Jig-A-Jig / Marcus Junior

Released on the Decca label in 1982, Jig-A-Jig / Marcus Junior serves as a later commercial output for East of Eden, a progressive rock group originally formed in Bristol in the late 1960s. By the time of this release, the band had undergone significant membership shifts, moving away from their earlier experimental, multi-instrumental sound that characterized albums like Mercator Projected. This single represents a period of stylistic adaptation where the band leaned into more straightforward arrangements, attempting to navigate the changing landscape of the British music industry during the early eighties.

The composition draws on the band's penchant for folk-inflected motifs, a hallmark of their previous work, though distilled here into a radio-oriented format. East of Eden was initially known for their innovative fusion of jazz, classical, and rock elements, often featuring violin and saxophone prominently. While this specific single did not reach the critical heights of their earlier psychedelic era, it remains an artifact of a resilient band attempting to maintain their creative presence through a traditional label distribution model during a transitionary decade.