The Jam's Bruce Foxton
| May, 2008
Punishing a set of red-hot vacuum tubes with his maple-neck Fender Precision, Bruce Foxton is clearly not a man who’s willing to negotiate any kind of surrender. From his first days with British mod-punk rockers the Jam through his years with Stiff Little Fingers, Foxton has been on punk rock’s front lines since ’77, and he shows no signs of slowing. Foxton is currently touring with From The Jam, which reunites him with Jam drummer Rick Buckler to revisit classics like “In the City” and “Down in the Tube Station at Midnight.” Featuring Foxton’s furious pick work, bold riffs, slides, harmonics, and bends, the songs showcase his powerful and melodic bass style—and capture the same fire and desperation they always have.
What is it like playing the Jam’s songs again?
It’s fantastic to play with Rick again; I have that renewed energy, vigor, and passion for the songs. I just want to play, and it is great that the demand for the songs is still there.
What do you think makes a great bass line?
I try as much as possible to fit the bass around the lyrics. There’s always the danger of a bass line getting so busy it detracts from the song. That’s what we got right in the Jam—the bass complements the lyrics and melody. It’s the meat and the potatoes that holds a song together. You get a great drum and bass track happening, and everything else sits on top naturally.
You switched to bass after starting out on guitar. How did that affect your playing approach?
I was a busy rhythm guitar player, and I think that transferred to my bass playing. I suppose I’m quite busy and melodic—I like to think so, anyway!
Did the punk sensibility influence your playing?
We were part of the punk movement, but the Jam went beyond it. We were once called the black sheep of the New Wave because the [Sex] Pistols were wearing bondage trousers and safety pins and we were wearing suits. But we had the same musical ideals of just getting up onstage with three chords.
In the Jam, you switched from playing Rickenbacker to Fender basses.
Yeah, the Rick 4001—I loved it initially because of the look, but also because the neck was quite narrow, since I have small hands. But by our third album, we were experimenting with sounds, and I decided to try a Fender Precision. It gave me more bottom end—more balls. I still use the Fender, and I’ve been playing a Waterstone Brighton ’64. It has a boomy sound that suits certain songs.
How did you transition your bass style to your years with Stiff Little Fingers?
I played with the Fingers for 15 years. The songs worked, but I found it a bit boring from the bass point of view. I get more out of playing bass with From The Jam. Right now we are really just enjoying playing those great songs again.
Can Be Heard On
The Jam, The Jam at the BBC [Universal International, 2002]
Stiff Little Fingers, Fly the Flags [Castle, 1994]
CURRENTLY SPINNING
Foo Fighters, Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace [RCA, 2007]
GEAR
Basses Fender American Vintage ’57 Precision Bass; Waterstone Brighton ’64, RSG, and Lulu basses; Rotosound strings
Rig Marshall VBA400 bass head (UK tours); Ampeg SVT-2PRO (US tour); Ampeg 8x10 cabinets
