Jameson Raid (band)

Career

The band's origins trace to 1973, when bassist John Ace and guitarist Ian Smith played together in Spectaté II at their school in Sutton Coldfield. After the members dispersed for university—Smith went to sea—Ace formed a covers band. When that group split, Ace and rhythm guitarist Stewart Harrod persuaded Smith to return, and drummer Phil Kimberley was added. Their first performance took place on 26 August 1975 under the name Notre Dame, a name the band generally disliked. The name Jameson Raid derives from an incident in the Transvaal at the turn of 1895/96; roadie Nick Freeman recalled the event from his school history books and proposed it to the band. Terry Dark of Hoi Polloi joined as singer in December 1976, and Stewart left a few days later, completing the most well-known lineup.

The band released their first single, the "Seven Days of Splendour" EP, in February 1979. Author Malc Macmillan noted that the combination of influences shaping the band's sound was difficult to pin down, incorporating elements of 1970s rock/pop (especially David Bowie and Mott The Hoople), heavier acts such as Thin Lizzy, and occasional nods toward punk snottiness. The three tracks on the EP—"Seven Days of Splendour", "It's a Crime", and "Catcher in the Rye"—illustrated this difficulty in categorizing the band's sound. The International Encyclopedia of Hard Rock & Heavy Metal described them as "cult heroes for the Midland rock circuit" whose music was "a poppy form of heavy metal". The EP was well received; Martin Popoff characterized it as showcasing "a masterful bit of songwriting throughout these three tracks". The first 1,000 copies came in a white sleeve, with a further pressing of 2,000 in a black sleeve; both featured a spoofed band history and the lyrics to all three songs.

In March 1980, Jameson Raid and Magnum played support to Def Leppard at West Midland venues on Def Leppard's On Through the Night World Tour. In May 1980, EMI released Metal For Muthas II Cut Loud, which included the Jameson Raid track "Hard Lines". The band was unhappy that EMI, without their knowledge, had completely remixed the song—which the band had already mixed to their satisfaction—and in doing so, in their view, destroyed it. On this release the band was credited as The Raid.