Jaguar - Biography
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1979-
Biography
Jaguar was originally formed in December 1979 by Garry Pepperd and Jeff Cox by placing an ad in an local Newspaper, The original line-up consisted later on of Garry Pepperd (guitar), Jeff Cox (bass) and Chris Lovell (drums). In the following April, Rob Reiss (Vocalist) was added to comple the full line-up. They built a local reputation and recorded two demos, the latter of which earned them a deal with Heavy Metal Records, in 1981 they released the single, "Back Street Woman", which sold over 4,000 copies.
On 22 March and 22 December 1980, Jaguar recorded six tracks 3 at the Sound Conception Studio 22 March, 1980 and at the Studio 34 in December 22nd,1980 that were released on a demo cassette in early 1981. The songs were "Stormchild" (Cox); "Ain't No Fantasy" (Pepperd); "War Machine" (Pepperd); "Battlecry" (Cox/Pepperd) "Feel The Heat" (Pepperd); and "Piledriver" (Cox/Pepperd).
In 1982, after an appearance at a show with Raven where Raven's manager and also owner of Neat Records by name Dave Wood gotten the eyes for the band, Jaguar secured a recording contract with Neat Records after he heard Jaguar and he wanted to release the subsequent single, "Axe Crazy" trough Neat. Jaguar signed the deal with Neat Records and The single sold well.
After intensive touring, Jaguar's debut album, "Power Games", was released in the summer 1983 that gotten great reviews both by the crowd and reviewers as the best album ever made by Jaguar apart from the legendary 7" Single "Axe Crazy" (1982), and the album "Power Games" (1983), met great crowds as the most hailed albums of all the albums Jaguar has ever made.
The band has also played at the very well known club The Marquee in London three times during their existence where many bands were at that time discovered and achieved recognition (bands as Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie and Pink Floyd to mention a few).
Their follow up album, "This Time", was released in 1984 by Roadrunner Records that gotten eyes for the band trough the band Motörhead' s Manager Douglas Smith that called the Guitarist Garry Pepperd of Jaguar one day and said he had the head of Roadrunner Records sittingt in front of him and he said to Garry Pepperd: "-Hello It is Dough, I am calling you because Roadrunner Records wants to sign you!". He went on explaining that Roadrunner had spotted the Demo tape of "This Time" that was lying on Douglas desk in a pile of others as Garry had sent a demo to him to find a manager to the band and on that way it went how Roadrunner spotted the demo tape of the band and asked him to call up Jaguar and the bandfounder Garry Pepperd, He wanted to sign them ASAP and offered them a deal.
The band went to London and negotiated a great deal where the record label also promised a great back up of promotion PR but as time went by nothing happened with the PR and the sales fell into obscurity. The album "This Time" (1984) released by Roadrunner, was met with some success, especially in mainland Canada. The album was marked as a change of direction for Jaguar to target and meet an larger crowd of metalfans (A&R) . However, this musical change of direction saw the sales and interest evaporate into thin air without the recordlabels business deal of a large PR furfilled. Roadrunner Records came back later to the band again and once again promised the band a new great deal but Jaguar as they was disappointed with the earlier cooperation with the labels promise the band turned the labels offer down, then they offered even more money but Jaguar still stood their grounds and they turned even that down, then they gotten offered even more money once again..Still the band held their proud and Roadrunner Records did not get any deal with Jaguar and the band back on their label again.
The band splitted up in 1985 without fulfilling their true potential, with Metallica amongst others citing them as an great influence for their music in many music magazines..
Thirteen years later in 1998 Jess Cox (former owner of Neat Records after bought the label of Dave Wood) contacted Garry Pepperd one day and wanted him to know that the album of "Power Games" was re-released which caused one day A revival of interest in the NWOBHM in Europe and Japan. A successful re-release of their first album "Power Games" in those regions sparked a new interest in the band which prompted them to reform the band again in 1999, this after Jess Cox requested them if they wanted to reform the band and the revival of the re-release of the album. The band decided then to open another chapter in the bands history and the band reformed now with a modified line-up of Garry Pepperd (guitar), Jeff Cox (bass), Nathan Cox (drums) and the new found vocalist Jamie Manton. An appearance at Wacken Open Air Festival in Germany on the 7th of August the same year made Jaguar its live entrance debut after years of silence and with such a success and succsessful show that proved that the new line up was still capable of recreating the energy of the early years of Jaguar. This attracted excellent reviews from the crowd and media and many other European festivals and shows has since then followed.
