The Jones Gang

The Jones Gang
Origin United Kingdom
Genres Rock
Years active 2001-present
Labels AAO Music
Associated acts Small Faces, The Who, Faces
Members Kenney Jones
Rick Wills
Jim Stapley
Mark Read
Johnson Jay

The Jones Gang are an English rock band formed in 2001.

Band members

As the drummer with The Small Faces, Faces and The Who, Kenney Jones has been at the heart of three biggest bands ever to have come out of the UK. From the moment Jones began drumming in the front room of his parent’s home in Stepney, East London, he knew music would play a central role in his life. At the age of just 15, being part of a band had become a way of life. In 1965 when Jones was 16 he had his first hit record when he shot to fame with The Small Faces, who were at the heart of the Mod revolution which swept Britain at the time, and a band who have been cited as a major influence on musicians during the 50 years which have followed. When The Small Faces split Jones was instrumental in forming The Faces and inviting Rod Stewart to feature as lead singer in a line-up which also included Ronnie Wood, Ian McLagan, and Ronnie Lane. The Faces took the rock world by storm in the early 1970s on both sides of the Atlantic and became one of the most raucous, fun-loving bands of the time, with a fanatical following. The Faces split in the mid-1970s and Jones along with Steve Marriott, Ian McLagan and new man, Rick Wills, re-form The Small Faces, touring for a couple of years and making two albums before deciding to call it a day. By this time Jones was recognised as one of the top drummers in the rock industry, and it was no surprise that he was The Who’s choice to replace Keith Moon after his tragic death in 1978. Once again Jones found himself part of a hugely successful band as The Who toured the world and recorded new albums, Face Dances and It’s Hard. After leaving The Who, Jonesy hooked up with former Bad Company singer Paul Rodgers to form The Law in the early 1990s, releasing a critically acclaimed album, The Law, which reinforced Jones'’s reputation as a gifted and talented musician. Although The Small Faces, Faces, The Who and The Law have been the four main bands in his life, Jones has also been much sought-after during his career and has performed with some of the biggest names around. He has recorded a single of his own called "Ready or Not", and has appeared on many albums including those by The Rolling Stones, Andy Fairweather Low, Joan Armatrading, Marsha Hunt, Mike Batt, Pete Townshend, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, David Essex, John Lodge and Wings.

Rick Wills took his own form of music degree in Cambridge during the 1960s and has since gone on to become one of the most respected bass guitarists in the business. However, it was not one of the grand colleges of the famous university City which saw his graduation; instead, it was the local bars and village halls that provided the perfect place for him to take his first steps in the industry. The decision has proved to be a good one and during the years that have followed he has enjoyed success on both sides of the Atlantic, including 13 years as part of one of the world’s supergroups. After forming his first band called the Sundowners with a group of friends in the 1960s, Wills gained experience playing the local scene before being asked by another young Cambridge musician to form a new group. "His name was Dave Gilmour and even at that early stage you could see he had star potential," claims Wills. "We called ourselves ‘Joker’s Wild’ and we had a great time for a few years playing in places like Spain and living in Paris, before Dave got the call to join Pink Floyd." After moving to London Wills became part of Cochise and the group made three well thought of albums before they split and Wills, along with Mickey Gallagher and Mike Kellie, became part of the Parrish and Gurvitz band. A call from Peter Frampton in 1972 saw Gallagher, Kellie and Wills join the former Humble Pie man to form Frampton’s Camel. The band toured America supporting the likes of The Doobie Brothers, J. Geils Band and Edgar Winter. Frampton and the band went on to have success both in America and the UK, with Wills helping to co-write hit singles like "Do You Feel Like We Do" and "Doobie Wah", as they clocked up 13 tours in the space of two years. When Wills left Frampton he spent time on tour with Roxy Music in the States and Europe during the mid-1970s, before being asked by Steve Marriott to take over from Ronnie Lane as the Small Faces re-formed in 1976 to tour and record two albums, Playmates and 78 in the Shade. The band split in 1978 and after backing Joe Brown as one of his ‘Bruvvers,’ Wills' career really took off in spectacular fashion in 1979 when he became the new bass player with Foreigner. He stayed with them for 13 years and was part of their phenomenal success which saw them produce million-seller singles and albums that charted around the world. Rick left Foreigner in 1992 and for 10 years was part of Bad Company where he played alongside Robert Hart.

"Time to Fly…" the key lyrics in Jim Stapley’s "Breaking Out" track, from his new album Long Time Coming (produced by the legendary Tony Visconti), best describes his passion for delivering music and lyrics, mirroring not only his life experiences and spirit, but conveys in his distinctive performance, an engaging connection with every member of his audience. Born in Manchester, moving to London and joining a rock band at 17 years old, his music reflects the rock, soul, country and blues influences that filled his life and moulded him as an artist and performer. Kenny Jones (The Faces / The Who) said after performing with Stapley, "I’ve been fortunate to have worked with some of the best singers in the world, and I’m proud to say I can add Jim Stapley to that list". "I’m immensely proud of the new album with MITA Records…" says Stapley, "…it’s the best work I’ve ever done". But then Stapley (having signed his first publishing deal at 18 years old), has been constantly active, developing himself and his unique artistry, fronting bands including The Jones Gang, Skinny Machines and AFR (Cregan & Co). His work has also encompassed writing tracks for the Terry Gilliam film Tideland with Jeff Bridges, and numerous other projects and collaborative events in Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, Norway, Italy, France, Germany, and here in London, where Stapley has now made his home. Long Time Coming, recorded in Dean Street Studios, London, confirms Stapley’s status as an established and distinctive singer and songwriter.

Mark Daniel Read, a singer/songwriter/musician from Kingston, Surrey, was born into a musical family, his mum Pam is a drummer, his grandmother one of the original 1960s Tiller Girls, and his dad Keith was a member of Rock n Roll band the Wild Angels. In his 20 years in the business, Read has performed and collaborated with an extremely diverse range of artists and musicians including Michael Bolton, Robin Gibb, Jarvis Cocker, Joe & Sam Brown, Albert Lee, just to name a few. As a songwriter he has written and had many number one hits around the world including 2 UK no.1s and a Brit Award as part of the International Pop band A1. Read has enjoyed performing with Kenney Jones and friends on many occasions.

Johnson Jay is an Australian guitar virtuoso, singer and songwriter currently based in London, UK. He has worked with Grammy and Aria award winning producers and musicians, including Tony Visconti (David Bowie, Trex, U2), Craig Porteils (Guns N' Roses, Fleetwood Mac), Steve Ferrone (Eric Clapton, Tom Petty), and Gail Ann Dorsey (David Bowie, Lenny Kravitz). He continues to lend his talents both in the studio and on stage to various high-profile acts. In between touring and studio time, Jay is currently writing and composing his own music and collaborating with other artists. With a distinctive Americana sound, somewhere between Brad Paisley, Keith Urban and Lyle Lovett, he crosses traditional country music and southern rock with romantic and humorous narratives

   "One of the best guitarists I’ve ever worked with"

- Tony Visconti, Legendary producer and musician

   "An accomplished singer/songwriter and an exceptional guitarist... Second to none"

- Craig Porteils, Aria award winning producer

Discography

References

  1. ↑ Any Day Now. AllMusic
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