Back of My Hand (The Jags song)
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| "Back Of My Hand" | |
|---|---|
| Single by The Jags | |
| from the album Evening Standards[1] | |
| A-side | "Back Of My Hand" |
| B-side | "Double Vision (produced by Simon Humphries)" |
| Released | 1979[2] |
| Recorded | 1979[2] |
| Genre | Power pop[2] |
| Length | 3:22 |
| Label | Island[2] |
| Songwriters | Nick Watkinson, John Alder[2] (A-side and B-side) |
| Producers | Jon Astley, Phil Chapman (additional production by The Buggles)[3] |
"Back of My Hand" is a power pop song by The Jags, written by Nick Watkinson and guitarist John Alder which entered the UK Singles Chart on 8 September 1979. It had a chart life of 10 weeks and peaked at number 17.[2] In the US, the song peaked at number 84 on the Billboard Hot 100.[4]
There are three distinct versions of the song.
In its original version, the song was produced by Jon Astley and Phil Chapman. This version appears on the initial Jags release, a 4-track 12" EP entitled 4-Track 12" E.P. It was also the original 7" U.K. single mix, before quickly being replaced by the remix below.
Version 2 (hit single mix)
The hit single version uses the same basic recording as version 1, but was remixed by Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes[5] and features additional synths and keyboard parts. This version — which is the charting "hit" version in the U.K. and the U.S. — appeared on all later U.K. single pressings, the U.S. single, and on the U.S. version of the Jags album Evening Standards.[6] Very much sung in Elvis Costello style, it has been described as "simply one of the best records Elvis Costello didn't write",[7] and Jason Ankeny, writing on Allmusic.com, stated that the song was "so reminiscent of Costello's early classics that it veers dangerously close to parody."[8]
