I love Joe Jackson; super eclectic, always fascinating. Musically, the man never stands still. “I’m The Man,” “Is She Really Going Out With Him,” “Steppin’ Out,” “You Can’t Get What You Want,” “Cha Cha Loco”...all the same guy. Seriously underrated. Special shout-out to Graham Maby, the amazing bassist who anchored all those different styles brilliantly.
Rob: I couldn't agree more. Joe's music is always diverse and his lyrics are always so clever. And THANK YOU for mentioning the AMAZING Graham Maby on bass. He's an integral part of Joe's unique sound.
Thanks again for another great review, Fil. Jackson has always been a favourite of mine, both with The Joe Jackson Band and his solo efforts. A greatly underappreciated artist in my view. BTW, Joe is also an exceptional saxophone player, along with piano (and violin). Cheers!
I was at school with Joe. He was a year ahead of me and his brother was in the same class as me. We used to hang out and run riot in the music room at lunchtimes. There was no indication back then that he was destined for fame
Hey Fil: lol I'm glad you're featuring this gem. It was a great song I grew up listening to. Man the fights this song caused over our girlfriends was insane. Thanx for the memory. I had almost forgotten about this.
My god I feel like a relic! So long ago and I remember my band played this cover way way back! Joe is still going strong and still sounds exactly the same... Brilliant artist 👌
I saw Joe at the Armadillo World Headquarters in Austin on his tour in late '79. I went on a lark because my girlfriend was fond of his airplay hit. I had zero expectations and Joe blew everyone AWAY. I became an immediate fan. He's a real pro and I don't hand that badge out gratuitously. Great analysis Fil. You never fail us.
Hi Fil...Let me share the year of 1979...My musical daughter was 13...already an accomplished pianist...and a flute player....oh yes the guitar....and starting drums! I was all of 33 yrs of age, and encouraged her love of music, and her talents which were many...her piano teacher had already told me she had taken her as far as she could take her,,Yes I am bragging but because she loved music so much I am so glad we sacrificed some things so she could have lessons! This child had already decided to make music her life! She is the one who became the music therapist, and now has become a director of The Villages where she still has her musical influence. I am proud Fil, and intend to introduce your talents to her too! I am so glad I sacrificed for her to be a musician....what a joy I have found knowing I made.sure that she did become that musical therapist! Had to share this again with you because I know you understand my love for music. I remember the head of the Indianapolis Children’s Choir telling me she automatically knew I was a singer..she was so right! I was a singer! Thanks for allowing me to share with you my life and how music became part of everything in our home. Our son was a perfect drummer! Got into Indiana University School of music...just a proud mom. Thanks Fil for listening! ✌️
There’s really something special about Joe Jackson! This song brings back a lot of my yesterdays. A great performance showing just how talented he is! Excellent Fil! Cheers Mario! 😀👌🤘
Always a brilliant live performer, I've seen Joe many times over the years. He always surrounds himself with very talented supporting musicians. I get the impression that he really loves a huge range of different styles of music. He often reinterprets his own songs in a live format which keeps the "hits" interesting for both himself and the audience. He seems to keep his private life just that, and doesn't do many interviews. The man who probably knows him best is his long serving bass player Graham Maby.
Always loved his songs, but what first caught my attention and drew me to them was that driving, melodic, punchy, excellent bass playing of Graham Maby. I could never figure out why he always played this different bassline in the verses to this song live. It's a totally different groove and line on the album. Be that as it may. Great analysis of an excellent band.
He certainly doesn't look like a rocker but that's why you should never judge a book by its cover. Joe has alot of great songs. An amazing artist. Very underated. Thanks for the analysis Fil. Awsome! 👍
I consider him a cut above on the scale of composers, arrangers, and performing to the high demands of the arrangements. A serious technical achiever. He didn't get where he is from big hair :)
In this video he had hair. Well, some. I've been a Joe Jackson fan since Look Sharp! and have seen him play live several times, including the Big World tour. He's a fabulous composer, songwriter and performer. In this performance Graham Maby is being his brilliant self as ever, very precise and pushing my mildly autistic buttons.
I remember the music press at the time slaying him for being too old, having thinning hair etc. They knew nothing about music, but wanted to talk themselves up.
Look Sharp came out when I was a sophomore in high school. My best friend and I listened to it over and over and over again. Such a BRILLIANT first album! Joe looks like a kid here, so young. Strong songwriting with a minimal musical background. Kind of like a Hemingway novel. So much said with so few words. Fabulous. I still love this album. Thank you, Fil.
Oh man, I remember getting the album "Look Sharp!" as a gift. I loved it so much. Every single song this man has ever written and sang just made me fall in love with him more and more. I can't think of one song Joe Jackson sang that I don't like. The most recent song that I know he wrote, I was lucky enough to see him perform it on The Sharon Osbourne Show. He sang "Awkward Age" while playing the piano. One of my favorite songs by Joe Jackson. Believe it or not, I always had a crush on him and hoped to meet him one day and marry him! LOL. I know, VERY far-fetched! I love that he's much taller than he seems. Tall and skinny is nice. 6'2" is good for me! LOL Anyway, thank you for another superb analysis Fil. You would be such an awesome guitar teacher. I'd love to pay you every week to give me my guitar lessons! By the way, Fil, are you able to pick up anything you hear and play it? Play by ear rather? That's how my Father learned how to play the piano. And he was quite a talent without ever taking lessons. Anyway, thank you for the upload and for choosing Joe Jackson. Been listening to this spectacular singer/songwriter/musician ever since I was a kid.😊💖🙏🎹🎶🎤🎼🎷🎧🎵😺🍀 Lots of love and kisses to you my handsome friend.💕💞💋😘😽
@@wingsofpegasus I apologize for thinking that you learned by only playing by ear. It always looked that way to me Fil. I should never assume anything. But by gosh, it just seems that you know how to play EVERYTHING! And I thought perhaps that you're able to do that as a result of just hearing a piece of music and being able to duplicate what you just heard. When in reality, I'm guessing you learned the good old-fashioned way, eh? Lots of practicing and years of hard work, correct?💞🙏🎸🎶🎤🎼🎧🎵. Thank you for taking the time to respond to my comment Fil. You're one of my top three favorite channels on UA-cam. And I subscribe to a lot of channels! Love you bunches and bunches my dashing, handsome friend.😘
Have always loved Joe Jackson and followed his musical journey through the 80s, but lost track of him somewhere along the line. Never saw live though. Will have to check out his recent work. Thanks for the reminder!
