The Jam Ringtones

There have been flashes of brilliance over the last decade or so, but nothing has ever quite matched up to the quintessentially British sound The Jam generated during their time at the top. Indeed, from the first single, In The City (1977), right the way through to their epitaph, Beat Surrender (1982), all three-band members played their part in making The Jam one of the most influential ringtones groups of their time.

In the early days, Paul Weller was not simply a vocalist, but an angry young man with something to say. And his passionate self-belief came through in the personalised lyrics that became their trademark as the group matured through five best selling albums. They simply made people think again: "tunes that get in your head and can't be shifted." I still know all the words after too many years!' A fan's appraisal of the ingenuity of the 'boy wonder'. However, Weller was also an accomplished guitarist with a unique staccato style of strumming that helped to pound the messages home.

A potent rhythm section, as taught as wire, gave depth to the speed fuelled tunes that backed up Weller's prose. Rick Buckler pounded the drums with military precision, while Bruce Foxton rapped his bass to the limit. They blended perfectly to make The Jam a live experience never to be forgotten. There was always 'a magic hand for a magic band' wherever they played.

Eton Rifles, Going Underground and Down In The Tube Station At Midnight and A Town Called Malice were commercial highlights from their five years in the spotlight but nothing captures what they were about more than, English Rose, an endearing tale of loyalty from the All Mod Cons album released on Polydor Records in 1979 and still to be released as a ringtone.