted at No. 25 on Billboards Top Album Sales Chart. In the UK, it entered the Indie Albums Chart at No. 13.

What a Racket!, also known as Mr. Joe Jackson Presents Max Champion in 'What a Racket!' was released by earMUSIC on 24 November 2023; it is his 21st studio album. The shows supporting the album featured Joe solo in the first set and the full Max album in the second, with Joe accompanied by a large band.

In April 2026, Jackson released his first new rock album in seven years, Hope and Fury. It was preceded by the singles "Welcome To Burning-by-Sea", "Fabulous People" and "After All This Time". A lengthy tour was planned for 2026, starting in May. His website noted: "Though often depicted as a chameleonic artist who constantly 'changes his style,' Jackson insists that most of his albums are in 'his own mainstream' — collections of sophisticated pop songs, using different kinds of rhythms and combinations of instruments." Hope And Fury "...might strike a fan as a cross between 2019's Fool, 1991's Laughter and Lust, and 1982's Night and Day." For the recording Jackson "assembled his on-and-off band since 2016 — 'bassist for life' Graham Maby, guitarist Teddy Kumpel, and drummer Doug Yowell — augmented by the Latin percussion of Peruvian native Paulo Stagnaro."

Other activities

Jackson has actively campaigned against smoking bans in both the UK and the US, publishing a 2005 pamphlet, The Smoking Issue, and a 2007 essay, Smoke, Lies and the Nanny State. He also recorded a satirical song ("In 20-0-3") on the subject.

Jackson's 1999 autobiography, A Cure for Gravity, was described by him as a "book about music, thinly disguised as a memoir". It traces his working-class upbringing in Portsmouth and charts his musical life from childhood until his 24th birthday. According to Jackson, life as a pop star was hardly worth writing about.

Jackson has appeared in one film, a cameo in 2005's The Greatest Game Ever Played, where Jackson is briefly shown and heard performing the song "Hello! Hello! Who's Your Lady Friend?" in a raucous early 1900s English pub. Jackson initially had been contacted to compose the film's score, but the studio instead hired Brian Tyler. However, one track in the film — "Angel," performed by soprano Dawn Upshaw — is still credited to Jackson.

Legacy

In 2004 the first-ever tribute album to Jackson, Different for Girls: Women Artists and Female-Fronted Bands Cover Joe Jackson, was released. Among the female artists covering Jackson was Joy Askew, whose album credits include Jackson's Big World, Live 1980/86, Blaze of Glory, Laughter & Lust and Heaven & Hell. A brief presentation of the album indicated: "Mr. Jackson himself has said: "I LOVE the idea of an all-female tribute album! Let them know I can't wait to hear it."

Personal life

Jackson legally changed his first name to Joe at age 20. Jackson resides in Berlin but also owns homes in New York and Portsmouth. His questioning of potential homosexuality and same-sex attraction is explored in the 1982 single "Real Men". In a 2001 interview with a journalist also named Joe Jackson, the Irish Independent, Jackson said he was in a relationship with a male partner.

Discography

  • Look Sharp! (1979)
  • I'm the Man (1979)
  • Beat Crazy (1980)
  • Joe Jackson's Jumpin' Jive (1981)
  • Night and Day (1982)
  • Mike's Murder (1983)
  • Body and Soul (1984)
  • Big World (1986)
  • Will Power (1987)
  • Tucker (1988)
  • Live 1980/86 (1988)
  • Blaze of Glory (1989)
  • Laughter & Lust (1991)
  • Night Music (1994)
  • Heaven & Hell (1997)
  • Symphony No. 1 (1999)
  • Night and Day II (2000)
  • Volume 4 (2003)
  • Rain (2008)
  • The Duke (2012)
  • Fast Forward (2015)
  • Fool (2019)
  • What a Racket! (2023)
  • Hope and Fury (2026)

Bibliography

  • A Cure for Gravity, 1999, autobiography

Notes

References

  • Joe Jackson archive by Andreas Wostrack
  • Joe Jackson's career on A&M Records with gallery, international discography
  • Video-interview with Joe Jackson, on revu.nl, 31 January 2008