Just Jack
Encyclopedia
Jack Christopher Allsopp (born 18 May 1975), known by the stage name Just Jack, is an English
musician from Camden Town
, London
. He first came to prominence with the release of his 2007 single "Starz in Their Eyes
", which reached number two on the UK Singles Chart
. He has also since been known for the songs "Embers
", peaking at number 17, and "The Day I Died
", which peaked at number 11.
and house
. An amateur breakdancer at eight, he started DJing at the age of 15 and he soon became submerged in DJ culture and UK garage.
After completing a degree in Furniture Design at Kingston University
, he enrolled in a community music production course, so that he could better his awareness of sampling
and its potential for use. He went on to practice on perfecting his sound by night and to take on a series of jobs by day.
, released in 2002 by the independent label RGR Records, was a collection of songs about modern life, relationships, and the pressures of social situations. The album spawned three singles "Paradise (Lost & Found)", "Snowflakes" and "Triple Tone Eyes". "Snowflakes", his first song to enter the charts at number 164, samples The Cure's song "Lullaby" off of their album Disintegration.
He did not gain fame until 2007, following his TV debut on BBC2
's Later... with Jools Holland, and then on the Channel 4
show The Friday Night Project
, where he performed the single "Starz in Their Eyes
", which reached number two in the UK Singles Chart
. The following three singles from the album Overtones
, "Glory Days
", "Writer's Block
" and "No Time
" did not make the top thirty. "Starz In Their Eyes" was also featured in the Dolce & Gabbana
Summer 2008 fashion show, and the Xbox 360
Kinect game Kinect Sports
. He also collaborated with Kylie Minogue
on the song "I Talk Too Much", for the American release of Overtones.
Alsopp performed at Glastonbury Festival
, V Festival
and T4 on the Beach
in 2007 and again at Glastonbury Festival
in 2009. He also performed at Guilfest
in 2010.
He released his third album All Night Cinema on 31 August 2009, preceded by its first single "Embers
", which had its premiere on BBC Radio 1
on 12 January 2009, and second single "The Day I Died
", which became Jack's second highest charting single on the UK Singles Chart
, peaking at number 11. Both singles peaked inside the top 20. The original choice for second single was "Doctor Doctor" but the single release was subsequently postponed.
He performed at the "Nuit de l'ESSEC" on 29 January 2011.
Jack recently announced on Facebook "So close to finishing a 5 track EP. Just need to find a home for it..." Though later didn't feel like the final tracked was completed, he released a statement saying "A bit of background info... As some of you will know I recently finished a 4 track EP of new songs. It was going to be 5, but the last song didn't feel properly finished and didn't really work with the others. I'll save it for a later date. Most of the music was recorded at home and, for the first time, I mixed the songs myself. They are a little lo-fi and intentionally not 'radio' or 'singles'. I tried to make them sound warm and natural and intimate, basically the kind of music I would listen to myself. I haven't found a label to put them out through yet, but I wanted you to hear them anyway. The first will be up on Monday (for a few days) via a link to my Soundcloud, and the others will go up on the following 3 Mondays. Over and out."
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
musician from Camden Town
Camden Town
-Economy:In recent years, entertainment-related businesses and a Holiday Inn have moved into the area. A number of retail and food chain outlets have replaced independent shops driven out by high rents and redevelopment. Restaurants have thrived, with the variety of culinary traditions found in...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He first came to prominence with the release of his 2007 single "Starz in Their Eyes
Starz in Their Eyes
"Starz in Their Eyes" is a song by British artist Just Jack, released in 2007. It was the first single from the album Overtones, and reached number two in the UK Singles Chart on 21 January 2007....
", which reached number two on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. He has also since been known for the songs "Embers
Embers (song)
"Embers" is the lead single from UK musician Just Jack's third studio album All Night Cinema. It was due to be released digitally on 29 March 2009 and physically on 30 March 2009...
", peaking at number 17, and "The Day I Died
The Day I Died
"The Day I Died" is the second single from electronic music artist Just Jack taken from his third studio album All Night Cinema. It was released on 17 August 2009. The song has already made the Radio 1 A-list, and XFM B-list, before the single was officially released...
", which peaked at number 11.
Background
Born in Camden, Allsopp grew up listening to dance music including breakdance, electro hip hopHip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
and house
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
. An amateur breakdancer at eight, he started DJing at the age of 15 and he soon became submerged in DJ culture and UK garage.
