Biography
During the opening years of the 1980s, Postcard Records stood as the premier destination for any Scottish indie pop ensemble. Although Orange Juice and Josef K had already departed, the imprint retained its status as the most fashionable label of the moment, so the Jazzateers counted themselves fortunate when they joined its roster in 1981. Vocalist Alison Gourlay, guitarist Ian Burgoyne, bassist Keith Band, and drummer Colin Auld formed the quartet, whose sound sat squarely between the jangle associated with Orange Juice and the refined swing of bossa nova while aligning comfortably alongside fellow new Postcard act Aztec Camera. The group performed in cafes and other nontraditional spaces, cut multiple demos (a portion produced by Edwyn Collins), and laid down a version of Donna Summer’s “Wasted” overseen by the song’s co-writer with Giorgio Moroder, Pete Bellotte. That final session proved calamitous and prompted Gourlay’s exit.
The remaining members recruited vocalists Deirdre and Louise Rutkowski, promptly tracking an album called Lee for the freshly established Postcard International imprint. The record stayed unreleased, Postcard soon folded, and the lineup shifted once more. With Grahame Skinner now handling vocals, the band secured a deal with Rough Trade and, against expectation, issued the single “Show Me the Door” followed by a self-titled album in early 1983. As the LP attracted praise, the musicians repeated their pattern of upheaval by parting ways with Skinner, who later fronted Hipsway, bringing in guitarist Mick Slaven and adopting the name Bourgie Bourgie. The rebranding unexpectedly heightened attention, leading Bourgie Bourgie to an MCA contract that yielded two singles and a completed album, the latter of which remained shelved.
Burgoyne, Slaven, and Band revived the Jazzateers name in 1985, enlisting drummer Stephen Lironi and releasing the single “Pressing On” on the small Stampede label. Predictably, another finished album failed to appear. The band’s story lay dormant until 2013, when the original members regrouped to mark Creeping Bent’s reissue of their Rough Trade album under the title Rough 46 and to perform with Vic Godard at the Glasgow International Jazz Festival. The following year Cherry Red issued a compilation of early demos and unreleased Postcard-era material titled Don’t Let Your Son Grow Up to Be a Cowboy.
The remaining members recruited vocalists Deirdre and Louise Rutkowski, promptly tracking an album called Lee for the freshly established Postcard International imprint. The record stayed unreleased, Postcard soon folded, and the lineup shifted once more. With Grahame Skinner now handling vocals, the band secured a deal with Rough Trade and, against expectation, issued the single “Show Me the Door” followed by a self-titled album in early 1983. As the LP attracted praise, the musicians repeated their pattern of upheaval by parting ways with Skinner, who later fronted Hipsway, bringing in guitarist Mick Slaven and adopting the name Bourgie Bourgie. The rebranding unexpectedly heightened attention, leading Bourgie Bourgie to an MCA contract that yielded two singles and a completed album, the latter of which remained shelved.
Burgoyne, Slaven, and Band revived the Jazzateers name in 1985, enlisting drummer Stephen Lironi and releasing the single “Pressing On” on the small Stampede label. Predictably, another finished album failed to appear. The band’s story lay dormant until 2013, when the original members regrouped to mark Creeping Bent’s reissue of their Rough Trade album under the title Rough 46 and to perform with Vic Godard at the Glasgow International Jazz Festival. The following year Cherry Red issued a compilation of early demos and unreleased Postcard-era material titled Don’t Let Your Son Grow Up to Be a Cowboy.
Albums