Blind Mr. Jones

by Andy Kellman
Presumably taking their name from the first two songs on Talking Heads' Naked and jokingly referred to as the Jethro Tull of shoegazing for their frequent use of flute, Blind Mr. Jones formed in the early '90s in Marlow, England, quickly becoming regarded as a young band to keep an eye on. Guitarist James Franklin, guitarist/vocalist Richard Moore, flautist Jon Tegner, bassist/vocalist Will Teversham, and drummer Jon White comprised the band, starting out privately in their teens by aping bands like the Wedding Present. They eventually developed their sound to fit in line with shoegaze bands like Ride and Slowdive, and with a demo won the attention of the Cherry Red label, who eventually signed them.
1992's Stereo Musicale was preceded by the Eyes Wide and Crazy Jazz singles; the former featured guitar parts written by Slowdive's Neil Halstead and the latter featured harmonica from Radiohead's Johnny Greenwood. Two years later, their full-length debut was followed by Tatooine, which shed some of the band's earlier shoegazing tendencies. The band apparently dissolved shortly after its release.