Jean-Jacques Burnel

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Jean-Jacques Burnel
Jean-Jacques Burnel.JPG
Jean-Jacques Burnel performing with the Stranglers - Chicago 2013
Background information
Birth nameJean-Jacques Burnel
Born (1952-02-21) 21 February 1952 (age 72)
Notting Hill, London, England
Origin Guildford, England
GenresRock, punk rock, new wave, post-punk, folk
Occupation(s)Musician, singer-songwriter, producer
Instrument(s)Bass guitar, guitar, vocals
Years active1974–present

Jean-Jacques Burnel [1] (born 21 February 1952) is an English musician, producer and songwriter, best known as the bass guitarist and co-lead vocalist with the English rock band The Stranglers. He is the only original member to remain in the band.

Contents

Life and career

Jean-Jacques Burnel performing on French TV in 1983 Jean-Jacques Burnel-FR3-1983.jpg
Jean-Jacques Burnel performing on French TV in 1983

Jean-Jacques Burnel was born in Notting Hill, London, to French parents. His family owned a restaurant where his father worked as a chef. As a child, as the son of French immigrants, he was often the victim of mockery from his schoolmates, [2] which later led him to call himself John to disguise his French origins. This early encounter with xenophobia would also have an impact on his explosive temper in life and on stage [3] as well as on the way he plays. [4]

He moved with his parents to Godalming, Surrey, when he was 12 years old and attended the Royal Grammar School, Guildford, subsequently reading history at the University of Bradford and Huddersfield Polytechnic. [5] Burnel originally trained as a classical guitarist, but adopted the bass guitar as his instrument within the Stranglers. [6] He has provided lead vocals on nearly a third of the band's songs. Burnel later explained he often sang lyrics written by Hugh Cornwell (or vice versa) depending on "who had the best voice for that particular song." [7]

Burnel has been a member of the Stranglers since the group's inception in 1974, but has also made two solo albums: Euroman Cometh in 1979, and Un Jour Parfait in 1988, as well as a collaborative album with fellow Stranglers member Dave Greenfield, Fire and Water (Ecoutez Vos Murs) in 1983. [8] Burnel has also produced and appeared as a guest musician for a number of artists, such as Lizard and ARB from Japan, Polyphonic Size (from Belgium) and Taxi Girl's album Seppuku in 1981, as well as Laurent Sinclair's "Devant le Miroir" maxi single. Burnel also formed a rhythm and blues covers band, the Purple Helmets, who played a number of concerts and released two albums in the late 1980s.

As a holder of French citizenship, Burnel received his call-up papers for national service in France. He succeeded in avoiding it with a novel defence, arguing that his absence would damage the Stranglers as a band, and therefore the careers of the other members. This was in accordance with Burnel's claim that only the "bourgeois" would ever agree to serve their country's military.

Burnel composed and performed music for the anime Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo , including both the opening and ending themes, "We Were Lovers", and "You Won't See Me Coming" respectively.

Jean Jacques (left) performing in 1979 on The Raven tour with his Black Fender Precision The-Stranglers-Palace-1979.jpg
Jean Jacques (left) performing in 1979 on The Raven tour with his Black Fender Precision

Burnel is fluent in French and writes many of his songs in the language.

Equipment and sound

Shuker JJ Burnel signature bass headstock Shuker JJ Burnel signature bass.JPG
Shuker JJ Burnel signature bass headstock

Burnel is noted for his distinctive bass guitar sound and melodic bass lines. These are particularly prominent on earlier Stranglers recordings produced by Martin Rushent, such as the hit singles "No More Heroes" and "Peaches".

In the early days, Burnel's distinctive aggressive sound was created using a Fender Precision Bass with RotoSound roundwound strings played with a plectrum very close to the bridge, through Hiwatt all-valve amplification. [9] However, the defining factor was the use of a Marshall 4x12 speaker cabinet in which the speaker cones were ripped, creating a distorted sound. [10]

Later, he used a Yamaha BB2000 which he used on the Euroman Tour in 1979, he then used this full time between 1983 and 1985 before switching to a Steinberger L2 (headless) which he used from 1986 to 1989 and then reverted back to the Fender Precision bass for 10 Tour and continued using this until 2006. Since 2006, he has used Shuker JJ Burnel signature basses custom-built in England by Jon Shuker. [11]

He was one of the first bass guitarists to use Trace Elliot amplification when the company began production in 1980. He now uses amplification by Ashdown Engineering which has honoured him with his own JJ500 signature amps. [12]

