Jean-Jacques Burnel
Encyclopedia
J. J. Burnel is a Franco-English musician producer and songwriter, best known as the bass guitarist
with the British rock band The Stranglers
.
, London, to French parents. He moved with his parents to Godalming
, Surrey when he was about twelve and attended the Royal Grammar School, Guildford
and read history at the University of Bradford
and Huddersfield Polytechnic
. Burnel originally trained as a classical guitarist
, but adopted the bass guitar as his instrument
within The Stranglers. He has also sung lead vocals on about a quarter of their songs.
Burnel has been with The Stranglers since their 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.
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.
Despite only having lived there for a short period, Burnel received his call-up papers for National service
in France. He succeeded in avoiding this service by arguing that his absence would indirectly damage The Stranglers as a band, and therefore the careers of the other members.
Burnel has composed
and performed music for the anime
, Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo
, including both the opening and ending themes, "We Were Lovers", and "You Won't See Me Coming" respectively.
, 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. Later on he used a Wal
pro bass, a Yamaha BB2000, a Steinberger
2L (headless), a Fender Jazz
, a Fender Musicmaster, and a Kinkade acoustic bass. He currently plays Shuker JJ Burnel signature basses custom built in England by Jon Shuker. He was one of the first bassists to use Trace Elliot
amplification when the company began production in 1980. He now uses custom-built amplifiers designed by Mark Gooday of Ashdown Engineering. Burnel has been a RotoSound endorsee since the early 1980s, and has featured in their advertising.
expert and is head of Shidokan UK. He is also a motorcyclist
and has owned many Triumph
motorcycles in the past besides the one he rides at present.
He is fluent in French and writes many of his songs in the language.
– January 1977
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
with the British rock band The Stranglers
The Stranglers
The Stranglers are an English punk/rock music group.Scoring some 23 UK top 40 singles and 17 UK top 40 albums to date in a career spanning five decades, the Stranglers are the longest-surviving and most "continuously successful" band to have originated in the UK punk scene of the mid to late 1970s...
.
Life and career
Jean-Jacques Burnel was born in Notting HillNotting Hill
Notting Hill is an area in London, England, close to the north-western corner of Kensington Gardens, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea...
, London, to French parents. He moved with his parents to Godalming
Godalming
Godalming is a town and civil parish in the Waverley district of the county of Surrey, England, south of Guildford. It is built on the banks of the River Wey and is a prosperous part of the London commuter belt. Godalming shares a three-way twinning arrangement with the towns of Joigny in France...
, Surrey when he was about twelve and attended the Royal Grammar School, Guildford
Royal Grammar School, Guildford
The Royal Grammar School is a selective English independent day school for boys in Guildford, Surrey. The school dates its founding to the death of Robert Beckingham in 1509 who left provision in his will to 'make a free scole at the Towne of Guldford'; in 1512 a governing body was set up to form...
and read history at the University of Bradford
University of Bradford
The University of Bradford is a British university located in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. The University received its Royal Charter in 1966, making it the 40th University to be created in Britain, but its origins date back to the early 1800s...
and Huddersfield Polytechnic
University of Huddersfield
The University of Huddersfield is a university located in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England.- History :The University traces its roots back to a Science and Mechanic Institute founded in 1825...
. Burnel originally trained as a classical guitarist
Classical guitarists
-Baroque :*Antoine Carré*Francesco Corbetta *Giovanni Battista Granata*Francisco Guerau*Girolamo Montesardo*Alonso Mudarra *Santiago de Murcia *Gaspar Sanz...
, but adopted the bass guitar as his instrument
Musical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...
within The Stranglers. He has also sung lead vocals on about a quarter of their songs.
Burnel has been with The Stranglers since their inception in 1974, but has also made two solo albums, Euroman Cometh
Euroman Cometh
Euroman Cometh is the 1979 debut solo album by The Stranglers' bassist J. J. Burnel.Guest musicians were Peter Howells of The Drones , track 9 featured Brian James of The Damned , Lew Lewis and Carey Fortune of Chelsea...
in 1979, and Un Jour Parfait
Un jour parfait
Un Jour Parfait is the second solo album by The Stranglers' bassist J.J. Burnel, released in 1988.-Track listing:# "Un Jour Parfait"# "Si J'etais"# "Weekend"# "Tristeville Ce Soir"# "Via Dolorosa"# "Le Whiskey"# "Crazy "...
in 1988, as well as a collaborative album with fellow Stranglers member Dave Greenfield
Dave Greenfield
Dave Greenfield is the keyboard player with English rock band, The Stranglers.-Biography:He is noted for his trademark style of playing rapid arpeggios...