The album "Wake Me" followed in the year 2000 after that which Jeff Cox (bassist) left the band to concentrate on his family life. Jeff was then replaced by Darren Furze and a well received album of new material "Wake Me" was released by Neat Records in early 2000,
In 2001 The Album "Power Games" went on to a full worldwide release, including in the USA by Metal Blade Records. In April 2002 Jaguar released a double CD Anthology by Sanctuary Records which was again well received. The next album " Run Ragged" gotten released by Angel Air Records In July 2003.
In 2007, the band brought two releases of archived live material, the albums was released trough Majestic Rock Records. The first release was a live recording from a show the band performed in the Netherlands in 1982 "Holland 82", which originally saw a limited release. The second was the first of three planned releases covering early unreleased recordings. Entitled "Archive Alive Vol.1", it covered the period of the bands successful period, the birth of the band and their rise to NWOBHM prominence. Sleeve notes were written by the bands guitarist, Garry Pepperd, and the album cover included rare photographs.
2009 the band made a re-issue of the album "This Time" now released instead by Metal Mind Records, the album was originally released of the label Roadrunner Records.
In 2010 another album of archived material entitled "Opening The Enclosure" was given both on a vinyl and on a CD release by High Roller Records.
In the summer of 2014 the band embarked on more European shows, This time Jaguar included their first Sweden debut ever in Sweden at the well renowned Sweden Rock Festival in June 2014, Jaguar was met by a huge crowd of Jaguar fans at the 4Sound Stage where they gotten great reviews as a great live band both by the crowd and press.
In August 2014 The band was finished with recording their new material to their new album "MetalX" The album was mixed by Mike Exeter (Sound engineer of Black Sabbath/Judas Priest). The band went on and signed a record release deal with GoldenCore Records/ZYX Music, the album entitled "MetalX" was at this time self released by the band as a pre-release digital download on all online downloading sites until the physical album was out on the online recordshop trough ZYX shop chart that was released on the 7 November, 2014. "MetalX" was their first new Album since the release of their album "Run Ragged" (2003). The album was well received by the crowd and gotten great reviews 9/10 and 85/100 as their latest release. At the same time in August the band parted their company with the long time standing vocalist Jamie Manton and Jaguar started now to look for an new Vocalist trough auditioning.
Source: http://www.jaguarnwobhm.com/band-biography/
On 22 March and 22 December 1980, Jaguar recorded six tracks 3 at the Sound Conception Studio 22 March, 1980 and at the Studio 34 in December 22nd,1980 that were released on a demo cassette in early 1981. The songs were "Stormchild" (Cox); "Ain't No Fantasy" (Pepperd); "War Machine" (Pepperd); "Battlecry" (Cox/Pepperd) "Feel The Heat" (Pepperd); and "Piledriver" (Cox/Pepperd).
In 1982, after an appearance at a show with Raven where Raven's manager and also owner of Neat Records by name Dave Wood gotten the eyes for the band, Jaguar secured a recording contract with Neat Records after he heard Jaguar and he wanted to release the subsequent single, "Axe Crazy" trough Neat. Jaguar signed the deal with Neat Records and The single sold well.
After intensive touring, Jaguar's debut album, "Power Games", was released in the summer 1983 that gotten great reviews both by the crowd and reviewers as the best album ever made by Jaguar apart from the legendary 7" Single "Axe Crazy" (1982), and the album "Power Games" (1983), met great crowds as the most hailed albums of all the albums Jaguar has ever made.
The band has also played at the very well known club The Marquee in London three times during their existence where many bands were at that time discovered and achieved recognition (bands as Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie and Pink Floyd to mention a few).
Their follow up album, "This Time", was released in 1984 by Roadrunner Records that gotten eyes for the band trough the band Motörhead' s Manager Douglas Smith that called the Guitarist Garry Pepperd of Jaguar one day and said he had the head of Roadrunner Records sittingt in front of him and he said to Garry Pepperd: "-Hello It is Dough, I am calling you because Roadrunner Records wants to sign you!". He went on explaining that Roadrunner had spotted the Demo tape of "This Time" that was lying on Douglas desk in a pile of others as Garry had sent a demo to him to find a manager to the band and on that way it went how Roadrunner spotted the demo tape of the band and asked him to call up Jaguar and the bandfounder Garry Pepperd, He wanted to sign them ASAP and offered them a deal.