After completing a degree in Furniture Design at Kingston University
Kingston University
Kingston University is a public research university located in Kingston upon Thames, southwest London, United Kingdom. It was originally founded in 1899 as Kingston Technical Institute, a polytechnic, and became a university in 1992....
, he enrolled in a community music production course, so that he could better his awareness of sampling
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
and its potential for use. He went on to practice on perfecting his sound by night and to take on a series of jobs by day.
Career
Allsopp's debut album, titled The Outer MarkerThe Outer Marker
The Outer Marker is the debut album for British Hip hop artist Just Jack. The album failed to enter the UK Top 40 and did not chart in the US...
, released in 2002 by the independent label RGR Records, was a collection of songs about modern life, relationships, and the pressures of social situations. The album spawned three singles "Paradise (Lost & Found)", "Snowflakes" and "Triple Tone Eyes". "Snowflakes", his first song to enter the charts at number 164, samples The Cure's song "Lullaby" off of their album Disintegration.
He did not gain fame until 2007, following his TV debut on BBC2
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
's Later... with Jools Holland, and then on the Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
show The Friday Night Project
The Friday Night Project
The Sunday Night Project was a British comedy-variety show by Princess Productions that first aired on Channel 4 in February 2005 under the title The Friday Night Project...
, where he performed the single "Starz in Their Eyes
Starz in Their Eyes
"Starz in Their Eyes" is a song by British artist Just Jack, released in 2007. It was the first single from the album Overtones, and reached number two in the UK Singles Chart on 21 January 2007....
", which reached number two in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. The following three singles from the album Overtones
Overtones (album)
Overtones is the second album from British electronic music artist Just Jack. The single "Starz in Their Eyes" managed to reach #2 in the UK and #91 on the Billboard Hot 100...
, "Glory Days
Glory Days (Just Jack song)
"Glory Days" is a single by UK artist Just Jack which was recorded in 2006. It reached 32 in the UK Singles Chart in April 2007.Most of the music video was filmed down the world-famous Brick Lane in the East End of London....
", "Writer's Block
Writer's Block (Just Jack song)
"Writer's Block" is a single by UK artist Just Jack which was recorded in 2006. It reached 74 in the UK Singles Chart in June 2007.The spoken word sample at the beginning of the track is taken from an interview given by Mary Rand to the BBC at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo....
" and "No Time
No Time (Just Jack song)
"No Time" is a single by UK artist Just Jack which was recorded in 2006. It reached 32 in the UK Singles Chart in April 2007.The music video is about a television presenter and his job on a TV Show.- Two Versions :...
" did not make the top thirty. "Starz In Their Eyes" was also featured in the Dolce & Gabbana
Dolce & Gabbana
Dolce & Gabbana is an Italian luxury industry fashion house. The company was started by the Italian designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana in Milan, Italy. By 2005 their turnover was €597 million....
Summer 2008 fashion show, and the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
Kinect game Kinect Sports
Kinect Sports
Kinect Sports is a sports video game developed by Rare and published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox 360. The game utilises the Kinect motion-sensing peripheral and was released in North America, Europe, Australasia and Japan in November 2010 as a launch title for Kinect.The game is a...
. He also collaborated with Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...
on the song "I Talk Too Much", for the American release of Overtones.
Alsopp performed at Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
, V Festival
V Festival
The V Festival is an annual music festival held in England during the penultimate weekend in August. The event is held at two parks simultaneously which share the same bill; artists perform at one location on Saturday and then swap on Sunday. The sites are located at Hylands Park in Chelmsford and...
and T4 on the Beach
T4 on the Beach
T4 On The Beach is a British one day music event which is held on the beach at Weston-super-Mare and televised for Channel 4. The event began in 2003 as Pop Beach in Great Yarmouth, changing to the current title and venue in 2005....
in 2007 and again at Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
in 2009. He also performed at Guilfest
GuilFest
GuilFest, formerly the Guildford Festival of Folk and Blues is a music festival held in Stoke Park, Guildford, England each July. The festival, like the larger Glastonbury Festival, features a range of genres including rock, folk, blues, and in recent years pop...
in 2010.
He released his third album All Night Cinema on 31 August 2009, preceded by its first single "Embers
Embers (song)
"Embers" is the lead single from UK musician Just Jack's third studio album All Night Cinema. It was due to be released digitally on 29 March 2009 and physically on 30 March 2009...
