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Bruce Foxton

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Bruce Foxton
Foxton performing live withFrom the Jamat theGlasgow Carling Academy,2007
Background information
Birth nameBruce Douglas Foxton
Born(1955-09-01)1 September 1955(age 69)
Woking,England
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • composer
  • musician
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • bass guitar
  • guitar
Years active1972–present
Labels
Websitebrucefoxton

Bruce Douglas Foxton(born 1 September 1955) is an English singer, songwriter and musician.

Foxton's music career spans more than 40 years. He came to prominence in the late 1970s as bassist and backing vocalist ofmod revivalbandthe Jam.He occasionally performed the lead vocals, such as on the songs "Carnaby Street", "News of the World","David Watts"and"Smithers-Jones".After the band's break-up, he pursued a brief solo career releasing onestudio album,Touch Sensitive,in 1984. The album's single "Freak"became a UK Top 20 hit in 1983. He played in several bands, includingSharpwith former Jam memberRick Buckler,before joiningStiff Little Fingersin 1990.

After leaving SLF in 2007, Foxton joined Rick Buckler and members of his tribute band, The Gift, to tour under the nameFrom the Jam.

Early life and education

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Bruce Douglas Foxton was born the youngest of three boys on 1 September 1955, inWoking,Surrey,England, to parents Henry and Helen.[1][2]He grew up at 126 Albert Drive,Sheerwaterwhere he was born, and attendedSheerwater Junior and Secondarywhere he showed great skill in football and technical drawing. In 1972, he left school to work with his brother Derek at a printing firm. While there, he formed a band with his colleagues at work but he abandoned the project out of frustration due to lack of progress and instead chose to joinThe Jam,although at the beginning he had doubts about the band's frequent covers of old hits.[1]

Career

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The Jam performing live inNewcastle upon Tyneduring theirTrans-global Unitytour, 1982.[3]

Together with drummerRick Bucklerhe formed the rhythm section for The Jam, which was fronted by singer, guitarist and songwriterPaul Weller.Foxton initially joined the band as lead guitarist (Weller played bass), but the pair switched roles following the departure of guitarist Steve Brookes. During his time with the band Foxton performed lead vocals on several tracks, most notably the singles "David Watts"(a cover of aKinkstrack) and "News of the World",which was his own composition. Foxton also penned a number of other tracks, the most notable being"Smithers-Jones",done as a straightforward rock take for theB-sideof "When You're Young"and later reworked with strings for theSetting Sonsalbum. After Foxton joinedStiff Little Fingersin 1990 the band would regularly perform the song live.

Whilst in The Jam, Foxton discovered thenew wavebandthe Vaporsand offered them two appearances on the May 1979 tour of The Jam. The band was managed by John Weller, Paul's father.[4]The Vapors enjoyed greater success in the US than The Jam, with theTop 40single "Turning Japanese",but broke up shortly thereafter.

After The Jam broke up in 1982, Foxton pursued a brief solo career and released the studio album,Touch Sensitive,in 1984. The album's single "Freak"became a UK Top 20 hit in 1983. He had other minor UK hits in 1983 and 1984 with the singles" This Is the Way "and" It Makes Me Wonder ",[5]and played in several bands, includingSharpwith former Jam member Rick Buckler, before joining Stiff Little Fingers.

He stayed with Stiff Little Fingers for 15 years, during which time they recorded five albums, namely,Flags and Emblems,Get a Life,Tinderbox,Hope StreetandGuitar and Drum.During his time with the band, he wrote and co-wrote several tracks and, along with lead singerJake Burns,managed the band for a while after Russel Emmanuel relinquished the role.

In 1994, Foxton and Buckler collaborated onOur Story,a biography of their years in The Jam. It was around this time he became a source of fascination for comediansStewart LeeandRichard Herringon theirBBC Radio 1music shows.

In 2006, Foxton toured withBruce Watson,Mark BrzezickiandSimon Townshendas theCasbah Club.When this band supportedthe Whoin the UK, Foxton encountered Paul Weller backstage for the first time in nearly 25 years.

In February 2007, Foxton and Buckler announced they would be touring together again asFrom the Jam,with members of Buckler's Jam tribute bandthe Gift.[6]In March 2008, they toured Australia[7]andNew Zealand– a first for Foxton and Buckler. A complete concert (recorded at theLondon Astoriain December 2007) was released on DVD in 2008 through the London-based indie labelInvisible Hands Music.[8]

On 5 May 2009, Foxton attended the funeral of Paul Weller's father John, who had been instrumental in The Jam's success.[9]Foxton played bass and contributed backing vocals on the songs "Fast Car/Slow Traffic" and "She Speaks" included on Weller's solo album,Wake Up the Nation,released in April 2010. On 25 May 2010, at theRoyal Albert Hall,Foxton joined Weller onstage for the first time in 28 years, to perform three songs, "Fast Car/Slow Traffic", "The Eton Rifles"and" The Butterfly Collector ".