"Sunday Papers" was a good one (my brain always wants to hear it as "funny papers", you know, the funnies or the comics section). . Ditto for "I'm the Man", and " Is She Really Going Out With Him?". But then came the horrid, execrable, vomit-inducing "Steppin'Out", uggh. 1980s middle of the road ( MOR) radio had taken over. That's when commercial FM radio went to shit, Progressive FM radio died, and I switched to listening to college radio just to hear something a little off the beaten path every now and then.
I just watched this the other night!! I also just started listening to Joe Jackson a lot again. It’s been quite a few years since I really listened to him and now you’re doing a video on him. That’s synchronicity at work man.
Great to see Fil continue to not be limited in his very broad cross-section of choices. Saw JJ on his first US Tour. Always got your money's worth. A hitmaker with more artistic talent than he's often given credit for.
One of the few artists I actually met. Saw him in concert in Montreal in 1990, after the show me and my friend slipped down the alley of the concert hall to smoke a joint. As we are lighting up, out comes Joe Jackson from a side door. He smoked with us and we chatted for a good 20 minutes. Really nice guy and he had a great sense of humour. The concert was amazing, very tight band.
Thanks Fil for reviewing Joe Jackson. I requested Joe in my comments when you reviewed other singers. Joe is so underrated. He is a musical genius. I have all his albums, even the soundtrack from the movie Mike's Murder, which Joe recorded all the music. I will give it another shot and request Al Green, the godfather of soul.
Saw him in Ottawa in the early 80's, blew me away . One of the best concerts I ever attended.He had the crowd eating out of his hands the whole night. Incredible!
Great pick. I remember when this song was big, and it was big. Great tune. This whole album "Look Sharp" was a great album. If you've never listened to the whole album, listen to it. You will not be disappointed.
So great to see a young Joe Jackson in his early prime. One of my greatest regrets is not seeing him play live back then on one of his tours when he brought along a horn section. I saw him a couple of years ago on his 4 decades tour where he performed his songs note for note like the studio albums and he even brought along some of his original keyboards. Although I liked Elvis Costello I preferred the way Joe combined Elvis’ attitude with a great sense of melody and musical sophistication. Then of course there was Joe’s musicians who were always a very tight group and could play a variety of musical styles. One of my favourite albums was “Body and Soul” that captured the energy of live performances. I’m not sure if it’s a direct comparison but the sophistication of Joe’s arrangements and compositions reminds me a lot of Steely Dan although perhaps without quite the instrumental flair that Steely Dan conjured up with all their studio session musicians. Cool to see Fil with a Squier Tele. Not sure what exact model it is but Squier’s Vintage Series sounds great for not much money.
The dichotomy of Joe Jackson: He was shamelessly, but inevitably, lumped into the punk/new wave spread of the late '70s. Everyone had to have their new waver. Columbia had groups like The Clash and The Boomtown Rats (and others), and solo stars like Elvis Costello. A&M Records had The Police, the Stranglers, and the Dickies, of course, and their "angry young singer/songwriter" was Joe (Graham Parker actually pre-dated both, as Stiff--ironically enough--debuted Parker on a compilation before signing with Mercury). So many artists got lost in the new wave shuffle (Columbia's incredible Starjets for one, Ian Dury, Sham 69, the 101ers, and Rachel Sweet for others), as the market was glutted during the same late-'70s span that was still in the national throes of the Urban Cowboy craze, and the waning disco gasp of '77's "Saturday Night Fever." Thankfully, and to his credit, Joe's songwriting and unusual tunefulness (in the midst of the angry, bam-bam of the punkers , and the synth noodling of new wave kids) lifted him head and shoulders above the bashing, gobbing fray. Joe was a far less cynical Elvis, but sometimes he matched Declan Patrick with cheeky word play, and while Jackson was nowhere near as prolific as EC, his catalog, pound for pound, is no less a formidable collection. Fil....if you haven't, you must: "Steppin' Out"!
@@Bill_Woo Great minds think alike! I was in the record biz at the time, and the labels' flurry to sign "token" punkers was like any typical money grab. In that environment, you'll get some duds, but a few, like Jackson, will rise to the top in spite of all the surrounding shenanigans! When finally free of the new wave tsunami, we saw Joe branch out, as Fil outlined, into jazz and broader expressions! Talent, as they say, will out!
