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Jack Hammer
Highway 13
Tracks:
Musicians:
Executive producers: Playdough Records - Mike Joubert and Alistair King Release information: 30th May 2008, JHCD001 CD launch Ponto Malongane, Mozambique during the annual STRAB festival. Press Release - 26th July 2008 Piet Botha and Jack Hammer, on the road again with "Highway 13" NEW STUDIO ALBUM RELEASED MAY 2008 "Highway 13" is the new album from Piet Botha and Jack Hammer. This is Jack Hammer's sixth studio album and the eagerly anticipated follow-up to the critically-acclaimed "The Pilgrim", with Botha's three solo offerings, a compilation, a limited edition EP and two live Jack Hammer releases along the way. The band's strongest modern line-up has again been assembled, with Johnathan Martin returned to the fold to assist Piet Botha on guitar and vocal duty and the rock-steady rhythm section of bassist Tertius du Plessis and drummer Paul van de Waal doing far more than just keep a beat. Jack Hammer has outlasted more than a few record labels and swings of public music taste, and was living the demanding life of an "independent" before many of today's flavour-of-the-month artists could spell the word. There are twelve new tracks on Highway 13, and they mainly deal with the road. It's a road that Jack Hammer knows all too well, notching up around 200 acoustic and full band gigs most years, headlining the region's top festivals and continuing to inspire a generation of younger rock artists about what it is to be a writing, recording, gigging and touring band. But it's the things that are more than facts which make Jack Hammer what it is, and make "Highway 13" such an important album. The band is practically a canon unto itself, with an unwavering allegiance to a blues-rock sound that owes more to the pioneers of the genre than modern deviations, and is firmly centred around guitar-driven songs and the place of the guitar as an additional voice within the songs. Or, as Botha has quipped, "It is rock and it can go somewhere else but, before it goes pop, the guitars and solos bring it back". It's also the way the band are their albums, the way they live the songs, and the way their experiences feed directly back into the material. It's no accident that "Highway 13" talks about the toil and toll of the road - both the actual travel criss-crossing South Africa's highways and by-ways time after time, or that it has songs looking at the modern perils of man's oldest sins ("Pharoah's Blues"), our impact on the planet and the blood on the hand's of the faceless corporate giants ("Eden's Lost"), the blood-contract of the artistic spirit ("Stay At The Wheel") and the condition of the modern soul ("Rear View Mirror"). It's certainly no accident that there are hauntingly catchy songs that are also morality tales ("This Song Is Old Now") and that Botha the song-writer presciently tackled head-on the issues that would later boil over into the xenophobic attacks of mid-2008 ("Jozi Town", a superb collaboration with Tidal Waves that is a chillingly stark look at the perils faced by immigrant workers looking for Johannesburg's promised land). In an age of scripted sets being sold as television reality, Jack Hammer are a band that don't just play songs at gigs, they live the authenticity of sweat falling on the stage sawdust, yet more tyre tracks on yet another road, another few scuffs on the guitar flight cases and the perennial driving force that is the knowledge that somewhere, somehow, there is another rock 'n roll soul who will find an almost spiritual home when they hear these guitars, those voices and the songs that have the shining eternal newness of timeless classics. - Evan Milton, July 2008 [South African music journalist, radio compiler and DJ, SA Music Awards judge and founder signatory of the South African Music Quota Coalition] "Highway 13" was recorded, mixed and produced by Lani van der Walt (Not My Dog, Jack Hammer, Albert Frost Trio, Jazz Zombies) at Wolmer Studios and is released courtesy Playdough Records and distributed by Select Music Distribution. Jack Hammer is: PIET BOTHA: vocals, guitar, harmonica JOHNATHAN MARTIN: vocals, guitar TERTIUS DU PLESSIS: bass PAUL DE WAAL: drums For more, please see www.jackhammer.co.za. For further details, photographs, sampling requests and to request artist interviews, please contact: DEBBIE VAN DER MERWE Blue Notes Management (t) 012 807 1020 (c) 082 418 9764 (e) debbie@bluenotes.co.za Val in pad met Hammermariana malan, Die Burger 28 Junie 2008DIT is