Tracy Bonham Revives ‘Jumping Bean’
New version of 2000 track precedes forthcoming LP
It’s been nearly 30 years since Tracy Bonham struck alt-rock gold with her singular hit “Mother Mother,” which received a revival on the first season of Yellowjackets.
Now, eight years after her last album — a re-recording of her breakthrough 1996 debut LP The Burdens of Being Upright — the classically trained violinist turned guitar rocker is back with a new single.
Actually, it’s a new version of an old song, one that originally appeared on Bonham’s underrated second album, 2000’s Down Here. Initially written in 1998, “Jumping Bean” was crafted as a reaction to her record label at the time, Island Records, and the way by which women were treated in the music industry.
“Twenty five years later, the song is still relevant for me as I find strength to challenge the status quo and my relationships with men,” Tracy explains. “This was a growing awareness I had as my world expanded from being a young woman treated as a subordinate and dealing with sexist bosses when I worked in restaurants, to sitting in boardrooms and business dinners with ‘powerful’ men in the music business who thought nothing of telling me what to wear, how to pose on my album cover, and how to step out of the way… This is a message for anyone who feels trapped in someone else’s idea of who they should be.”
Cut to present day, with the lyrics remaining the same, “Jumping Bean” is coming from a place of liberation rather than feeling trapped. The new arrangement is more powerful than the original version because it showcases Tracy’s maturity and newfound confidence.
The music video was filmed in April 2024 during a performance with the Eugene Ballet at the Hult Center For The Performing Arts — a collaboration with choreographer Suzaane Haag, who has used Tracy’s music for many pieces.
“This live performance exemplifies what it is to dissent as a female artist working in a traditionally misogynist art form; classical ballet,” Tracy says. “For a big part of it, Suzaane Haag used literal choreography from some of the oldest, most classic ballets (La Bayadère, Paquita, Swan Lake, and Giselle). That said, Suzaane’s irony doesn’t replace how much she reveres the art form as a part of who she is and her sense of pride when she chooses to wear the toe shoes, the tutus, and to stand on one leg, etc. It is not a sign of weakness, even with the traditional underpinnings of a male dominated business.”
For Bonham, taking “Jumping Bean” to this next level serves as an evolution in her sound that brings her talents full circle.
“I had been playing ‘Jumping Bean’ solo (guitar and vocals) with a PJ Harvey-esque bluesy vibe for many years,” she explains. “When my rhythm section joined me (Rene Hart on bass and Alvester Garnett on drums), they added a rhythmic element that transformed the choruses into a rock-blues anthem that is incredibly unique and powerful.”
Check out the video for this exciting new version of “Jumping Bean” below.
VIDEO: Tracy Bonham “Jumping Bean”
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I always felt that Jumping Bean was a sequel to Navy Bean which was another disguised critique of aspects of the industry,
Solid content. Will definitely come back for more. Dressmaker