'Jonesy's Jukebox' runs out of nickels

It's come to this -- a Sex Pistol drives a Prius. On a recent crisp afternoon, Steve Jones, the guitar architect of London punk in its primacy, zipped down Hollywood Boulevard in his shiny white hybrid Toyota, which is customized with a rooftop image of her majesty Queen Elizabeth, a safety pin jutting from her lip. And you thought punk rock was dead.

Even with the distraction of nubile young tourists strolling up the Walk of Fame, Jones was in a melancholy mood. You see, like so many people in America these days, the 53-year-old rock star turned radio DJ is looking for a job.

"It's weird not to have somewhere to go," Jones said. "And wherever I do go next won't be the same, I know that."

Jones joined the ranks of the unemployed on Jan. 17, when Indie 103.1, the scruffy but revered L.A. rock station, became a victim of a vicious downturn in advertising revenue. For five years, the Sex Pistol had been the gloriously unpolished voice of "Jonesy's Jukebox," an eccentric and unpredictable two-hour lunchtime show on which he played any obscure record he wanted, chatted up famous guests or just, well, whistled.

The show was rebroadcast in the late afternoon, and its pirate soul became the signature of a station that Rolling Stone, Esquire, Spin and other national magazines celebrated as the best commercial radio outlet in the nation.

"Indie, that was my radio station, so to speak," Jones said. "I think people are starting to really miss it and realize how special it was. And for me, taking the job, it got me out of a rut that I was always in. I'm pretty much an isolated person. I'd rather stay home and play video games. For me to go somewhere every day, it was the best thing for me as a human. It got me away from the madness in my head."

'Devastated' fans

A lot of people miss Indie, which was eulogized far beyond the reach of its famously feeble signal. Bloggers who only had read about the station wrote tributes to it as a vinyl spirit in the Digital Age. When the station's corporate chiefs at Entravision abruptly switched the call name to El Gato 103 and began pumping regional Mexican music, rock fans of a certain age reacted the same way they did when Tower Records closed or CBGB was shuttered in New York.

"A lot of people were devastated; Indie was a community, and it was chaotic and unpredictable and had all this rare energy," said Mark Sovel, Indie's former music director who has been working to revive the station as a broadcast concern (the station is still available online at indie1031.fm, but it's a shadow of what it was). Those revival efforts have, so far, gone for naught, but they have led to some interesting conversations, such as Prince calling to offer his name and guitar in service of saving the station. "But it's not looking good," Sovel said, adding that Indie loyalists have more enthusiasm than business acumen and face a bleak marketplace: "We are not exactly 'business plan' kind of guys. . . ."

There was a recorded message that played over and over the last day Indie was on the air that suggested the station, like some rock martyr, died defiantly because it wouldn't play pop hits by Britney Spears or Sean "Diddy" Combs.

"It's ridiculous; that was embarrassing," Jones said with a groan. "There was no one telling anybody what to do. Look, money's tight and advertisers ain't spending. The station never had great ratings, the signal was small, but we made money on commercials. And then we didn't, and that was because of the economy."

Indie might be in the ground for good, but Jones is likely to land on his feet. Calls have been coming in from traditional radio stations and satellite radio and Internet ventures. He canceled a trip to Hawaii last week to handle some new overtures, but he said he is proceeding cautiously.

"Wherever I go, I will still do my show the same; I wouldn't change it. I don't think I should, and I hope any of these people that are thinking of hiring me aren't going to try to mold me into something else," Jones said. "I'd be bored out of me brain. I'd last two weeks if they had me reading some nonsense. If you want someone to read a piece of paper, just hire someone else. There's loads of people that do that."

Jones is also leery of any post where his listeners couldn't tune in on a transistor radio. Local radio, like freeway asphalt, links communities in the mad sprawl of L.A.

"The thing I liked about Indie is you could really be in your town," Jones said. "It's live, and the people listening feel like they're part of one thing, a local thing. When you do satellite, you're in space. It could have been recorded a month ago."

There's also been some vague offers regarding a television show, perhaps something along the lines of the chat-and-perform format now being used by Elvis Costello. Jones chuckled: "And where do you think they got the idea from?"

Not like KROQ

"Jonesy's Jukebox," if you never heard it, had some of the pacing of Howard Stern's unhurried ramble but with the bleary voice of a rock survivor who, despite 2 1/2  decades of sobriety, still sounds hung over. His guests -- among them Paul McCartney, Brian Wilson and Robert Plant -- also responded to him as a showbiz peer.

Jones had plenty of war stories: Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders, for example, dropped by to recount her 1970s sexual escapades with the Sex Pistol. "You won't hear that on KROQ," Jones said, referring to the rock powerhouse station in Los Angeles that is far more slick in its approach.

Might KROQ be a home for Jones? He won't say whom he has talked to, but he's decided to limit his choices to L.A. or New York. If a good fit doesn't present itself, Jones has talked about going on tour with Iggy Pop and the Stooges -- the band's guitarist, Ron Asheton, died last month at age 60, and having an old friend take his place might help the band soldier on.

Jones also says he doesn't really need to work (there's enough money in the bank after recent Pistols reunion tours), but he also dreads the idea of slipping into a hermit's life.

"I can't get enough of Call of Duty," he said. "I'm the oldest guy who plays on PlayStation. But 53 is the new 16."