nie toevallig dat Jack Hammer met Highway 13 langs ry nie. Hierdie rockers weet dat die reis waarmee hulle besig is, nie die gelukkige nommer 7 is nie.Dalk is dit juis omdat menswees nie altyd met huppel en gejubel gepaardgaan nie dat Piet Botha dit keer op keer regkry om met nuwe werk eenvoudig jou voete onder jou uit slaan. Sedert 1984 al is elke nuwe album een om na uit te sien, kom daar klanke na jou aangesweef wat jou vertroos en terselfdertyd oneindig hartseer maak. Of is dit maar net dat Jack Hammer in ’n mens se partydige ore maar net nie ’n vals noot kan speel nie? Hierdie keer, selfs voordat jy nog ordentlik na die lirieke luister, voel jy al die nostalgie, hartseer en verlange in jou hart opspring saam met die kla-klanke van die kitaar. Dan begin jy luister en hoor onder meer in die lied “Stay at the Wheel”: all the dreams I hadIn hierdie lied herken ’n mens aanvanklik nie eers vir Botha in ’n oktaaf laer as gewoonlik nie. In “Mr Midnight” word die reis wat teen wil en dank moet voortgaan, beskryf: Mr Midnight you and IAan die een kant het dit seker te doen met die rockers se ewigdurende reis op pad na die volgende verhoog. Iedereen kan egter sy eie nimmereindigende reis in die lirieke vind. Dis Jack Hammer se agtste Engelse album en dit is op die pas afgelope Subterranean Rhythm and Blues Festival in Ponta Malongane in Mosambiek bekend gestel. As ’n mens in jou versmorende stedelike kantoor sit, is dit “Jozi Town” (saam met Tidal Waves) wat jou met die wysie verplaas na soel someraande en speseryroetes, maar met die lirieke terugruk na die werklikheid in Johannesburg. Dit is een van daardie liedjies wat ’n mens vermoed met ’n skerp waarnemingsvermoë en nie noodwendig met profetiese voorkennis nie geskryf is. Die enigste lied op die album wat nie uit Botha se pen kom nie, is Warren Zevon se “Carmelita”. Op die vorige album The Pilgrim was daar twee sulke tydlose treffers met “Russian and Chips” en “Tribal Fence”. Om watter rede hulle ook al ingesluit is, hulle vul aan en skakel nommerpas by die res van die liedjies in. Almal vra wanneer Botha se volgende Afrikaanse album gemaak gaan word. Eintlik maak dit nie saak nie. Sy liedjies is universeel in watter taal hulle ook al gesing word. Daar word beoog om later vanjaar sy trefferalbum Suitcase vol winter wat in 1997 uitgereik is, weer uit te reik. Waar Jack Hammer (Botha, Johnathan Martin, Tertius du Plessis en Paul van de Waal) se hoofpad dus ook al lei, is dit ’n goeie plan om te sorg dat joune daarmee kruis. Kommentaar op die grootpad Carina Laubscher, 25 Junie 2008 Dis vier jaar sedert Jack Hammer die album The Pilgrim die lig laat sien het. Nou’s Jack Hammer terug in jou hoëtroustel met die kragtige Highway 13. Hulle is almal daar – Piet Botha sing, speel kitare, orrel, klavier en mondfluitjie; dan ook die jong Johnathan Martin wat sing, voorkitaar en tjello speel, Tertius du Plessis agter die groot diksnaar, en die enigmatiese Paul van de Waal op tromme. Die pelgrim is nie meer in Mosambiek of Zanzibar nie – hy’s nou terug op die teerpad tussen sy land se stede, kitaar op die agtersitplek, en ’n vol bottel water in die koelboks. Hier is 11 oorspronklike snitte toegewy aan die musikant se ewige reis tussen optredes, sy strydende liefdehaatverhouding met die langpad, kommentaar oor die wêreld en hoe sleg dit behandel word – met net een leenliedjie, die pragtige Carmelita, geskryf deur Warren Zevon, wat Piet Botha een dag aan die einde van ’n program op televisie gehoor het. Jozi Town is wel die laaste snit van die album, maar is een van die belangrikste liedjies wat die onderliggende walging, verskrikking en skade van xenofobie beklemtoon. Dit onthuts ten spyte van sy vrolike reggae-ritme en “Ha-haha- ha-haaaia”-refrein deur Tidal Waves se Jacob Wulana en Sam Shoai. “They don’t want us here, they send us back again – everybody knows the refugee goes on the train ... but I don’t want to go, want to stay right here, in the land of milk and honey, I want my share…” Die liedjies wat van geldbeheptheid, kommersialiteit en wêreldvernietiging praat, is Eden’s Lost, Rear View Mirror en Pharaoh’s Blues. Hier word die afskuwelike mag van Mammon uitgebeeld in “I came up to see the wise man to find out how much it would cost to get back to Eden – and then he told me – Eden’s lost… But still the empires keep building highways and towers that reach on high…” Die reistema kom telkens sterk na vore in Stay at the Wheel, Don’t Let your Love Fade Away (glad nie so sentimenteel as wat jy dink nie), Rear View Mirror, Mr Midnight en natuurlik die