JAX – Half-Cocked & Fully Loaded (2015)

Active during the second half of the ’80s, New Yorkers JAX are another band rescued from oblivion by FnA Records. “Half-Cocked & Fully Loaded” is the title of the 2015 release including JAX’s never released album plus some extra tracks.

JAX was formed in New York City 1987 by vocalist & guitarist Thom Jack (still active as musician with his own band). The early JAX originally consisted of Thom Jack, Patrick Conlon on drums, Robert Agnello (Spencer Davis Band) on bass, and Al Maddy on keyboards (Nitecaps).
JAX recorded a six song demo in a Soho studio in New York that Thom had helped to build in exchange for free studio time. It was engineered by Danny Caccavo (KISS, David Johansen), with keyboards by Bob Kinkel (Savatage, Trans Siberian Orchestra).

In January of 1988, Thom took the songs to the annual international music industry conference at MIDEM, Cannes, in the south of France. There was immediate interest from many labels, and JAX eventually signed with a very successful music production company out of Frankfurt, Germany, and recorded their first album there at Hotline Studios with Erwin Musper producing (Def Leppard, Bon Jovi).
JAX was now a power trio, as Al Maddy had left the band. A major label deal was struck with CBS Records in Germany for a worldwide release, and a month of mixing was planned at Wisseloord studios in Holland, as well as a major marketing campaign and international tour.

Unfortunately, when CBS America realized that a New York band had been signed out from under them to the German branch, political infighting within the company began, and they killed the deal.
Around this time many New York bands that had been ignored in America by the US labels – like Stray Cats, Twisted Sister and White Lion, had become so successful outside of the USA that they made the A&R people who passed on them look rather foolish, and this was probably why the deal got crushed.
Thus began a three year process of getting deals from three other major labels for worldwide release, only to have them fall apart at the last minute for one political reason or another.

During that time the band underwent a few personnel and management changes. Expanding to a four piece, on guitar they added Pierre De Beauporte (Rolling Stones guitar tech), and later Mitch Diamond, and Randall Scott. On bass, Robert Agnello had left the band and was replaced by Greg Smith (Alice Cooper, Ted Nugent), and eventually Guy Gustafson (Tonto Tonto, Blizzard of Ozz).
JAX were managed for a time in America by Jay Jay French (Twisted Sister), and helped and supported by Buddy Blaze (Blaze Guitars, Kramer Guitars).
Unfortunately, during the three years it took to finally secure a release, popular music had changed, and JAX was released with absolutely no support or marketing on a little indie label in Germany, Austria and Switzerland only.

The record still garnered a respectable amount of international press and fans, and became a much sought after collectors item, but on the radio, the time had passed for their type of music. Had they been released as planned in early 1989, with the full support and marketing promised and agreed on, it might well have been a different story. The fact that after twenty five years there is still international demand is quite telling, and what might have happened had the record labels put the music first, above their own petty interests, no one will ever know.

“Half-Cocked & Fully Loaded” is a cool ’80s US Hard Rock / pop metal album in the vein of Ratt, some Poison, Twisted Sister and alike. Jack’s vocals has all the swagger needed for this type of rock and his songs are pretty catchy.
Production and sound is good, in fact above the standard for pre-production stuff like this recorded during that era. The additional tracks are 3 demos and the title track, which I suspect was recorded later as it’s more heavy than the rest (akin Motley Crue).
Nice slice of lost ’80s US Hard Rock.

01 – Givin’ My Heart
02 – Hot, So Hot
03 – Danger Zone
04 – I’m Not Sorry
05 – Your Mama Don’t Hafta Know
06 – Teenage Nervous Breakdown
07 – Heads Will Roll
08 – Live the Life You Love
09 – Just Got Ta Know
10 – You’re a Nasty Bit O’ Business
11 – Iron Curtain of Love
12 – Catfight in a Cathouse
13 – The Way You Loved Me Yesterday
14 – Broken Hearted
15 – Half Cocked & Fully Loaded

Thom Jack: Vocals, Guitar
Patrick Conlon: Drums
and at various times;
Robert Agnello: Bass
Al Maddy: Keyboards
Pierre De Beauporte: Guitar
Mitch Diamond: Guitar
Randall Scott: Guitar
Greg Smith: Bass
Guy Gustafson: Bass

BUY IT !
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