Bruce Foxton

(c’82-date) Bruce Foxton (bass / vocals)

Bruce Foxton was born in Woking, growing up at 126 Albert Drive, Sheerwater. In ’72, he left school to work with his brother Derek at the Unwin Brothers Printing Works in Old Woking. While there, as an apprentice compositor, he formed Rita with two work colleagues. In an interview published in Smash Hits 2 April ‘81 issue, Foxton references Rita as “never-legendary…who rehearsed for two solid years but hardly took the town [Woking] by storm.”, but they did once record a session with legendary 60’s psychedelic figure Arthur Brown. This pre-Jam progressive garage band also appeared at The Plaza, Guildford.

In May ’74 Foxton left this progressive garage band to join Paul Weller, Steve Brookes and Rick Buckler’s The Jam. While in The Jam, Foxton discovered The Vapors, at the Three Lions, Farncombe, and offered them two appearances on The Jam’s May 1979 tour: with management by John Weller, Paul’s father. At one memorable local Jam gig, on Valentine’s Day ’81, The Jam playing The Cricketers, Westfield (A gig this writer witnessed from afar), supported by The Jam Road Crew. “Every mod who could get on a scooter was there,” said Steve Carver. “It was a disaster – just mud, blood and beer at the end. It was terrible and there were massive fights”. Ann Weller had a pint poured over her head; it was rumoured that Paul Weller’s girlfriend Gill Price was thumped; and reportedly Foxton was pulled over the bar by a barman who reportedly said “You wouldn’t look very good on TOTPs with a black eye, would yer?”; it is also purported that Foxton jumped over the bar and smacked landlord Ray! 

When The Jam split in ’82, Foxton kicked off a solo career. He began writing some songs and got together with session musicians, including Adrian Lillywhite of Camberley based The Members, to record what would eventually be known as Touch Sensitive. Released on 12 May ’84, this debut LP, on Arista, was preceded by two singles in ’83. Freak reached No.23 in the UK Singles Chart – Foxton’s only Top 40 hit – while follow-up This Is the Way peaked at No.56. Touch Sensitive received a mixed reception on release and only achieved a 68th place on the UK Albums Chart. The third single, It Makes Me Wonder, from the Album was also released in ’84. The LP’s release was supported by a promotional tour, with support from Guildford’s Shoot! Dispute, playing the Civic Hall, Guildford on 3 May ’84.

The night before Foxton and Shoot! Dispute had played at Lees Cliff Hall, Folkstone; and a couples of days later, on 5 May, the tour progressed to Queensway Hall, Dunstable; then onto Gold Diggers, Chippenham (6 May); Academy, Bournemouth (7 May); Odeon, Nottingham (9 May); University of Warwick, Warwick (10 May); Odeon, Birmingham (11 May); University of Loughborough, Loughborough (12 May): Town Hall, Middlesborough (16 May); Royal Court, Liverpool (17 May); Shalford University, Manchester (18 May); Sheffield University, Sheffield (19 May); Top Rank, Brighton (21 May): and wrapping at The Lyceum, London (22 May). when they were joined by The High Five.

At some time in the early ’80s, Graham “Cupcake” Cooper, once guitarist with Jackie Lynton’s Happy Days Band, was performing solo, and some recall Eric Clapton joining him and other local musicians onstage at The Royal, Guildford for a charity gig, with Foxton remaining in the audience. Foxton was also regularly seen at The Kings Head, Guildford, along with The Stranglers‘ Jet Black for House gigs. In ’86, Malcolm Wyatt interviewed Foxton, publishing the results in his fanzine, Captain’s Log Issue No.1, in early ’87. A few years later, In the early 90s, Foxton was managing Headnoise.

Foxton went on to play in several bands, including Sharp with former Jam member Rick Buckler, before joining Stiff Little Fingers in 1990. The Touch Sensitive album was re-released on 20 August 2001 on Cherry Red Records with bonus content. After leaving SLF in 2007, Foxton joined Buckler again as a members of his tribute band, The Gift, to tour under the name From the Jam. Foxton as also recorded at Weller’s Black Barn Studios, Ripley, with Russell Hastings.

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