Jim Jiminee

(c’86-89) Lindsay Jamieson (drums), Kevin Jamieson (vocals), Nick Hannan (bass), Pete Dyes (guitar), and Delphi Newman (keyboard / vocals).

This Fleet based (the Jamieson boys were from Church Crookham) indie pop band formed in September ’86. Jim Jiminee were managed by Chris Ward’s Third Angle Projection Band Management, who booked the band many gigs through ’87 with record company RCA attending one, followed by a meeting, but no deal.

More gigs followed including with old friends, listed as Green Gables for the gig, who’d go on to be The Sundays; and another with Second Balcony Jump opening. Indie label Cat & Mouse showed interest resulting in the release of their first EP, “Do It On Thursday” [ABB 01] in late ’87, a bit of a radio hit, including being played by Simon Bates on daytime Radio 1. The video for the release appeared on TV and it reached No.6 in the UK Indie chart; it also performed well in Germany. During the next three years, they would release the LP “Welcome to Hawaii” on Cat & Mouse [ABB 02] in ’88 and the EPs “Town & Country Blues” on Beatwax [Beatwax 01T] and “I Wanna Work!” again on Cat & Mouse [ABB 04], that same year. This was all while appearing on ITVs ‘Night Network’; playing gigs at various locations throughout England and a few European sojourns,

Jim Jiminee playing at The Buzz Club bar, West End Centre, Aldershot.

The bar area at the West End Centre, Aldershot was often made use of by The Buzz Club to display videos and a band, and on 7 February ’87 – while Mighty Mighty, The Jeremiahs, and The Bridge were on the main stage – the club’s promoters put Jim Jiminee in the spotlight in the bar. The next month the band performed a ten track set at Reading University’s Student Union on 3 March ’87, supporting The Primitives. David Rose reports that the wrong PA had been ordered and a replacement didn’t arrive until 10:30, so once things were set up Jim Jiminee didn’t start their set until 11.30! Later in the year the band performed at Timebox, on 2 September ’87, held at The Bull & Gate, Kentish Town.

2 September 1987: Jim Jiminee at Timebox, The Bull & Gate, Kentish Town. Picture by Mick Mercer via BULL & GATE MEMORIES – remembering all who sailed in her musical tidal wave

On 18 February ’88, Jim Jiminee headlined at The Tunnel Club, London, with Disguise and Thrilled Skinny in support. A few days later, on 23 February, Jim Jiminee were supported by John Shuttleworth and Green Gables at The Cricketers, Kennington and on 28 February the band supported The Passmore Sisters at Underground, Croydon. Jim Jiminee headlined at Fleet Football Club with North of Cornwallis and International Resque in support, on 28 May ’88. The next night they were at the Civic Hall, Guildford, where they were supported by Handsome Bastards and Go Go Amigos. It was then back to Fleet Football Club on 30 May with The Company She Keeps and The Splendids in support. They were supporting North of Cornwallis on 1 June ’88 at The Marquee, London. Toward the end of ’88 the band appeared at the Circus, Gammelsdorf, Germany, on 28 December.

The following week, they were back at the Circus, Gammelsdorf, on 5 January ’89. Newman left in ’89 and the group officially disbanded shortly after; with the band members going on to other projects.

The Jamiesons and Hannan went on to form The Deep Season, and later produced and provided backing for Perry Rose’s album “The Bright Ring of the Day”. Hannan also joined his brother Patrick “Patch” Hannan at Blah Street Studio. Patch played drums for The Sundays, Star 69 and Arnold. While there, Hannon appeared on numerous albums for a variety of artists, including Arnold, Jack Henderson and Bennet. Newman along with guitarist Paul Greendale formed the band World Without Tigers in 1998. The “Welcome to Hawaii” LP was re-released by Vinyl Japan [ASKCD 91] in ’99, and the same label did the same for “Town & Country Blues” EP [ASKLP 82] in 2000. Vinyl Japan, in addition to the LP and EP, also released “The EP” [TASK68] in 2000 and the full-length album “The Thatcher Years” [ASKCD93] of previously unreleased material. In 2002, Newman sang on Mark Flanagan’s album “The Chosen Few”. After Deep Season, Lindsey Jameson was also in Supermodel, Departure Lounge, and Astronaut Pushers just before joining Ben Folds in 2005. Ward, who became a charity campaigner and adventure cyclist, recently had his booked “Less Perfect More Happy” published, about his journey to understand OCPD.

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