When Jones really was 16, he was a juvenile delinquent of the first order. He was saved from a life of crime by rock 'n' roll -- well, mostly saved. At one point, he did steal David Bowie's microphone and gear, equipment that went to good use when the Pistols made their searing debut in 1975.

The Pistols released just one album and imploded, but it was enough to eventually land the band in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Jones moved west in 1982 after a year in New York, during which he sold his passport for dope money. He was homeless for a while and floating in a heroin haze. He cleaned up, looked around and realized he loved Southern California.

"I've lived here now longer than I lived in London," he said. "I really appreciate the place now. People would recognize my voice too, they would say, 'You're that guy on the radio.' I miss that."

--Geoff Boucher

Photo by Al Seib/Los Angeles Times

Comments

[sithandra]

It would be great if KCRW could pick up Jonsey's show. I've been listening to Jonsey since 2004 when he came on the air and all I can say is that Jonsey is a breath of fresh air.

Radio is filled with so much noise (extremely LOUD and annoying advertising which makes you run to change the station the second it comes on), that when I heard Jonsey's show for the first time, I couldn't believe how different just hearing someone pause for the occasional seconds of silence sounded.

I also like the idea of a television show, but I think the guests might not open up as much if they realize they are being filmed. That is what makes Jonsey's Jukebox great -- all these legends would be on the show sharing stories in an un-self-conscious way. If you put them on camera I think they'd clam up. I think one of the best shows he did featured the guys from Oasis. Another great show was with Gary Oldman, but really any show with folks from the "Old Country" (the U.K.) was fantastic.

I really have to credit Jonsey and Indie 103.1 with totally changing my musical tastes. I'm 39 and a Black female who grew up in L.A. My musical touch stones were deeply rooted in R&B and funk music.

However, as I've gotten older I missed hearing the interaction and spontaneity of live bands, which have disappeared from R&B (funk, as a current genre no longer exists on FM radio).
Jonsey had great taste in music -- the R&B and funk that he played was obscure to me, (songs I don't remember from my youth), but once I heard them on his show, I'd say to myself, "that sounds really good! Wow Jonsey has good taste in music across all genres!".

I hope he keeps his fans posted on what's next. I hope he stays on FM radio, but if he moves to satellite, I may have to re-consider getting a subscription.

Cheers!

[Lily]

Jonsey,

It's like the whole town fancied the arse off the on the coolest bloke in school – and then he moved away.

Heartbreak & shambles. The hallways are empty now. Just beat up lockers and a nasty Vice Principal who's given us KROQ detention.

We miss you.

Cheers

[Gone but not Forgotten]

Since the demise of Indie 103.1, I've stopped listening to music on the radio and have started listening to more sports talk, which can be as mind-numbing as KROQ at times. It would be nice if KROQ hired Jonesy, but let's face it, they'll always be a grossly commercial version of what an alternative station ought to be. And that's pants.

[matt]

It's a shame that local radio is getting hammered, while the Clear Channels and other crappy national chains continue to homogenize radio across the nation.

Long live Indie!

Heck, long live even The Loose Cannons on AM570.

It's a bummer to have great LA voices like Jonesy and Vic the Brick stifled...

[Carly]

Missing you, J.

xox~

[tigerstripes]

The rest of Indie 103 was alright, but Jonesy's voice was my golden lunchhour touchstone. I always loved that he could play anything he wanted, and did. The bossest music and what a great interviewer. Somebody in L.A. hire that man quick, before he gets away!
Oooh, I miss you like fire, Jonesy!

[Jessica]

in response to Matt: umm sorry to break it to you, but Indie 103 was owned by Clear Channel.

Anyway, Jonesy had the best show on the radio! I hope he finds a new home somewhere on the dial. Or a podcast show perhaps? That would be great!

[c-note]

In response to tigerstripes: umm, sorry to break it to you, but Indie was owned by Entravision. I should know, I was employed there.

You shouldn't correct others unless you have the facts straight yourself.

[paul]

Jonesy is the coolest cat around daddy-o. He rides a Triumph motorbike and really can play football (soccer). He is also an amazing guitar player. Furthermore he had an active hand in helping to save San Onofre State Beach. Obama needs to step up and save Indie and put Steve back on air. End of story.

[tigerstripes]

A correction in response to me, c-note? You sure about that fact?

[Herb]

I can't believe I lost both Jonesy & the Loose Cannons! Is the world coming to an end? I'm so pissed!! #@?*!!

[leslie]

There's nothing more to listen to while in the car. Jonesy, you were the best whether interviewing an amazing artist, or judging whether new music was pants or mustard or just strummin' and hummin'...LA is not the same without you on the airwaves. Waiting for your return...

[Daddyconan]

Just listened to the last Jonesy's Jukebox podcast on my iPod, Santogold.
Now...nothing :(

[Mia_G]

Ah, one of my faves. I was in LA for my 40th birthday celebration in March 2005, a year after the station launched. While driving around, I called in and requested "The Magnificent" by the Professionals. Jonesy not only answered the phone in person but groaned and grumbled, "Ecch, that's terrible," while I laughed heartily. Funny thing was, I really love that song! A gentleman, nonetheless. Cheap Trick sufficed. "Do you understand?" I do, Mr. Jones. I do.

[SirQL8]

Jones, you are a one-of-a-kind rocker of the old-school order...a survivor of the last authentic age of rock and roll fury... Surely someone out there will sponsor an online version of Jonesy's Jukebox...