Jah
Wobble
Born:
1958. Stepney, London, England
PiL:
Founder Member: (THE) Bass 1978-1980
Bio:
(aka John Wardle). One of the legendary "Gang of John's"
Wobble first met John Lydon in 1973 at Kingsway College; along with John
Gray and Sid Vicious (who gave him his "Jah Wobble" nickname
after a drunken slur: and would also lend him his first bass guitar).
Attracted to the bass through his long-term interest in reggae; and prompted
by the punk DIY ethic Wobble found himself a natural.
After realising Wobble's interest in bass Lydon invited him to become
a founder member of what would become Public Image Ltd in spring 1978.
Wobble's distinctive bass style soon became one of the major elements
of PiL's sound. As Lydon once famously commented: "No one listened
to bass in rock music before PiL…"
Disillusioned by the 'scene' in and around the band; along with their reluctance to play live (or even to play at all!), Wobble decided to leave mid 1980 – according to him with the mutual consent of John Lydon – amid (smokescreen?) claims he had used PiL backing tracks without permission on his solo album 'Betrayal'. However, over the previous year Wobble had become increasingly frustrated; with things culminating during the recent US tour.
Post PiL Wobble became a respected solo artist and "band leader" with a genuine passion for Eastern and Global music; long before it was trendy. Over the years Wob has worked with many different artists and genres; way too many to mention here (see discography for full info). After a battle with alcohol Wobble left the music business to work for London Transport in 1987, but was soon back on board (pardon the pun) with a revitalised line-up of his Invaders of the Heart band.
The 90s finally saw him achieve
public notoriety; including chart success and a Mercury Music Prize nomination
for his 'Rising Above Bedlam' album. However, after a couple of reasonably
commercially successful albums Wob decided to return to a more experimental
and un-commercial sound; far away from record company constraints. In
1997 he founded his own 30 Hertz Records: releasing a string of critically
acclaimed records ever since.
Having gave up alcohol back in 1986 Wobble is now a reformed character.
Gone are the so-called wild "thug" days (which were more of
a punk myth anyway). He's now a dedicated family man with a documented
interest in spirituality; and has a degree in Humanities. Of course, he's
never lost his sense of humour or his ability to poke fun at himself.
He's still something of a maverick (aka nutter) and a regular at the Spurs.
In 1999/2000 he teamed up with former PiL colleague Martin Atkins to form
the short lived 'supergroup' The Damage Manual; along with Chris Connelly
& Killing Joke's Geordie Walker. Which it's safe to say didn't end
well…
Despite releasing numerous albums on his own 30 Hertz Records 2005 saw Wobble return to wider public recognition with the critically acclaimed 'Mu' on the legendary Trojan Records.
Wobble is probably currently recording or playing live – either under his own name or with Deep Space, The Invaders of the Heart, or the English Roots Band – Wobble is always recording or playing live; and probably always will…