Jet

Jet was an English glam-rock band that released a 1975 self-titled album, guided by bassist and songwriter Martin Gordon with fellow Sparks sidemen. Radio Stars formed from Jet’s remnants and scored a 1977 UK hit with “Nervous Wreck,” followed by the albums Songs for Swinging Lovers and Holiday Special.

Members: Martin Gordon (bass), Andy Ellison (vocals), Davy O’List (guitar, 1974–75), Peter Oxendale (keyboards, 1974–76), Chris Townson (drums, 1974–76), Trevor White (guitar, 1975–76), Ian Macleod (guitar, 1976–77), Steve Parry (drums, Radio Stars)

Background

Andy Ellison (born July 5, 1945, Finchley, London) and Chris Townson (born July 24, 1947, Battersea, London) met at Box Hill School in Surrey in the early 1960s and co-founded a band called the Clockwork Onions, which passed through the names The Few and The Silence before settling as John’s Children. The band—Townson on drums, Ellison on vocals, Geoff McClelland on guitar, and John Hewlett on bass—attracted manager Simon Napier-Bell, who signed them to Track Records in 1967 and renamed them after their bass player, Hewlett, on the premise that the name guaranteed he would not be fired. Marc Bolan joined John’s Children in March 1967 as guitarist and co-writer, and the group released several singles including “Desdemona,” banned by the BBC. Their live act ran to staged fighting, fake blood, chains, and instrument destruction; a 1967 German tour with The Who ended early after John’s Children provoked a riot in Ludwigshafen and, in Napier-Bell’s account, upstaged the headliners. That summer, Townson substituted for The Who’s Keith Moon across four UK dates after Moon injured himself. John’s Children split in late 1967.

Guitarist Trevor White (born October 3, 1947, Leatherhead, England) had been recruited to replace Bolan in John’s Children when Bolan quit, but the group disbanded before he could rehearse with them. White later joined singer-songwriter Ian Kimmett, bassist Ian Hampton, and Townson in a band assembled by John Hewlett—now managing Sparks—called Jook, which released five singles on RCA Victor between September 1972 and April 1974.

Martin Gordon (born May 3, 1954, Ipswich) studied piano and classical guitar from childhood and attended summer schools with the British National Jazz Youth Orchestra, where he took lessons from Nucleus bassist Jeff Clyne. He began his professional career as bassist for the Californian duo Sparks after they relocated to the UK, playing on Kimono My House (1974) with his Rickenbacker 4001 bass. That album produced two UK hits, “This Town Ain’t Big Enough for Both of Us,” which reached number two, and “Amateur Hour.” Gordon parted from Sparks after one album. Peter Oxendale (born 1950 or 1951) had served as keyboardist for a short-lived live configuration of Sparks around the same period. Hewlett’s management connection to Sparks also brought Trevor White into that band in 1974; White played live and contributed to Propaganda (1974) and Indiscreet (1975) before the association ended.

Guitarist Davy O’List (born December 13, 1948) had played with The Attack from 1966, then joined The Nice as guitarist alongside organist Keith Emerson, departing in autumn 1968 during sessions for their second album. During his Nice tenure, he briefly substituted for Syd Barrett in Pink Floyd on a package tour with Jimi Hendrix. He played briefly in Jethro Tull after Mick Abrahams‘ departure and served a stint with Roxy Music between October 1971 and February 1972, appearing in the band’s first BBC session in January 1972. In 1974 he played guitar on Bryan Ferry‘s second solo album, Another Time, Another Place, including a solo on Ferry’s cover of “The ‘In’ Crowd.”

Gordon assembled Jet in 1974, drawing on Ellison and Townson from John’s Children, Oxendale from Sparks’ live band, and O’List from his string of high-profile tenures. The band recorded their debut album at the close of that year.

Jet released their self-titled album in March 1975 on CBS.

Gordon writes in short, jump-cut forms built from clipped verse sections, stacked harmonies, keyboard stabs, hard guitar breaks, and abrupt turns in tempo and phrasing. O’List pushes sharp lead lines through the mix, while Oxendale threads the songs with bright, insistent keyboards. Ellison sings in a sneering, theatrical voice that suits the band’s nervous pacing. Roy Thomas Baker gives the album a dense, high-gloss surface with hyperactive layers and wide stereo spread.

“Start Here” opens at full pace with tiered harmonies and a hard rhythmic push. “Brian Damage,” “It Would Be Good,” and “Tittle-Tattle” keep the songs in quick, angular motion. “Song For Hymn” lands as a short interlude. “Nothing To Do With Us” drives a tight refrain through a compact arrangement. “Fax N’ Info” snaps through stop-start sections, while “My River” opens the pace into a broader guitar-led flow. “Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend” runs on a concise keyboard figure and a frustrated vocal line. “Whangdepootenawah” turns a nonsense chant into a group piece, and “Cover Girl” closes the set with another of Gordon’s tightly wound pop constructions.

