The Jolt - History

 Home >> Punk Bands >> The Jolt >> History 

Apart from The Self Abusers and The the Zones there were few Glasgow punk bands not helped by an unofficial ban on punk in Glasgow. Originally playing 60's based covers the band influenced by the new punk spirit quickly got up to speed with tunes like Decoyed and Mr Radio Man and built up a following in Jim and Robbie's home town of Wishaw playing the Crown Hotel.

Rob: "There was a great sense of something happening in Scotland, we felt that anyway and the gigs used to be really great. There was a spirit of being part of some sort of revolution..."

As a lot of Scottish bands found there was only so far you could go in their native land and the decision was taken to move to London. In one sense the gamble paid off. They played the Marquee, Nashville and supported bands like The Jam, Stranglers and Generation X. In Sounds 13.8.77 it reported the bands signing to Polydor which they did for £90,000 and a four year deal. In another way it was the start of their troubles.

Having left Scotland they were accused of selling out and got the cold shoulder from 'the scene' and the press. Ian: "Really its the other way about. It takes guts to go out on a limb, but some people turned their backs on us because we went."

Worse than that the punk scene they came from was now over a year old and there were hundreds of bands in London. Ironically punk was taking a different direction that would have suited the Jolt. Punk had turned to New Wave to power pop and The Jolt went back to their roots (just like The Cortinas) and began to change image and produce commercial pop with a punk punch.

Ten months on from forming the band released the Faces What'cha Gonna Do About It? and overhaul their image into a sixties mod suited look. Jim: "We're wearing these suits out of genuine affection for other groups who had that style." Whereas they were conceived as a tribute and for originality, I think in the end the suits helped kill the band and just create more Jam comparisons.

Another single and an album were released to some critical acclaim along with favourable live reviews and interviews but not translated into sales. At the same time other events overshadowed the band that took the spotlight off their music. The Jolt were signed to Polydor, home to another three piece with a monosyllabic name beginning with 'J' and a penchant for suits. We mean of course The Jam who The Jolt often toured with and were great pals with. Inevitable comparisons were made to the detriment of the band.

Around September 1978 the band expanded into a four piece with keyboards. In June 1979 they released a final single before splitting up ironically just missing the mod revival that in the end they seemed to becoming so suited to.

Click above for larger readable image.
NME 25.6.1977