, Fire and Water (Ecoutez Vos Murs) in 1983.
Burnel has also produced and appeared as a guest musician for a number of artists, such as Lizard and ARB
Arb (band)
ARB is a Japanese rock band formed in 1978. Its members are Ryo Ishibashi, Koya Naito, Ebi, and Keith.-Singles:* 'Norainu' * 'Wild lowteen girl' * 'Tamashii Kogashite'...
from Japan, Polyphonic Size
Polyphonic Size
Polyphonic Size is a Belgian New Wave band founded in 1979 in Brussels by Roger-Marc Vande Voorde. Mixing electric guitars and synthesizers with French and English lyrics , most of Polyphonic Size records were produced by Jean-Jacques Burnel, from The Stranglers.-1979-1984:The first Polyphonic...
(from Belgium) and Taxi Girl
Taxi Girl
Taxi Girl were a French New Wave band, adopting the New Romantic aesthetics of the time, such as clashing red and black clothing, synthesiser-led songs, and taking influence from mythology and literature. The group existed between 1978 and 1986, producing 5 mini-albums, and one full-length album,...
's album, Seppuku, in 1981, as well as Laurent Sinclair's "Devant le Miroir" maxi single. Burnel also formed a Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
covers band The Purple Helmets who played a number of concerts and released two albums in the late 1980s.
Despite only having lived there for a short period, Burnel received his call-up papers for National service
National service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
in France. He succeeded in avoiding this service by arguing that his absence would indirectly damage The Stranglers as a band, and therefore the careers of the other members.
Burnel has composed
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and performed music for the anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
, Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo
Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo
is an anime series loosely based on Alexandre Dumas, père's classic French novel, Le Comte de Monte-Cristo. Spanning 24 episodes, it was produced by Gonzo, directed by Mahiro Maeda and broadcast by Animax across its respective networks in Japan, East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, Latin America,...
, including both the opening and ending themes, "We Were Lovers", and "You Won't See Me Coming" respectively.
Equipment and sound
Burnel is noted for his distinctive bass guitar sound and melodic basslines. These are particularly prominent on earlier Stranglers recordings produced by Martin RushentMartin Rushent
Martin Rushent was an English record producer, best known for his work with The Human League, The Stranglers and The Buzzcocks.- Early life :Rushent was born on 11 July 1948 in Enfield, Middlesex. His father was a car salesman...
, such as the hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
singles "No More Heroes" and "Peaches
Peaches (song)
"Peaches" is a song and single by The Stranglers. It was one of the big summer hits of 1977 in the UK, a close rival to The Sex Pistols' "God Save The Queen" in terms of notoriety.-Song Information:...
". In the early days Burnel's distinctive aggressive sound was created using a Fender Precision Bass
Fender Precision Bass
The Fender Precision Bass is an electric bass.Designed by Leo Fender as a prototype in 1950 and brought to market in 1951, the Precision was the first electric bass to earn widespread attention and use. A revolutionary instrument for the time, the Precision Bass has made an immeasurable impact on...
with RotoSound
RotoSound
-History of Rotosound:Started in the late 1950's by James How -a musician and engineer by trade. How started manufacturing music strings for many famous artists across the world. Still a family run business all Rotosound strings are made in England....
roundwound strings
Strings (music)
A string is the vibrating element that produces sound in string instruments, such as the guitar, harp, piano, and members of the violin family. Strings are lengths of a flexible material kept under tension so that they may vibrate freely, but controllably. Strings may be "plain"...
played with a plectrum
Plectrum
A plectrum is a small flat tool used to pluck or strum a stringed instrument. For hand-held instruments such as guitars and mandolins, the plectrum is often called a pick, and is a separate tool held in the player's hand...
very close to the bridge, through Hiwatt
Hiwatt
Hiwatt was a British company that manufactured amplifiers for electric guitars and electric basses. Starting in the late 1960s, together with Marshall and Vox, the company contributed to the sonic image popularly termed "British sound"....
