Jon Moss | |
|---|---|
 Moss on "Spring Heeled Jack" for a blues night jamming session, 2011 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jonathan Aubrey Moss |
| Born | 11 September 1957 Wandsworth, South London, England |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Drummer |
| Years active | 1976–present |
Jonathan Aubrey Moss (born 11 September 1957) is an English drummer, best known as a member of the 1980s pop group Culture Club. He has also played with other bands, including London, the Nips, [1] the Damned and Adam and the Ants.
At Highgate School, Moss developed a fascination for sports, especially boxing, but he did not want a professional sporting career. It was also at Highgate that he formed his first band, Pig Williams, along with his friend Nick Feldman (who would later co-found Wang Chung). Together they performed at several school events. After finishing high school, Jon held various jobs, including working at his father's clothing store, as a cake salesman and as a sound engineer at Marquee Studios. In spite of regarding a college education as a waste of time, he briefly considered the idea of studying Greek at the University of Cambridge. [2]
Alongside his friend Riff Regan, Moss joined the punk band London in 1976, [3] [4] [5] after being tried out as a drummer with the Clash; later, he said "The mix of personalities didn't work. Their attitudes were too different to mine." [5] London released a single entitled "Everyone's a Winner", and were managed by Simon Napier-Bell. Eventually they recorded two singles, a four-track EP and an album for MCA Records in 1977. [6] Following this, Moss went on tour with established punk group the Stranglers, and the band got a record deal.
Soon afterward, Moss began drumming with the Damned, replacing Rat Scabies. He made the decision to join them after he was injured in a car crash on New Year's Eve 1977, suffering injuries that led to a week's hospital stay. Along with the Damned's guitarist, Lu Edmonds, he left the Damned to form new wave band the Edge. After just over a year, the Edge broke up. [7]
Moss played with Adam and the Ants on their third single "Cartrouble" and its b-side "Kick!". At the time, Moss was under contract with a group called Jane Aire & the Belvederes; therefore, he was credited on the original single under the pseudonym "Terry 1 & 2". [8]
Moss was advised by a friend that Boy George was looking for a drummer for his band. When he became a member of the band—which was originally called In Praise of Lemmings—he suggested changing the name of the group to Culture Club.
In 1985, whilst still performing with Culture Club, he produced some tracks for the band Woyeyeh. [9]
After Culture Club broke up in 1986, Moss released a single entitled "Jump to It" with the group Heartbeat UK.
In 1989, under the name Rubberman, Moss released one white label of an acid house instrumental track. Boy George used that backing track to create his own song "After the Love".
During 1991 and 1992, Moss was involved in another group, Promised Land, with his schoolfriend Nick Feldman. The two released two singles, "Something in the Air" and "Circle in the Square".
In 1995 he met Sebastian Wocker, vocalist of the indie band Yeah, and soon joined them. For two years the group played several concerts on the London circuit, made various television appearances and filmed one video, “Engerland”, in 1997, at the former home of Hendon F.C.
From 2003 to 2005 Moss joined several punk rock and rock bands, among them Fassbender, DanMingo and Dirth. In July 2005 he played drums on the charity single "People I Don't Know Are Trying to Kill Me", written by the journalist Neil McCormick, to help the families of the victims of the 7 July 2005 London bombings. [10]
In 2006 Moss, Mikey Craig and Phil Pickett tried to launch Culture Club on a new tour with another lead singer, as George and Roy Hay had declined to tour. [11] A UK tour was announced for December 2006, but was postponed to give the new line-up time to finish recording their album. Without official press statements, band manager Tony Gordon said in 2007 that the project was "on hold", while Jon stated that the project was shelved. [12]
Moss did not appear at Culture Club's concerts in Dubai and Sydney in December 2011, due to a back injury which required surgery. [13] Despite rumours that the reunion project had been shelved, Boy George said in a March 2012 interview with Danny Baker on BBC Radio 5 that their new album would be released in 2013. [14]
Meanwhile, Moss had been drumming with Mad Dog Bites, alongside Martin French (vocals), Godfrey Old (harmonica), Peter Noone (bass) and Conrad Blakemore (guitar). [15]
In the Red Nose Day '13 at Whiteleys, Moss sang with the Rock Choir, helping them to raise funds for Comic Relief. [16]
In 2014, Culture Club began recording a new album that was originally named Tribes. The Tribes sessions were recorded in Spain and documented in the film From Karma to Calamity which aired on BBC Four. [17] In July 2018, it was announced that the sessions had been reworked as Life and that the album was to be released on 26 October 2018 [18] and credited to "Boy George and Culture Club".
In early 2018 Moss formed pop band Ridiculous together with singer-songwriter Sebastian Wocker, The Cross bassist Peter Noone and film score composer Erran Baron Cohen. The band's debut performance took place at The Dublin Castle, Camden, London.
Culture Club toured the US and Europe from June to December 2018 in support of their Life album, along with supporting acts the B-52s, Tom Bailey (formerly of the Thompson Twins) and Belinda Carlisle (Europe dates only). Moss was originally part of the line-up, but was replaced by Garrison Brown. [19]
In December 2019, Moss filed a writ at London's High Court naming the band trio as defendants. Moss' lawyers say he was told to “take a break” by manager Paul Kemsley; Moss demanded nearly £200,000 in missing payments and a share of profits. [20]
Moss officially left Culture Club in May 2021. [21]
Moss grew up with his brother David Moss, who went on to become an IT teacher at Stoke College independent school. [22]
Moss has three children with his former wife, Barbara Savage. [23] [24]
Moss had an intimate relationship with Boy George during the height of Culture Club's popularity, although it was not public knowledge at the time. [25] [26] Their affair came to an end in 1986. [27] The relationship was portrayed in Worried About the Boy , a drama film shown on BBC2. [28]
The Damned are an English punk rock band formed in London in 1976 by lead vocalist Dave Vanian, guitarist Brian James, bassist Captain Sensible and drummer Rat Scabies. They were the first punk band from the United Kingdom to release a single, "New Rose" (1976), release a studio album, Damned Damned Damned (1977) and tour the United States. Nine of the band's singles charted on the UK Singles Chart Top 40.
