Song of the Day #5,706: ‘Jump’ – Van Halen

Throwing back to the week of February 18, 1984, we find Culture Club atop the Billboard Hot 100 with ‘Karma Chameleon.’

At #2, and on its way to a five-week stint at #1, was Van Halen’s ‘Jump.’ This was the rock band’s only #1 single, and the only top ten single of the David Lee Roth era. The Sammy Hagar incarnation would reach the top five twice over the next several years.

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Song of the Day #1,457: ‘Requiem’ – Jump

Some bands show all the signs of numbering among my favorites and then just stop dead in their tracks.

When I first heard Jump, Little Children, on their first studio album Magazine, it was love at first listen. The band’s sound was unique and rich — a product of their choice of instruments: guitar, upright bass, cello, accordion and drums. Lead singer Jay Clifford’s vocals sweetened every song like rough honey.

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Song of the Day #815: ‘Words of Wisdom’ – Jump

Top Ten Male Vocalists – #8 – Jay Clifford

Jay Clifford is no doubt the least recognizable name on this list. He was the lead singer of Jump, Little Children (later renamed Jump), a North Carolina band that formed in the early 90s and played its last show in 2005. After the band’s break-up, he released a solo album in 2007.

Clifford’s voice was just one of the unique sounds in the Jump, Little Children lineup. The band’s instrumental make-up was guitar, accordion, cello, bass, piano and drums, with the occasional harmonica and mandolin thrown in for good measure. But Clifford’s vocals tied their great sound together.

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