Jason & The Scorchers had a cult following in Nashville and around parts of the world in the 80s and got some airplay on MTV at the time…they were led by frontman Jason Ringenberg and they released a couple of EPs before releasing their debut album Lost & Found in 1985. They were classified at one time as alt-country but I would add rock/punk/rockabilly in there also.
I first heard them do a live version of “The Race Is On”…the old George Jones song and it won me over. They were really a big deal in the southeast in the middle eighties and should have spread more. Their music seemed to have a kinship to the Georgia Satellites but they were a little more country. Seeing them live is an event…Jason is all over the stage.
The band was formed in 1981. They were together through the 80s till the drummer Perry Baggs was diagnosed with diabetes and could not finish a 1990 tour. They have regrouped since then off and on and altogether have released 15 albums with the last one being in 2010. In 2012 Perry Baggs passed away because of diabetes.
They played a mixture between country and rock and fell into the cracks. They seemed to rock for country and too country for rock. Live they were unbeatable.
One of the things that made the band different is Jason wanted to sound country but guitar player Warner Hodges wanted to sound like AC/DC…that interplay made them unique. This song was off of their 1986 album Still Standing. The album peaked at #91 on the Billboard Album chart in 1987.
Golden Ball and Chain (written by Ringenberg) peaked at #16 in the Billboard Rock Mainstream Songs.
Golden Ball and Chain
“Oh hello there” you coughed and smiled
Your hair messed up enough, a little wild
You said, “I’m sorry but it’s all a waste
Not a whole meal just a little taste”
Now you’ve nothing left to fight and gain
Another line another carved link of your name
On the golden ball and chain
L.A. it calls and London grooms the star
Get on the phone to find out who you are
But happiness was a dying trend
You say you saw that train around the bend
That was carrying its weight in pain
The engine straining on the full weight of your name
And the golden ball and chain
You saw it then, you saw the sign
A drowning sailor in a jug of wine
First it was her, but now it’s you
No psychoanalyst is there to tell you what to do
So now you whimper like a helpless child
You broke when they quit saying you were wild
But your tears they are like grass in sand
They speak to no one, they give no command
No there’s nothing left to cleanse the stain
Another line another carved link of your name
On the golden ball and chain
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I like this a lot, thanks for the introduction to this group.
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I haven’t listened to very much from them. I bet they are great to see live, anyone that can nail The Race is On is ok in my books!
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Am I the only one who hears a bit of 70s, early-’80s Rolling Stones in that sound? Not too bad, it’s very rootsy indeed though I’d put it more in the rock category than alt-country. Either way, I don’t think I remember this one, in fact I do remember seeing their name a lot for a few years in music mags and entertainment papers but I can’t really think of a song that I know by them. Didn’t catch on ,on Toronto radio at least.
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Their popularity was larger than I thought before I started to post them. They got some MTV airplay with this one…but I saw posters of them all over Nashville at the time.
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Dive in Dave, you’re in for a full-on sonic blast!
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No messing around here Max, lets just let it rip. Jason and his killer band were pumping this kind of music out and CB was listening. There were a few others carrying this torch at the time. Never gets old for me. Wake up!!
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Yea this was meant to be listened to live and loud.
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Hodges on guitar is a lot of show but has the go. I wonder how sought after he was . I saw him playing with Drivin and Cryin on Bluegrass Underground.
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I was listening to the Georgia Satellites yesterday does that count max?
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Thats close enough! They are very much like each other.
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Hodges hooked up with Baird along the way. Joined at the hip. I love this stuff. deKE and Max are two of torch bearers.
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Love Baird …one of my all time fav songwriters/lyricists. Knocked Up from his Love Songs …solo album is lyrical brilliance as is Dixie…Lost Highway …so many
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Same page deKE plus the guy just has so much fun playing rock n roll.
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For sure CB. When they rolled thorough town here back in 89 it was still one of the loudest shows I saw…
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Their sound reminds me a lot of Cheap Trick…
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Well, what’s not to like? I like the idea of Jason pulling for Country and Warner was blazing away on the punk/rock side., that makes sense.
I have a solo Jason CD somewhere and he IS Country with a bit of rock- ‘Letter Of Love’ and’Washed My Hands In Muddy Water’ I like a lot, but he pairs best with the Scorchers- them in the ’80s were ear-blastingly frenetic. I can’t listen to AC/DC for long but I can listen to the Scorchers for the entire CD when heading home in the car- and make a detour if the last song ain’t finished, even now!
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This is the song that I thought would push them up high in the charts…it was played here like a hit song…but not many places.
I agree with you…they keep is interesting and Jason is a pure dynamo. Like I said before…I’m happy their music escaped the south on to other places.
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The mix of vocals and guitar works so well. Both of them are high energy and charge each other up. First time hearing of these guys, but they got it goin’ on.
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‘(Greetings From Nashville’ ‘I Really Don’t Want To Know, ‘Change The Tune’ all good starters.)
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Thanks, Ob!
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They did…I saw them live a few times…
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Cool song! The name Jason & The Scorchers sounds vaguely, though I can’t name any of their songs. Well, now I can – one!😀
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They are close to The Georgia Satellites…same family tree lol.
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I like this a lot. I’ve heard the name of the band, but couldn’t have told you anything about their music or when they were active. I too hear something like the Georgia Satellites.
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I saw this song on MTV for a while back then. What surprised me is I have a few bloggers from New Zealand and one of them knows a lot about them so their popularity traveled out of the south.
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That’s interesting they are known in NZ. In the 80s, Georgia Satellites got played where I was, so you’d think they would have gone for this group too.
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Them being known in NZ is something I never imagined. I think if the Georgia Satellites would have never had Keep Your Hands To Yourself…they probably would have been like Jason and the Scorchers.
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I agree that song made the difference for Georgia Satellites.
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Don’t think I’ve heard this before, but it’s some nice & raunchy rock’n’roll.
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Thanks for checking them out Jeff…many nights in the 80s I caught their show.
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