New York Dolls were an American rock band formed in New York City in 1971. Along with the Velvet Underground and the Stooges, they were one of the first bands of the early punk rock scenes. Although the band never achieved much commercial success and their original line-up fell apart quickly, the band's first two albums—New York Dolls (1973) and Too Much Too Soon (1974)—became among the most popular cult records in rock. The line-up at this time consisted of vocalist David Johansen, guitarist Johnny Thunders, bassist Arthur Kane, guitarist and pianist Sylvain Sylvain, and drummer Jerry Nolan; the latter two had replaced Rick Rivets and Billy Murcia, respectively, in 1972. On stage, they donned an androgynous wardrobe, wearing high heels, eccentric hats, satin, makeup, spandex, and dresses. Nolan described the group in 1974 as "the Dead End Kids of today".
Culture Club are an English new wave band formed in London in 1981. The band comprises Boy George, Roy Hay, and Mikey Craig, and formerly included Jon Moss. Emerging in the New Romantic scene, they are considered one of the most representative and influential groups of the 1980s.
Stuart Leslie Goddard, better known as Adam Ant, is an English singer, musician, and actor. He gained popularity as the lead singer of new wave group Adam and the Ants and later as a solo artist, scoring 10 UK top ten hits from 1980 to 1983, including three UK No. 1 singles. He has also worked as an actor, appearing in many films and television episodes.
Glen Matlock is an English musician, best known for being the bass guitarist in the original line-up of the punk rock band the Sex Pistols. He is credited as a songwriter on 10 of the 12 songs on the Sex Pistols' only officially released studio album, Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols, although he had left the band early in the recording process, credited as bassist and backing vocalist on only one song on the album, "Anarchy in the U.K.". However, on the bootleg album Spunk, Matlock played bass on all the songs, which included earlier studio recordings of 10 of the 12 songs that later appeared on the Bollocks album.
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Bow Wow Wow are an English new wave band, created by manager Malcolm McLaren in 1980. McLaren recruited members of Adam and the Ants to form the band with then 13-year-old Annabella Lwin on lead vocals. They released their debut EP Your Cassette Pet in 1980 and had their first UK top 10 hit with "Go Wild in the Country" in 1982. The band's music was characterized by a danceable new wave sound that drew on a Burundi beat provided by Dave Barbarossa on drums, as well as the subversive, suggestive, and sometimes exuberant lyrics sung and chanted by their teenage lead vocalist.
Dirk Wears White Sox is the debut studio album by English new wave band Adam and the Ants. It was released on 30 November 1979 by record label Do It. It was the first number one album on the UK Independent Albums Chart when the chart debuted in Record Week in 1980.
The Nips are an English punk rock band formed in London in 1976 as the Nipple Erectors by punk artist Shanne Bradley. They were Shane MacGowan's first musical group.
London is an English four-piece punk band formed in London in 1976, best known for their wild stage act. The original line-up was Riff Regan (vocals), Steve Voice, Jon Moss (drums) and Dave Wight (guitar). They were managed by Simon Napier-Bell and recorded two singles, a four-track EP and an album for MCA Records in 1977. Most of their songs were written by Riff Regan or by Regan and Steve Voice. All their records were produced by Napier-Bell at the IBC Studios in London.
"Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" is a song written and performed by English new wave band Culture Club. Released as a single in September 1982 from the group's platinum-selling debut album, Kissing to Be Clever (1982), this ballad was the band's first major hit and first UK No. 1 hit. In the United States, the single was released in November 1982 and also became a hit, reaching No. 2 for three weeks.
Kirk Brandon is an English musician best known as the leader of the bands Theatre of Hate and Spear of Destiny.
Nicholas Laurence Feldman is an English musician best known for forming the British new wave band Wang Chung in 1980. Feldman was half of the duo Promised Land, which also featured Jon Moss of Culture Club. He was a founding investor in Interactive Ideas and has worked for Warner Brothers, Sony Music and SonyBMG.
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George Alan O'Dowd, known professionally as Boy George, is an English singer, songwriter, actor, DJ and lead singer of the English pop band Culture Club. He began his solo career in 1987. Boy George grew up in Eltham and was part of the New Romantic movement which emerged in the late 1970s to early 1980s. His androgynous look and style of fashion was greatly inspired by glam rock pioneers David Bowie and Marc Bolan. He formed the Culture Club with Roy Hay, Mikey Craig and Jon Moss in 1981. The band's second album Colour by Numbers (1983) sold more than 10 million copies worldwide. Their hit singles include "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me", "Time ", "I'll Tumble 4 Ya", "Church of the Poison Mind", "Karma Chameleon", "Victims", "Miss Me Blind", "It's a Miracle", "The War Song", "Move Away" and "I Just Wanna Be Loved".
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Garrison Brown is an American drummer and music producer. He is a Grammy Award winner, having contributed to John Legend's 2020 album Bigger Love. As of 2024, he is a session musician for Alicia Keys, with whom he is also touring. Aside from drumming, he also plays trumpet.
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