A1. “Start Here” (3:47) – Gordon
A2. “Brian Damage” (3:09) – Gordon
A3. “It Would Be Good” (2:06) – Gordon
A4. “Song for Hymn” (1:33) – Gordon
A5. “Nothing to Do With Us” (4:51) – Gordon
A6. “Tittle-Tattle” (4:35) – Gordon

B1. “Fax N’ Info” (4:23) – Gordon
B2. “My River” (4:12) – O’List
B3. “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” (4:28) – Gordon
B4. “Whangdepootenawah” (3:20) – Ellison/Townson/Gordon
B5. “Cover Girl” (3:14) – Gordon

Jet recorded the album between December 1974 and January 1975 at Sarm Studios with producer Roy Thomas Baker and engineer Gary Lyons. Baker oversaw Jet in sequence with albums by Queen (A Night at the Opera), Be-Bop Deluxe (Futurama), and Pilot (Morin Heights).

CBS issued “My River” as a 7-inch single in March 1975 with “Quandary” on the B-side. CBS followed with a second single, “Nothing to Do With Us,” backed with “Brian Damage,” in May 1975.

Second Lineup and Aborted Second Album

CBS dropped Jet in late 1975. O’List left, and Trevor White joined in August 1975. Oxendale also departed. Gordon, Ellison, Townson, and White continued as a four-piece, then Ian Macleod entered in 1976. That later lineup recorded new material during sessions that did not yield a second album.

The band cut tracks at Island Studios in 1976. Island turned them down, while Chiswick responded more positively to the material. Part of that work later surfaced on More Light Than Shade, which gathered live cuts, rehearsals, studio outtakes, and demos from the 1975 lineup and the later sessions. Titles linked to the unfinished second album include “Around The World In Eighty Minutes,” “We Love Noise,” “Tax Loss,” “Our Boys,” “Hand On My Heart,” “Johnny Mekon,” “Uncle Evil,” “Don’t Cry Joe,” and “Antler.” The set also preserved period renditions of “Lady Ricochet” and the Bolan numbers “Horrible Breath,” and “Desdemona,” a 1967 John’s Children side.

Those later sessions led directly into the next band. Gordon, Ellison, Townson, and Macleod dropped the Jet name and regrouped as Radio Stars. Trevor White remained tied to the story. After his late Jet stint, he issued the 1976 Island single “Crazy Kids” backed with “Movin’ In The Right Direction,” then co-produced Radio Stars’ first single and later rejoined the band.

Radio Stars Formation and Early Singles

Radio Stars formed in early 1977 from the final Jet lineup. Gordon stayed on bass and handled most of the writing. Ellison remained lead vocalist, Macleod played guitar, and Steve Parry took the drum seat. They signed with Chiswick, the London-based indie launched months earlier by former Thin Lizzy manager Ted Carroll.

In April 1977, the Radio Stars debuted with “Dirty Pictures,” issued by Chiswick (UK, Benelux) and CBS (Germany).

A. “Dirty Pictures” (2:18) — Gordon
B. “Sail Away” (2:38) — Ellison, Gordon

“Dirty Pictures” appeared on Submarine Tracks & Fool’s Gold (Chiswick Chartbusters Volume One), a 1977 label comp with Clash precursor The 101’ers (“Keys To Your Heart”) and multiple sides by The Count Bishops, The Gorillas, Little Bob Story, and Rocky Sharpe & The Razors.

That May, they entered Maida Vale Studios for their first of three sessions for BBC Radio One DJ John Peel. On August 12, 1977, the Radio Stars released Stop It, a four-track maxi-single.

A1. “No Russians In Russia” (2:46) — Gordon
A2. “Box 29” (2:32) — Gordon
B1. “Johnny Mekon” (3:24) — Gordon
B2. “Sorry I’m Tied Up” (3:47) — Gordon

“No Russians In Russia” appeared on Long Shots, Dead Certs and Odds On Favourites (Chiswick Chartbusters Vol.2), a 1978 label comp with cuts by Amazorblades, Johnny Moped, Radiators From Space, The Rings, Skrewdriver, and The Stukas.

