And so, the KLF formed. To avoid going over too much of an old story, the legend goes that they joined forces over the telephone on 1st January 1987 (Drummond having originally met Jimmy Cauty when working with Brilliant during their PWL days on WEA). Hiding (very slightly) behind the pseudonyms of King Boy D and Rockman Rock, they became the Justified Ancients of Mu Mu (a band name lifted from Robert Anton Wilson and Robert Shea's "Illuminatus!" trilogy - a work Drummond had helped bring to life on stage as a scenery painter for Ken Campbell's Science Fiction Theatre back in Liverpool in 1978).

Their first single, the AIDs-referencing, Beatles and Samanatha Fox-sampling "All You Need is Love", came out a limited edition promo in March 1987. A new version (with samples now officially cleared) was reissued in April, just before the release of the JAMMs debut album - the legendary "1987 What The Fuck is Going On?" Initially, Drummond and Cauty approached Creation Records to put out their work, but Alan McGee refused, believing them to be deliberately going out to get themselves arrested over copyright violations - so, they set up their own label ("The Sound of Mu(sic)") and put out the single as a 12" and 7", and the album on both LP and cassette.

The record became a quick cult hit, and the JAMMs followed it up that summer with the (legitimately) "I Wanna Dance With Somebody"-sampling "Whitney Joins the JAMs". By now, their record label had changed its name to "Kopyright Liberation Front Records", and the band themselves appeared (for the first time) as the KLF. They would not return to the name for another eighteen months, as legal complications over the "1987" album, and its wholesale sampling of Abba, rapidly overtook them. Forced to legally delete the album, the JAMMs began to get more music press coverage as they travelled to Sweden (allegedly to meet with Abba or their music lawyers) and carried out the first of many media-friendly pranks by setting fire to some copies of the album, and dumping others over the side of the ferry. Later that autumn a 12" called "1987 - The Edits" was released, featuring the entire album without any samples. Sleeve notes on the back helped the listener to fill in the long silences and re-make the album in their own home.

The JAMMs next single, following on from the dancefloor filler of "Whitney", again used a legal sample, this time of Petula Clark. "Downtown" also featured the Brixton Community Choir and some timely reflections by King Boy D on the meaning of Christmas. This single, arguably their least "pranky" to date, was rapidly followed by their fourth, a reworking of Sly and the Family Stone's "Dance to the Music" called "Burn the Bastards" (a reference to the LP-burning escapade to Sweden, and a Drummond rap look back on their first, hectic year in music). A special export version, called "Burn the Beat", was also issued in Europe and the States, released for the second time under the name of the KLF.

Entering 1988, the Justified Ancients of Mu Mu began to mellow. Their work with Disco 2000 (Jimmy's wife Cressida's bands, described as a "punk Bananarama") over two EPs had brought them much praise as dance music producers, and their second album ("Who Killed the JAMs?", proudly emblazoned with a photo of them burning copies of "1987" in a Swedish field on the cover) took them into quieter, more reserved territory. In fact, on some of the tracks there is not much difference between them and the quieter tracks on the KLF's 1991 megahit album "The White Room".

After the release of their second LP (JAMSLP2), the JAMMs announced that they were retiring - at least as "the JAMMs". For according to form, rather than dissappearing from a view, Bill and Jimmy in fact returned to their studio in Dagenham - with a plan to record a number one hit single ...

"You can't put a Glitter Beat Over a Dance Record" (famous last words)

The uploads this time come from a 1998 bootleg CD which featured both of the JAMMs first two albums - "1987 - What The Fuck is Going On?" (JAMSLP1) and "Who Killed the JAMs?" (JAMSLP2). They are lower quality bitrate than normal, but both are quite rare now (especially JAMSLP2).

null

The cover of "1987"

null

The back cover of "Who Killed the JAMs", showing many copies of its predecessor ablaze on a Scandanavian bonfire.

Links: http://www.protectlinks.com/95310

p/w: inverarity

Tracks

"1987 - What The Fuck is Going On?" (JAMSLP1) May 1987

(1) Hey Hey We Are Not The Monkee
(2) Don't Take Five (Take What You Want)
(3) Rockman Rock (Parts 2 and 3)
(4) Me Ru Con
(5) The Queen And I
(6) All You Need Is Love (106 bpm)
(7) Next

"Who Killed the JAMs?" (JAMSP2) February 1988

(1) The Candystore
(2) The Candyman
(3) Disaster Fund Collection
(4) King Boy's Dream
(5) The Porpoise Song
(6) Prestwich Prophet's Grin
(7) Burn The Bastards