Edgar Jones And The Joneses - More Than You've Ever Had

by Anthony Strutt

published: 23 / 9 / 2006

Edgar Jones And The Joneses - More Than You've Ever Had

Label: Select Label
Format: CDS

intro

Soulful new single from former Stairs frontman and bassist, Edgar Jones

Edgar Jones used to be Edgar Summerthyme Jones, the bassist and vocalist for early 90's combo the Stairs. If the La's were Go-Disc’s the Beatles then the Stairs were their R'n'B era Rolling Stones. They were a great band, but sadly produced just one album in their lifetime, the Mexican R ‘n’ B’-influenced ‘The Stairs’, although Viper have recently released ‘Right in The Back of Your Mind’, various tracks of which would have appeared on its follow-up if it had ever been finished. Since the Stairs broke up, Edgar has worked as a session bassist for Paul Weller at his live shows. “More Than You’ve Ever Had’ is a surprise as Edgar has totally reinvented himself. It finds him fronting the Joneses. Whereas before he made a damn good Mick Jagger, he is now a damn good James Brown and even sounds black. ‘More than You've Ever Had’ is a classic soul number, delivered in a deep soul voice and sung as a ballad. ‘We Should Get together’, the first of the B sides, is basically more of the same, but even more soulful and more like James Brown. Both are very catchy. Whereas the Stairs sounded 30 years out of date, these songs sound 40 years at least out of date. ‘Ain't No Use in Cryin' Now’, the second B side, is a seven minute track. When I first picked it up, I thought it would be an old school extended psyched up jam. It is a jam but, in a jazz style. Edgar’s voice has a high pitched blues style. There is a saxophone solo too. Halfway through, when the track speeds up a little, it sounds like an experimental avant garde jazz swing piece.