Jo Jo Gunne

Last updated
Jo Jo Gunne
Origin Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres Rock
Years active
  • 1971–1974
  • 2005
Labels
Past members

Jo Jo Gunne was an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, United States, in 1971 by Jay Ferguson and Mark Andes after they had left the rock band Spirit. [1] The band was named after the Chuck Berry song "Jo Jo Gunne". The band released their eponymous debut album in 1972 and had a top 10 hit song "Run Run Run" in the UK. They released three further albums before disbanding in 1974. They reunited in 2005 for a time to record a fifth album Big Chain.

Contents

Career

Jo Jo Gunne was formed by Jay Ferguson (keyboards, vocals and guitar) and brothers Mark (bass and vocals) and Matt Andes (born February 6, 1949; guitar, vocals), along with William "Curly" Smith (born January 31, 1952, Wolf Point, Montana; drums, vocals, and harp) in 1971. [2] Ferguson chose the group's name, "Jo Jo Gunne", from a 1958 Chuck Berry song about a monkey of that name that caused a fight between a lion and an elephant. [3] They performed their first major show in Los Angeles in May 1971 before they were signed to Asylum Records. [1] [4]

The band's first album Jo Jo Gunne was released in 1972 and the album reached number 57 on Billboard's Top 100 Albums. The band had a number 6 hit in the UK Singles Chart in April 1972 with a song, "Run Run Run", [1] taken from the album. It also received airplay on U.S. album-oriented rock FM radio stations. [5] The song reached number 30 in Canada. [6]

Their second album, Bite Down Hard, was a minor success peaking on the Billboard Top 200 chart at number 75. Due to the lack of a breakout single, this album's sales fared more poorly than their 1971 introductory effort. The album was produced by Bill Szymczyk who was best known at the time for his production work on Joe Walsh's Barnstorm and B.B. King's Completely Well . [7]

The band's third album Jumpin' the Gunne, featuring an obese naked woman on the cover, failed to rise any higher than number 169 on the Billboard Top 200 chart. The band's fourth album, So...Where's the Show?, featured new guitarist Staehely (a former member of Spirit), whose harder edged sound complemented Ferguson's songs giving the band a much harder rock sound than on their previous efforts. [7] The group did not maintain the commercial momentum of their first release. [1] They broke up in 1974. [1]

Personnel changes

Following the first album, Mark Andes left the band after a falling out with his brother Matt and Ferguson and was replaced by Jimmie Randall. [1] Randall introduced a brighter bass sound and helped increase the band's overall volume.[ citation needed ]

Matt Andes left after Jumpin' the Gunne, and he was briefly replaced by Starr Donaldson (born September 23, 1950) in 1974. A replacement was soon found in John Staehely (born 25 January 1952, Austin, Texas), [2] who had played on Feedback , the Spirit album that followed Ferguson and Andes's departure. Staehely's overdriven guitar was a significant change from Matt Andes's Ry Cooder style slide guitar.[ citation needed ]

After the band broke up, Ferguson recorded several solo albums, [2] which yielded the hit singles "Thunder Island" and "Shakedown Cruise". He then scored TV shows and several movies. Mark Andes joined Firefall and then Heart. Smith went on to have a career as a session drummer, and played with Spirit in the 1980s, and Boston from 1994 to 2000.

Reunion

The original line-up temporarily got back together around 1992. In a July 1995 interview in Vintage Guitar Magazine, Mark Andes recalls: "Curly Smith called me up and noted that it was the twentieth anniversary of when that band had formed; Steve Lukather took us into the studio and we recorded a lot of new material, but it didn't go anywhere".[ citation needed ]

They began recording again in 2005 in Santa Barbara at Jay Ferguson's studio. The 2005 recordings were eventually put out as an album, Big Chain, on Blue Hand Records. [8] The music was co-produced by the band and engineered by Ferguson.

