GENE LOVES
JEZEBEL

Los gemelos Juan Pedro Aston (Jay) y Michael Aston nacieron el 22 de agosto de 1957 en North Cornelly, Reino Unido. Provienen de una familia católica numerosa, con seis hermanos y una hermana.

Identical twins John Peter Aston (Jay) and Michael Aston were born on 22 August 1957 in North Cornelly, UK. The twins were from a large Catholic family and had six elder brothers and a sister.

Antes de Gene Loves Jezebel estaba Slav Aryan: Mike y Jay, junto a su amigo Steve Davis y una caja de ritmos, formaron la banda en 1979. Tocaron tres shows en Gales durante 1980 — el primero, el 29 de enero, en un pub de Porthcawl llamado The Knight's Arms. Slav Aryan también abrió para el colectivo anarquista CRASS y sus compañeros de sello Poison Girls, en el Town Hall de Barry, Gales del Sur, el 13 de junio de 1980.

Before Gene Loves Jezebel there was Slav Aryan. Mike and Jay, together with friend Steve Davis and a drum machine, formed Slav Aryan in 1979. The band played three gigs in Wales during 1980 — the first on 29 January at a pub in Porthcawl called The Knight's Arms. Slav Aryan also supported the legendary anarchist collective CRASS, and label mates Poison Girls, at the Town Hall in Barry, South Wales, on 13 June 1980.

En el otoño de 1981 la banda (los Aston, Hudson y Chater) grabó una demo con dos temas: "Machismo" y "Glad to be Alive". El 12 de diciembre de ese año, un pequeño anuncio en Melody Maker sobre la próxima ICA Rock Week (subtitulada "Cold Turkey") incluyó por primera vez el nombre Gene Loves Jezebel impreso en la prensa musical. El 30 de diciembre de 1981, la banda dio su primer show.

In the autumn of 1981 the band (Astons, Hudson, Chater) set about recording a demo tape. Two songs were recorded — "Machismo" and "Glad to be Alive". On 12 December 1981 a small press release and advert appeared in Melody Maker giving details of the forthcoming ICA Rock Week, subtitled "Cold Turkey". The name Gene Loves Jezebel was included — the first time the band's name would ever appear in print in the music press. On 30 December 1981, Gene Loves Jezebel played their first ever show.

1982/83 fue el caldo de cultivo del movimiento gótico en el Reino Unido, una etiqueta que se pegó a cualquier banda. A pesar de lo que Jay y Mike digan o hagan hoy, siempre estuvieron vehementemente en contra de la escena goth/positive punk y evitaron encasillarse. Mike dijo en una entrevista con NME: "Siempre pensé que veníamos de un contexto mucho más emocional, no pertenecíamos al terreno gótico". Jay, sobre las bandas góticas de la época: "La diferencia entre ellos y nosotros es que ellos tratan la oscuridad y la enajenación, mientras que nosotros siempre hemos tratado con color y comunicación".

1982/83 was a breeding ground for the whole Goth movement in the UK, a label that attached itself to many an undeserving band. Despite what Jay and Mike might say and do these days, they were always vehemently against the whole goth/positive punk scene and were keen not to be pigeonholed. Mike said in an NME interview: "I always thought we came from a much more emotional backdrop, we didn't belong in the goth field". Jay said of the goth bands around at the time: "The difference between us and them is that they deal with darkness and alienation while we've always dealt with colour and communication".

La cita que mejor lo resume viene de Jay, en Melody Maker: "Odiábamos que nos llamaran banda gótica. Nunca nos sentimos cómodos bajo ese paraguas... para nosotros, lo gótico era casi la antítesis del color que intentábamos crear". Mientras la escena goth giraba en torno a The Specimen, Alien Sex Fiend y el Bat Cave Club, Gene Loves Jezebel realmente no tenía nada que ver con eso — y sigue sin tenerlo. Las etiquetas, como dicen, son para frascos de mermelada.

The quote that sums it up came from Jay in Melody Maker: "We hated people calling us a gothic band. We never felt comfortable under that umbrella... to us, the whole gothic thing was almost the antithesis of the colour we were trying to create". At a time when the goth scene was all about The Specimen, Alien Sex Fiend and the Bat Cave Club, Gene Loves Jezebel really had nothing to do with it at all — and still don't. Labels, as they say, are for jam jars.

Durante la primavera de 1983 el repertorio en vivo incluía "Scheming", una renovada "Screaming (for Emmalene)", "Upstairs", "Bruises", "Punch Drunk" y "So Young". "Promise" se editó el 7 de octubre de 1983.

Songs being played live during Spring 1983 included Scheming, a revamped Screaming (for Emmalene), Upstairs, Bruises, Punch Drunk and So Young. Promise was released on 7 October 1983.

El 19 de agosto la banda entró a los Sound Suite Studios para grabar demos de canciones nuevas: "Desire" y lo que sería una primera versión, más despojada, de "The Sweetest Thing" (luego retitulada "The Sweetest Jezebel" y editada como lado B del 12" de "The Sweetest Thing", BEG 156T). La versión "demo" de "Desire" terminó siendo la versión editada, de lo bien que salió esa sesión de dos días.

The band entered the Sound Suite Studios on Monday 19 August to demo new songs, Desire and, what would turn out to be, an early stripped-down version of The Sweetest Thing. This version was later retitled The Sweetest Jezebel and released on the B-side of the 12" of The Sweetest Thing (BEG 156T). The 'demo' version of Desire actually became the released version, such was the success of the two-day recording session.

La banda dio un último show de despedida el 9 de septiembre en el Underground Club de Croydon, antes de partir hacia una gira gigante por Estados Unidos. Una crónica de los Stud Brothers en Melody Maker cerraba así: "Generan color, humor y, sobre todo, entusiasmo. Te hacen sentir que ya son estrellas de pop. Y se siente bien". "Desire" se editó en el Reino Unido el 29 de noviembre de 1985, con avisos de prensa que lo proclamaban "el mejor single hasta la fecha".

The band played a final 'farewell' show on 9 September, at the Underground Club in Croydon, before departing for a mammoth tour of the States. A review of the gig by the Stud Brothers in Melody Maker closed with the paragraph: "They generate colour, humour and, above all, excitement. They make you feel like they're already popstars. And it feels good". Desire was released in the UK on 29 November 1985, the press adverts proclaiming it to be "the best single yet".

Fuente: Pooh's Tribute

Source: Pooh's Tribute