Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes
"The Asbury Jukes became known as the USA's best bar band, a label
Southside proudly wears. 'We made ourselves a reputation as a good band to
see' he said. 'Maybe that's because I've always associated music with having
a good time"
The New York Times, June 18th 2000
After too long away from the shores of the U.K., the quintessential party band- SOUTHSIDE JOHNNY & THE ASBURY JUKES - are back - complete with a new CD "Messin' With The Blues".
Southside Johnny and his legendary band first came to prominence in the mid-Seventies when his former band-mate Bruce Springsteen hit the big time, causing the New Jersey shore music scene to be 'discovered' after which both Southside and E Street guitarist "Miami" Steve Van Zandt landed record deals. Van Zandt in fact produced the first three Southside albums - while buddy Bruce contributed signature songs like "The Fever", "Hearts Of Stone" and "Talk To Me".
Following release of Southside's first two albums in the U.K., he and the Asbury Jukes made their first trip to England when appearing in 1977 on tour with Graham Parker & The Rumour. Anybody who witnessed the brilliance of those shows knew that they had seen two huge talents in the making.
Since then, Southside has racked up 25 years of classic live shows and a total of 16 albums. His "Hearts Of Stone" release was lauded by Rolling Stone magazine as "one of the top albums of the 70's and 80's". Incessant touring in Europe, Scandinavia, Japan and the U.S.A. ensured that what had been a regional buzz became a die-hard International fan base.
Following a spell living in Nashville ("I love New Jersey, but sometimes you need to step away from what you know to open yourself up" he points out "And anyway, my real home is on the road"), Southside went into the studio with old Jukes, new Jukes and a number of good friends to produce "Messin' With The Blues" for his own LEROY RECORDS.
Longtime fans of Southside's smoky voice and soulful delivery, as well as inevitable new converts, will be pleased that he's stayed close to his roots. "The point is that people like me because I do things the way I do. My audience knows me," Southside declares. "They know I am not trying to convey any deep message, or convince anyone I'm a sex symbol". He sums up "I'll stack my group up against any group out there. We enjoy playing, and the audience enjoys having a good time…..what I love about music is that it's a real shared emotion. I try to distill it down to that."
That's the magic captured on "Messin' With the Blues". With the sound of a phonograph needle descending into the groove, Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes are doing what they do best, evoking the funky, late night ambience of a down-and-dirty juke joint, where ecstatic patrons dance on tables while the band blows hot straight through 'til dawn!
In the Summer of 2003 Southside Johnny released "Going To Jukesville" to huge acclaim. The Cd is a return to the more soulful sound of the Asbury Jukes of yesteryear and shows that Southside has lost none of his unique songwriting talent. "Going To Jukesville" was followed early this year by the release of Southside Johnny's first DVD. Recorded live at the Newcastle Opera House on the bands 2002 tour it is a fitting testament to a man who shows no sign of slowing down and who continues to set any stage alight the moment he steps onto it.
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