The Radio Stars performed “No Russians In Russia” on the first episode Marc, the Granada Television music program hosted by Marc Bolan. The episode also featured numbers by The Jam (“All Around the World”), Stephanie de Sykes (“Cool Wind From the North”), and the latest iteration of T. Rex, who performed their latest single, “Celebrate Summer,” an ode to the punk sound. ITV aired the episode on August 24, three weeks before Bolan’s untimely death in a roadside collision.

In November 1977, the Radio Stars released “Nervous Wreck,” a taster of their upcoming album backed with “Horrible Breath,” a Bolan composition credited under the late singer’s birth name, Marc Feld.

A. “Nervous Wreck” (2:56) — Gordon
B. “Horrible Breath” (2:29) — Feld

“Nervous Wreck” peak just inside the UK Top 40. The Radio Stars mimed the song on Top of the Pops for the BBC music program’s January 19, 1978, broadcast, which also featured in-studio numbers by Nazareth (“Gone Dead Train”), Odyssey (“Native New Yorker”), Smokie (“For a Few Dollars More”), and Sweet (“Love Is Like Oxygen”).

Songs for Swinging Lovers

Radio Stars released their first album, Songs for Swinging Lovers, in December 1977 on Chiswick.

The album runs on quick acceleration, bright keyboard jabs, slashing rhythm guitar, and short song forms. Gordon and Ellison deliver the lyrics with a sardonic edge, while Parry keeps a taut pulse and Macleod cuts the songs into sharp shapes. The arrangements stay tight and fast, with clipped phrasing, stacked choruses, and abrupt turns that keep the set in constant motion.

“Good Personality,” “The Beast of Barnsley,” and “Nervous Wreck” hit at full pace. “Nothing Happened Today” and “Macaroni And Mice” keep the same pressure while pushing the writing toward absurd detail. “Eric,” “Nice Girls,” and “Buy Chiswick Records” turn everyday or ridiculous subjects into compact pop songs. “Arthur Is Dead (Let’s Rot)” barrels through in under two minutes, and “Talking ’Bout You” fits the set’s sharp, compressed attack.

A1. “Good Personality” (2:55) — Gordon
A2. “Is It Really Necessary” (2:54) — Ellison
A3. “The Beast of Barnsley” (2:45) — Gordon
A4. “Nervous Wreck” (2:13) — Gordon
A5. “Nothing Happened Today” (2:02) — Ellison, Gordon
A6. “Eric” (2:50) — Gordon

B1. “Don’t Waste My Time” (2:39) — Gordon
B2. “Arthur Is Dead (Let’s Rot)” (1:47) — Gordon
B3. “Macaroni And Mice” (2:38) — Ellison, Gordon
B4. “Nice Girls” (3:32) — Gordon
B5. “Talking ’Bout You” (1:54) — Chuck Berry
B6. “Buy Chiswick Records” (1:50) — Gordon

Radio Stars recorded the album with producer Martin Gordon and assistant producer Andy Ellison. Neil Richmond engineered the sessions.

Some pressings carried a bonus 7-inch coupling “Dirty Pictures” and “No Russians In Russia.” The French edition added both songs to the album sequence. In April 1982, “Good Personality” (b/w “Talking ’bout You”) reappeared on Moonlight Records in a period-photo sleeve.

In April 1978, the Radio Stars followed Swinging Lovers with “From a Rabbit,” a standalone single backed with “To a Beast” (aka “The Beast No. 2”), both Gordon originals.

Holiday Special

Radio Stars released their second album, Holiday Special, in September 1978 on Chiswick.

The songs open into a broader studio setting with fuller layering, slower passages, heavier ballad pacing, and more varied dynamics. Gordon still writes most of the material, but the set spreads across brisk pop, novelty pieces, heavier midtempo songs, and longer closing statements. The arrangements place more weight on vocal line, sustained keyboard parts, and broader rhythmic spacing than the first album.

“Radio Stars” opens as a short overture. “Boy Meets Girl” and “Baffin Island” widen the pace and arrangement. “Sex In Chains Blues” pushes its tabloid subject through a rough comic setting. “Sitting In The Rain” and “The Real Me” slow the pulse and place more weight on the vocal line. “Rock ’n’ Roll For The Time Being” and “Get On A Plane” keep the set moving, while “Norwegian Wood” drops a Beatles song into the middle of the sequence. “I’m Down” cuts through with a direct, downcast line, and “It’s All Over” closes the main body before the short “Goodnight” coda.