Personal life

As of 2015, Burnel was a seventh degree black belt (nanadan) in Shidokan Karate [13] and is head of Shidokan UK. [14] He is also a motorcyclist and has owned many Triumph motorbikes. [15]

Discography

The Stranglers

Albums

Singles

Production and other appearances

Burnel has also produced and or appeared either as a member of the group (Mutations, Purple Helmets) or as a ‘guest’ musician on a number of recordings, as follows:

Related Research Articles

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<i>The Raven</i> (The Stranglers album) Album by The Stranglers

The Raven is the fourth studio album by English new wave band the Stranglers, released on 21 September 1979, through record label United Artists.

<i>Fire & Water (Ecoutez Vos Murs)</i> 1983 studio album by Dave Greenfield and Jean-Jacques Burnel

Fire & Water is an album by Jean-Jacques Burnel and Dave Greenfield of the Stranglers, released on 11 November 1983 on the Epic record label. It is the soundtrack for the film Ecoutez Vos Murs, directed by Vincent Coudanne.

<i>Norfolk Coast</i> (album) 2004 studio album by the Stranglers

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<i>The Gospel According to the Meninblack</i> 1981 studio album by the Stranglers

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<i>Nosferatu</i> (Hugh Cornwell and Robert Williams album) 1979 studio album by Hugh Cornwell and Robert Williams

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<i>10</i> (The Stranglers album) 1990 studio album by the Stranglers

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<i>Aural Sculpture</i> 1984 studio album by The Stranglers

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<i>Euroman Cometh</i> 1979 studio album by J.J. Burnel

Euroman Cometh is the debut solo album by the Stranglers' bassist J.J. Burnel, released in April 1979 by United Artists. It is a concept album, as most of the songs concern the ideal of a united Europe, both culturally and economically. Upon release, the album was a contrast to the more melodic songs of the Stranglers, containing what Pat Gilbert of Record Collector describes as "a collection of dark, atmospheric soundscapes, embroidered with Burnel's intense, monotone theorising about a united Europe."

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"Sometimes" is a song by The Stranglers, appearing as the first song on their debut album Rattus Norvegicus (1977). The song was written and sung by Hugh Cornwell, and credited to the band as a whole.

"Goodbye Toulouse" is a song by The Stranglers, appearing as the second song on their 1977 debut album Rattus Norvegicus. The lyrics were written by Jean-Jacques Burnel and the music by Hugh Cornwell, although it was credited to the band as a whole.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No Mercy (The Stranglers song)</span> 1984 single by the Stranglers

"No Mercy" is a song and single written by Hugh Cornwell, Dave Greenfield, Jet Black and Jean-Jacques Burnel performed by the Stranglers and released in November 1984.

References

  1. ↑ Matilda Battersby (29 July 2010). "My life in ten questions...The Stranglers' Jean-Jacques Burnel – Profiles – People – The Independent". The Independent . London: INM. ISSN   0951-9467. OCLC   185201487 . Retrieved 14 June 2012.
  2. ↑ Mathilda Battersby (29 July 2010). "My life in ten questions...The Stranglers' Jean-Jacques Burnel". independent.co.uk. The Independent. Retrieved 12 May 2013.
  3. ↑ Jean-Jacques Burnel interview, 1995
  4. ↑ Davet, Stéphane (18 February 2004), Jean-Jacques Burnel, le punk ressuscité (in French)
  5. ↑ Buckley 1997, pp.16–18.
  6. ↑ Buckley 1997, p.17.
  7. ↑ "Stranglers – Interview with Jean-Jacques Burnel". Pennyblackmusic.co.uk. Archived from the original on 5 May 2020. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  8. ↑ Buckley 1997, pp.136–137.
  9. ↑ Buckley 1997, p. 90.
  10. ↑ Hugh Cornwell, The Stranglers Song by Song,
  11. ↑ Shuker Guitars,"Players", Shuker, 2017. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  12. ↑ Ashdown Engineering, "Jean-Jacques Burnel", Ashdown, 2018. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  13. ↑ "Shidokan GB". Shidokan.org.uk. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
  14. ↑ "Interview: Jean Jacques Burnel, bass guitarist and founder of the Stranglers". Scotland on Sunday . Retrieved 11 June 2010.
  15. ↑ Buckley 1997, p.18.
  16. ↑ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 86. ISBN   1-904994-10-5.
Bibliography

Further reading

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