Toughest Guy in Rock -JJ Burnel

[@giorgiocurcetti4001]

The Stranglers are amongst the most original bands Britain ever produced. They are up there with the Beatles, the Kinks, et all. And Jean-Jacques, he inspired more kids to pick up a bass (moi included) than it can be counted....

[@Rockstardust69]

Well said Giorgio one of the greatest unique innovative bands to come out of the UK without question cheers

[@Unfunny_Username_389]

Saw him wade out into various big crowds - leapt off the stage, elbowed through the crush, which parted like the Red Sea, and proceeded to sort a spitting heckler out, no problem.

[@Rockstardust69]

All in a days work for JJ thx for sharing

[@TheGrossy2]

He kicked me in the face in 1979.

[@jackhargreaves1911]

Jet Black was the tough guy in the band, which is typical of many ice-cream van owner/drivers…

[@davidfoster9339]

Brilliant

[@marcuskingstanley9522]

​@@davidfoster9339 have you heard of " ice cream wars" in glasgow?

[@andchat6241]

@@marcuskingstanley9522 excuse me for cutting in - but I know about 'ice cream turf wars' - but I don't think Ice Cream leads to shootings, but access to more money does . Locally we had an ice cream van man that would deliver or be a location for rocked up cocaine sales, when not serving the kids at dinner time or after schools out .

[@choogle100]

In Aberdeen, on the Feline tour in the 80s, some punter made the mistake of getting onstage and dancing beside Burnel during No More Heroes. I remember the bass coming off, a violent commotion moving to offstage, and no more dancing punter. Nobody else clambered onstage after that...

[@Rockstardust69]

Great memory thanks for sharing

[@paulnesbitt1698]

I met j.j on 2 occasions when the stranglers played H.M.V in Birmingham some years back , and he came across as a good guy. He signed some of my stranglers stuff with no bother atall. I've met all stranglers past and present and every single one of them could not of been more respectful. They would certainly not of been people to cross though. I first seen the stranglers back in around 79 and the last time was 2022. They are without doubt the best live band I've ever seen . Long may they continue, because sadly one day their will be no more stranglers.....maybe then people will appreciate how brilliant they really were.

[@Rockstardust69]

That's awesome Paul thanks for sharing your memories so good yeah so under the radar the genius will shine thru from the men in black

[@boum62]

Great live band.

[@sarahcrees]

I sort of agree , However Baz has taken the piss out of from the stage. He picked me out in a crowd lol. It was good natured but he likes having a bit of a laugh. JJ is a bit of a softie really.

[@sarahcrees]

Saying this though I was at a Stranglers gig in 1981 and someone from the crowd stupidely shouted out JJ you're a w***ker. JJ dropped his bass and jumprd off the stage after him.

[@westindiman]

Did you see them in that gig at Birmingham Odean in the 80s when things went wrong in a couple of songs and they stopped playting and pointed at each other?

[@mjh5437]

In the 80s I used to see him around Notting Hill riding areally beautiful motorbike,the Triumph Hurricane

[@Rockstardust69]

Very cool !

[@zacetto]

J.J. owned a Triumph Hurricane too?!?!?? Was it orange? One of the motorcycles I own too, is a Triumph T140, influenced quite heavily by the photo of him on one. I wonder if J.J. was going to Hamrax classic motorcycle spares in Ladbroke Grove?

[@stationers]

The Stranglers made a lot of enemies. They get nowhere near the recognition they are owed. The fact that they are not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a Badge of Honour. I imagine they would tell them to shove it.

[@Rockstardust69]

Totally agree I can't stand the RnR hall of fame it's a joke.

[@michaelvincent8306]

Having a really loyal fan base your right they would tell them to shove it but probably not that politely?

[@sidsuspicious]

What is this Rock 'n' roll Hall of Shame anyway? Why do some people talk about it in hushed, hallowed tones? It's a promotional racket, a self-serving business with only one aim... Make money. It suddenly appeared one day & people talked as if it had always been, always existed like some indelible mark of quality... It's music business PR gone up its own ass. You want awards & medals? Sport will sort you out, leave art out of this useless nonsense. That's my take on it, loved what the Pistols told them to do.