", which had its premiere on BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
on 12 January 2009, and second single "The Day I Died
The Day I Died
"The Day I Died" is the second single from electronic music artist Just Jack taken from his third studio album All Night Cinema. It was released on 17 August 2009. The song has already made the Radio 1 A-list, and XFM B-list, before the single was officially released...
", which became Jack's second highest charting single on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, peaking at number 11. Both singles peaked inside the top 20. The original choice for second single was "Doctor Doctor" but the single release was subsequently postponed.
He performed at the "Nuit de l'ESSEC" on 29 January 2011.
Jack recently announced on Facebook "So close to finishing a 5 track EP. Just need to find a home for it..." Though later didn't feel like the final tracked was completed, he released a statement saying "A bit of background info... As some of you will know I recently finished a 4 track EP of new songs. It was going to be 5, but the last song didn't feel properly finished and didn't really work with the others. I'll save it for a later date. Most of the music was recorded at home and, for the first time, I mixed the songs myself. They are a little lo-fi and intentionally not 'radio' or 'singles'. I tried to make them sound warm and natural and intimate, basically the kind of music I would listen to myself. I haven't found a label to put them out through yet, but I wanted you to hear them anyway. The first will be up on Monday (for a few days) via a link to my Soundcloud, and the others will go up on the following 3 Mondays. Over and out."
Albums
| Year | Album | Highest ranking | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | IRL Ireland Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth... |
FRA France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
SWI Switzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition.... |
DUT Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... |
||
| 2002 | The Outer Marker The Outer Marker The Outer Marker is the debut album for British Hip hop artist Just Jack. The album failed to enter the UK Top 40 and did not chart in the US...
|
– | – | – | – | – |
| 2007 | Overtones Overtones (album) Overtones is the second album from British electronic music artist Just Jack. The single "Starz in Their Eyes" managed to reach #2 in the UK and #91 on the Billboard Hot 100... Hip hop music Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted... , House House music House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other... Mercury Records Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal... |
6 | 11 | 25 | 69 | 74 |
| 2009 | All Night Cinema All Night Cinema All Night Cinema is the third album from British electronic music artist Just Jack. The lead single "Embers" was released in March 2009 and reached #17 on the UK Singles Chart. The second single was set to be Doctor Doctor but despite a video being made and receiving over 15,000 views, the song... Pop music Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop... , Electro Mercury Records Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal... |
22 | – | 94 | – | – |
| 2011 | Sexy R'n'B
Pop music Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop... , Electro |
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | Album | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
IRE Ireland Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth... |
TUR Turkey Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe... |
BEL Belgium Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many... |
IT Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... |
SWI Switzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition.... |
|||
| 2003 | "Paradise (Lost & Found)" | — | — | — | — | — | — | The Outer Marker |
| 2003 | "Snowflakes" | 164 | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Triple Tone Eyes" | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007 | "Starz In Their Eyes Starz in Their Eyes "Starz in Their Eyes" is a song by British artist Just Jack, released in 2007. It was the first single from the album Overtones, and reached number two in the UK Singles Chart on 21 January 2007.... " |
2 | 2 | 9 | 29 | 33 | 26 | Overtones |
| "Glory Days Glory Days (Just Jack song) "Glory Days" is a single by UK artist Just Jack which was recorded in 2006. It reached 32 in the UK Singles Chart in April 2007.Most of the music video was filmed down the world-famous Brick Lane in the East End of London.... " |
32 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Writer's Block Writer's Block (Just Jack song) "Writer's Block" is a single by UK artist Just Jack which was recorded in 2006. It reached 74 in the UK Singles Chart in June 2007.The spoken word sample at the beginning of the track is taken from an interview given by Mary Rand to the BBC at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.... " |
74 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "No Time No Time (Just Jack song) "No Time" is a single by UK artist Just Jack which was recorded in 2006. It reached 32 in the UK Singles Chart in April 2007.The music video is about a television presenter and his job on a TV Show.- Two Versions :... " |
76 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009 | "Embers" | 17 | — | — | — | — | — | All Night Cinema |
| "The Day I Died The Day I Died "The Day I Died" is the second single from electronic music artist Just Jack taken from his third studio album All Night Cinema. It was released on 17 August 2009. The song has already made the Radio 1 A-list, and XFM B-list, before the single was officially released... " |
11 | — | — | — | — | — | ||