Following their 1979 EP Physical World, the band started work on a full-length album. Impressed by the rough mixes, Korova signed the group. Jeopardy was recorded inexpensively at Elephant Studios in London, and was produced by the Sound themselves and Nick Robbins. Adrian Janes, ex-member of the Outsiders along with Sound frontman Adrian Borland and Bob Lawrence, contributed writing to two tracks, despite not being a member of the Sound. Regarding the album, drummer Michael Dudley said:
I felt I had really achieved something in my life. I couldn't wait to hand out copies to family and friends It was the most fun to record and the biggest challenge to work on in the studio .
Release
The album was preceded by the release of the single "Heyday" in September 1980. The single was well received in the press, with Dave McCullough of Sounds calling the song "one of the most exciting and most astonishingly adept big label debut singles I've heard since the Jam's 'In the City'". Jeopardy was released in November 1980. It was lauded by critics upon its release, but fared poorly commercially, failing to chart in the UK and with the band's fanbase failing to expand further than a cult following. The album was re-released in 2002 by Renascent with the Live Instinct EP included. The EP contains four tracks recorded live at a show at The Venue in London on 14 January 1981.
Reception
Jeopardy was critically lauded, and received full 5-star reviews from three major music publications: NME, Sounds and Melody Maker. Steve Sutherland of Melody Maker wrote: "Jeopardy is one of those records that makes me want to throw all the windows open, crank it up to full volume and blast it out to the world. It clears my head of boredom, strips away the gloom and single-handedly restores my belief in the power of pop to make people stop, think and question. Jeopardyhas got more spirit, more soul and more downright honesty about it than any other record I've heard this year". In its retrospective review, AllMusic called it "a caustic jolt of a debut that startles and fascinates". Brendan Perry from the Australian musical groupDead Can Dance has praised the album calling it an "Existentialist post punk jewel".
