When people think of iconic bands in British music history, often most will either cite 'The Beatles' or 'The Rolling Stones' as being the most definitive. In Football Casual culture, there is arguably one band which stands head and shoulders above all others. That band is 'The Jam'.

In 1972 Woking, Surrey a young student at Sheerwater Secondary School by the name of Paul Weller (vocals / guitars / keyboards) decided to form his own band. In the immediate years the line-up in this school band changed on a regular basis. By the mid 70's it looked as if a solid line-up was beginning to form, with Bruce Foxton (vocals / bass guitar / guitar) and Rick Buckler (drums / percussion) emerging as the members of the band, that alongside Weller, would become known as 'The Jam'.

Like many other artists of the time, Weller was inspired by a 1976 'Sex Pistols' gig, and by what could be achieved through raw energy and attitude. Although initially tagged as a punk band, 'The Jam' had much more of an accomplished sound than most of that time. They showed their appreciation of the past by wearing smart tailored suits and playing tunes clearly influenced by 60's music. As critics began to realise that 'The Jam' were actually more 'mod' than 'punk' - the term 'revivalist mod' was born. In early 1977, 'The Jam' were signed to Polydor Records.

The first commercial single release by 'The Jam' was 'In The City', which just managed to get placed in the charts at #40. In May of 1977 the album of the same name was also released, reaching a high of position #20 in the album charts. In July, the non-LP track "All Around The World' netted them their first top #20 hit. Although they had yet to become a major mainstream commercial success, 'The Jam' continued to build up a fiercely loyal fan base. In November of 1977 the track 'The Modern World' was released but could only reach a high of #36. The band's second album, 'This Is The Modern World', which was released soon after 'The Modern World' A-side, failed to ignite the imagination of the record-buying public and gave 'The Jam' their first real taste of musical press criticism.

In March of 1978 the single 'News Of The World' was released and secured 'The Jam' their second highest hit by reaching a high of #27. This was to be the one and only A-side release that Bruce Foxton had composed. The talent of the band, as far the label was concerned, was Weller - and he continued to compose the majority of the work which was released. The band were starting to find the critical acclaim fast fading. The band returned to the studio to record their third album. However, the majority of the album was composed by Foxton and failed to inspire the producers. It was decided that the band should take a little time out to allow the slightly disillusioned Paul Weller a chance to recover his inspiration. It proved to be a master stroke. Weller returned to his hometown in Woking, Surrey to rediscover his love of 60's mod music by continuously listening to albums by 'The Kinks'. This sabbatical gave Weller back his passion back for the music.

On 26th August 1978 the double A-side "David Watts" / "'A' Bomb In Wardour Street" was released, and although only reaching a high of #25 in the singles chart, it was a return to the raw energy of mod which inspired the band in the first place. It wasn't until the 'Down In The Tube Station At Midnight' release in October of 1978 that 'The Jam' were once again the critic's favourite. This time, the track reached a high of #15 - their second highest singles chart position to date. The period proved to be the point in which a promising revivalist mod band turned into a musical institution that would go on to dominate the UK album and singles chart for the next four years. The third album, 'All Mod Cons' was released in November 1978 and received wide acclaim, reaching a high of #6 in the album charts - and is now regarded as many as 'The Jam's' masterpiece album.

It was to be a full year later before 'The Jam' would release their next album 'Setting Sons' in November of 1979. In between, the non-LP tracks of 'Strange Town' and ' When You're Young' were both released and became Top 20 hits. Another track was also released prior to 'Setting Sons'. This was 'The Eton Rifles' - which scored the band their first Top 10 hit reaching position #3. In March of 1980, a labeling error led to a planned B-side becoming the band's first #1 single. The release of "Going Underground" / "Dreams of Children" (Double A-Side) was meant to be 'Dreams of Children' being the actual release, but radio stations instead preferred to give more airplay to 'Going Underground' and led to it becoming one of the biggest selling singles of 1980. The album itself, was also a commercial success - reaching a high of position #4.

The fifth studio album to be released by 'The Jam' was 'Sound Affects' in November of 1980. The track 'Start' (taking the bass line from 'The Beatles' 'Taxman') was released prior to the album in August of 1980 and scored 'The Jam' their second #1. In February 1981, the band secured an unprecedented Top 40 hit with a track that was never actually released domestically in the UK. 'That's Entertainment' reached position #21, and is regarded by many to be one of 'The Jam's' most iconic tracks. 'Sound Affects' was an eclectic mix of influences which included elements of funk and post-punk. The album was a #2 hit in the UK and peaked at #72 on the US Billboard charts, their most successful American album.

Two non-LP singles, 'Funeral Pyre' and 'Absolute Beginners' were released in June and October 1981 respectively and both peaked at #4 in the chart. The 1982 release The Gift, the group's last LP, was another massive commercial success, peaking at #1 on the UK singles charts. Their next #1 was to come from this album in the form of 'Town Called Malice' - a slice-of-life tale of suburban boredom. Weller was beginning to feel he achieved all that he could with 'The Jam' and the end of the band appeared to be in sight. After release of the ballad 'The Bitterest Pill (I Ever Had to Swallow)' which peaked at #2, the band secured another #1 with their final single 'Beat Surrender' in 1982. After a final farewell tour of the UK, 'The Jam' disbanded and went their separate ways. Weller went on to form 'The Style Council' before becoming a solo artist in 1989. Although Bruce Foxton and Rick Buckler continue to perform regularly, Weller has continuously resisted the overtures of a full reunion.

'The Jam' are probably the only band that would gain a unilateral consensus with Football Casuals. Although other bands were popular, 'The Jam' seemed to unite a generation of casuals through the music. The band was at it's height in the early 80's, just as casual culture was entering it's golden age. The mod, soul and post-punk styling's of Weller's music and vocals were definitely the soundtrack to many a Casual's hazy memory of their youth.

ICONIC TRACKS: 'A Bomb In Wardour Street', 'That's Entertainment' & 'Town Called Malice'
RECCOMENDED ALBUM: 'All Mod Cons' (1978)