On 1 October 2012, Foxton releasedBack in the Room,his first album in 30 years. It was funded by fans throughPledgeMusicand released on Absolute viaUniversal.[10]Co-written with From the Jam singer Russell Hastings and featuring drummerMark Brzezicki,guest musicians included Paul Weller. Weller performed on three tracks, the single "Number Six", "Window Shopping" and "Coming on Strong".

In November 2016,Smash the Clock,a second collaboration with Russell Hastings, was released on Absolute to generally favourable reviews.[11]Once again it featured a number of well known guest musicians, including Paul Weller. "Get Ready to Rock" online magazine/blog in their review wrote "Foxton and Hastings may not thank me for saying it, but this is probably the best album Paul Weller never made"[12]In December 2017, Foxton released the albumFrom The Jam Live!with Hastings.[13]In 2020, Foxton and Hastings celebrated the 40th anniversary of The Jam’s 4th albumSetting Sonswith a From The Jam tour that involvedThe Vaporsas the original support act on The Jam's 1979 Setting Sons tour. Because of theCovid pandemic,the tour was eventually postponed to 2021.[14]In October 2022,The Butterfly Effect,Foxton's third collaboration with Hastings, was released on Absolute.[15]

Personal life

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In early 2009, Foxton's wife of 25 years Pat, who had worked inpublic relationsforUnited ArtistsandCBS,died ofbreast cancer.[16]

Bruce is now married to Kate Foxton (nee Farrow).

Discography

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With The Jam

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Main article:The Jam discography

Solo

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Studio albums

Year Title Label UK Albums Chart[5]
1984 Touch Sensitive Arista 68
2012 Back in the Room Absolute –
2016 Smash the Clock 31
2017 From The Jam Live! Absolute -
2022 The Butterfly Effect Absolute 34

Singles

Year Title B-side Album UK Singles Chart[5]
1983 "Freak" "Writing's on the Wall" Touch Sensitive 23
1983 "This Is the Way" "Sign of the Times" Touch Sensitive 56
1984 "It Makes Me Wonder" "Trying to Forget You (Instrumental Mix)" Touch Sensitive 74
1984 "S.O.S. My Imagination" "25 or 6 to 4" Touch Sensitive –
1986 "Play This Game to Win" "Welcome to the Hero" Non-album single –
2012 "Don't Waste My Time"[Promo-only]
(With special guestSteve Cropper) 		– Back in the Room –
2012 "Number Six"[Promo-only]
(FeaturingPaul Weller) 		– Back in the Room –

References

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  1. ^abJohn Reed (5 November 2009).Paul Weller: My Ever Changing Moods.Omnibus Press. pp. 60–63.ISBN978-0-85712-049-6.
  2. ^Sharon Davis (6 January 2012).80s Chart-Toppers: Every Chart-Topper Tells a Story.Mainstream Publishing. p. 147.ISBN978-1-78057-411-0.
  3. ^"The Jam Information Pages – by Kevin Lock".Thejam.org.uk. 11 April 2007. Archived fromthe originalon 16 August 2013.
  4. ^New On The Charts - Vapors.Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 4 October 1980. p.32.ISSN0006-2510.
  5. ^abcRoberts, David (2006).British Hit Singles & Albums(19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 211.ISBN1-904994-10-5.
  6. ^"Two-Thirds Of The Jam Reuniting For Tour".Billboard.
  7. ^"The Jam to Play Australia – Without Frontman".ABC "Dig Radio". 11 December 2007.Retrieved12 March2008.
  8. ^"From The Jam 2007 tour".Noble PR. 2007. Archived fromthe originalon 24 July 2007.Retrieved30 July2007.
  9. ^"Photographic press agency and picture library".Rex Features. 5 May 2009.Retrieved13 April2011.
  10. ^"Back in the Room – Bruce Foxton: Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards".AllMusic.Retrieved1 October2012.
  11. ^"Bruce Foxton - Smash The Clock".Discogs.20 May 2016.Retrieved26 August2017.
  12. ^"Album review: BRUCE FOXTON - Smash the Clock - Get Ready to ROCK! News | Reviews | InterviewsGet Ready to ROCK! News | Reviews | Interviews | Radio".Archived fromthe originalon 9 December 2017.Retrieved8 December2017.
  13. ^MarkRockpit (17 November 2017)."ALBUM REVIEW: Bruce Foxton & Russell Hastings - From the Jam Live".The Rockpit.Retrieved4 August2021.
  14. ^Pingitore, Silvia (26 April 2020)."The Jam's legacy is alive: interview with Bruce Foxton & Russell Hastings".the-shortlisted.co.uk.Retrieved4 August2021.
  15. ^Dennis, Peter (27 October 2022)."Foxton & Hastings – The Butterfly Effect".The Midlands Rocks.Retrieved26 April2023.
  16. ^"Jam star wife's funeral draws mourners including PM's wife Sarah Brown and Spandau Ballet's Tony Hadley".Mirror.co.uk. 8 April 2009.Retrieved13 April2011.
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