[@hughzapretti-boyden9187]

What enemies?

[@Eleventhearlofmars]

It’s only for people who would be willing to pay ten grand per table for guests and book a hundred tables minimum. Like Madonna.

[@bobparker8294]

I heard JJ interviewed on US public radio a couple of years ago, and he talked about how worried he had been a few nights earlier because his teenage son was out at night with the car for the first time ever. It was so outside the image many have of him--concerend parent. Just another person like the rest of us, trying to get through life as best he can and take care of the people he loves. Damn good bass player too!

[@Rockstardust69]

Thanks for sharing Bob

[@MrWrightcaroline]

That was the inspiration for the song The lines on my face.

[@tenerifereddog3943]

Great video. I'm a Stranglers fan since 1977 and I've had the privilege of meeting JJ on a couple of occasions. Very down to earth guy. At one concert he took my son from the crowd and got him a chair and he watched fron the side of the stage. One small error JJ is 72 born 21st of February 1952. Great video. I've subscibed.

[@Rockstardust69]

Hey that's awesome that you met JJ and how he looked after your son. Thx for subscribing and correction on dob more to come on the strangers.

[@Stranglerxx77]

He was very polite and softly spoken but…….

[@tvmediathebiggestweaponuse1671]

Glasgow Apollo 1980, Stranglers were coming near the climax to Genetics when a fan jumped from one of the side boxes looking onto the stage, he managed to catch hold of a side stage curtain before sliding down onto the stage and then ran towards JJ just before the bit where the bass and keyboards (it's the best I can do, lol) DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DAAAAAAAAAAAH!, DA DA DA DA DA DA DA DAAAAAAAAAH! Big JJ spun round with a spinning back kick right onto the guy's chest and he flew off the high Apollo stage into the crowd, JJ never broke stride and proceeded to mimic shooting him with his fender bass, absolute epic moment.

[@Rockstardust69]

That's a Phenomenal moment you captured awesome thanks for sharing

[@markcourtney2205]

He is the best bass player and I love his bass sound.Had a chat to him a few years ago and he seems like a really nice top guy.

[@Rockstardust69]

Very cool you met him great bass player for sure and does appear like a nice guy with a handy set of skills

[@stephielulu9096]

JJ's 72 and still a beast 🥰

[@Rockstardust69]

Hey Stephie you are correct I'll try and fix that absolute role model for staying fit as you get older thanks for your comment

[@crisnboots]

I melt with that growling overdrive bass. and his phrasing is almost operatic, scary. OOOOH.

[@crisnboots]

...Since childhood, Bass guitar was my best friend and refuge. When i first heard 'I'll Cry Instead' by The Beatles, I was 5 yrs. old. that Bass run-down told me Bass was the Shit. J.J.'s bass on 'The Raven' change my life. I bought all the albums. They became my Gods, Saw them at The Whiskey A-GoGo w/ rented equip. Bigger then Life.

[@Rockstardust69]

Wow thanks for sharing your history with the Stranglers that Raven bass line and track is other worldly

[@zacetto]

@@crisnboots Joe Cocker does a blistering version of this song which has slap bass. It borders on rockabilly (which I love).

[@garybridge-ku7bf]

Great post, J J was wild back in the old days, he seems to be in a good place now and can be very very proud of what he's achieved.

[@howardtyler7]

I was sent to work with him as a photographer in Nice (South Of France) and met his Mum too! Lovely guy and lovely Mother too! Like most “bad boys” like Ozzy Osbourne, sweet people!!

