Stevie Jackson
Encyclopedia
Stevie Jackson is a Scottish
musician and songwriter. He plays lead guitar
and sings in the Glasgow
based indie
band Belle & Sebastian
. Jackson's guitar playing is distinctively retrogressive and melodic, with a heavy use of reverb and minimal effects. He has, in the past, been nicknamed 'Reverb' or 'Stevie Reverb' due to his use of the said effect.
Prior to joining the group, Jackson was a member of the now-defunct The Moondials, a band that released a single on Electric Honey
, a label that would later issue Belle & Sebastian's first album, Tigermilk
. The Moondials experience was a pleasant one for Jackson, and it took a great deal of work for nominal Belle & Sebastian frontman Stuart Murdoch
to convince him to join his group. At the time, Murdoch was playing the open mic circuit in Glasgow as a solo act, and it was at one of these performances, at The Halt Bar, that Jackson first saw Murdoch play.
In the beginning, the band existed mostly as an outlet for Murdoch's songwriting. Since the band's third album, The Boy With The Arab Strap
, other members have begun to contribute, Jackson chief amongst them. All of the band's subsequent full-lengths have featured compositions by Jackson, and he wrote the band's 2001 single "Jonathan David
" as well as "To Be Myself Completely" for 2006's The Life Pursuit
. His songs are noticeably different from Murdoch's compositions. They tend to be shorter and less introspective, opting for catchy 1960s-style pop more often than the folky melancholia that defined Belle & Sebastian's early releases.
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
musician and songwriter. He plays lead guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and sings in the Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
based indie
Indie (music)
In music, independent music, often shortened to indie music or "indie" is a term used to describe independence from major commercial record labels or their subsidiaries, and an autonomous, Do-It-Yourself approach to recording and publishing....
band Belle & Sebastian
Belle & Sebastian
Belle and Sebastian are an indie pop band formed in Glasgow in January 1996. Belle and Sebastian are often compared with influential indie bands such as The Smiths, as well as classic acts such as Love, Bob Dylan and Nick Drake. The name Belle & Sebastian comes from Belle et Sébastien, a 1965...
. Jackson's guitar playing is distinctively retrogressive and melodic, with a heavy use of reverb and minimal effects. He has, in the past, been nicknamed 'Reverb' or 'Stevie Reverb' due to his use of the said effect.
Prior to joining the group, Jackson was a member of the now-defunct The Moondials, a band that released a single on Electric Honey
Electric Honey (label)
Electric Honey is a record label run by students studying the HNC and HND in Music Business course, as well as students studying the Advanced Diploma in Music Industry Management & Marketing course at Stow College in Glasgow, Scotland...
, a label that would later issue Belle & Sebastian's first album, Tigermilk
Tigermilk
Tigermilk is the 1996 debut album from Scottish pop group Belle & Sebastian. Originally given a limited release by Electric Honey, the album was subsequently re-released in 1999 by Jeepster Records...
. The Moondials experience was a pleasant one for Jackson, and it took a great deal of work for nominal Belle & Sebastian frontman Stuart Murdoch
Stuart Murdoch (musician)
Stuart Lee Murdoch is a Scottish musician, and the lead singer and songwriter for the indie pop band Belle & Sebastian. The majority of his childhood was spent a stone's throw from the birthplace of Robert Burns in Alloway, Ayr until he left school and attended university in...
to convince him to join his group. At the time, Murdoch was playing the open mic circuit in Glasgow as a solo act, and it was at one of these performances, at The Halt Bar, that Jackson first saw Murdoch play.
In the beginning, the band existed mostly as an outlet for Murdoch's songwriting. Since the band's third album, The Boy With The Arab Strap
The Boy with the Arab Strap
The Boy with the Arab Strap is the third album from the Scottish band Belle & Sebastian. The inspiration for the album's name came from the band Arab Strap, who are also from Scotland and briefly toured with Belle & Sebastian. An Arab strap is a sexual device for retaining an erection.Arab Strap...
, other members have begun to contribute, Jackson chief amongst them. All of the band's subsequent full-lengths have featured compositions by Jackson, and he wrote the band's 2001 single "Jonathan David
Jonathan David
"Jonathan David" is a single released by Belle & Sebastian on Jeepster in 2001. The lead track gets its name from the biblical duo of Jonathan and David, while "The Loneliness of a Middle Distance Runner" is a reference to Alan Sillitoe's short story "The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner."...
" as well as "To Be Myself Completely" for 2006's The Life Pursuit
The Life Pursuit
The Life Pursuit is an album by Belle & Sebastian. It was released in Europe on 6 February 2006 by Rough Trade Records and in North America on February 7, 2006 by Matador Records....