@@bradsmack1 Steppin' Out is excellent as is Target, and at this time Cancer is my runaway favorite from that true masterpiece of an LP. The jazzy (but obscure from the masses) Mike's Murder is also huge for me, and many more fine works. As to "new wavers" I have honestly worked at trying to embrace EC and Graham. I am simply unable. To me they were more performance artists while Joe is a master (and I don't use that lightly) note composer, rhythm composer, note arranger, and rhythm arranger. Then again he's not the only "head and shoulders above and transcending" composer/performer lumped as "New Wave" - a quick look at lists shows Tears for Fears (what a flocking insult to them!), Frankie Goes...., The Police - oh come on now!
Good video! I like Joe and saw him touring Beat Crazy. Graham Maby also never gets the props I think he deserves. This song doesn't really showcase his skills but he's done some monster bass playing. But like most great bass players, he serves the song first, and this song did not need him to play all over the place.
I have always loved Joe's songs especially "Stepping out" and got the original vinyl still, never seen this concert of Joe's and his punk side seems to come to the fore in this clip possibly. Great tutorial as always Fil and many thanks for the guitar playing, excellent demo!
Fil, thanks for featuring Joe. I've been a huge fan since first hearing this very song in 1979. And thanks for noting the diverse nature of Joe's music, from rock to swing to classical and more. Cheers, Fil. Keep up the great work. ROCK! 🤟
"Look Sharp!" and "I'm the Man" were major high school albums for me. Got to see Joe in San Diego in 1983. That was the "Steppin' Out" tour. I enjoyed it, but the edge was gone.
Graham Mayby's bass lines always moved Joe's songs along so well. I always wondered why Joe was considered "new wave" or anything else. He's an excellent songwriter and musician backed by other top flight musicians.
Extremely talented , and I agree , under rated. I love his music- Breaking Us In Two and of course Stepping Out Tonight right up there with Is She Really Going Out With Him as favorites of mine. Top favorite of his songs of mine is Number Two. That song never got the exposure his other songs did and like many entertainers I have a fondness of their less popular songs are my favorites.
I remember I had a skinny tie like that. JJ musically always seemed to change gears quite a bit and you could always hear the different styles in nearly every song.
Saw him about 4 years ago in USA. His voice is still very good. I was just sitting in the audience waiting to yell “WHERE”!! Exciting. Excellent concert. Thanks, Fil
I always thought Joe Jackson was brilliant, as a New Wave performer... and then blossoming to an even greater degree when he branched out into more jazz influenced music. It was so impressive that he went from being great at THAT to being even greater at THAT! An amazing talent!
The chorus of this song taught me a lot about chord substitution. Initially I would play it with just the majors repeating, but as my ear developed I realised there were minors in there. It's worth listening to closely.
I loved Joe Jackson, he came out same as Elvis Costello and Graham Parker, all their voices are very similar in different ways. I think Graham Parker is the most underrated.
I love his groove... His improvisation... Tight band... Amazing vocalizations... Thanks professor... P.s. i can figure a nice tasty lead for this groove... Brotherrrrrrr
This is another memory of my childhood. Sweet and sad at the same time. I appreciate the juxtaposition of the upbeat tempo and melody with the heartbreaking angst that the character in the song is experiencing. I can imagine an entire backstory for the song's characters. How the boy meets the girl, gets the girl, and loses the girl. Love stinks. Oh, sorry. Wrong song.
Saw Joe Jackson at San Diego State in '90. Tenth row center seats. Had a blast. I think this is off Look Sharp. My fav of Joe Jackson is Jumpin' Jive. His rendition of "Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby" is my all time favorite.
Awesome, awesome, awesome. Apparently, ask and ye shall receive. I've had the pleasure of seeing Joe in three tours: Night and Day (Massey Hall, he told us to stop banging on the stage), Big World (an amusement park near T.O., he told the latecomers that the show had begun 30 minutes ago), and Heaven and Hell (Lincoln Theater in DC, totally chill). Such a long career and some much great music--even loving "Fool". Great job, Fil!
Request/Recommendation Fil: Squeeze...Glenn Tilbrook is an underrated guitarist and songwriter. His playing is very Melodic and “outside the box”. Chris Difford is an underrated lyricist. There’sa good amount of live performance videos with Squeeze. Jools Holland also added a lot to their tracks when he was with them. Pulling Mussels From A Shell, Another Nail In My Heart, Tempted (by the fruit of another), Is That Love?, Black Coffee In Bed, and many others. Great chord changes and unexpected things happen in their music. The octave separating Tilbrook’s and Difford’s shared lead vocals...so characteristic of their sound. I’ve been listening to them a lot recently and Joe Jackson and Squeeze came on the scene at about the same time so I guess it kind of fits. I would say that they put on a great show and that’s true...Joe Jackson seemed to be able to connect more through his personality and movements. That’s something of a rare gift.
I was thinking about Squeeze while watching this.....the writing and listening to Joe reminded me of that play in the lyrics of Tempted....."I fumble for the clock Alarmed by the seduction I wish that it would stop" Good stuff.
Just rewatched this, Fil - saw Joe earlier this year on his "Sing, You Sinners!" tour. He's still as fabulous live today as he was when I heard "Look Sharp" at uni. Thank you for reminding me how great that era of music was!
Love Joe Jackson - his rock rather than Jazz. Saw him once and loved the show. I got introduced to Joe Jackson by a local Sydney band called Trotting Duck who used to cover One More Time.
Thanks, Fil, I do recall this as one of my favorites of '79 when I was a young pop music disc jockey at an AM station in the San Francisco Bay Area, KNBA the Mighty 1190 in Vallejo. And Joe perfectly told the story of losers not believing that girls were going out with posers.
Always loved the attitude of this song. Simply a cool song. Thanks again and kudos to you Fil for teaching, encouraging interest in and performing music. It's such a good thing.! 🤟!
