Jaguar (band)

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This article is about the British heavy metal band Jaguar. For the Icelandic funk band Jagúar, see Jagúar (band).

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Please improve this article if you can. (December 2007)

Jaguar is a heavy metal Band formed in Bristol, England in December 1979. They had moderate success throughout Europe and Asia in the early 80's during the heyday of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement.

[edit] Career

The original December '79 lineup consisted of Garry Pepperd (Guitar), Jeff Cox (Bass,Vocals) and Chris Lovell (Drums). In the following April Rob Reiss was added as vocalist/frontman. They built a strong local reputation and recorded two demos the latter of which earned them a deal with Heavy Metal Records, and in 1981 they released single Back Street Woman, a NWOBHM cult classic which sold over 400,000 copies. Unfortunately the band then had a major disagreement with the record company and the contract ended. Disillusioned, Reiss quit and was replaced by Paul Merrell.

In 1982 a strong performance at a Dutch rock festival won them a new deal with Neat Records and subsequent single Axe Crazy sold reasonably well. After intensive touring, debut album Power Games was released in early 1983. They were well known in British heavy metal circles and prospects were promising. Follow up album This Time followed in 1984 and was a marked change of direction, showing a Dance Music influence. Drummer Lovell hated it and was replaced by Gary Davies.

The marked change of direction alienated much of their core audience and sales and interest evaporated. The band released Horrible Truth in 1985, but by the end of the year there was little interest in them and the band folded. A revival of interest in the NWOBHM in Europe and Japan and a successful re-release of their first album in those regions propmpted a reformation in 1999, with modified lineup of Peppard, Jeff Cox, brother Nathan Cox on drums and vocalist Jamie Marten. An album Wake Me followed in 2000. However Jeff Cox was then replaced by Darren Furze. Next album Run Ragged appeared in 2003. In 2005 the band were still a going concern on the NWOBHM nostalgia circuit. In 2007 the band released 2 new albums of live material. The first release was a recording from a live show the band performed in Holland in 1982 which originally saw only a limited release. The second is the first of three planned releases covering this legendary NWOBHM acts early, unreleased recordings, Titled Archive Alive Vol.1 it covers the period of the band’s greatest glories, the birth of the band and their rise to NWOBHM prominence. Early versions of acknowledged and revered classic can be heard, along with sleeve notes by guitarist Garry Pepperd and rare and unseen photos.

On 22 March 1980 and 22 December 1980 Jaguar laid down 6 tracks that would be released on a demo cassette that became available in early 1981. Track details are:

Stormchild (cox) - Ain't No Fantasy (peppard) - War Machine (peppard) - Battlecry (cox/peppard) - Feel The Heat (peppard) - Piledriver (cox/peppard)

Incidentally credit for the Jaguar Logo goes to J Granfield with alterations by 'Mouse'.