peinsende titelsnit met If I Am the River ... then You Are the Sky. Die liedjie wat ’n mens dadelik vasgryp en selfs radiojokkies behoort te laat regop sit, is die geheimsinnige en rebels-melodiese The Haunting. Dit begin rustig met ’n paar sagte mondfluitjienote en skop dan die deur oop met ’n donker: “Devil stay away from my back door – you keep coming around and I really don’t know what for - the people that you want they don’t live here anymore…” Die herinnering aan die geld wat ons almal vir die “Riverman” skuld, laat jou met meer hoendervleis as enigiets anders. Dieselfde geld “This Song is Old Now”. Met Highway 13 trek Jack Hammer jou terug na die realiteit van ’n gulsige mensdom, die belangrikheid van nederigheid, en in die titelsnit se vlietende dobbeltema, met sy verwysing na nommers op ’n wiel: “Rain will fall like numbers in the wheel – 9, 10, 11, 12, 13...” Dit herinner jou aan die lotto, maar met hierdie album se snitte van 1 tot 12 verloor jy niks – jy wen jou eie skatkis vol uitsonderlike musiek, keer op keer op keer. Notes regarding the songs on, and the recording of "Highway 13" by Piet Botha, June 2008 The title track was written last April (2007) when somehow the theme first realised itself. Somehow the songs were going in the same direction. They were all about retrospection, realisation and what lies ahead .... the road ... highway 13 ... behind us and ahead of us. The first songs written for the album were "Stay at the wheel", "This song is old now" and "Pharaoh's Blues" (previously titled "The Devil's House"). "Broken Promises" had also been lying around for a while as well as "Jozi Town". With "Jozi" I always wanted to use Tidal Waves in the studio as we did on the previous album " The Pilgrim". Well, five songs were not enough, but it was a start. Something new was developing. New songs were coming out "off the bat", making up the lyrics and the music in one go, or at least the bulk of it. No pen to paper. No lyrics being made to fit the music. It was something that had happened before, but not too often. "Highway 13" was written in half an hour, intro and verse. At first I thought it would be a long guitar-solo driven tune but another verse came to light and at the demo stage a chorus came knocking on the door. From then on the title of the album was set. So far the songs had a recurring theme i.e. The Road, a musician's friend and also his Nemesis. But this time there is no romanticism and expectation, this time the road has been travelled and the mistakes have been made. Slowly the songs started getting a vibe, but by November [2007] things really started happening. We started rehearsing the new material at Duke's new pad, recording every rehearsal, listening and going back and doing it all over again. And suddenly the songs came out of nowhere: "Mr. Midnight", "Rearview Mirror", "Don't let your love fade away", "Eden's Lost" all came to life in December and January. Carmelita: Sometime last year I heard a song playing on the TV as the credits were rolling after a movie, but I did not know who it was, all I recall was a beautiful sad song and some lyrics. After some research on the Net I found this incredible song "Carmelita", written by Warren Zevon, no less. I was well aware of his amazing songwriting ,as Brian Finch and Kenny Henson had covered "Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner" for quite a few years, back in the 80's. "Werewolves of London" was another famous Zevon song. Anyway I practised the song for a month, trying to find a key that was comfortable, but although the song only has 3 chords it is a difficult piece to perform. But I wanted desperately to put this song on the album. By end of January I met with Lanie vd Walt, our producer of many years and we scheduled to start recording during the last week in March. I already had a green light from our executive producers at Playdough, Mike Joubert and Alistair King. I was very fortunate to spend the first two weeks in March with our dear friends Barry and Jackie Frey in the city of Dubai in the U.A.E. We saw some amazing things there and it changed a lot of preconceptions I had regarding the Middle East. When one travels to new places there is always something that comes out in the music. On the Sunday before we went into studio I was alone at home, playing guitar, jamming bits and pieces when I came upon a new song "The Haunting", out of the blue, less than half an hour later it was alive, words and all. I am very excited about this song as it really seemed to arrive by itself. Highway 