The Jabbers

The Jabbers are an American punk rock band. Once fronted by a young GG Allin at the beginning of his career in the late 1970s to early 1980s, many of his most well known songs were recorded with this band, such as "Assface", "Don't Talk to Me" and "Bored to Death".

The Jabbers
OriginUnited States
Genres
Years active
  • 1977–1984
  • 2003–present
LabelsHomestead
Associated acts
Websitethejabbers.com
Members
  • Alan Chapple
  • Chris Lamy
  • Wimpy Rutherford
  • Harlan Miller
Past members

One review of the only Jabbers album with Allin, Always Was, Is And Always Shall Be, states: "Amazingly enough, the violent hatred, sexual and psychological degradation, and staggering stupidity only hint at the heights (or depths) Allin would reach later."[1]

Embryonic versions of the band appeared as early as 1977, focused around Allin (singing and occasionally playing drums), his brother Merle Allin on bass, and various local guitarists. By 1979, the live group featured bassist Alan Chapple and guitarist Rob Basso; guitarist Chris Lamy joined in 1980, and Michael O'Donnell became the group's drummer in 1983.[2] The group disbanded in May 1984, and Allin next led The Scumfucs. Their complete recordings with Allin are on the Banned in Boston compilation.

In 2003, Chapple, Lamy, and O'Donnell reformed the band with new singer Wimpy Rutherford and lead guitarist Harlan Miller (both ex-members of the pop punk group The Queers). They released an album entitled American Standard in 2005 on Steel Cage Records.

Discography

LPs
as GG Allin & The Jabbers
as The Jabbers
  • American Standard (2005) Steel Cage Records SCR-037

Singles
  • "Bored To Death" "Beat, Beat, Beat" b/w "One Man Army" (Orange Records - 7" - 1979)
  • "1980's Rock 'n' Roll" b/w "Cheri Love Affair" (Destiny Records - 7" - 1979)
  • "Gimme Some Head" b/w "Dead Or Alive" Orange Records 7" 1981
  • "You Hate Me & I Hate You" (Public Animal No. 1) Orange Record 7" 1982 (first 100 stickered with "The Jabbers" in red on white background)
  • "You Hate Me & I Hate You" Catch 22 Records (England) 7"
  • "No Rules" "A Fuck Up" b/w "Up Against The Wall" "NYC Tonight"
  • Occupation Blood 2000 Records 7"

Bands timeline and History

January 1980: the newly formed Jabbers start playing everywhere they can book a gig including: New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York and even some benefits & house parties. The lineup is GG Allin vocals, Alan Chapple bass, Rob Basso lead guitar, John Fortin rhythm guitar. Kevin Durand is the bands first official drummer although he only lasts from January - March, quitting after the March 6 gig at Underground Allston. At this point Mighty lons drummer Bob MacKenzie joins the band.

March 1980: GG buys a David Peel record at a local music store which has Peel's phone number on the cover. GG calls and asks if he'd be interested in playing some shows together, which he agrees to. They play 3 gigs together, May 12, 13 & 14. Note: The May 14 gig at the Rathskellar Boston was recorded and is now available on vinyl from Blood Orange Records 2018

March-April 1980: the Jabbers record 9 new songs for their first  album at NCS Studio-Auburn NH with Bob MacKenzie playing drums.  They record Assface, Automatic, Don't Talk to Me (written by MacKenzie), I Need Adventure, Unpredictable, Death Child, Nuke Attack, I'll Never Call & Underwear Party.  GG asks Peel if he'd put it on his Orange Records Label and he says yes.  Note: MacKenzie is the only drummer other than GG to appear on a GG Allin & the Jabbers'record.  Underwear Party is recorded but vocals were never added.

May 23, 1980: Rob Basso crushes his finger at work & the band cancels the rest of the tour. MacKenzie quits. GG writes 3 new songs in the down time.

August 1980: Basso's finger has healed well enough for the band to return to NCS Studio where they record the new songs with Tom Bartlett behind the board once again. Alan, Rob, John & GG record Gimme Some Head, Dead or Alive & Occupational Hazard. Note: Occupational Hazard was never officially released until 2019 when Blood Orange Records found the original studio tapes. A bootlegged copy of the song was released as "Occupation" in 2000 but the song is at the wrong speed and has a terrible sound quality. BOR & the band decided to leave the title as Occupation.

September 1, 1980: Always Was, Is & Always Shall Be is released. Being the bands first album they had spent months discussing the cover design & layout. GG offers to take care of coordinating the covers and the band agrees but they are shocked when GG eventually hands out copies of the LP with a completely modified cover. The front band photo has been o replaced with a photo of GG alone, the Jabbers name is dropped from the sleeve and the three songs Alan & Rob wrote and sang have been cut from the album and substituted with GG's Bored to Death EP. It causes tension and fights within the band. John Fortin quits the band but the remaining members accept GG's apologies and agree to move on, as it's too late the change anything. Note: John Fortin had already been through similar issues when the Cheri Love Affair came out without crediting him for writing & playing the song.

September - October 1980: GG, Rob & Alan head to Peel's Dreamland Studios NYC with the master tapes of their 3 new songs. GG had contacted Peel's Electra label-mate Wayne Kramer of the MC5 and asked if he'd record some guitar & vocals on their new EP, which he has agrees to for $ 50. Unbeknownst to Kramer GG had also contacted MC5 drummer Dennis Thompson and asked the same question to which he agreed for a one-way plane ticket. Note: The two MC5'ers were never in the studio at the same time and never knew the other was involved until after the recordings were done. Another classic GG stunt.

May 1981: The master tapes are brought to Dark Star Studios-New Boston NH for final mixing. GG decides to keep his own drums on the record but still credits Thompson. Occupation is dropped from the new release because GG thinks it sounds like a pop song. Since he's already paid for the studio time GG calls on Alan & Rob and together they record their newest song: You Hate Me & I Hate You. With only one guitarist left GG calls on friend Chris Lamy to record the other guitar track.

September 1981 the new EP has been pressed and associate J.D. O'Shaughnessey draws the new sleeve. Allin adds the credits to the record and, following in his prior footsteps he omits the Jabbers from the title and drops John Fortin's name from the credits opting instead to credit Wayne Kramer. Note: This is a standard Jabbers record with the original lineup. Dennis Thompson does not play drums on any of the recordings; Wayne Kramer only plays the little noodling leads on the 3 songs and sings backup vocals on Gimme Some Head by singing "head" and "bed".


References
  1. Huey, Steve. "Always Was, Is, and Always Shall Be". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  2. "Jabbers | Listen and Stream Free Music, Albums, New Releases, Photos, Videos". Myspace.com. Retrieved 2020-03-27.
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