FEATURE: Jim Jones & The Righteous Mind – Bunch Of Fives

Image by David Arnoff

Ahead of a performance at The Cluny on Friday 19th May, Jim Jones & The Righteous Mind found time to join us for a new Bunch Of Fives feature.

There are many weird and wonderful creatures hiding in the mists of Jim Jones and The Righteous Mind’s musical psyche .. Siren’s, Monsters and Gate Keepers that helped shape the sound of the band live and on the debut ‘Super Natural’ LP. 

Here are Five of the key Beasts that rule in the The Righteous Mind Swamp.

Little Richard 
It goes without saying .. the world would be a very different place without the ‘Queen of Rock n Roll’ … but it’s fair to say: the world of Jim Jones and The Righteous Mind wouldn’t exist at all. From his earliest antics of ‘depositing’ shit into small containers and outrageous drag queen performances at the Dew Drop Inn; Richard Penniman had that beautiful psychosis 
in spades … and the ability to create an unusual and wondrous spectacle. You can hear it in everything he has ever had a part of, but particularly, on the early J&M recordings: driving piano, a beautiful seductive swing, and psychotic vocals that go way beyond necessary, this music created enough genetic information to sire most of everything that counts thereafter ! The Righteous Mind always keep the main veins topped up with a daily injection of this apex DNA! 

Lee Hazlewood  
Lurking over at the suave end of the Heavy Lounge is the undisputed King of Deep Dark Country music. With sweeping string arrangements that put  your average Merchant Ivory score to shame Lee Hazlewood plumbs the depths of morbid desolation with a sly grin. He makes being lonely the coolest place to visit or stay. And all presented with a ripping deep voice that could scrape the surface off of the M25 
The dirt of the country with an exotic twist … always welcome in the Righteous Mind martini glass! 

David Bowie 
There’s not much new that hasn’t already been said about this famous former Jones … An innovator, of course, but the important part, for The Righteous Mind,is that he managed to do so without relinquishing the connection to rock n roll. He opened up the possibilities of the onward musical journey, but was able to serve you a credible cosmic landscape that still had solid grit under it’s feet. David Bowie took the blinkers off of Rock n Roll but managed to stay on the horse ! We salute you sir!

Duke Ellington 
One of the giants of Jazz and a massive influence on The Righteous Mind. We’re always at home to the Duke ! Jazz, just like country music, is a huge area that’s heavily populated by shit !  
If you’re new to the area it helps to have someone to guide you, and help you dig out the gems like Charles Mingus, Sun Ra, and The Duke. His amazing Film Noir sound has a sophisticated blend of Cuban, Latino, and African tones that go together to create swirling waves of slinky dark drama .. it’s a pleasure to be swept away!

Captain Beefheart 
Bluesy  √ tick 
Jazzy  √  tick 
psychotic  √ tick 
Exotic  √ tick 
Poetic  √ tick 
Dirty  √ tick 
With a voice that spans 7 octaves to give him the widest range in twisted rock n roll Don Van Vliet is not to be trifled with. He sets the bar on how to re-imagine traditional music forms like the blues of Howlin’ Wolf 
and present them from fresh personal stance. He exemplifies the mix of the Super with the Natural, the mud and the spirit. Beefheart’s dirty fingerprints are all over everything we aspire to. His music is more than just the blues rearranged, it is the blues ‘deranged’!