Nice analysis of Joe Jackson. I saw him in Connecticut in the early mid 90's. I was waiting for the hits and quickly realized he had other gears. Very talented composer/songwriter/musician.
Tone and vocal delivery reminds me of Elvis Costello's. I bring that up as why he might not have made it bigger. I remember this song, but not the performer's name. So my radio experience is a microcosm of the issue. Written before Fil mentioned Costello in his commentary.
Seen him a few times and band configurations over the years - he's an actual arrangement genius. He can re-interpret all his catalogue as swing / jazz / funk .. and always has a great band.
Somewhere there's a live a capella sextet version of this that is really fun. I think it was on a "Best Of" video compilation. As other commenters note, his book is well worth more than one read. I especially enjoy the variety of styles that he writes and performs. Very intelligent and very down-to-earth.
Nice pick on the video Fil. Freshman in college and I saw Joe perform back in NYC during Christmas break if my memory is still working. He is a great live performer. Loved how he connects with the crowd, great writer as well. Ya done good on this one! Cheers!
Thanks for this- he's wonderful. He was practically booed off the stage when opening for The Who; it was 1982 and the Who claimed it was their final tour. (!!) The audience was there to rock out and Joe was not their cup of tea! He was justifiably really angry and stormed off after 30 minutes. Oh, bad-mannered Toronto...! I was disappointed but the Who were fantastic of course!
I remember that show. Exhibition Stadium I believe. It was a shame because Toronto always was and continues to be a popular and supportive stop for all of Joe's tours.
My goodness, I just love Joe Jackson. 💜 I used to listen to the Body and Soul cassette on my Sony Walkman. I got them both for my 16th birthday in 1984. Haha 😄 Nobody else I knew was listening to him but I've loved him forever. 💜
That was great! When Dana and I got together, Joe Jackson was one of his cruising tapes in his 1969 Chrysler Newport. I hadn't seen him perform as much as we've listened to his records. I love his stage presence and facial expressions! Certainly a happy image to underscore our early days. I liked that spare guitar and bass, and do appreciate how the drums accentuate that perfect chorus. Thanks, Fil for a reminder of whose vinyl we need to spin! ❤️
In spite of myself, I actually really liked this. I’ve never heard it before and that was for sure during my younger time. He’s very funny with his facial expressions added to it..I liked the words of the song, too....thanks, Fil
Hi Fil! Love Joe Jackson! I have all of his albums. The song It's Different For Girls is my fav song.
Fantastic songwriter and performer. Not one to be classified. Glad you took time to showcase this.
I love Joe Jackson; super eclectic, always fascinating. Musically, the man never stands still. “I’m The Man,” “Is She Really Going Out With Him,” “Steppin’ Out,” “You Can’t Get What You Want,” “Cha Cha Loco”...all the same guy. Seriously underrated. Special shout-out to Graham Maby, the amazing bassist who anchored all those different styles brilliantly.
Rob: I couldn't agree more. Joe's music is always diverse and his lyrics are always so clever. And THANK YOU for mentioning the AMAZING Graham Maby on bass. He's an integral part of Joe's unique sound.
Agree 💯👍🤘
Thanks again for another great review, Fil. Jackson has always been a
favourite of mine, both with The Joe Jackson Band and his solo efforts.
A greatly underappreciated artist in my view. BTW, Joe is also an
exceptional saxophone player, along with piano (and violin). Cheers!
Awww, Fil, you did my request!! I just love this guy; also love his"Breaking Us In Two". Thank you so much, you angel!💖💖
Michele! Great request!
‘Breaking us in two’ is a magic track. I loved the whole ‘Night and Day’ album.
@@anridapu I agree - I listen to that song over and over...
I just played Breaking Us In Two, and A Slow Song. Remember that one?
I was at school with Joe. He was a year ahead of me and his brother was in the same class as me. We used to hang out and run riot in the music room at lunchtimes. There was no indication back then that he was destined for fame
Hey Fil: lol I'm glad you're featuring this gem. It was a great song I grew up listening to. Man the fights this song caused over our girlfriends was insane. Thanx for the memory. I had almost forgotten about this.
My god I feel like a relic! So long ago and I remember my band played this cover way way back! Joe is still going strong and still sounds exactly the same... Brilliant artist 👌
I really liked Steppin' Out too...Bass line was cool
I saw Joe at the Armadillo World Headquarters in Austin on his tour in late '79. I went on a lark because my girlfriend was fond of his airplay hit. I had zero expectations and Joe blew everyone AWAY. I became an immediate fan. He's a real pro and I don't hand that badge out gratuitously. Great analysis Fil. You never fail us.
Thanks!
We used to do "Fools in Love" in my college cover band. Always loved Graham Maby's bass line.
Enjoyed hearing Joe's backstory and career highlights. I always learn so many new facts from your analysis. Thank you.
Great song and great songwriter. Great Analysis as always.
Hi Fil...Let me share the year of 1979...My musical daughter was 13...already an accomplished pianist...and a flute player....oh yes the guitar....and starting drums! I was all of 33 yrs of age, and encouraged her love of music, and her talents which were many...her piano teacher had already told me she had taken her as far as she could take her,,Yes I am bragging but because she loved music so much I am so glad we sacrificed some things so she could have lessons! This child had already decided to make music her life! She is the one who became the music therapist, and now has become a director of The Villages where she still has her musical influence. I am proud Fil, and intend to introduce your talents to her too! I am so glad I sacrificed for her to be a musician....what a joy I have found knowing I made.sure that she did become that musical therapist! Had to share this again with you because I know you understand my love for music. I remember the head of the Indianapolis Children’s Choir telling me she automatically knew I was a singer..she was so right! I was a singer! Thanks for allowing me to share with you my life and how music became part of everything in our home. Our son was a perfect drummer! Got into Indiana University School of music...just a proud mom. Thanks Fil for listening! ✌️
Graham Maby deserves s retrospective wings of Pegasus video!!!
