Song of the Day: JoBoxers - "Just Got Lucky" (1983)
As we celebrate the 40th anniversary of one of music's supreme years, make sure to include this British New Wave classic in your playlist.
Hello Marshall Artists!
It’s a lovely summer Sunday afternoon here in Citrus Heights, one that caps off a long weekend of writing. Per usual, I’m up to my eyeballs in finishing my 1985 World Series book, Interstate ‘85. Now that the most difficult half of the book is finished, I’m hard at work finishing the rest (which is mostly done already!).
I want to have the whole project done by August 28, which would have been Don Denkinger’s 87th birthday, but my increased schedule at work might preclude that. Even so, it’ll easily be done and off to the publisher no later than summer’s official end in late September. As always, I thank you all for your support in its three-year creation, and can’t emphasize enough it’ll be worth the wait!
As for Marshall Arts plans, after this post, my next two articles are going to be entirely different. First up is the inaugural installment of a whole new series, Timeless Television, in which I will celebrate my favorite individual TV episodes and moments. After that will be a piece in which I incinerate my most hated song of all-time, Bob Seger’s “Old Time Rock And Roll,” by comparing/contrasting it with another song from that time that conveys its sentiment far better.
For now, it’s time for another Song of the Day, and I want you all to savor the song that has been bringing me the most joy the past few days: “Just Got Lucky” by the British band JoBoxers. Formed in 1982, the London quintet was a veritable “supergroup” of influential underground artists. Four former members of the nascent British punk band Subway Sect (Rob Marche, Dave Collard, Chris Bostock, and Sean McLusky) teamed up with Timothy Wayne Ball (aka Dig Wayne), who under another alias fronted the New York-based rockabilly band Buzz and the Flyers.
The group released its debut album, Like Gangbusters, the following year in 1983. Which makes it ideal to write about them now, because - and I know my Generation X and older readers will recoil at this - 2023 marks the 40th anniversary of everything in 1983. From Return of the Jedi to Michael Jackson’s Moonwalk to the last Baltimore Orioles team to win a World Series, a lot of cherished cultural milestones are officially midlife crisis signifiers. Think of it this way: the end of World War II was closer in the rearview mirror in 1983 than A Christmas Story is right now.
Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone deemed it “the Year Pop Went Crazy,” thanks to the explosion of enduring hits and revolutionary albums across all genres. Without a doubt, 1983 truly is one of the greatest years in music history, and it’s arguably where “the ‘80s” truly begins musically, thanks to a mind-boggling parade of New Wave and synth pop hits. The list of classics includes (but is certainly not limited to):
“Cruel Summer” by Bananarama
“Let’s Dance” by David Bowie
“True” by Spandau Ballet
“99 Luftballons” by Nena
“She Blinded Me With Science” by Thomas Dolby
“The Safety Dance” by Men Without Hats
“Overkill” by Men at Work
“Age of Consent” by New Order
“Rebel Yell” by Billy Idol
“Every Breath You Take” by The Police
“New Year’s Day” by U2
“Come On Eileen” by Dexy’s Midnight Runners
“This Charming Man” by The Smiths
Add to that list “Just Got Lucky.” The fifth track from Like Gangbusters, this is the song that took JoBoxers beyond exclusive U.K. popularity and garnered them attention in the United States, peaking at #36 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song performed respectably across the world, cracking the top 40 in Australia, Canada and Ireland, as well as peaking at #7 in the United Kingdom.
Given my decades-long obsession with ‘80s alternative and New Wave, it would be reasonable to assume this tune is a time-honored favorite of mine. Yet for the longest time, I had never even heard of JoBoxers. “Just Got Lucky” only recently entered my ear canals thanks to the “Similar Music” infinite loop on Apple Music. For those who don’t use Apple Music, this feature follows up a single song you choose by endlessly playing tracks from similar artists.
I can’t remember which song in my library begat my introduction to this one. After just one listen, though, “Just Got Lucky” was instantly a song that enmeshed myself in my life’s story. Simply put, this track hits all of the hallmarks of an ‘80s New Wave classic. Upbeat tempo? Check. A hook-laden arrangement strengthened by horns and keyboard? Check. Sprightly lyrics about the joy of love communicated with a rich call-and-response chorus? Check. A playful music video that’s downright charming in its rudimentary nature? Check.
While I may have been late to the party in discovering and appreciating this gem, it has enjoyed some traction in recent years long after its release. It enjoyed some prominence in the mid-aughts by appearing in the soundtracks for hit movies like The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Just My Luck. It also seems to have staying power in the Philippines, showing up recently in local shows like Eat Bulaga! and Pinoy Big Brother.
As we celebrate the almost incomprehensible slew of timeless tunes that have delighted generations for four decades now, make sure to crank up “Just Got Lucky” alongside your Duran Duran and New Order. It’s the perfect ‘80s earworm to lift your mood up…just get ready for it to stay on repeat on your streaming service of choice for quite a spell!