In the late 1970s, when traditional rock & roll had largely fallen out of favor, Mickey Jupp stood as a proponent much like Dave Edmunds, though he distinguished himself by penning most of his songs, which infused 1950s rock & roll with ironic humor.
His professional path opened in the early 1960s with the Essex-based British R&B outfit the Orioles, a group that cultivated a loyal regional audience yet never entered a studio. The Orioles dissolved toward the end of 1965 once Jupp was detained for unpaid alimony. Three years afterward he resurfaced by assembling Legend, whose early work helped lay the foundation for the English pub-rock movement of the following decade. After issuing their third album in 1971, Legend dissolved and Jupp again stepped away from performing for an extended period.
Lee Brileaux of Dr. Feelgood persuaded him to resume live work in 1975; although pub rock was then waning, Jupp retained strong standing within the circles that mattered, evidenced by Ducks Deluxe’s version of “Cheque Book” and Dr. Feelgood’s recording of “Down at the Doctors.”
His debut solo single, “Nature’s Radio,” appeared on Arista Records in 1978 and quickly earned him a deal with Stiff, which issued the “Old Rock ’N’ Roller” single and the album Juppanese that same year; most of Juppanese was tracked with Rockpile under Nick Lowe’s supervision. Also released in 1978, the retrospective Mickey Jupp’s Legend drew on material from his earlier band. Jupp participated in Stiff’s Rail Tour but withdrew before its American dates because of a fear of flying. He soon departed Stiff and moved to Chrysalis in 1979, where he cut Long Distance Romancer with 10cc members Kevin Godley and Lol Creme; like its predecessor, the record failed to reach a wide listenership.
In 1982 Jupp joined A&M Records and delivered Some People Can’t Dance; after one further A&M release, 1983’s Shampoo Haircut and Shave, the label ended the relationship. Throughout the remainder of the 1980s and into the 1990s he continued touring the U.K. while issuing occasional albums on independent labels.