This was a fav when I was 16!! I forgot this song and it’s going on my playlist! Good memories!
Saw him in concert in 1979 at Pine Knob, Michigan... :-)
There’s really something special about Joe Jackson! This song brings back a lot of my yesterdays. A great performance showing just how talented he is! Excellent Fil! Cheers Mario! 😀👌🤘
Always a brilliant live performer, I've seen Joe many times over the years. He always surrounds himself with very talented supporting musicians. I get the impression that he really loves a huge range of different styles of music. He often reinterprets his own songs in a live format which keeps the "hits" interesting for both himself and the audience.
He seems to keep his private life just that, and doesn't do many interviews. The man who probably knows him best is his long serving bass player Graham Maby.
Always loved his songs, but what first caught my attention and drew me to them was that driving, melodic, punchy, excellent bass playing of Graham Maby.
I could never figure out why he always played this different bassline in the verses to this song live. It's a totally different groove and line on the album.
Be that as it may. Great analysis of an excellent band.
He certainly doesn't look like a rocker but that's why you should never judge a book by its cover. Joe has alot of great songs. An amazing artist. Very underated. Thanks for the analysis Fil. Awsome! 👍
I consider him a cut above on the scale of composers, arrangers, and performing to the high demands of the arrangements. A serious technical achiever. He didn't get where he is from big hair :)
In this video he had hair. Well, some.
I've been a Joe Jackson fan since Look Sharp! and have seen him play live several times, including the Big World tour. He's a fabulous composer, songwriter and performer.
In this performance Graham Maby is being his brilliant self as ever, very precise and pushing my mildly autistic buttons.
I remember the music press at the time slaying him for being too old, having thinning hair etc.
They knew nothing about music, but wanted to talk themselves up.
Look Sharp came out when I was a sophomore in high school. My best friend and I listened to it over and over and over again. Such a BRILLIANT first album! Joe looks like a kid here, so young. Strong songwriting with a minimal musical background. Kind of like a Hemingway novel. So much said with so few words.
Fabulous. I still love this album.
Thank you, Fil.
Oh man, I remember getting the album "Look Sharp!" as a gift. I loved it so much. Every single song this man has ever written and sang just made me fall in love with him more and more. I can't think of one song Joe Jackson sang that I don't like. The most recent song that I know he wrote, I was lucky enough to see him perform it on The Sharon Osbourne Show. He sang "Awkward Age" while playing the piano. One of my favorite songs by Joe Jackson. Believe it or not, I always had a crush on him and hoped to meet him one day and marry him! LOL. I know, VERY far-fetched! I love that he's much taller than he seems. Tall and skinny is nice. 6'2" is good for me! LOL Anyway, thank you for another superb analysis Fil. You would be such an awesome guitar teacher. I'd love to pay you every week to give me my guitar lessons! By the way, Fil, are you able to pick up anything you hear and play it? Play by ear rather? That's how my Father learned how to play the piano. And he was quite a talent without ever taking lessons. Anyway, thank you for the upload and for choosing Joe Jackson. Been listening to this spectacular singer/songwriter/musician ever since I was a kid.😊💖🙏🎹🎶🎤🎼🎷🎧🎵😺🍀 Lots of love and kisses to you my handsome friend.💕💞💋😘😽
Never had a lesson so lucky I can play by ear.🙂
@@wingsofpegasus I apologize for thinking that you learned by only playing by ear. It always looked that way to me Fil. I should never assume anything. But by gosh, it just seems that you know how to play EVERYTHING! And I thought perhaps that you're able to do that as a result of just hearing a piece of music and being able to duplicate what you just heard. When in reality, I'm guessing you learned the good old-fashioned way, eh? Lots of practicing and years of hard work, correct?💞🙏🎸🎶🎤🎼🎧🎵. Thank you for taking the time to respond to my comment Fil. You're one of my top three favorite channels on UA-cam. And I subscribe to a lot of channels! Love you bunches and bunches my dashing, handsome friend.😘
Have always loved Joe Jackson and followed his musical journey through the 80s, but lost track of him somewhere along the line. Never saw live though. Will have to check out his recent work. Thanks for the reminder!
Welcome back Phil! You wondered off for a while there... Julie Andrews... couldn't watch that. So let's "Rock!" 🤘 again... 😬
This song and “Steppin’ Out” were two of my favorite songs as a kid!
Sunday paper was a great tune too.real nifty bass line.
Insanely underrated bass player! :)
Mr. Knowitall graham maby is a great base player.
also got the time is a fantastic song too!
"Sunday Papers" was a good one (my brain always wants to hear it as "funny papers", you know, the funnies or the comics section). . Ditto for "I'm the Man", and " Is She Really Going Out With Him?". But then came the horrid, execrable, vomit-inducing "Steppin'Out", uggh. 1980s middle of the road ( MOR) radio had taken over. That's when commercial FM radio went to shit, Progressive FM radio died, and I switched to listening to college radio just to hear something a little off the beaten path every now and then.
I just watched this the other night!! I also just started listening to Joe Jackson a lot again. It’s been quite a few years since I really listened to him and now you’re doing a video on him. That’s synchronicity at work man.
