Single sleeve
I wish there was a category on Who Wants to be a Millionaire? that says “Best New Rock Trio in London” cause I`d simply say JW Paris and would walk out of the studio with a million quid. Wishful thinking aside, I do believe they are hands down one of the most exciting artists I`ve had a pleasure to discover in recent years and I have yet to hear a song they written that I don`t like. Aaron Forde (bass, vox), Gemma Clarke (drums) and Daniel Collins (guitar/vox) have this rare chemistry between them. They walk on a stage and you just know you are gonna have a good time. And they serve you banger after banger so you dance until you are drenched in sweat. Just attend one of their gigs – best work out you will ever have.
Now, what do you do if a band you are really into covers one of your favourite songs just in time for Valentine`s Day? You will have to try very hard not to fall in love. With them. This is the precise dilemma with JW Paris and their rendition of the mournful classic “Wicked Game”. It`s too good to resist.
You`d have to reside on another planet to never come across “Wicked Game”. It`s more popular than Elvis and has been covered over 800 times. The history around the song is however less widely known. It may come as a surprise to many but upon its release in 1989 it was a flop. The song did not only fail to chart but the radio play it received was miniscule. It was disappointing to Chris Isaak personally, as he considered it the best track off his third album, “Heart Shaped World”. It was a year and half later before things took a turn for the better. Acting on a suggestion from his friends, Isaac agreed to have an instrumental version of his song used in the David Lynch movie “Wild at Heart”.
The dark comedy propelled “Wicked Game” to the tops in January 1991 and started decades long friendship between the musician and the filmmaker. Making hits out of unappreciated songs is not just the domain of Netflix. Lynch directed alternative video for the song and he placed Isaak as FBI agent Chester Desmond in Twin Peaks Fire Walk with Me. Desmond was Dale Cooper`s more experienced colleague and the person tasked with investigation of murder of Teresa Banks. Chris Isaak took the role quite seriously, bringing to life a moody and obsessive special agent with a penchant for conspiracy theories, belief in the supernatural and taste for long trench coats.
I can see you smirking and mouthing “Fox Mulder” under your breath. And you know what? The X Files main man was indeed inspired by Chester Desmond. Moreover if you compare timelines between Twin Peaks and X Files, it will clearly show that Mulder and Desmond must have met as they attended the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia the same year.
Anyway, by the end of 1991, “Wicked Game” was one of the most famous love songs ever written and Chris Isaak had established himself as a brooding and spooky musician/actor. And that outlook remained pretty much for the last 30 years. As I mentioned before, an endless list of artists covered “Wicked Game” but almost every version is very faithful to the original. Even Tenacious D ditched their usual sense of humour in preference to a sorrowful take. Some creative folks on the internet with a lot of free time even compose Spotify Playlists dedicated to the song, you can see what I mean.
And this is where JW Paris come with their own rendition. From the get-go it feels like a fresh approach. Not necessarily reinventing the wheel but a nice upgrade nonetheless. Where Chris Isaak wanted to pay homage to Roy Orbison, Danny Collins took over the main vocals and he definitely had Iggy Pop with the Stooges in mind. His vocals are hoarse, harsh and barked at times. There is almost a sneer in his voice as if to say: ”Oh no, you won’t have your way”. This is no longer a heart break lament. This is a breakup anthem where you send the person away with a boot imprint on their behinds for treating you wrongly. Gemma Clarke is her usual power self behind the kit and the guitar riffs (and haunting background vocals in the chorus) delivered by Aaron Forde create strong foundations for the song. It has more muscle and structure than Chris Isaak, but then it has to if you want to send a message of being though with somebody, despite the heart ache.
There is a popular misconception that lyrics refer to a long-term girlfriend that Chris Isaak parted with due to her infidelity. It was written after Isaak was contacted by a woman he didn’t know, who was looking for a one-night stand. He reflected that the song is more of a warning not to get involved with people that may not be good for you. Therefore, JW Paris angry, standing-up-for yourself version is closer to the original intent.
Indie sleaze: JW Paris by C24 Photography
JW Paris not only brought new quality to the old classic. They also backed it up with a heart-warming video. The original video had supermodel Helena Christiansen running around a beach in Hawai’i. The London Trio decided to go in a different direction and show young and everyday people in their environments rather than exotic locations and famous celebrities. And with all due respect to Helena and the director Herbert Ritts, but I much prefer the JW Paris version. The 90`s had a somewhat strange obsession with models in music videos (George Michaels Freedom! and Too Funky? just being two examples) but rarely showed bodies a regular Malicia on the street could relate to. On the other hand, JW Paris went for a diverse cast of absolutely fabulous people and they portrayed them in a way that’s believable for the viewer. We all ran around the fields, went on romantic dates and had long walks at night with those close to us. The video shows cis couples, queer people, non-binary folks, same sex pairs – and they all are so happy while living the best lives. No drama, no broken hearts.
You can say there`s a bit of dissonance between the way the song is delivered and the happily ever after video but I think the message here was to look beyond the wrong people and realize that true love and positive relationships are possible.
Personally, I love the small references to Chris Isaak`s character Chester Desmond in the video. You may notice that one of the female characters in the video wears that iconic trench coat (she is also featured on the single cover in a way that reminds me of some old Twin Peak posters). There are also nods to another classic video that defined the era – AHA`s Crying in the Rain – throughout the footage. It’s not just a cover, this is a proper tribute.
I know I`m a huge music nerd but picking up those tiny little details just tells me how much work, skill and knowledge (cultural and technical) went into the video itself. It was created and produced by The Howl Creative which is Daniel Collins and Aaron Forde`s daily job. In times where arts are cut and creatives are considered second class to programmers, it is good to remember that making music and visuals should not be minimalized. Please pass to the government because they seem not to notice that Creative Arts is a huge business bringing in billions of pounds and most people work two jobs while at it.
To round off the review. JW Paris prove once more that they are in a league on their own. Their own material or covers – they always give their best.
You can follow JW Paris on socials:
www.facebook.com/jwparismusic
www.instagram.com/jwparismusic
www.twitter.com/jwparismusic
www.youtube.com/c/jwparis
https://open.spotify.com/artist/7Eh8L6V40D5B70XCOucwE3
tiktok.com/@jwparismusic
P.S. I know there is not a big chance to have trench coats as JW Paris merch but could we have Team Gemma tees?
Malicia Dabrowicz
Indieterria 
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