Discography

Albums

TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positions
US
[9] 		AUS
[10] 		CAN
[11]
Jo Jo Gunne 571855
Bite Down Hard
  • Release date: 1973
  • Label: Asylum
75——
Jumpin' the Gunne
  • Release date: 1973
  • Label: Asylum
169——
"So...Where's the Show?"
  • Release date: 1974
  • Label: Asylum
198——
Big Chain
  • Release date: 2005
  • Label: Blue Hand Records
———

Singles

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jumpin' Jack Flash</span> 1968 single by the Rolling Stones

"Jumpin' Jack Flash" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released as a non-album single in 1968. Called "supernatural Delta blues by way of Swinging London" by Rolling Stone magazine, the song was perceived by some as the band's return to their blues roots after the baroque pop and psychedelia heard on their preceding albums Aftermath (1966), Between the Buttons (1967) and especially Their Satanic Majesties Request (1967). One of the group's most popular and recognisable songs, it has been featured in films and covered by numerous performers, notably Thelma Houston, Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner, Peter Frampton, Johnny Winter, Leon Russell and Alex Chilton. To date, it is the band's most-performed song; they have played it over 1,100 times in concert.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heart (band)</span> American rock band

Heart is an American rock band formed in 1973 in Seattle, Washington. The band evolved from previous projects led by founding members Roger Fisher (guitar) and Steve Fossen, including The Army (1967–1969), Hocus Pocus (1969–1970), and White Heart (1970–1973). By 1975, original members Fisher, Fossen, and Ann Wilson, along with Nancy Wilson, Michael Derosier (drums), and Howard Leese formed the lineup for the band's initial mid- to late-1970s success period. These core members were included in the band's 2013 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Hollies</span> English pop group formed in the early 1960s

The Hollies are an English rock and pop band formed in 1962. One of the leading British groups of the 1960s and into the mid-1970s, they are known for their distinctive three-part vocal harmony style. Allan Clarke and Graham Nash founded the band as a Merseybeat-type group in Manchester, although some of the band members came from towns further north, in east Lancashire. Nash left the group in 1968 to form Crosby, Stills & Nash, though he has reunited with the Hollies on occasion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spirit (band)</span> American rock band founded in 1967

Spirit was an American rock band founded in 1967 and based in Los Angeles. Their most commercially successful single in the United States was "I Got a Line on You". They were also known for their albums, including their self-titled debut album, The Family That Plays Together, Clear, and Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus.

Christie are an English soft rock band that formed at the end of the 1960s. They are best remembered for their UK chart-topping hit single "Yellow River", released in 1970, which hit number one in 26 countries that year.

<i>But Seriously, Folks...</i> 1978 studio album by Joe Walsh

But Seriously, Folks... is the fourth studio album by the American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Joe Walsh. The album was released in mid-1978, on the Asylum label. It included the satirical song "Life's Been Good". The original 8:04 album version of this track was edited down to 4:35 for single release, and this became Walsh's biggest solo hit, peaking at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Randy California</span> American guitarist and singer (1951–1997)

Randy Craig Wolfe, known as Randy California, was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter, and one of the original members of the rock group Spirit, formed in 1967.

<i>Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus</i> 1970 studio album by Spirit

Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus is the fourth album by the American rock band Spirit. It was produced by David Briggs, who is best known for his work with Neil Young. The original LP was released in November 1970 by Epic. The band's lowest charting album to that point, it peaked at #63 on the Billboard 200 in February 1971, spending only fourteen weeks on the chart. However, it sold well as a catalog item and became the band's only album to ultimately attain a RIAA gold certification in the U.S., achieving that status in 1976. On the Canadian RPM Magazine Top 100 charts, the album reached #49 and was in the top 100 for 10 weeks.

John Arden "Jay" Ferguson is an American rock and pop musician known for his work with the bands Spirit and Jo Jo Gunne, and his 1978 solo hit "Thunder Island". His later career has been as a composer of music for television programs and films. Many people know Ferguson for composing the theme song for the American version of The Office on NBC.

<i>Feedback</i> (Spirit album) 1972 studio album by Spirit

Feedback is the fifth album by the rock band Spirit. Released in 1972, it was the first Spirit album without original members Jay Ferguson and Mark Andes, and it was also the only Spirit album that did not feature Randy California performing on it, as California had left the group to pursue a solo career (Kapt. Kopter and the Twirly Birds).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denny Laine</span> British rock musician (1944–2023)

Denny Laine was an English musician who co-founded two major rock bands: the Moody Blues and Wings. Laine played guitar in the Moody Blues from 1964 to 1966, and sang their hit cover version of “Go Now”. While the Moody Blues were on tour with The Beatles in 1965, Laine befriended Paul McCartney, who later asked him to join his band Wings.

