An article by Paul Green from the April 2025 issue of Scootering reflecting on Rick Buckler and his place within the music of The Jam. The piece draws on personal memories, live performances, recordings, and later life, as presented in the original magazine text.
Since mid-1977, one of the main soundtracks to my life (and I know many Scootering readers’ lives too) has been the music of The Jam. For a relatively short space of time The Jam were THE band. Inseparable from much of the scooter scene, you will always see tribute scooters (and people) at rallies! You will frequently see side panel murals of The Jam. You’ll see people, even now, 45 years on, wearing the same clothes and hairstyle of The Jam, albeit with a bit more weight and grey hair. Go to any rally and I’m sure that at some point over the weekend you’ll hear The Jam’s music.
Unquestionably, they were one of the best live bands I’ve ever seen. The three band members produced a crazy amount of energy on stage that transferred to the crowd; this was a raw, angry and loud sound. With only three instruments, the trio managed to make each of their contributions stand out, in a way that was distinctive from other bands. The front man and main songwriter, Paul Weller, split the band in 1982 to pursue a solo career and has become the Modfather of music. But the other two members of the band, Rick Buckler and Bruce Foxton, played just as important a role in the sound of The Jam, but perhaps haven’t enjoyed the same superstar status.
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I was hugely saddened to hear that Rick Buckler had passed away after a very short illness at just 69 years old. I remember speaking to him briefly after a Jam gig in Paris, he was very down to earth. Just an ordinary guy. He could be one of us. After The Jam, he played for a few years with Bruce Foxton as part of From The Jam. In my eyes, two out of three members of the original band makes that more than a tribute act.
Rick loved his shed, tools, and furniture restoration. Indeed, in the 90s he stepped away from professional music and concentrated on carpentry and furniture, before eventually returning to live music with Bruce Foxton. Watching him in interviews he was an incredibly down to earth guy. If you went to the pub with him, he’d just blend in. Definitely no rock star ego there!
A friend of mine messaged me with the news, sad that someone close to our ages had passed away and as we all get older, it’s a timely reminder that none of us are going to live forever. Unfortunately, funerals increase in regularity as we get older. I must admit I did feel quite sad, but it felt right to get my old vinyl out and sit back with coffee and cake. Taking myself back, and it made me smile. Happy times. Times of excitement and the optimism of youth.
Weller’s words were often incredible, but Rick’s drumming was also superb. He was rock solid and the drums were very dominant in so many songs. The live version of Down in the Tube Station, with an extended drum solo that morphed into a beat echoing a train on tracks, brought back more happy memories. The drum-heavy Funeral Pyre is widely underrated. Several songs on the Setting Sons album are among my favourites, and listening again now in a different way, the drums are amazing. Particularly Little Boy Soldiers with its military band-style drum beat. I spent a good few hours listening to the albums, looking at the sleeves. It gave me a warm feeling of gratitude for those sounds that have brought so much joy for more than 45 years. All my adult life.
Moving on to YouTube I watched a load of interviews with Rick from the period after The Jam. He held no bitterness towards Weller, who essentially just dropped his band mates and walked away. Rick just shrugged his shoulders despite his life being turned upside down. An incredibly humble guy who deserves huge respect for how he has handled himself. There are simply no bad words or feelings that anyone could have towards Rick Buckler. There was no ego or stardom factor. Just a bloke who would chat to people.
I’ve never felt the same warmth for Weller’s solo work as I have for the trio when they were together. Weller’s songwriting and words always take full credit but I never think that Buckler and Foxton get the recognition they deserved for the sound of The Jam.
It is sad that Rick passed away at such a relatively young age, but I feel grateful for his contribution to the music that has been part of my life (and no doubt yours) for a very long time. I will continue to listen with a smile and heartfelt appreciation.
Thanks for the drumbeats and memories.
The original article appeared in Scootering Magazine which you can subscribe to here: https://www.classicmagazines.co.uk/scootering
