Jesse Hector
Running Wild/Message to the World DVD (RPM/Cherry Red)
In the early 1990s, a decade on after Jesse Hector – he of (Hammersmith) Gorillas fame – had retired from the music scene he discovered that the (then) newest version of the “garage/mod” scene considered him to be one of the founding fathers and true legends of their musical and stylistic world. It took a bit of convincing by some of his new-found pals but eventually he had recruited a bassist and drummer from the new mod crowd and was blowing out the back walls in the clubs of London again. The quality of the new material and the band’s tightness (known as Jesse Hector and the Sound at this point) quickly led to a new single (old pal Roger Armstrong of Ace/Chiswick lending a hand) and while it was far from a hit, the mighty “Leavin’ Town/I Need Lovin’” is considered by many of his fans to be some of his very best work. A couple of line-up and drummer changes (as the band soon became known as the Gatecrashers) follow and so do more rave review gigs, French tours, recording sessions and interviews.
Sadly, the financial compensation for all the hard work doesn’t and Jesse becomes disillusioned with the music business once again. As a long-time fan I can understand his frustration and no matter how much I would love to see him gigging I get where he’s coming from – and even more so now as he is in his late sixties. It’s a lot more work being in a band than people think and spilling your guts night after night for chump change gets old real quick – no matter how much you love the music! Thankfully the good folks at RPM/Cherry Red have collected Jesse’s incredible work from the 90s period for us all to enjoy. Singles, radio sessions, alt-versions and previously unreleased monster tracks sit here alongside the FINALLY released DVD documentary A Message to the World, Whatever Happened to Jesse Hector? Famed actor Caroline Catz directed this forty-odd minute gem that follows Jesse on his daily routine as he discusses his love for rock’n’roll, his reasons for staying out of the game and his past as main-man in the legendary (Hammersmith) Gorillas and how, as a youth, he first became a performer and rock and roll obsessive.
Possibly one of the most important items now included in the long-delayed documentary is the inclusion of impossibly rare footage of the Gorillas (Alan Butler, Matt McIntyre, Jesse version) in the studio with Ted Carroll (Ace/Chiswick) at the mixing desk. Taken from an episode of LWT’s London Weekend Show it is the only known footage (to many of us faithful at least) of the Gorillas during their heyday. A truly superb collection for Jesse Hector fans and with the documentary now included for British rock and roll music fans in general. (14 tracks plus DVD) BUY HERE!
