Town Called Malice Town Called Malice "Town Called Malice" is a song recorded by British band the Jam from the album "The Gift". It debuted at number one in the UK Singles Chart in February 1982. The title is a play on the 1950 Nevil Shute novel "A Town Like Alice," although Paul Weller says he had not read the book at the time. It was a double A-side single release featuring "Precious" as the flip side. A 12" version was also available with a live version of "Town Called Malice" backed by an extended version of "Precious". Paul Weller has said that
A Town Like Alice (1956 film) where Joe lived before the war, and is much impressed with the quality of life there. She then travels to the (fictional) primitive town of Willstown in the Queensland outback, where Joe has become the manager of a cattle station. Meanwhile, Joe has learnt that Jean survived the war and that she was not married. He travels to London to find her, using money won in a lottery. It is some time before they are reunited in Alice Springs and they fall in love immediately. Leslie Norman expressed interest in making a film of the novel in 1952. The script