Great to see Fil continue to not be limited in his very broad cross-section of choices. Saw JJ on his first US Tour. Always got your money's worth. A hitmaker with more artistic talent than he's often given credit for.
One of the few artists I actually met. Saw him in concert in Montreal in 1990, after the show me and my friend slipped down the alley of the concert hall to smoke a joint. As we are lighting up, out comes Joe Jackson from a side door. He smoked with us and we chatted for a good 20 minutes. Really nice guy and he had a great sense of humour. The concert was amazing, very tight band.
I saw them live on there one off reunion tour in 2003. Amazing band with real quality musicians
Thanks Fil for reviewing Joe Jackson. I requested Joe in my comments when you reviewed other singers. Joe is so underrated. He is a musical genius. I have all his albums, even the soundtrack from the movie Mike's Murder, which Joe recorded all the music. I will give it another shot and request Al Green, the godfather of soul.
Graham Maby bass...legend..along with other UK bass greats of the time..Bruce Foxon..Colin Moulding..etc
Saw him in Ottawa in the early 80's, blew me away . One of the best concerts I ever attended.He had the crowd eating out of his hands the whole night. Incredible!
Great pick. I remember when this song was big, and it was big. Great tune. This whole album "Look Sharp" was a great album. If you've never listened to the whole album, listen to it. You will not be disappointed.
So great to see a young Joe Jackson in his early prime. One of my greatest regrets is not seeing him play live back then on one of his tours when he brought along a horn section. I saw him a couple of years ago on his 4 decades tour where he performed his songs note for note like the studio albums and he even brought along some of his original keyboards. Although I liked Elvis Costello I preferred the way Joe combined Elvis’ attitude with a great sense of melody and musical sophistication. Then of course there was Joe’s musicians who were always a very tight group and could play a variety of musical styles. One of my favourite albums was “Body and Soul” that captured the energy of live performances. I’m not sure if it’s a direct comparison but the sophistication of Joe’s arrangements and compositions reminds me a lot of Steely Dan although perhaps without quite the instrumental flair that Steely Dan conjured up with all their studio session musicians.
Cool to see Fil with a Squier Tele. Not sure what exact model it is but Squier’s Vintage Series sounds great for not much money.
One of the fun songs of my high school yrs
The dichotomy of Joe Jackson: He was shamelessly, but inevitably, lumped into the punk/new wave spread of the late '70s. Everyone had to have their new waver. Columbia had groups like The Clash and The Boomtown Rats (and others), and solo stars like Elvis Costello. A&M Records had The Police, the Stranglers, and the Dickies, of course, and their "angry young singer/songwriter" was Joe (Graham Parker actually pre-dated both, as Stiff--ironically enough--debuted Parker on a compilation before signing with Mercury).
So many artists got lost in the new wave shuffle (Columbia's incredible Starjets for one, Ian Dury, Sham 69, the 101ers, and Rachel Sweet for others), as the market was glutted during the same late-'70s span that was still in the national throes of the Urban Cowboy craze, and the waning disco gasp of '77's "Saturday Night Fever."
Thankfully, and to his credit, Joe's songwriting and unusual tunefulness (in the midst of the angry, bam-bam of the punkers , and the synth noodling of new wave kids) lifted him head and shoulders above the bashing, gobbing fray.
Joe was a far less cynical Elvis, but sometimes he matched Declan Patrick with cheeky word play, and while Jackson was nowhere near as prolific as EC, his catalog, pound for pound, is no less a formidable collection. Fil....if you haven't, you must: "Steppin' Out"!
I commented that exact sentiment before reading your more expansive explanation.
@@Bill_Woo Great minds think alike! I was in the record biz at the time, and the labels' flurry to sign "token" punkers was like any typical money grab. In that environment, you'll get some duds, but a few, like Jackson, will rise to the top in spite of all the surrounding shenanigans! When finally free of the new wave tsunami, we saw Joe branch out, as Fil outlined, into jazz and broader expressions! Talent, as they say, will out!
"Steppin' Out" ? No. Just No. I detest that song as a typically example of M.O. R. 80's pop songs. No......
Absolutely correct... his musicality do run parallel with EC.
@@bradsmack1 Steppin' Out is excellent as is Target, and at this time Cancer is my runaway favorite from that true masterpiece of an LP. The jazzy (but obscure from the masses) Mike's Murder is also huge for me, and many more fine works. As to "new wavers" I have honestly worked at trying to embrace EC and Graham. I am simply unable. To me they were more performance artists while Joe is a master (and I don't use that lightly) note composer, rhythm composer, note arranger, and rhythm arranger.
Then again he's not the only "head and shoulders above and transcending" composer/performer lumped as "New Wave" - a quick look at lists shows Tears for Fears (what a flocking insult to them!), Frankie Goes...., The Police - oh come on now!
Good video! I like Joe and saw him touring Beat Crazy. Graham Maby also never gets the props I think he deserves. This song doesn't really showcase his skills but he's done some monster bass playing. But like most great bass players, he serves the song first, and this song did not need him to play all over the place.
Happens all the time Joe!
I would love to hear you analyze Cult of Personality from Living Colour!
Hi Fil and once again, thanks for the memories :)
"... out walking with gorillas down my street" 🎵What a great lyric🤣! Thx Fil! 🤘 Luv this song!
I have always loved Joe's songs especially "Stepping out" and got the original vinyl still, never seen this concert of Joe's and his punk side seems to come to the fore in this clip possibly.