The band went to London and negotiated a great deal where the record label also promised a great back up of promotion PR but as time went by nothing happened with the PR and the sales fell into obscurity. The album "This Time" (1984) released by Roadrunner, was met with some success, especially in mainland Canada. The album was marked as a change of direction for Jaguar to target and meet an larger crowd of metalfans (A&R) . However, this musical change of direction saw the sales and interest evaporate into thin air without the recordlabels business deal of a large PR furfilled. Roadrunner Records came back later to the band again and once again promised the band a new great deal but Jaguar as they was disappointed with the earlier cooperation with the labels promise the band turned the labels offer down, then they offered even more money but Jaguar still stood their grounds and they turned even that down, then they gotten offered even more money once again..Still the band held their proud and Roadrunner Records did not get any deal with Jaguar and the band back on their label again.
The band splitted up in 1985 without fulfilling their true potential, with Metallica amongst others citing them as an great influence for their music in many music magazines..
Thirteen years later in 1998 Jess Cox (former owner of Neat Records after bought the label of Dave Wood) contacted Garry Pepperd one day and wanted him to know that the album of "Power Games" was re-released which caused one day A revival of interest in the NWOBHM in Europe and Japan. A successful re-release of their first album "Power Games" in those regions sparked a new interest in the band which prompted them to reform the band again in 1999, this after Jess Cox requested them if they wanted to reform the band and the revival of the re-release of the album. The band decided then to open another chapter in the bands history and the band reformed now with a modified line-up of Garry Pepperd (guitar), Jeff Cox (bass), Nathan Cox (drums) and the new found vocalist Jamie Manton. An appearance at Wacken Open Air Festival in Germany on the 7th of August the same year made Jaguar its live entrance debut after years of silence and with such a success and succsessful show that proved that the new line up was still capable of recreating the energy of the early years of Jaguar. This attracted excellent reviews from the crowd and media and many other European festivals and shows has since then followed.
The album "Wake Me" followed in the year 2000 after that which Jeff Cox (bassist) left the band to concentrate on his family life. Jeff was then replaced by Darren Furze and a well received album of new material "Wake Me" was released by Neat Records in early 2000,
In 2001 The Album "Power Games" went on to a full worldwide release, including in the USA by Metal Blade Records. In April 2002 Jaguar released a double CD Anthology by Sanctuary Records which was again well received. The next album " Run Ragged" gotten released by Angel Air Records In July 2003.
In 2007, the band brought two releases of archived live material, the albums was released trough Majestic Rock Records. The first release was a live recording from a show the band performed in the Netherlands in 1982 "Holland 82", which originally saw a limited release. The second was the first of three planned releases covering early unreleased recordings. Entitled "Archive Alive Vol.1", it covered the period of the bands successful period, the birth of the band and their rise to NWOBHM prominence. Sleeve notes were written by the bands guitarist, Garry Pepperd, and the album cover included rare photographs.
2009 the band made a re-issue of the album "This Time" now released instead by Metal Mind Records, the album was originally released of the label Roadrunner Records.
In 2010 another album of archived material entitled "Opening The Enclosure" was given both on a vinyl and on a CD release by High Roller Records.
In the summer of 2014 the band embarked on more European shows, This time Jaguar included their first Sweden debut ever in Sweden at the well renowned Sweden Rock Festival in June 2014, Jaguar was met by a huge crowd of Jaguar fans at the 4Sound Stage where they gotten great reviews as a great live band both by the crowd and press.
In August 2014 The band was finished with recording their new material to their new album "MetalX" The album was mixed by Mike Exeter (Sound engineer of Black Sabbath/Judas Priest). The band went on and signed a record release deal with GoldenCore Records/ZYX Music, the album entitled "MetalX" was at this time self released by the band as a pre-release digital download on all online downloading sites until the physical album was out on the online recordshop trough ZYX shop chart that was released on the 7 November, 2014. "MetalX" was their first new Album since the release of their album "Run Ragged" (2003). The album was well received by the crowd and gotten great reviews 9/10 and 85/100 as their latest release. At the same time in August the band parted their company with the long time standing vocalist Jamie Manton and Jaguar started now to look for an new Vocalist trough auditioning.
Source: http://www.jaguarnwobhm.com/band-biography/
