Official press photo of Max Champion from a mysterious source..!
Photographer unknown…
Celebrated musician and producer Joe Jackson releases the highly anticipated second single, “What A Racket!”, reviving the genius of long-lost artist Max Champion and offering a candid and catchy take on the urban cacophony that we all know and love or hate.
“What A Racket!” presents a satirical and humorous exploration of the daily urban grind from the perspective of Max Champion. This lively track captures the essence of city living in the early 20th century in a way that is both relatable and entertaining, highlighting the smog, soot, and chaos around the noise of city life.
Max Champion was born in 1882 in London’s East End and is thought to have been related to the great Victorian entertainer Harry Champion. As an up-and-coming performer he shared the stage with big stars such as Gus Ellen and Vesta Tilley, but his career (much like the Music Hall era itself) was cut short by the First World War, and his songs faded into obscurity. That is, until 2014, when Max Champion sheet music started to surface: first in Malta, then in England, and, intriguingly, in Belgium, where Max probably met his end in the trenches. By 2019, enough songs had been recovered for Joe Jackson to resurrect them with a 12-piece orchestra.
The album “Mr. Joe Jackson presents: Max Champion in ‘WhatA Racket!’” will be released via earMUSIC on November 24th, 2023, as CD-Digipak and 1LP Black Vinyl, Download and Streaming.
Plans are also underway to present this project as a live show in Spring 2024. More details soon!
Music Hall originated in 19th-century London, transitioning from pubs and street performances to grand theaters by 1900. It attracted a diverse audience, spanning from commoners to aristocrats. The songs in this genre depicted life in the Victorian and Edwardian eras, often infused with humor, satire, sentimentality, patriotism, and occasionally darker themes like jealousy and murder. Some songs were also risqué but cleverly expressed.