Great tutorial as always Fil and many thanks for the guitar playing, excellent demo!
Fil, thanks for featuring Joe. I've been a huge fan since first hearing this very song in 1979. And thanks for noting the diverse nature of Joe's music, from rock to swing to classical and more. Cheers, Fil. Keep up the great work. ROCK! 🤟
I've always loved this song and I still perform it to this day. Good to see it's not been forgotten! Thanks Fil!
"Look Sharp!" and "I'm the Man" were major high school albums for me. Got to see Joe in San Diego in 1983. That was the "Steppin' Out" tour. I enjoyed it, but the edge was gone.
Thanks for this. Good one. Bravo.
It amazes me that much of the world is still unaware of the great Joe Jackson.
Graham Mayby's bass lines always moved Joe's songs along so well. I always wondered why Joe was considered "new wave" or anything else. He's an excellent songwriter and musician backed by other top flight musicians.
Extremely talented , and I agree , under rated. I love his music- Breaking Us In Two and of course Stepping Out Tonight right up there with Is She Really Going Out With Him as favorites of mine. Top favorite of his songs of mine is Number Two. That song never got the exposure his other songs did and like many entertainers I have a fondness of their less popular songs are my favorites.
I remember I had a skinny tie like that. JJ musically always seemed to change gears quite a bit and you could always hear the different styles in nearly every song.
Saw him about 4 years ago in USA. His voice is still very good. I was just sitting in the audience waiting to yell “WHERE”!! Exciting. Excellent concert. Thanks, Fil
I always thought Joe Jackson was brilliant, as a New Wave performer... and then blossoming to an even greater degree when he branched out into more jazz influenced music. It was so impressive that he went from being great at THAT to being even greater at THAT! An amazing talent!
Ahhh, this was my theme song in late '79. This is a interesting rendition ... the bass line is very different.
P.s. your so brilliant knowing even the sus chords just by listening to the song... That's incredible...
Great job ... Pulling out that pic stick...
Thanks!
@@wingsofpegasus
What's more impressive is you do it for free.. Love you Brotherrrrr
The chorus of this song taught me a lot about chord substitution. Initially I would play it with just the majors repeating, but as my ear developed I realised there were minors in there. It's worth listening to closely.
I loved Joe Jackson, he came out same as Elvis Costello and Graham Parker, all their voices are very similar in different ways. I think Graham Parker is the most underrated.
I still get a kick out of Parker's 'Mercury Poisoning'!
Totally agree re Graham Parker. Saw him and The Rumour several times in Sydney. So tight always.
Agree!!!! I still listen to GP, more so then Elvis but Joe is in a category by himself!
I love his groove... His improvisation...
Tight band... Amazing vocalizations...
Thanks professor...
P.s. i can figure a nice tasty lead for this groove... Brotherrrrrrr
This is another memory of my childhood. Sweet and sad at the same time. I appreciate the juxtaposition of the upbeat tempo and melody with the heartbreaking angst that the character in the song is experiencing. I can imagine an entire backstory for the song's characters. How the boy meets the girl, gets the girl, and loses the girl. Love stinks. Oh, sorry. Wrong song.
Saw Joe Jackson at San Diego State in '90. Tenth row center seats. Had a blast. I think this is off Look Sharp. My fav of Joe Jackson is Jumpin' Jive. His rendition of "Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby" is my all time favorite.
Awesome, awesome, awesome. Apparently, ask and ye shall receive. I've had the pleasure of seeing Joe in three tours: Night and Day (Massey Hall, he told us to stop banging on the stage), Big World (an amusement park near T.O., he told the latecomers that the show had begun 30 minutes ago), and Heaven and Hell (Lincoln Theater in DC, totally chill). Such a long career and some much great music--even loving "Fool". Great job, Fil!
Graham Maby is one heck of an underrated bass player.
Nice review, Phil, you always seem to pick the acts I've seen live and loved for many years, great stuff!
A song from my youth. Always found it really meaningful and heartfelt. Joe Jackson rules.
I love Joe Jackson and always play Steppin' Out in my car when I'm going out for the night.
Request/Recommendation Fil: Squeeze...Glenn Tilbrook is an underrated guitarist and songwriter. His playing is very Melodic and “outside the box”. Chris Difford is an underrated lyricist. There’sa good amount of live performance videos with Squeeze. Jools Holland also added a lot to their tracks when he was with them. Pulling Mussels From A Shell, Another Nail In My Heart, Tempted (by the fruit of another), Is That Love?, Black Coffee In Bed, and many others. Great chord changes and unexpected things happen in their music. The octave separating Tilbrook’s and Difford’s shared lead vocals...so characteristic of their sound. I’ve been listening to them a lot recently and Joe Jackson and Squeeze came on the scene at about the same time so I guess it kind of fits.
I would say that they put on a great show and that’s true...Joe Jackson seemed to be able to connect more through his personality and movements. That’s something of a rare gift.
Good call..Squeeze would be perfect!!!
I was thinking about Squeeze while watching this.....the writing and listening to Joe reminded me of that play in the lyrics of Tempted....."I fumble for the clock
Alarmed by the seduction
I wish that it would stop" Good stuff.
I would love to see you do a review of BeBop Deluxe's 'New Precision'. I love everyone's play on that tune ua-cam.com/video/slnTV4TqXbo/v-deo.html
Timothy Orie 👍
Jeff Foster 👍
Just rewatched this, Fil - saw Joe earlier this year on his "Sing, You Sinners!" tour. He's still as fabulous live today as he was when I heard "Look Sharp" at uni. Thank you for reminding me how great that era of music was!
