The Jam - About the Young Idea: The Very Best of The Jam (2015)

This summer, Somerset House, in collaboration with Nice Time Inc Productions, is proud to present The Jam: About the Young Idea. With unprecedented access to The Jam’s archive, Somerset House will curate the first comprehensive exhibition about the extraordinary band whose music immortalised life for Britain’s disenchanted youth during the late 70s and early 80s. Through unseen material and fan memorabilia, the exhibition will chart the trio’s journey from Sheerwater Secondary Modern in Woking to superstardom, kick-started by the release of their debut hit single ‘In The City’, whose lyrics are referenced in the exhibition’s title, and ended six years later with 18 consecutive UK top 40 singles and over 14 million global album sales.

For the very first time, all three members of the band – Paul Weller, Rick Buckler and Bruce Foxton – the Weller family and music archivist Den Davis have opened up their archives, especially for the show. The collection, which is curated by frontman Paul’s sister and former head of The Jam’s fan club Nicky Weller, Tory Turk and Russell Reader with additional advice from DJ Gary Crowley, includes hand written lyrics, original stage outfits, personal photographs and footage, unreleased music videos, early scrapbooks, letters and postcards, posters and fanzines, and the band’s instruments. The exhibition, designed in reference to album artworks and featuring original graphics from celebrated artist Anthony Burrill, will provide a unique and personal insight into the band’s trailblazing life and the retrospect legacy The Jam left on music, style, politics and culture.

TRACKLIST

CD1:

01. In The City (Radio Ad)
02. In The City
03. Art School
04. Away From The Numbers
05. Takin’ My Love (Demo – Previously Unreleased)
06. All Around The World
07. The Modern World
08. In The Street Today
09. News Of The World
10. David Watts
11. Down In The Tube Station At Midnight
12. Billy Hunt
13. To Be Someone (Didn’t We Have A Nice Time)
14. English Rose
15. In The Crowd
16. ‘A’ Bomb In Wardour St.
17. Strange Town
18. The Butterfly Collector
19. When You’re Young
20. Smithers-Jones
21. The Eton Rifles
22. Thick As Thieves
23. Private Hell
24. Saturday’s Kids
25. Burning Sky (Demo)

CD2:

01. Going Underground
02. Dreams Of Children
03. Start!
04. Liza Radley
05. Pretty Green
06. Monday
07. That’s Entertainment
08. Man In The Cornershop
09. Boy About Town
10. Funeral Pyre
11. Absolute Beginners
12. Tales From The Riverbank
13. Town Called Malice
14. Precious
15. Ghosts
16. Just Who Is The Five O’Clock Hero?
17. Carnation
18. The Bitterest Pill (I Ever Had To Swallow)
19. Beat Surrender
20. Move On Up
21. Shopping
22. Pop Art Poem