Elton Motello was a British Punk Rock band founded by
Alan Ward in the mid 70s.
Alan had connections in Belgium and there he recorded
the backing track for Jet Boy, Jet Girl, using session musicians. The band then
recorded the vocals over the backing track and released the single, which was
revolutionary then, in 1977. It's about a 15-year-old boy's sexual relationship
with an older man, who then rejects him for a girl. The song uses the boy's
pov: he is a wild thing, think Mickey in the first couple of seasons of
Shameless. Their meeting: "We made it on a ballroom blitz, I took his arm
and kissed his lips. He looked at me with such a smile my face turned red, we
booked a room into the Ritz." and then he triumphantly proclaims: "He
gives me head".
He then elaborates: "And though I'm only just
fifteen, I like to kick, I like to scream and even if I have a kick or two in
bed, when I'm with him it's just a dream." However: "The other day,
what a surprise, I saw him with some other guys. God he was dressed up with a
girl around his neck, I could have cried with both my eyes."
He then projects himself in the future: "And if or
when I make it through, or if my brain is stuck on glue and when the world
tries to forget all that I've said, I'll still remember you."
The single was a minor hit in Australia, because a
"harmless" part of the chorus was used on a TV ad. It didn't do much
anywhere else.
It seems that its shock value hasn't decreased with
time. In 1989, the American FCC fined a radio station $10,000 for playing the
song. You, however, get to hear it.
The same backing track was used, with different lyrics,
for the song Ça Plane Pour Moi. It is credited to Belgian Plastic Bertrand,
although the record's producer claims that he himself performed the vocals.
This version became a big hit all over the world, hitting #1 in France and
Switzerland, #2 in Australia and the Netherlands, #4 in Ireland, #6 in Germany,
#7 in Belgium and #8 in the UK. It even made #47 in the US Hot 100.
Whatever happened to Alan Ward, the front man for this group?
ReplyDeleteA good question, anonymous! The last info that I have of him is that "Alan Ward currently resides in Belgium where he works as a producer at Electric City Recording Studio." Thanks for commenting!
DeleteI've been in touch with Alan on several occasions via e-mail. A very nice man.
ReplyDeleteI sent him a copy of our (Bizex-B) last album, which he liked.
Thanks a lot, Lars. I'm really glad that Alan is well and a nice man. I really like his take on "Jet Boy, Jet Girl". Is your last album on YouTube?
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