Butterfly Collector – The Jam (Weller)
Recorded in September 1978 at RAK Studios, St Johns Wood, London
Produced by Vic Coppersmith-Heaven
B-side of ‘Strange Town’
The title of the song ‘The Butterfly Collector’ came from the John Fowles book The Collector, published by Jonathan Cape in 1963.
The central character, a butterfly collector called Frederick (who calls himself Ferdinand) decides to ‘collect’ himself a girlfriend called Miranda. Once he secures the object of his devotion, locks her away in the cellar.
But Frederick treats Miranda like a princess and fulfils her every need, creating an image of a sad pathetic character rather than one of a monster.
Musically the song is loosely based on The Kinks’ ‘Shangri La’ and is arranged in separate parts. The tempo sometimes slowing to almost a standstill before lifting through the bridge, providing a haunting atmosphere.
Meaning
Lyrically Paul writes about a groupie known at the time as Sue Catwoman, or just Catwoman, who used to follow punk and New Wave bands around trying to collect herself a boyfriend.
‘I remember Catwoman,’ recalls Rick Buckler. ‘She used to appear at loads of gigs and followed a number of bands around, mainly the Pistols. Her ambition seemed to be simply to sleep with a pop star and I imagine plenty of them did. She turned up at a few of our gigs but none of us were into that sort of thing, we all had girlfriends.’
The song was a massive hit with fans attending the live shows, where it was a staple in The Jam’s set. It was even played live at the Radio One In Concert performance on 4 December 1979, which was its only radio appearance.
‘The Butterfly Collector’ is regarded by many as one of The Jam’s finest songs, regularly featuring in fan polls listing their top ten Jam songs of all time.
A remarkable feat for a song that was only ever hidden away on a B-side, but it has since appeared on the Live Jam compilation, released by Polydor in 1993.
And again on the compilation The Sound Of The Jam, which was released in 2002.
In 1995 Garbage recorded a psychedelic version of ‘The Butterfly Collector’ as the B-side of their ‘Queer’ single. – Albert Jack
Albert Jack AUDIOBOOKS available for download here
The Jam: Sounds From the Street