[@Rockstardust69]

Thats very cool thanks for sharing

[@Stechamppn]

No more heros any more.... still rings true

[@Rockstardust69]

So true right now Stewart

[@zacetto]

I always liked the mystique of J.J. and to some degree, tried to emulate him. Being part French and not white, I had to put up with all sorts of sh1t growing up in 70’s Norrh West London. It was not long before I was listening to classic rock n’ roll, getting into scraps and developing an interest in vintage motorcycles. Many years later, I ended up at a University where on my course, was a mature student called Steve, who was raised in Guildford. He knew the group when they were called the Guildford Stranglers. I immediately asked him what J.J. was like as a person, to which he replied: “…very sure of himself, heavily into martial arts and that kind of stuff…” Steve also knew I was a biker and mentioned that his mum was once renting out a room to a person whom J.J. helped move. He distinctly remembers him turning up on a green Harley Davidson. The image of him on a black Triumph 750 Bonneville T140 motorcycle influenced me greatly and I own several vintage Triumphs to this day - including a 73’ T140 variant. As for Steve, he was also a very talented drummer and who gave him his first drum lesson? Brian John Duffy A.K.A. Jet Black!

[@Rockstardust69]

Awesome Zac what a great story thanks for sharing.

[@zacetto]

@@Rockstardust69 Thanks for the excellent video.

[@Rockstardust69]

@@zacetto Appreciate that cheers

[@tankthelord1178]

Seen them in 1977 at the Market Hall in Carlisle, they came on and only played two songs before fighting with each other and stomping off the stage, us, the crowd weren't happy.

[@Stranglerxx77]

He was very polite softly spoken but…… Represents the extreme duality of the Pisces Without darkness there is no light 💀☠️☝️👀😟🪐✌️👻☝️👽👽🌙💀🍄♓️♓️☯️

[@bruceblackburn9423]

Wow, didn't know his starsign , best description of us fishes ...🐟🐟🐟

[@Stranglerxx77]

@@bruceblackburn9423 Us Pisces gotta swim together ! One of the most beautiful yet tragic star signs…. Kurt cobain Brian Jones George Harrison’s etc

[@bruceblackburn9423]

​@@Stranglerxx77 Good company there, Harrison my fav Beatle

[@nickhirst999]

@@bruceblackburn9423 No that was Brian May and he is Cancer not Pisces. Still, they're both water signs. Then there's David Gilmour and.....me!!

[@nickhirst999]

@@bruceblackburn9423 PS. 'Fire and Water' was named after its creators astrological groups ie Dave Greenfield's Aries (fire) and Burnel's Pisces (water).

[@markdoughty8780]

JJ Burnel - The Karate Kid of Rock! Interesting upload - his sound reminds me of the sound Phil Lynott used to get out of his Fender Precision bass guitar. Incidentally, he apparently got his famous, early, bass sound because, unbeknownst to him and the record producers, his bass amplifier was busted and damaged, distorting the sound through the mixing desk! Thanks for uploading.

[@Rockstardust69]

Thanks Mark the Karate King of Rock that is gold !

[@markdoughty8780]

@@Rockstardust69 He did a kind of Karate kick when playing bass the times that I saw The Stranglers live. Apparently, he was a pretty accomplished classical guitarist too, which is how he got into music in the first place - bass guitar was definitely his bag though, and that bass sound on their first three albums is both fantastic and unique. How a real bass guitar should sound.

[@B0rnles13]

He also beat up a group called Child or something like that, I read it in Strangled so it must be true.

[@Rockstardust69]

@@B0rnles13 likely to be true that mag is a good source will check it out cheers

[@MrBathcity]

@@markdoughty8780 Yes. So many bass guitarists just played the equivalent note of whichever chord the rhythm guitarist was playing. JJ elevated the bass into an exciting instrument in its own right, almost as if it was a lead guitar. I took up playing bass guitar because of JJ - suddenly, the bass was sexy!

[@michaelvincent8306]

The incident with hugh Cornwell changed their relationship for ever and Cornwell left a few years later and they don't speak a shame because they were very close

[@Rockstardust69]

Agreed Michael real shame

[@imogenimeson664]

I'm not a forgiving person either don't think I am quite as bad as Cornwall refusing to reconcile with JJ. I did read though that Hugh did consider more than once about re-joining The Stranglers on stage then backed out at last min. A shame for the die hard fans and why I don' t really care what Hugh does or says anymore.

[@Rockstardust69]

@@imogenimeson664 they sure had awesome chemistry together and agreed a real shame for the fans they couldn't resolve the rift.

