All For One
Release date April 20th, 1991
| Vocals: | Bass: | Guitar: | Guitar: | Drums: |
| Dave Gleeson | Paul Woseen | Grant Walmsley | Richard Lara | Brad Heaney |
The Screaming Jets masterful debut record, released in April, 1991. Debuted at number 3 in national charts.
Charted as high as number 2 on the album charts but was kept out of top place by the Eurythmics Greatest hits album. Produced by Steve James, son of legendary comedian Sid James at Paradise Studios in Sydney. Recorded in only 18 days, recording during the day and continuing to gig hard during the nights.
“All For One” got tantalisingly close to Number One on the charts, and is still continuing to sell well. The album has reached double platinum status along the way.
Grant writes:
Wow . It’s a real struggle remembering back that far but I’ll do my best. Straight out of Newcastle, loads of money( we were all on the dole just prior to this period),young ,cocky, living our wildest dream and totally happy with playing gigs and recording our debut album at the same time (things are much different now).Having a constant supply of drugs and booze, and being a mere 20 years old, life was one hell of a good time, even if we were working day and night and sharing a two bedroom shithole. I don’t remember much detail of the recording process. Things I do remember are, doing the solo for FRC first take and Steve James(producer)walking in and going “brilliant” as only Steve can do ,and not allowing me to have another go at it. I also remember lots of porn hanging on every wall. Literally tits everywhere you looked. I guess boys will be boys, and Newcastle lads at that. The studio was “Paradise” and located directly underneath our label, ‘Rooart’s offices. It was right next to William Street in the Cross area and much too accessible to our devo associates and friends. I mean we didn’t need any encouragement to run a muck as it was. Perhaps that’s the reason why we did the next album on a farm 40 km’s from anywhere. We then moved to” Rhino “, an amazing studio in Paddo owned at the time by INXS, to mix the album and do whatever overdubs were necessary. I think it cost us $ 3,000 a day but what a fuckin studio. You really felt like a bigwig working there. We did the Fat Rich Cunts group chant here. We had our mates, the Baby Animals yelling ,with Suze definately not holding back (a good Perth girl that one) as well as Lemo, an old mate from Newy who had a band called The Groove ,and Mark Gable (I think)from the Choirboys. A very enjoyable time. The C word was being screamed right through the joint. Being our first experience with a real producer and real professionals at our beck and call, we pretty much recorded our bits, took direction and didn’t get too involved in the details of making a record. So we did what any young rock star would do .Got smashed from dusk till dawn and hung out in the studio.
Dave writes:
This was definitely the most out of it we have ever been in the studio.
An ounce of filthy hydro every couple of days. At least one bottle of Jack everyday, as well as a bottle of Stoli.
Steve James and Dave Price were so mega to work with because they loved the songs, they loved us guys and we all loved getting loaded. It was a consumation benchmark. However, every time we’ve been in the studio since, we try very hard NOT to achieve it again.
C’MON
Written by Dave Gleeson / Richard Lara
Dave writes:
NO POINT
Written by Paul Woseen
Paul writes:
The band that I was in prior to the Jets did a couple of reunion gigs in 89 or 90. We met in a local pub for a drink. Whilst there, my dog wandered off back to a friends house where we had been before going to the pub – he’d been given a lamb bone there and decided to go back for it. I went off to find my dog and when we both returned, they had decided to put the band back together (without asking my permission) but had no desire to either tour outside of Newcastle or write/record original material.
I saw no point to that at all.
BETTER
Written by Grant Walmsley
(released as a single 10th March, 1991. Gold selling single)
Grant writes:
“Better” was our biggest single (2nd single released after C’Mon) I wrote this song in 10 minutes on the front verandah of my parents house whilst sun worshipping. I have been given the gift from God of being a channel for writing songs (for which I am very grateful). Better was written in 1989 when I was 19 or 20, and inspired by a dear friend of mine who has two boys that I have seen grow from nappies to apprenticeships. He came to our house one day after getting into a lot of trouble. He is one of the greatest human beings alive and a truly great (single) dad. The events which landed him in trouble were extremely uncharacteristic of him and as the song goes he “still didn’t know what happened when you knocked upon my door…” He was ridiculed by those who didn’t know the true story hence “they said you’d never get anywhere, they don’t care and its just not fair, but you know and I know better” Better was one of the first songs the Jets ever rehearsed along with Shine On. From the first time we played Better live we had people saying “great song”. When we moved to Kings Cross the following year I recall people like Bob Spencer (Angels), Harry Vanda (Easybeats), Steve James (producer) and a host of record company executives (Michael Gudinski, Chris Murphy for example) telling us it would be a hit. The band knew before this that we had something special and it reached no.2 on the charts when finally released (we couldn’t knock off Ratcats “That ain’t bad” from no. 1, much to our disgust.)
