Mickey Jupp

Mickey Jupp
Birth name Michael Jupp
Born 6 March 1944
Worthing, Sussex, England
Genres Rock, pub rock, rhythm and blues
Occupation(s) Musician, guitarist, songwriter
Instruments Guitar, piano
Years active 1963–present
Labels Bell Records, Vertigo, Stiff
Associated acts The Orioles, Legend,
Mickey Jupp Band
Website www.MickeyJupp.com

Michael 'Mickey' Jupp (born 6 March 1944, in Worthing, Sussex) is an English musician and songwriter, mainly associated with the Southend music scene.

Career

Jupp played in several Southend bands after leaving art college in 1962 and was in the R&B group the Orioles (1963 to late 1965), which included Mo Witham (guitar, vocals) and Bob Clouter (drums), but the band were never recorded.

After a break from music, Jupp formed Legend in 1968, who were signed to Bell Records. They released an eponymous album Legend, playing a mix of pop, rockabilly and blues rock styles using no electric instruments. The original band: Nigel Dunbar (drums), Chris East (guitar, vocals and harmonica) and Steve Geere (string bass and vocals), who recorded this album with Jupp (guitar, piano and vocals), split soon afterwards, so Jupp assembled a new line-up, with Mo Witham on guitar, John Bobin on bass and Bill Fifield on drums. A recording deal with Vertigo produced a second album, in 1970, using the same line-up. Confusingly, this album was also called Legend, but is usually referred to as the "Red Boot" album, after the cover picture. Fifield left to join T.Rex (where he was renamed Bill Legend, after the band he had left, by Marc Bolan), and was replaced on drums by Bob Clouter who had played with Jupp in the Orioles. This line-up recorded the second Vertigo album Moonshine issued in 1971 (and re-released on CD in 2007), after which the band broke up.[1]

Returning to Southend, Jupp pursued a low-key existence until the pub-rock revolution (spearheaded by local bands such as Dr. Feelgood, for whom he wrote the hit single "Down at the Doctors") created a fresh interest in rock and roll. He signed to Stiff Records in 1978, and they initially released a compilation album of the first three Legend albums, which was also called Legend, giving three albums with this title. This was followed by his first solo album, Juppanese, an album in two different styles. The first half was recorded with Rockpile and produced by Nick Lowe, and is in a simple raw style, whereas the second half, produced by Gary Brooker of Procol Harum, is slicker.[2] Jupp had a long-standing connection with Procol Harum; one of his early idols was Gary Brooker then with R&B group the Paramounts. When Procol's bassist David Knights went into management, Legend were his first act. He also produced their final album Moonshine. Robin Trower also produced Legend's second single "Georgia George Part 1"[3] which was actually Jupp backed by Mo Witham and Procol's Matthew Fisher and B.J. Wilson.[4]

The follow-up album Long Distance Romancer was produced by Godley and Creme, and has a slick, highly produced, sound, which was generally seen as less successful.[5]

Jupp went on to release a further seven solo albums, some appearing on Swedish and German labels. His songs have been recorded by Rick Nelson, Elkie Brooks, the Judds, Chris Farlowe, Delbert McClinton, Nick Lowe, Dave Edmunds, Gary Brooker, the Hamsters, Dr. Feelgood, Roger Chapman, and the Searchers.

At one time the Mickey Jupp Band had Joy Sarney as its vocalist.[6]

In February 2009 the early Legend line-up of Chris East, Mo Witham, John Bobin, Bob Clouter and Mickey Jupp self-released a new album, Never Too Old To Rock, featuring a selection of Jupp–East songs written over the previous twenty years.[7]

Appreciation

On 6 February 2015, most of a two-hour edition of the Belgian radio show Dr Boogie on Classic 21 was dedicated to Jupp [8] who was described (in French) as a 'hidden treasure of rock',[9][10] a 'white Chuck Berry'.[11] and a musician 'almost without ego'.[12]

Recordings

(Album titles in italics, singles are 7" 45rpm versions unless noted)

With Legend

1969
1970
1971
1978
2008
2012

Solo releases

1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1987

Oddities CD only, Line LICD-9.00464 (Germany) (CD compilation of BBC sessions, singles, and unreleased tracks)

1988
1991
1992
2004
2005
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014

Appearance on other albums

1971
1978
1979
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1991
1992
1993
1994
1996

Southend Rock 2 The Lunch Label 01702-001, CD compilation with "Standing At The Crossroads Again" (UK)

1999

Some Sides Of Line: 20th Anniversary Line LMS-9.01356, CD compilation with "Poison Girls" (Germany)

The Greatest Pop Ballads Repertoire Records RR-4763, 2CD compilation with "Pilot" (Germany)

2001
2007
2008
2010
2011

References

  1. ↑ Allmusic biography of Jupp by Stephen Thomas Erlewine Retrieved 12 February 2009
  2. ↑ Allmusic review of Juppanese by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Retrieved 11 February 2009
  3. ↑ 45cat.com Discography
  4. ↑ Liner notes to Repertoire Records Legend CD
  5. ↑ Allmusic review of Long Distance Romancer by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Retrieved 11 February 2009
  6. ↑ Donaldclarkmusicbox.com
  7. ↑ Announcement on MickyJupp.Com (Official Website), Retrieved 11 March 2009
  8. ↑ Dr Boogie playlist 6 Feb 2015
  9. ↑ 'Mickey Jupp est un trésor caché du rock'
  10. ↑ quote on podcast at 21'32"
  11. ↑ quote on podcast at 24'49"
  12. ↑ quote on podcast at 21'19"
  13. ↑ Kiss Me Quick, Squeeze Me Slow functions as both a last word and introduction to Jupp's career

External links