. His songs are noticeably different from Murdoch's compositions. They tend to be shorter and less introspective, opting for catchy 1960s-style pop more often than the folky melancholia that defined Belle & Sebastian's early releases.
Belle & Sebastian songs written by Jackson
- "Seymour Stein" (from The Boy with the Arab StrapThe Boy with the Arab StrapThe Boy with the Arab Strap is the third album from the Scottish band Belle & Sebastian. The inspiration for the album's name came from the band Arab Strap, who are also from Scotland and briefly toured with Belle & Sebastian. An Arab strap is a sexual device for retaining an erection.Arab Strap...
) - "Chickfactor" (from The Boy with the Arab Strap)
- "The Wrong Girl" (from Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a PeasantFold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a PeasantFold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant is the fourth album from the Scottish group Belle & Sebastian. The album was released to generally favourable reviews....
) - "Jonathan David" (from "Jonathan DavidJonathan David"Jonathan David" is a single released by Belle & Sebastian on Jeepster in 2001. The lead track gets its name from the biblical duo of Jonathan and David, while "The Loneliness of a Middle Distance Runner" is a reference to Alan Sillitoe's short story "The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner."...
" single) - "Wandering Alone" (from Storytelling)
- "Roy Walker" (from Dear Catastrophe WaitressDear Catastrophe WaitressDear Catastrophe Waitress is an album by Belle & Sebastian, a Scottish indie pop group, released in 2003 on Rough Trade Records. Producer Trevor Horn, former member of The Buggles and producer of groups like Yes and Frankie Goes to Hollywood, oversaw the production of the album, and gave it a more...
) - "Step Into My Office, Baby" (from Dear Catastrophe Waitress) (co-writer)
- "I Believe in Travellin' Light" (from "I'm a CuckooI'm a Cuckoo"I'm a Cuckoo" was Belle & Sebastian's second single from Dear Catastrophe Waitress, released on Rough Trade Records in 2004. The track was produced by Trevor Horn. B-side "Stop, Look and Listen" merges into "Passion Fruit" at the end of a song – an instrumental piece which was performed live...
" single) - "To Be Myself Completely" (from The Life PursuitThe Life PursuitThe Life Pursuit is an album by Belle & Sebastian. It was released in Europe on 6 February 2006 by Rough Trade Records and in North America on February 7, 2006 by Matador Records....
) - "Song for Sunshine" (from The Life Pursuit) (co-writer)
- "I Took a Long Hard Look" (from "Funny Little FrogFunny Little Frog"Funny Little Frog" was the first single lifted from Belle & Sebastian's The Life Pursuit. The track was released in January 2006 on Rough Trade Records, and is produced by Tony Hoffer. The single became the band's highest-charting single in the UK so far, reaching #13...
" single) - "Mr Richard" (from "The Blues are Still BlueThe Blues Are Still Blue"The Blues Are Still Blue" was the second single lifted from the Belle & Sebastian's The Life Pursuit. The track was released in April 2006 on Rough Trade Records, and is produced by Tony Hoffer. The single reached #25 in the UK singles chart.-CD:...
" single) - "Long Black Scarf" (from "White Collar BoyWhite Collar Boy"White Collar Boy" is the third single lifted from the Belle & Sebastian's The Life Pursuit. The track was released on 26 June 2006 on Rough Trade Records, and was produced by Tony Hoffer. Despite its mainstream "electro-vibe" appeal, it failed to make the top 40, only scraping in at #45...
" single) - "I'm Not Living in the Real World" (from "Write About LoveWrite About Love"Write About Love" is the lead single, as well as the title track, of Belle & Sebastian's 2010 album Belle & Sebastian Write About Love. The single was first released in the US on September 7, 2010, and is set to be released in the UK and in international markets on October 25, 2010. The track was...
")
Guest artist
- Contributed the song "Good Time" to the compilation Caroline Now!: The Songs of Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys
- He played harmonica on "Song For The Troubadour" by the German band The Happy Couple
- He played harmonica on "Thank You Baby" by V-TwinV-twinA V-twin engine is a two-cylinder internal combustion engine where the cylinders are arranged in a V configuration.- Crankshaft configuration :Most V-twin engines have a single crankpin, which is shared by both connecting rods...
- Jackson played lead guitar for The VaselinesThe VaselinesThe Vaselines are an alternative rock band from Glasgow, Scotland. Formed in 1986, the band was originally a duo between its songwriters Eugene Kelly and Frances McKee, but later added James Seenan and Eugene's brother Charlie Kelly on bass and drums respectively from the band Secession. McKee had...
for some tours - Jackson co-wrote the song "Stoop Sale" on the I Blame You album by Michael Shelley
- Jackson plays guitar & sings on a few songs on the Too Many Movies album by Michael Shelley