[@Stranglerxx77]

No more heroes…. 👀🌙👽🪐😟✌️💀☝️🌞🌙☠️💀🍄♓️☯️

[@Cosmic-Spanner]

​@@imogenimeson664 JJ broke up the band by regularly using abusive behaviour towards Cornwall (and others, as in the video) to get his way. That's not Hugh's fault. As nice and cool as he is sober, he's a FC drunk. He caused the end of the Stranglers.

Remember him saying that he’d hit his shins with a wine bottle.

[@Rockstardust69]

True as part of karate conditioning

[@duppy4327]

JJB is 72 not 74 ( feb 52) … great piece on the Shihan

[@Rockstardust69]

Cheers yeah realize I got that wrong and Dave greenfield thx for watching

[@Paul-tk2my]

I saw them at the Birmingham Odeon back in the mid 80s. Security allowed us on stage near the end of the show and I bumped into him while he was playing. I’m pretty tall and he had to look up at me. Luckily though he didn’t react. His look was pretty fearsome though

[@Rockstardust69]

Wow great memory thx for sharing

[@merlin5476]

Also remember an interview with Captain sensible saying that they ( and many others) lived above the Hope & Anchor & would get awoken around 5.Am by JJ Burnel practising kung fu kicks on people And against the walls too.

[@Rockstardust69]

Awesome thanks for sharing

[@Rugmunchersauce3]

😂

[@VernonGoodey]

He also went on the run in Queens land after beating up some punks in the crowd in Brisbane who turned out to be the local cops! Ended up in Japan. That's what thier song WIZARD OF OZ is about

[@Rockstardust69]

That's a great story cheers

[@chelseachelseaboy]

Sorry, that's not what Nuclear Device is about...the main incident your refering to centred on a well known local character who attended the gig who took the punk rock attitude way too far considering it was 1979 not 1976-77 and ended up with a knock to the head with a guitar...hence the attention from cops who were present in the hall that JJ presumed were mates of the guy who had his head caved in as they were not wearing uniforms and decided to make it to the stage....the band managed to get out of the state before the cops caught up with them. The song actually refers to the guy who was running Queensland at that time, the forced removal of Aboriginies from land and the mining of Uranium which was eventually banned from 1982 - 2012 in Queensland. The Japanese tour had always been planned as part of the itinery after the Australian tour so that's exactly where they were due to go.

[@johnanthonyp]

That right! I remember reading the news reports at the time. He didn't only beat them up, he knocked them both out cold.

[@Rugmunchersauce3]

@User-qw7wh9irp... You obviously don't know that song as well as you pretend then cos the lyrics are pretty self-explanatory for Stranglers stuff. 😶

[@FFM0594]

You can't even get the name of the song right and your explanation of it is nonsense.

[@arnoldnicholson7409]

I remember him toughening up his shins,hitting them with a bottle

[@Rockstardust69]

Yeah that's a good video real deal

[@evilelf5967]

when i was learning the drums....one album i used to play along to (just for basic timing etc) was rattus...fast forward a few decades and a bass player i worked with (folk background) said "oh no,not that shitty sound") i said nah mate,thats how a bass should sound angry and f**k you.i play bass now and my sound is just like jj's,i just love the attack and attitude of his sound...at 58 i can still say f**k you,thanks jj and the stranglers.

[@Rockstardust69]

That's awesome great attitude

[@smitbar11]

That looks like Don Van Vliet aka Captain Beefheart in the photo on his left

[@Rockstardust69]

Hugh was a big fan of captain beefheart and there is a resemblance

[@curlyteeth3097]

Unbelievably underrated band Adjacent to the doors in America......❤

[@Rockstardust69]

Agree very underrated and doors influence for sure cheers

[@andchat6241]

@@Rockstardust69 the Doors are an obvious touch point due to Daves Keyboards . But in Cornwells biography & elsewhere it's written that he didn't really know much about the group - & its possible as there were a number of other groups in 60s UK that used keyboards/organs .

