Just Got Lucky: A JoBoxers Story
Cherry Red Records are releasing a collection of recordings by quintessential 80s English band JoBoxers. They possibly hold the record for creating and capturing the zeitgeist for the shortest possible time in popular music. But what a time it was. Everything about those first two singles Boxerbeat and Just Got Lucky was magical as they crashed the charts and our hearts in 1983.
I saw this earlier and have had the most joyous 3 minutes and 44 seconds of music in my head all day. Don't scroll past. Stop. Press play and you will feel better I promise.
This is my JoBoxers story…
It's a tale I've told too often but I think this release deserves the full story. October 1983 a gang of us bought tickets to see Joboxers at Hammersmith Palais. There was me and Micky G pop loving chart junkies. Whale and 10 inch Tim who loved soul music. Tick Tock Tel who was into The Human League. Hartley Hare who was always in love and listened to soppy love songs. Budgie may have been there, he loved The Clash and Killjoy Col who listened to his Dad's Roger Whittaker and Mrs Mills album totally unironically. We were a strange bunch but we all loved the idea of seeing Joboxers live. The songs, the energy and the image crossed boundaries. We wanted to do it right. So we dressed right. Beanies, braces, boots, jeans turned up just so and our t-shirts tight sleeves rolled up. We were ready. A few early beers and we were on the train from Staines to Hammersmith. We drew looks, laughs and head shakes. As Hammersmith approached we burst into an impromptu Boxerbeat stomping and clapping as the other passengers looked on. No camera phones in 1983 thank god but no social media either meant it was only as we alighted at Hammersmith Broadway did the news filter through that the drummer was ill and the gig was off. Our Boxerbubble burst and a few more beers couldn't ease our disappointment. I haven't seen that lot in 40 years. Maybe they'll see this and... 5/those memories will return. I hope the tour again and I'll go. Maybe I should dress the part. There'll be no Boxerflashmob this time. Go well Joboxers and thanks for memories. I'll end this little tale with some lyrics for the boys and anyone who needs them.
Just keep the devil in hell
Just keep the trains on the rail
Just keep the stars in the sky
And keep the money for sale
Just let the crippled ones walk
And let the silent ones talk
Just make the blind so they see
And the sad ones happy
And you'l be doing the Boxerbeat
#Joboxers