Love Joe Jackson - his rock rather than Jazz. Saw him once and loved the show. I got introduced to Joe Jackson by a local Sydney band called Trotting Duck who used to cover One More Time.
Loved Joe Jackson in the ‘80s. I was in High School and his songs always take me back, especially to all of the PARTIES that we had!
Thanks, Fil, I do recall this as one of my favorites of '79 when I was a young pop music disc jockey at an AM station in the San Francisco Bay Area, KNBA the Mighty 1190 in Vallejo. And Joe perfectly told the story of losers not believing that girls were going out with posers.
Always loved the attitude of this song. Simply a cool song. Thanks again and kudos to you Fil for teaching, encouraging interest in and performing music. It's such a good thing.! 🤟!
Thanks!
I totally forgot about this song, thanks for featuring it.
Lovely! He has one voice u recognize, a classic act:) so sweet! Real and innocent 😌
Thanks Fil 🤗
Nice analysis of Joe Jackson. I saw him in Connecticut in the early mid 90's. I was waiting for the hits and quickly realized he had other gears. Very talented composer/songwriter/musician.
Apart from this coolness we are seeing, his Stepping Out is my personal favorite and the highlight of my 80's playlist.
Great artist😎! Many memories flood the brain! Good times stepping out long ago ! Thanks Fil!!!!! Where?!?? 😝
Always thought Joe Jackson was underrated as a singer..
And as a song writer.
@@dmac8949 agreed....
Tone and vocal delivery reminds me of Elvis Costello's. I bring that up as why he might not have made it bigger. I remember this song, but not the performer's name. So my radio experience is a microcosm of the issue. Written before Fil mentioned Costello in his commentary.
I always thought he would be bigger in the U.S.
Mitchell Weiner,
Wasn’t he? This album got a lot of airplay in L.A. I bought it as soon as I bought a car with a tape deck (yikes, that makes me old).
His Album "Look Sharp" is a new wave, and rock classic. Saw him in Manhattan, NYC 22nd St concert back in the day.
Seen him a few times and band configurations over the years - he's an actual arrangement genius. He can re-interpret all his catalogue as swing / jazz / funk .. and always has a great band.
I tried other channels but always return here to gain insight and appreciate the analysis of Fil.
Thanks!
STEPPING OUT AND GOT THE TIME MY TWO FAVORITE SONGS. BUT THIS ONE IS GREAT ALSO. IT'S GREAT. LOVE JOE JACKSON
Pretty women out walking with gorillas down my street . More true even now than back then . Classic song . Love these lyrics . 👍👍👍👌
♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡
Yes that's the line that stands out and sets the tone for the rest of the song, it really captures his frustration, what a great line!
From my window I’m staring while my coffee goes cold ... 😂😂😂
Still one of my favorite opening lines in all music...or poetry, literature or movies for that matter.
Love his Steely Dan covers more,great job Fil at explaining the song on guitar ,thanks much
He did Dan covers? Live or did he do a cover album?
Takes me back! We had all of his albums - thank you Fil.
Somewhere there's a live a capella sextet version of this that is really fun. I think it was on a "Best Of" video compilation. As other commenters note, his book is well worth more than one read. I especially enjoy the variety of styles that he writes and performs. Very intelligent and very down-to-earth.
Creative great. A couple of great albums with punchy pop, jumpin jive then a guitar-less album. just stunning. Always great live.
Nice pick on the video Fil. Freshman in college and I saw Joe perform back in NYC during Christmas break if my memory is still working. He is a great live performer. Loved how he connects with the crowd, great writer as well. Ya done good on this one! Cheers!
Great song to feature, nice breakdown of the cords, etc. Thanks Fil! Joe's piano at the end this song shows the metal of these musicians.
And as usual,brilliant analysis.
Thanks for this- he's wonderful.
He was practically booed off the stage when opening for The Who; it was 1982 and the Who claimed it was their final tour. (!!) The audience was there to rock out and Joe was not their cup of tea! He was justifiably really angry and stormed off after 30 minutes.
Oh, bad-mannered Toronto...!
I was disappointed but the Who were fantastic of course!
YogZab,
1981, We did the same to Prince, opening for the Stones. Epic fail on the lineup.
I remember that show. Exhibition Stadium I believe. It was a shame because Toronto always was and continues to be a popular and supportive stop for all of Joe's tours.
My goodness, I just love Joe Jackson. 💜 I used to listen to the Body and Soul cassette on my Sony Walkman. I got them both for my 16th birthday in 1984. Haha 😄 Nobody else I knew was listening to him but I've loved him forever. 💜
This track is so strong it would be outstanding in any decade….thanks Fil 🥂
Always loved this song. Interesting analysis. 😊
That was great! When Dana and I got together, Joe Jackson was one of his cruising tapes in his 1969 Chrysler Newport. I hadn't seen him perform as much as we've listened to his records. I love his stage presence and facial expressions! Certainly a happy image to underscore our early days. I liked that spare guitar and bass, and do appreciate how the drums accentuate that perfect chorus. Thanks, Fil for a reminder of whose vinyl we need to spin! ❤️
Brilliant lyrics and verbal phrasing. We've all been there.
I agree.
In spite of myself, I actually really liked this. I’ve never heard it before and that was for sure during my younger time. He’s very funny with his facial expressions added to it..I liked the words of the song, too....thanks, Fil
The album was great. Nice different version.
One of the greatest new wave singles, and I love this version of it. Very nice
Joe Jackson's a great writer ( Stepping Out )...thx Fil