[@Rockstardust69]

@@andchat6241 Yes I read they were into Deep Purple early days

[@ulrichw.6374]

You should have used a noise limiter

[@Rockstardust69]

I like organic sounds and with Feline being an important album it's only natural but cheers for the advice

[@crisnboots]

' In the Shadows' put me in a London alley, Black cats, errie Full Moon...

[@leebritnell2405]

The bass on that track virtually made my ears bleed!

[@TheGodParticle]

Trouble was his mouth would engage before brain kicked in, that's why they didn't get to number 1 with golden brown. Look it up if you don't believe me.

[@andchat6241]

I'd agree with the journo's criticism of 'No More Heroes' - an lp rush released by UA with unreleased leftovers from the first lp & largely sold due to a couple of top rate 7"s .

[@Rockstardust69]

May have been a bit harshly treated!

[@davehoward22]

you were a brave man to gob on him at a gig😀

[@Rockstardust69]

Hell yeah

[@andchat6241]

I did see a bit of 'Stranglers retribution' once , after some gobbing by an ill informed audience member the' fan ' was hauled onstage where JJ & Hugh gave him a spanking , followed by an attempt to insert a banana .... the ex ? fan wasn't happy after the event & looked like he would square up ...but decided trying to get off the stage with what dignity was left being the best choice.

[@Rockstardust69]

Wow that is next level and hugh got in on the action too! Thanks for sharing

[@andchat6241]

@@Rockstardust69 Well you would have to pay several hundred £s for a spanking & banana dessert in some clubs nowadays ! But seriously the spitting was one of the less enjoyable aspects around the punk scene.... Regarding the JJ/ Paul Simonon stand off - I think this may have been at the Ramones 2nd UK gig (5- July '76) as the previous evening the Clash made their 'official debut' supporting the Pistols in Sheffield . & I can't think of any dates they were on the same bill . (Though Joe Strummer did know Hugh quite well from his days playing pubs with 101ers ) Most of the 2 groups (& Sid Vicious) went to Ramones 2nd night & spent much of the day hanging around the venue ( there are photos of Paul & others with the Ramones outside the venue) - the Stranglers connection being they were the support band at the Roundhouse gigs .

[@MrBritGrit]

I think his mother was French..and father English. and he born in London

[@Rugmunchersauce3]

No, they were both French, but they lived in England and that's where JJ was born, in the same hospital that the already dead Jimi Hendrix was taken to.

[@patbassman8251]

Dave Greenfield

[@retrojet]

Many a time JJ jumped into the pit to dish out punishment to some idiot... ...in the early days that is...

[@Rockstardust69]

He was happy to sort things out when required must have trained hard inamongst the rocknroll life style cheers

[@VernonGoodey]

Did it to a lad who threw beer over him in Liverpool during NO MORS HOROES a few years ago

[@retrojet]

@@VernonGoodey kzbin.info/www/bejne/aafRq61_p7dlbMU🤣

[@nicolanicholson4339]

JJ was shit scared of John Ellis though.... who has properly put him in his place on more than one occasion (verbally and physically)

[@Rockstardust69]

Interesting he was in the Vibrators and the Stranglers what happened?

[@nicolanicholson4339]

@@Rockstardust69 nothing to report from the early years when JE was in the Vibrators but certainly in the early days of Stranglers mk2 (early 90"'s) he and JJ clashed on several occasions (politics, commitment, musical direction etc) where JE really tore into him without any comeback... one time it came to fists after a gig (Euroman tour) JE reportedly got the better of him. Just reading between the lines in various band member bios and associated people JJ (rather surprisingly) seemed genuinly intimidated by John Ellis... I did read somewhere once that somebody who was involved in the fledgling London punk scene saying that JE (then in Vibrators) was a nasy piece of work.... and that is hinted at by JJ himself in his book.

[@Rockstardust69]

@@nicolanicholson4339 thanks for the insight appreciated

[@Steegan3609]

Paul Weller could handle himself, ask Sid Viscous !!

[@Rockstardust69]

He dealt to him thanks for sharing

[@keijotoivonen3988]

Goooooöd!