A1. “Radio Stars” (1:18) — Gordon
A2. “Boy Meets Girl” (3:07) — Gordon
A3. “Baffin Island” (4:13) — Gordon
A4. “(I’ve Got Dem Old) Sex In Chains Blues (Again Mama) Part I” (2:22) — Ellison
A5. “Sitting In The Rain” (3:13) — Gordon
A6. “The Real Me” (3:18) — Gordon

B1. “Rock ’n’ Roll For The Time Being” (3:17) — Gordon
B2. “Norwegian Wood” (2:08) — Lennon, McCartney
B3. “Get On A Plane” (3:33) — Gordon
B4. “I’m Down” (2:50) — Gordon
B5. “No Russians In Russia” (3:23) — Gordon
B6. “It’s All Over” (5:20) — Gordon
B7. “Goodnight” (0:58) — Ellison

Radio Stars recorded Holiday Special between June 12 and July 23, 1978 at Riverside Studios, Regent Park Sound, and Konk Studios with producer Martin Gordon. John Rollo and Steve Waldman engineered the sessions, and Ray Staff mastered the album.

After release, the label issued “Radio Stars” backed with “Accountancy Blues” in October 1978, then “The Real Me” backed with “Good Personality” in January 1979.

The band toured through 1978 with dates alongside Eddie and The Hot Rods and Squeeze. In late August, the Radio Stars played the 18th National Jazz Blues Rock Festival—aka the Reading Festival—which also features sets by After the Fire, Bethnal, Foreigner, Gruppo Sportivo, Lindisfarne, The Motors, Nutz, Spirit, and Status Quo. The Radio Stars on the opening day (Friday August 25) in sequence with The Jam, Penetration, and Ultravox. Trevor White returned to the live lineup, and Chris Gent joined on saxophone. Gordon left soon after the album’s release.

Postlude

Radio Stars broke up in stages after Holiday Special. Ellison later revived the name in the 1980s and 1990s, though the original run had ended by 1979. The catalogue remained active through compilations and archival projects. Moon Records assembled Two Minutes Mr. Smith in 1982, Ace issued the band-approved Somewhere There’s A Place For Us in 1992, and Cherry Red/Anagram later gathered the surviving recordings in the 2017 box Thinking Inside The Box, which added singles, B-sides, BBC sessions, broadcasts, and later recordings.

Jet also drew archival releases. More Light Than Shade assembled unreleased 1975–76 studio material, demos, rehearsals, and live recordings from the period between the CBS album and the birth of Radio Stars. Some Flotsam preserved live sets from Jet’s 1975 tour with Hunter-Ronson. RPM issued the first officially sanctioned reissue of Jet in 2010 as a double set with Even More Light Than Shade, and Sony placed the album on digital services in 2020.

The musicians reunited in 2000 for a European tour through the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands. Ellison, Gordon, Townson, and Macleod expanded the lineup with Trevor White and Boz Boorer. The performances later appeared as the live album Music for the Herd of Herring.

Broadcasting to the Nation

In 2001, archivists Easy Action unearthed the third Radio Stars album, Broadcasting to the Nation.

The album documents the 1979 lineup with Andy Ellison, Ian Macleod, Steve Parry, and Trevor White. The songs push harder on guitar attack, thicker rhythm playing, and a more direct band sound than the Gordon-led records. The studio material was recorded at Oakwood Studios in Herne Bay, Kent in 1979, then shelved when the band split that summer.

The studio side includes “Back In Your Town,” “Accident,” “Let’s Play Dirty,” “Big Things,” “Out To Lunch,” “Wall Of Death,” “Scare Me To Death,” “Blame It On The Young,” “Jumping,” and “Back In Your Town Again.” The live side, recorded in London in 1979, mixes newer songs with earlier staples such as “Radio Stars,” “Good Personality,” “Nice Girls,” “Understood,” “Horrible Breath,” and “Johnny Mekon.”

Studio Side

1. “Back in Your Town” (3:25)
2. “Accident” (3:50)
3. “Let’s Play Dirty” (4:15)
4. “Big Things” (3:25)
5. “Out to Lunch” (2:56)
6. “Wall of Death” (3:13)
7. “Scare Me to Death” (3:21)
8. “Blame It on the Young” (3:01)
9. “Jumping” (3:45)
10. “Back in Your Town Again” (2:33)

Live Side

11. “Radio Stars” (1:30)
12. “Accident” (3:55)
13. “Wall of Death” (3:41)
14. “Good Personality” (3:21)
15. “Nice Girls” (4:47)
16. “Understood” (4:11)
17. “Horrible Breath” (4:04)
18. “Johnny Mekon” (2:54)

Radio Stars recorded the studio material at Oakwood Studios in 1979. The live tracks came from a London performance from the same year. Anders Peterson mastered the 2021 release.

The album appeared in a digisleeve with a 16-page booklet containing notes from Ellison and period memorabilia.

Jet/Radio Stars Albums: