Tag Archives: song-honest-joe

Honest Joe is track nineteen on the 1994 James album Wah Wah.

It was possibly intended to be released as a single as there was a video made interspersing parts of James’ live set at Woodstock 2 with scenes from the Highlander : The Final Dimension movie that the song features in.

A live version recorded at Reading Festival in 1997 appeared as a b-side to the Destiny Calling single in 1998 and one recorded at Brixton Academy in 1993 on the live disc of The Gathering Sound box set.

There is also an otherwise unreleased Folk Testosterone Abort Mix, remixed by David Baynton-Power of the band, that appeared on a Future Tracks cassette with Select Magazine in 1994.

An early version entitled Jam Q can be found on the Super Deluxe version of the Laid / Wah Wah boxset. The Folk Testosterone Abort Mix makes use of sections of that jam.

Two sections (Sabresonic Tremelo Dub and Spaghetti Steamhammer Mix) of the Jam J – Sabres Of Paradise 33 minute track released in March 1994 are actually from Honest Joe, as are two unreleased sections (Sabres 135 Mix and Sabres Strip-Down).

It was one of the first Wah Wah tracks to be unveiled, being performed on the European Neil Young support slots in summer 1993, the US WOMAD tour and the UK Winter tour in 1993. Jo Whiley previewed the studio version track on BBC Radio 1 in March 1994.

The hypnotic strobe effects and Tim and Saul’s improvised lyrics followed by Tim’s spiral dance and Mark’s keyboard finish made this a live favourite and it has continued to make appearances in the set since the band reformed.

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