13: No mystery here, the song tells a story that has been told many times before. The character looks back upon his life and realises that the road has become his home. But he resigns himself to this without remorse, even offering advice to fellow journeymen. The chorus part: "If I am the river..." just arrived by itself, I have no idea what the deeper meaning is. The Haunting: A Haunted house, a murder, retribution, lost souls that cannot cross to the other side. Lighthearted stuff. Stay at the Wheel: A variation of the "crossroads" legend. The character wants to change the previous arrangement: "I come here to make a new deal, the wind says no..." Out on highway 13 he is told by the wind that his fate would be to "stay at the wheel"... Rear view Mirror: Social commentary in the verses i.e. no passport needed ... the brevity of life ... environmental issues ... the cycle of life ... The driver keeps looking back, memories haunt him but he cannot stop ... searching for someone or something that he might never find ... the recurring line "one day at a time" is for everyone who has been there... Eden's Lost: Probably qualifies as a protest song. All about the demise of Mother Earth at the hands of the Giant Corporation... Jozi Town: The plight of refugees in the place of gold, in this case the tale of two brothers Virtue and Honest (honesty is a virtue) from Zimbabwe who cannot resist the call of Johannesburg, as so many from different countries do. Some get lucky but for others it's a nightmare, sometimes with tragic consequences. Don't let your love fade away: Another song that arrived by itself early one morning. I was fooling around with the idea of an "island" rhythm. The character is working class, plays in a travelling band and is very naïve and optimistic. This song is old now: This story is old, but it must be passed on to a younger generation. Proverbs and morality checks. Very old school. Mr Midnight: Fooling around with drum tracks and an electric guitar. The boogie just happened but it was never going to be another fast 12 bar, so the keychange from E min to Amaj takes us somewhere else and before it goes pop guitar solos bring it back. Pharaoh's Blues: The Devil's House is the casino... Madame Rosa is another well known figure in folklore. The Pharaoh is who we think he is, or rather they are who we think they are. Broken Promises: A tune based around the "clawhammer" guitar-picking style. The bass alternates every beat (thumb) and the three fingers play a 2/3, 4/2/3 pattern. I hoped that it would turn out as a country song. The ingredients are there, lost love, loneliness, bad luck. Much respect and thanks to Johnny Cash for the beautiful music over the years. Nog Op Die Langpad 
"Jy moet ook swaarkry op die pad, anders sal jy nooit die skatte ontdek wat anderkant die middernag lê en wag nie ..." alone on the road we stop for a while in the middle of the night no use in counting miles anymore I know the score all the dreams I had were sold on a highway and the promises I could not keep I come here to make a new deal the wind says no I have to blow you must stay at the wheel © Jack Hammer – "Stay at the wheel" uit: Highway 13 (2008) Jack Hammer is terug met mening – maar eintlik was hy nooit regtig weg nie. Hy ry nog heeltyd op die swart langpad met 'n vol tenk, donkerbril en verslete jannas – en bring vir jou 'n nuwe en donkerder album, getiteld Highway 13. Almal is daar – Piet Botha op stemme, kitare, orrel, klavier en mondfluitjie, dan ook die jong Johnathan Martin op stemme, voorkitaar en tjello, Tertius du Plessis agter die groot diksnaar, en die enigmatiese Paul van de Waal op tromme. Daar word deur die nag gery en spookstories vertel, die langpad word jou tuiste, en jy kom sommer vinnig agter dat Jack Hammer omgekrap is oor sosiale ongeregtighede, die aarde se agteruitgang weens die mens se vooruitgang en nuwe drome wat wegwaai in die wind. Highway 13 is 'n verpligte aankoop vir diegene wat verkies om flou melodieë en vrot lirieke te vermy.
Man, ek is seker daar sal weer 'n Afrikaanse album kom - ek weet nie wanneer nie, die tyd is nie reg nie. Almal kan sien die Afrikaanse musiekbedryf word deur 'n ander tipe energie beheer. Daar is geen plek vir ernstige musiek en behoorlike musikale reise nie. Dis op die oomblik soos 'n Ettienne Le Roux-roman - die surrealisme en die narsissisme vier hoogty. Maar die wiel sal weer draai en daar sal weer 'n oplewing van dieper kuns geskied. Ek weet net nie wanneer nie. Ek’t eintlik gehoop die "plastiektyd" sou nou al oorgewaai het.