[@Rockstardust69]

Cheers

[@blahblahoink]

Also the shortest

[@Rockstardust69]

If you call 6ft short

[@youandwhosearmy6339]

He's a great musician and was in a great band, and who cares if he was fucking hard or not? How old are we for fuck sake! I only care about the music. I still think Hugh is the better bloke, but there you go.

[@jameswhite6906]

Love this story mate

[@Rockstardust69]

Thanks James there was plenty of outrageous behavior to draw on!

[@tenerifereddog3943]

Their are loads more stories out there😂

[@26KE185]

Never heard of him!

[@Rockstardust69]

Well you have now cheers

[@Rugmunchersauce3]

That's your loss.

[@deeder2000]

This guy's bass is truly original. There is no one who sounds like him. His aggression certainly comes out in his playing and some lead vocals he does. Musician-wise; easily the toughest musician in the world - I think!

[@Rockstardust69]

Agreed so original and brilliant tough est musician for sure

[@johnanthonyp]

Love JJ and worship the Stranglers. Regarding your claim: I reckon it's a toss up between him and Billy Cobham, the drummer who was a Navy Seal prior to his fame. Big powerful looking fella is Cobham.

[@jeffratz]

Lots of fotos in 76 77 kicking ppl off stage

[@Rockstardust69]

Check out my new video The Gospel according to the Men in Black kzbin.info/www/bejne/mabVpmadiNCoiNksi=kDkZ0AQmPf4hXkdU

[@johnanthonycafe2993]

Another Pommie telling you who the best fighter was-really !

[@MarkOliff-t4v]

There’s a lot of bullshit here. It’s not correct in many parts.

[@NigelJackson]

He may once have been...JJ is super Woke nowadays.

[@Rockstardust69]

A calmer individual for sure

[@NigelJackson]

@@Rockstardust69 I preferred him in his Yukio Mishima-influenced days. Nowadays, too many soy lattes...

[@howardrowan1871]

Yeah good one!!

[@deerhunter2218]

The true was that Paul Simenon spat on JJB shoe when Jean Jaques tried to trip him up by mistake, big Paul smacked JJ over a table and drinks went everywhere, the met on road on motorbikes a while later at traffic lights, JJ said, is that you Paul? He said yeah Jack, they pulled over shook hands and were great mates since

[@Rockstardust69]

That is awesome two of the greats and no messing with Paul thanks for sharing.

[@christopherstorrier5560]

JJ Burnell is a kool guy but he was nearly beaten to death in France whilst touring on hisTriumph Bonnieville in the early '80's by 2 French thugs who knew who he was....Hugh Cornwall said he was never the same after that brutal attack....

[@Rockstardust69]

Thanks for sharing this I'm sure he trained even harder after that happened.

[@christopherstorrier5560]

@@Rockstardust69.... Probably, he got challenged a lot at gigs & always jumped in fists flying...

[@christopherstorrier5560]

@@Rockstardust69 ...it was what it was even if you don't seem to like it bud...JJ is a black belt in Karate not an MMA fighter though up till, sadly, Daves death he would often fight with beer throwing idiots...i've seen it a few times bud, it was my Generation '76 Punk Rock (hate the press's name tag) Battersea was amazing, that & a Who gig made me pick up the bass many years ago but chill bud even Mike Tyson lost a couple of fights but i would'nt want to p**s him off....sadly i think thats it as JJ is the only living original band member...fantastic days but all good things must come to an end bud...

[@zacetto]

@@christopherstorrier5560 That picture of J.J. on his T140 Bonneville was instrumental in me beginning my clutch of vintage Triumphs. I heard from this gorgeous girl I met in Ealing, he has a song that uses the tickover of a Triumph as the backing bass.

[@christopherstorrier5560]

@@zacetto ...yeah bud...Euroman Cometh album, JJ's first solo album, he used his Triumph Bonneville on one of the tracks, strange but good album bud....he has been a huge influence in my life, him & John Entwhistle of The Who, after seeing both bands in the mid '70's i stopped playing guitar & started playing one of those 4 string guitars called bass's they both played & never looked back....i hope all's going well for JJ...cheers