An unusual story unfolds around a short, bright spark in rock history. Nerves released only a single recording reference during their brief career, and the four-song EP of the same name, issued in 1976, was self-published. Yet the record is so extraordinary that it has endured as a sacred touchstone in rock and roll. Jack Lee, the guitarist, singer, and principal songwriter of a group that brought together many vocalists and songwriters who helped seed power pop within the punk movement, died at 71 after a battle with colon cancer.
Born in Alaska on March 25, 1952, Lee founded The Nerves in San Francisco in 1974, a band that included Peter Case on bass and Paul Collins on drums. The trio released the epé themselves, with two of Lee’s songs, Hanging on the Phone and Give Me Some Time, Case’s When You Find, and Collins’s Working Too Hard. The DIY four-song set, described by fans as electric and melody-forward, found its home on the Los Angeles indie label Bomp!, distributed by Greg Shaw. The group then moved to Los Angeles in 1977. Lee helped establish the Hollywood Punk Palace, a club in the basement of Sunset Gower Studios, a venue during a period when Hollywood’s movie and TV industries slowed at the time. Beyond The Nerves, Lee contributed his voice to The Weirdos, The Dils, The Zippers, The Zeros, and The Screamers, shaping the birthplace of the Los Angeles punk scene.
‘Do It Yourself’ tour
Carrying the DIY anthem forward, in 1977 The Nerves toured the United States and Canada, sharing stages with enduring acts like the Ramones and Mink DeVille. The band dissolved in 1978 during an unsettled moment. From those ashes rose two influential names in guitar pop: Plimsouls and The Beat, led by Paul Collins. Lee, often regarded as the most talented member of the trio, inspired a generation of writers and fans who carried his energy into new projects. A rock journalist and fan club president later recalled Lee sending a copy of The Nerves EP to Debbie Harry, then frontwoman of Blondie, which contributed to the scene’s crosspollination. The enduring influence of Lee’s work can be heard in Blondie’s late-1970s evolution and in subsequent interpretations by artists who embraced his brisk, hook-laden style.
Not so much
The influence of Lee’s work extended into the late 1970s and early 1980s, touching acts like Suzi Quatro, who covered a track from Lee’s album Suzi… and Other Four Letter Words (1979). A later single, Come Back and Stay, demonstrated broader commercial appeal and became a highlight of Lee’s first LP, No Parlez (1983). Subsequent releases included Lee’s Greatest Hits Vol. 1 (1983) and Bigger Than Life (1985). In 1986, French label Offense issued a full-length compilation under The Nerves banner. It gathered four tracks from the former EP, an additional tune from When You Find Out, and five unreleased songs. Among these later cuts, Paper Dolls and One Way Ticket, credited to Lee and Case, fed the second wave of 45s that kept The Nerves in the public consciousness. The LP stands as a compact Rosetta stone for garage pop and the early power pop movement, celebrated by a devoted cult following around the world. References to this period highlight the band as an indispensable source of modern pop energy in the rock canon.