Jean-Jacques Burnel[1] (born 21 February 1952) is an English musician, producer and songwriter, best known as the bass guitarist and co-lead vocalist with the English rock band The Stranglers. He is the only original member to remain in the band.
Life and career
Jean-Jacques Burnel performing on French TV in 1983
Jean-Jacques Burnel was born in Notting Hill, London, to French parents. His family owned a restaurant where his father worked as a chef. As a child, as the son of French immigrants, he was often the victim of mockery from his schoolmates,[2] which later led him to call himself John to disguise his French origins. This early encounter with xenophobia would also have an impact on his explosive temper in life and on stage[3] as well as on the way he plays.[4]
He moved with his parents to Godalming, Surrey, when he was 12 years old and attended the Royal Grammar School, Guildford, subsequently reading history at the University of Bradford and Huddersfield Polytechnic.[5] Burnel originally trained as a classical guitarist, but adopted the bass guitar as his instrument within the Stranglers.[6] He has provided lead vocals on nearly a third of the band's songs. Burnel later explained he often sang lyrics written by Hugh Cornwell (or vice versa) depending on "who had the best voice for that particular song."[7]
Burnel has been a member of the Stranglers since the group's inception in 1974, but has also made two solo albums: Euroman Cometh in 1979, and Un Jour Parfait in 1988, as well as a collaborative album with fellow Stranglers member Dave Greenfield, Fire and Water (Ecoutez Vos Murs) in 1983.[8] Burnel has also produced and appeared as a guest musician for a number of artists, such as Lizard and ARB from Japan, Polyphonic Size (from Belgium) and Taxi Girl's album Seppuku in 1981, as well as Laurent Sinclair's "Devant le Miroir" maxi single. Burnel also formed a rhythm and blues covers band, the Purple Helmets, who played a number of concerts and released two albums in the late 1980s.
As a holder of French citizenship, Burnel received his call-up papers for national service in France. He succeeded in avoiding it with a novel defence, arguing that his absence would damage the Stranglers as a band, and therefore the careers of the other members. This was in accordance with Burnel's claim that only the "bourgeois" would ever agree to serve their country's military.
Jean Jacques (left) performing in 1979 on The Raven tour with his Black Fender Precision
Burnel is fluent in French and writes many of his songs in the language.
Equipment and sound
Shuker JJ Burnel signature bass headstock
Burnel is noted for his distinctive bass guitar sound and melodic bass lines. These are particularly prominent on earlier Stranglers recordings produced by Martin Rushent, such as the hit singles "No More Heroes" and "Peaches".
In the early days, Burnel's distinctive aggressive sound was created using a Fender Precision Bass with RotoSound roundwound strings played with a plectrum very close to the bridge, through Hiwatt all-valve amplification.[9] However, the defining factor was the use of a Marshall 4x12 speaker cabinet in which the speaker cones were ripped, creating a distorted sound.[10]
Later, he used a Yamaha BB2000 which he used on the Euroman Tour in 1979, he then used this full time between 1983 and 1985 before switching to a Steinberger L2 (headless) which he used from 1986 to 1989 and then reverted back to the Fender Precision bass for 10 Tour and continued using this until 2006. Since 2006, he has used Shuker JJ Burnel signature basses custom-built in England by Jon Shuker.[11]
He was one of the first bass guitarists to use Trace Elliot amplification when the company began production in 1980. He now uses amplification by Ashdown Engineering which has honoured him with his own JJ500 signature amps.[12]
Personal life
As of 2015, Burnel was a seventh degree black belt (nanadan) in Shidokan Karate[13] and is head of Shidokan UK.[14] He is also a motorcyclist and has owned many Triumph motorbikes.[15]
"Girl from the Snow Country" (1981) deleted prior to release due to dispute with record label, but also released as a bootleg on "Karate Records".
"Rain & Dole and Tea"/"Consequences" (1984) (with Dave Greenfield)
"Goebbels, Mosley, God & Ingrams" (1988) flexi-disc release of an outtake from Euroman Cometh sessions
"Le Whiskey"/"El Whiskey" (1988)
"Reves"/"Crazy (She Drives Me)" (1988)
Production and other appearances
Burnel has also produced and or appeared either as a member of the group (Mutations, Purple Helmets) or as a ‘guest’ musician on a number of recordings, as follows:
Celia and the Mutations – "You Better Believe Me" single (1978) : bass
Lizard – Lizard album (1979) : production, backing vocals
Lizard – TV Magic single (1980) : production
Polyphonic Size – "Nagasaki Mon Amour" single (1980) : production
Sirens – "It Doesn't Really Matter" single (1980) : production
Taxi Girl – "Les Armees de la Nuit" single (1981) : production & original theme
Taxi Girl – "Vivian Vog" single (1981)
Taxi Girl – "La Femme Ecarlate" single (1981) : production
Taxi Girl – "Les Armées de la Nuit"/"Musée Tong"/"La Femme Ếcarlate" single (1981) : production
Taxi Girl – Seppuku album (1981) : production, chorus vocals on UK bonus track "Find the Boy"
Polyphonic Size – Live for Each Moment album (1982) : production, bass and backing vocals, lead vocals on two tracks, joint composer of one track
Polyphonic Size – "Winston & Julia"/"Je T'ai Toujours Aimée"/"Parties Dance" single (1982) : production, lead vocals on all tracks, bass on "Je T'ai Toujours Aimée"
Polyphonic Size – "Mother's Little Helper"/"Men and Construction"/"RDA RFA"/"Kyoto"/"Nagasaki Mon Amour" single (1982) : production
Polyphonic Size – Mother's Little Helper"/"Girlscout"/"Men and Construction"/"On the Way to Medora"/"Saison" single (1982) : production
Polyphonic Size – "Night is Coming On" single (1982) : production
Polyphonic Size – "Je T'ai Toujours Aimee" single (1982) : production, lead vocals and bass on A-side
Polyphonic Size – Walking Everywhere album (1983) : production, vocals on three tracks which he jointly composed, including lead vocals on Walking Class Hero.
Polyphonic Size – "Walking Class Hero" single (1983) : production, lead vocal, joint composer
ARB – Yellow Blood album (1984) : bass guitar on two tracks, "Yellow Blood" and "Fight it Out"
Beranek – Trigger album (1984) : production, bass and backing vocals on track "All Through the Night"
Beranek – "Some Boys Like Dolls"/"Why Don't You Wanna Dance" single (1984) : production
Play Group – Love Goes Round album (1984) : production
Laurent Sinclair – "Devant le Miroir" single (1985) : production and bass
Dave Howard Singers – "Rock On" single (1985) : production
Beranek – Daylight in the Dark album (1986) : production, bass and backing vocals
Beranek – "Dancing in the Wind"/"Teardrop" single (1986) : production, bass and backing vocals
Ping Pop – Just Another Lazy Day album (1986) : production and backing vocals
Fools Dance – "They'll Never Know" single (1987) : bass
Jacques Dutronc – CQFD album (1987) : bass on five of the tracks
Mona Mur – Mona Mur album (1987) : production, bass, guitars and percussion
Mona Mur – "Bastard" single (1987) : production, bass, guitars and percussion
