McKendrickRocks | Jesus Jones

Doubt is the second album by British rock band Jesus Jones, released on 21 January 1991 through Food Records. The label witnessed the success of their debut album Liquidizer (1989) and wanted more hit-sounding music from the band. Frontman Mike Edwards wrote new material on their tour bus and in hotel rooms; they recorded some of it in early 1990, before touring resumed. After the conclusion of a tour of the United Kingdom, the band spent a week in May 1990 recording the bulk of their next album at Matrix Studios in London. Edwards produced the majority of the tracks, with Food Records co-founder Andy Ross and Martyn Phillips producing one song each. Doubt is a techno-rock album that refines the sample-heavy approach of Liquidizer. During the making of it, they listened to music from the likes of the KLF, Janet Jackson and Mel and Kim. Edwards, who had been consuming a large amount of popular music wanted it be a reaction to Liquidizer, exploring the influence of dance music had over rock. His lyrics had been compared to that of the Kinks frontmant Ray Davies, while the album’s psychedelia overtones evoked the Beatles’ late 1960s period and contemporary baggy acts the Charlatans and Happy Mondays. “Real, Real, Real” was released the lead single from Doubt in March 1990; over the next few months, Jesus Jones performed at various festivals, before embarking on their first tour of North America in September 1990. That same month, “Right Here, Right Now” was released as the second single from the album, which was later promoted with a UK tour. The track would be released in the United States in December 1990, while “International Bright Young Thing” became the third single from Double that same month. Following an appearance at the Great British Music Weekend, “Who? Where? Why?” was released as the album’s fourth single in February 1991. The band promoted it with tours of the UK and US; MTV would help to give the band a boost in popularity in the latter territory. Doubt received generally positive reviews about the songwriting, though some critics were less enthusiastic about it. It reached number 25 on the US Billboard 200 and topped the UK Albums Chart, and later certified platinum in the US. “Real, Real, Real”, “Right Here, Right Now”, “International Bright Young Thing” and “Who? Where? Why?” all reached the top 40 in the UK, with “International Bright Young Thing” charting the highest at number seven. In the US, “Real, Real, Real” and “Right Here, Right Now” peaked at number four and two on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively. Toledo Blade included it on their list of the year’s best releases; it and “Right Here, Right Now” would be nominated for Grammy Awards. The song earned an award from the BMI and PRS for being the most played track at college radio.