all-valve
Valve
A valve is a device that regulates, directs or controls the flow of a fluid by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. Valves are technically pipe fittings, but are usually discussed as a separate category...
amplification. Later on he used a Wal
Wal (bass)
Wal is a brand of electric bass manufactured by Electric Wood Ltd. in High Wycombe, England. It was started in 1974 by electronics expert Ian Waller and luthier Pete Stevens...
pro bass, a Yamaha BB2000, a Steinberger
Steinberger
Steinberger refers to a series of distinctive electric guitars and bass guitars, designed and originally manufactured by Ned Steinberger. The word Steinberger can be used to refer to either the instruments themselves or the company that produced them...
2L (headless), a Fender Jazz
Fender Jazz Bass
The Jazz Bass was the second model of electric bass created by Leo Fender. The bass is distinct from the Precision Bass in that its tone is brighter and richer in the midrange and treble with less emphasis on the fundamental harmonic...
, a Fender Musicmaster, and a Kinkade acoustic bass. He currently plays Shuker JJ Burnel signature basses custom built in England by Jon Shuker. He was one of the first bassists to use Trace Elliot
Trace Elliot
Trace Elliot is a United Kingdom-based bass amplification manufacturer, and has a sub-brand, Trace Acoustic, for acoustic instruments.-History:...
amplification when the company began production in 1980. He now uses custom-built amplifiers designed by Mark Gooday of Ashdown Engineering. Burnel has been a RotoSound endorsee since the early 1980s, and has featured in their advertising.
Leisure
Burnel is a black belt 6th dan karateKarate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
expert and is head of Shidokan UK. He is also a motorcyclist
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
and has owned many Triumph
Triumph Motorcycles Ltd
Triumph Motorcycles Ltd is the largest surviving British motorcycle manufacturer, which was established in 1984 by John Bloor after the original manufacturer Triumph Engineering went into receivership...
motorcycles in the past besides the one he rides at present.
He is fluent in French and writes many of his songs in the language.
Albums
- Euroman ComethEuroman ComethEuroman Cometh is the 1979 debut solo album by The Stranglers' bassist J. J. Burnel.Guest musicians were Peter Howells of The Drones , track 9 featured Brian James of The Damned , Lew Lewis and Carey Fortune of Chelsea...
(1979) #40 (UK Albums ChartUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
) - Fire and Water (Ecoutez Vos Murs) (with Dave GreenfieldDave GreenfieldDave Greenfield is the keyboard player with English rock band, The Stranglers.-Biography:He is noted for his trademark style of playing rapid arpeggios...
) (1983) #94 (UK Albums Chart) - Un Jour ParfaitUn jour parfaitUn Jour Parfait is the second solo album by The Stranglers' bassist J.J. Burnel, released in 1988.-Track listing:# "Un Jour Parfait"# "Si J'etais"# "Weekend"# "Tristeville Ce Soir"# "Via Dolorosa"# "Le Whiskey"# "Crazy "...
(1988) - Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte CristoGankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristois an anime series loosely based on Alexandre Dumas, père's classic French novel, Le Comte de Monte-Cristo. Spanning 24 episodes, it was produced by Gonzo, directed by Mahiro Maeda and broadcast by Animax across its respective networks in Japan, East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, Latin America,...
– Original Soundtrack (with Kasamatsu Kouji) (2005)
Singles
- "Freddie Laker (Concorde & Eurobus)" (1979), B-side "OzymandiasOzymandias"Ozymandias" is a sonnet by Percy Bysshe Shelley, published in 1818 in the January 11 issue of The Examiner in London. It is frequently anthologised and is probably Shelley's most famous short poem...
" - "Girl from the Snow Country" (1981) deleted prior to release due to dispute with record label
- "Rain & Dole and Tea"/"Consequences" (1984) (with Dave GreenfieldDave GreenfieldDave Greenfield is the keyboard player with English rock band, The Stranglers.-Biography:He is noted for his trademark style of playing rapid arpeggios...