Tans is die jaarlikse Strab-fees sekerlik die hoogtepunt in my lewe. Ons het so baie daar gekry in Mosambiek, baie energie en tunes, veral op The Pilgrim. Op die nuwe album is daar ook van daardie wysies en kleure en goeters. "Pharoah's Blues" gaan ook oor die vermaaklikheidswêreld en die valsheid wat jy daar aantref. Ja, Mosambiek is vir my so vol hartseer en vreugde en onskuld en ek weet nie hoekom nie ... Man, as mens eers musiek begin fabriseer om by die hedendaagse radioformaat in te pas, is jy gedoem as kunstenaar. Dit was maar altyd vir ons moeilik om behoorlike lugtyd in SA te kry, met tye het ons goeie lugtyd gehad op Radio 2000, maar almal weet wat nou daar gebeur het! Deur die jare was daar oplewings wat radio betref, maar dis nou seker donkerder as ooit vir regte musiek, ek bedoel goeie oorspronklike soul musiek, van watter genre ook al. Dis baie hartseer wat in ons land gebeur het met radio, maar omtrent dieselfde as in Amerika net 'n paar jaar later ... alles word net so verskriklik kommersieel, dis obseen. Net soos die groot platemaatskappye van weleer wat nou 'n stadige maar gewisse dood sterf, sal hierdie tyd van plastiekradio ook verbygaan en die internet sal nuwe dinge teweeg bring, nuwe maniere om musiek te versprei, baie goedkoper as die ou model, meer oop en eerlik, op 'n gelyke speelvlak.
Dis in jou herinneringe, dis jou lewenspad met al sy kinkels en verkeerde afdraaie, sonskyn en donkerte. Dis ook die plek waarheen jy op pad is , die volgende gig, Gert Vlok Nel se straatadres, dis ook die pad na die maan , jou verbeelding en miskien selfs die "expanding universe"? Dit het heel onbewustelik gebeur, maar miskien is dit 'n tipe sein ... baie mense se drome word verwoes in die vermaaklikheidsbedryf. Baie jong kunstenaars met integriteit kry nooit behoorlike kanse nie en dié wat deurdruk is 'n handjievol, dié wat nie uitverkoop nie. Plastiekmakers sal nooit die "road" se misterie en voedingsbron ervaar nie. Vir hulle is dit net: afstand x tyd x geldpondtien = sukses, of so 'n sinnelose formule. Jy moet ook swaarkry op die pad, anders sal jy nooit die skatte ontdek wat anderkant die middernag lê en wag nie ...
Ek is so 'n titel nie waardig nie, maar dit het al vantevore gebeur - dinge wat in liedjies beskryf word, gebeur dan heelwat later, maar dis miskien meer 'n intensivering van 'n fenomeen? Die vlugtelingkwessie kom nou al 'n lang pad, dit het bloot nou ontplof. Met G8 op The Pilgrim - wel, daar het dié goed ook gebeur ... op ... "Pharoah’s Blues" is ook sulke goed. Ek weet nie, dis soms vir my ook vreemd. Ek wag nog om te sien waaroor "The Haunting" nou eintlik gaan. Highway 13 word op 30 Mei by die Strab-rockfees in Ponta Malongane, Mosambiek, bekendgestel en sal kort daarna op die rakke in musiekwinkels beskikbaar wees.
Project Highway 13 April 2008 
See photo shoot for Highway 13 album cover at Visual Skills School Jack Hammer .... new year, new tunes February 2008 Piet Botha and Jack Hammer will be recording a new album, "Highway 13", in March and April 2008. There is a specific thread that runs through the whole album, as suggested by the title track. Most of the new songs will be heard live when Piet Botha and his longtime associate Johnathan Martin tour the Cape on a hectic ten days, 9 gigs excursion in mid February. Piet said: "We want to really play the new material into shape before April, as we would like to actually launch in Mozambique at the Strab Festival, end of May". (www.strab.co.za). The new album has been a while coming. "After 'Pilgrim' it was time to let the sound and style of the band regenerate by itself and sometimes this takes a bit of time because it's not a tangible thing that you can manipulate", Botha tried to explain, "hopefully we have achieved that by going against the mainstream, as per usual, but the deeper you go the more soul you will find." Some of the new titles are "Rearview mirror", "Highway 13", "This song is old now", "Stay at the wheel", "Mr Midnite", "Jozi Town" and "The Devil's House". Old favourites will be available in their extended repertoire for the Cape Tour. |
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