We made our first video for this, a massive $100,000.00 budget epic. Not a bad debut on the video set. Ralph Zimen was the director who also did the clips for ‘Shivers’, ‘England’, ‘Think’, ‘Here I Go’ and ‘Helping Hand’. Ralph became a great friend and is an amazing talent. He also did the clips for Faith No Mores’ “Epic” and “From out of Nowhere” also Ozzy’s “No more tears” and Maidens “Hell is from Here to Eternity”.
Better launched us onto the world stage where we toured the globe for the next 3 years (taking a major toll on 2 members and a manager) More on that later.
Better also enjoyed significant airplay on Europe’s MTV and US MTV. At this time the Jets played the Concrete Foundation in LA along with Soundgarden and Ozzy (plus many more) and RIP Magazine party at the Hollywood Paladium with Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Spinal Tap (we actually shared a dressing room with Nigel and the boys) Guns and Roses did the same gig the year before so it was a very prestigious event. One other noteworthy thing at this gig was that Pearl Jam were supposed to go on before us (support us). It was their first LA show and when the promoter asked us if we wouldn’t mind opening the show instead as he knew them from Mother Love Bone, we had no problem. Pearl Jam went on after us and months later released “Alive”, and as they say… the rest is history.
NEEDLE
Written by Paul Woseen
Paul writes:
This is a song of regret – not for the life that was, but for the stupidity that caused it to end. My friend Martin died from a heroin overdose while I was attempting CPR on him while waiting for an ambulance. It wasn’t just the drugs that killed him but the negligence of the dealer in not informing him that the new deal was triple the strength of what Martin had scored the day before. I found the dealer later that day and showed him the error of his mistake. His career choice killed him two years later (justice is sometimes a little slow in coming). It isn’t an “anti drugs crusade” song – I don’t believe in preaching. It’s more about understanding that a lot of addicts are good people trapped in a fucked situation.
SHINE ON
Written by Paul Woseen
(released as a single August 1991)
Paul writes:`
This was written on the train from Newcastle to Sydney on my way to a Mourners rehersal (a band that I had been in before the Jets). At this time I knew that I had to leave Newcastle in order to see what (if anything) I could achieve – both musically and personally. This was one of the first songs that I wrote that wasn’t total crap.
STARTING OUT
Written by Grant Walmsley
Grant writes:
This is about the start of a relationship. All fun and games at the start, but it is after the novelty wears off that the relationship really begins or perishes.
STOP THE WORLD
Written by Dave Gleeson / Paul Woseen
(released as a single June 1991)
Dave writes:
BLUE SASHES
Written by Greg Bryce / Grant Walmsley
Grant writes:
A true Vietnam war story about a Sergeant of a platoon getting dusted off and surviving members wearing a Blue Sash as a mark of respect for a fallen comrade.
SISTER TEASE
Written by Paul Woseen / Lennox
Paul writes:
This is just a stupid song made up using adolescent innuendo
– I should have called it “Fucking Crap”.
F.R.C.
Written by Gleeson / Walmsley / Woseen
Grant writes:
Speaks for itself…. the rich get richer the poor get the picture. We were very young working class boys with a huge chip on our shoulder regarding the Alan Bond’s, Russ Hinze, Christopher Skase’s of the world. Actually won the UK Kerrang Magazine “Credibility of the year ” award in 1991 for this song. Was released in the US as a limited edition. Good luck finding a copy. I got mine.
Dave writes:
GOT IT
Written by Paul Woseen
Paul writes:
The Jets were playing at a club that’s long since shutdown in Newcastle called “Jokers” when I came up with this one in a break between sets. It’s basically an observation of the club scene – the facades that people use and the games played – especially in that kind of situation. You don’t always get what you expect when you take off the wrapper. The “it” in the song is about being real as opposed to being fucked up and false.
THE ONLY ONE
Written by Grant Walmsley / Dave Gleeson
Grant writes:
I don’t remember writing this one. I guess it’s about not being a whinger.