"For All We Know" is a soft rock song written for the 1970 film Lovers and Other Strangers, with music by Fred Karlin and lyrics by Robb Wilson and Arthur James. Both Royer and Griffin were founding members of the soft rock group Bread. It was originally performed, for the film's soundtrack, by Larry Meredith. The best known version of the song is by American pop duo the Carpenters which reached No. 3 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 1 on the US Billboard Easy Listening chart in 1971. The song was also a hit for Shirley Bassey at the same time in the United Kingdom. It has since been covered by various artists including Petula Clark.

<i>Rock the House Live!</i> 1991 live album by Heart

Rock the House Live! is a live album released by the American hard rock band Heart in 1991. It was recorded at The Centrum, Worcester, MA, USA on November 28, 1990. The band performed a set of 22 songs ; but only 14 were used on the album, missing most of their recent successful singles "These Dreams", "Never", "Alone", "What About Love", "All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You", trying to demonstrate that Heart wasn't a band of ballad hits, but instead an arena rock staple. Instead of filling the album either with their early hard rock hits or their later pop ones, it is instead composed of mainly less familiar songs from recent albums, and a new cover.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Andes</span> American bassist

Mark Andes is an American musician, known for his work as a bassist with Canned Heat, Spirit, Jo Jo Gunne, Firefall, Heart, and Mirabal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No Matter What (Badfinger song)</span> Single by Badfinger

"No Matter What" is a song originally recorded by Badfinger for their album No Dice in 1970, written and sung by Pete Ham and produced by Mal Evans.

Thomas Righter Snow is an American songwriter.

Jimmie Randall is a bass guitarist best known for his work with Jo Jo Gunne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roundabout (Yes song)</span> Single by Yes

"Roundabout" is a song by the English progressive rock band Yes from their fourth studio album Fragile, released in November 1971. It was written by singer Jon Anderson and guitarist Steve Howe and produced by the band and Eddy Offord. The song originated when the band were on tour and travelled from Aberdeen to Glasgow, and went through many roundabouts on the way.

<i>Kapt. Kopter and the (Fabulous) Twirly Birds</i> 1972 studio album by Randy California

Kapt. Kopter and the (Fabulous) Twirly Birds is a 1972 studio album by Randy California.

<i>Jo Jo Gunne</i> (album) 1972 studio album by Jo Jo Gunne

Jo Jo Gunne is the eponymous debut album from rock/hard rock band Jo Jo Gunne, formed after keyboardist/vocalist Jay Ferguson and bassist/vocalist Mark Andes left Spirit. "Run Run Run", released as the album's first single, became a top 10 hit in the United Kingdom and received airplay on US AOR radio stations.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Colin Larkin, ed. (1999). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Heavy Rock (First ed.). Virgin Books. p. 243. ISBN   0-7535-0257-7.
  2. 1 2 3 The New Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll. Fireside. 1995. ISBN   9780684810447 – via Google Books.
  3. ↑ Wilson, Dave (2004). Rock Formations. Cidermill Books. p. 56. ISBN   9780974848358 – via Google Books.
  4. ↑ Knemeyer, George (May 22, 1971). "Jo Jo Gunne". Billboard. pp. 20, 22.
  5. ↑ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London, UK: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 283. ISBN   1-904994-10-5.
  6. 1 2 "RPM100 Singles" (PDF). Collectionscanada.gc.ca. May 1972. Retrieved 2017-06-30.
  7. 1 2 Lindsay Planer. "Jo Jo Gunne - Jo Jo Gunne | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic . Retrieved 2017-06-30.
  8. ↑ "Jo Jo Gunne: Big Chain". AllMusic.
  9. ↑ "Jo Jo Gunne Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard .
  10. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 156. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  11. ↑ "RPM 100 Album". RPM Weekly.
  12. ↑ "Jo Jo Gunne top songs". Music VF.com.
  13. ↑ "Jo Jo Gunne: Run Run Run". Offizielle Deutsche Charts.
  14. ↑ "Jo Jo Gunne". The Official Charts Company.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.