) - "Goebbels, Mosley, God & Ingrams" (1988) flexi-disc release of an outake from Euroman ComethEuroman ComethEuroman Cometh is the 1979 debut solo album by The Stranglers' bassist J. J. Burnel.Guest musicians were Peter Howells of The Drones , track 9 featured Brian James of The Damned , Lew Lewis and Carey Fortune of Chelsea...
sessions - "Le Whiskey"/"El Whiskey" (1988)
- "Reves"/"Crazy (She Drives Me)" (1988)
Production and guest appearances
Burnel has also produced a number of artists as well as appearing as a 'guest' musician on a number of recordings, as follows:- Celia and the Mutations – "Mony Mony/"Mean to Me" single (1977): bass and backing vocals
- 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 GirlTaxi GirlTaxi Girl were a French New Wave band, adopting the New Romantic aesthetics of the time, such as clashing red and black clothing, synthesiser-led songs, and taking influence from mythology and literature. The group existed between 1978 and 1986, producing 5 mini-albums, and one full-length album,...
– "Cherchez le Garcon" single (1980) - Taxi Girl – Cherchez le Garcon album (1980)
- 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 DanceFools DanceFools Dance was a short-lived British rock band, formed in 1982 by Simon Gallup after he left The Cure, due to a conflict with Robert Smith. Initially calling themselves 'The Cry', the band played their first gig at the Covent Garden Rock Garden on the 19th April 1983...
– "They'll Never Know" single (1987): bass - Jaques Dutronc – CQFD album (1987): bass on five of the tracks
- Mona MurMona MurMona Mur is a German vocalist - born Sabine Bredy in Hamburg to Polish parents, 1960.In 1982 she first collaborated with FM Einheit, Marc Chung, and Alex Hacke, all of Einstürzende Neubauten. As "Mona Mur und die Mieter " they recorded the 12" Jeszcze Polska...
– Mona Mur album (1987): production, bass, guitars and percussion - Mona Mur – "Bastard" single (1987): production, bass, guitars and percussion
- Mona Mur – "Ritz" single (1987): production, bass, guitars, percussion
- Revenge – Sweet and Sour album (1987): production, sound mixing and recording, backing vocals
- Revenge – Wartime album (1987): mixing
- The Purple Helmets – Ride Again album (1988): bass and vocals
- The Purple Helmets – "We Gotta Get Out of This Place"/"I’m a Man" single (1989): bass and vocals
- The Purple Helmets – Rise Again album (1989): bass and vocals
- The Purple Helmets – "Brand New Cadillac"/"Under the Sun" single (1989): bass and vocals
- Dani – N Comme Never Again album (1993): production, mixing, bass, vocals and guitars
- Magic De Spell – Holiday in Sarajevo album (1993): production
- Magic De Spell – Nipsonanoimimata Mi Monan Opsin album (1995): production
- Pat Dinizio – Songs and Sounds album (1997): bass and vocals
- Pat Dinizio – "124mph" single (1997): bass and vocals
- Pat Dinizio – "A World Apart" single (1997): bass and vocals
- Schindler – "Time" single (1999): production, keyboards and backing vocals
- 3 Men and Black – Acoustic album (2004): bass and vocals
- Teasing Lulu – "Infatuation"/"You Ain't My Baby" single (2006): production
- Teasing Lulu – "Waste of Time"/"The Ex Factor" (from the motion picture 'ReverbReverb (film)Reverb is a 2007 horror movie, written and directed by Eitan Arrusi, and produced by Frank Mannion. The film stars Leo Gregory and Eva Birthistle and was released in 2007....
') single (2007): production - Teasing Lulu – Black Summer album (2008): production
Quotations
NMENME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
– January 1977
Further reading
- Cornwell, Hugh, A Multitude of Sins. London. Harper Collins Publishers, 2004. ISBN 0-00-719082-4
- Cornwell, Hugh and Drury, Jim. The Stranglers – Song by Song. London. Sanctuary Publishing Ltd. 2001 ISBN 1-86074-362-5
External links
- The Rat's Lair
- Ode to Joy: Issue 4; The Burning Up Times PDF: free online publication devoted to JJ Burnel's 1979 debut album, Euroman Cometh. 30 years on, JJ Burnel and John Ellis are interviewed, alongside fans' live Eurotour reviews and exclusive images
- JJ Burnel & Stranglers interviews, news and reviews at www.strangled.co.uk