Johnnie & Joe

Last updated
Johnnie & Joe
Origin The Bronx, New York, USA
Genres R&B
Years active1957 (1957)–1988 (1988)
Labels Chess Records (under lease from J & S Records)
Past membersJohnnie Richardson, Joe Rivers

Johnnie & Joe were an American R&B vocal duo from The Bronx, New York, United States, who were best known for their 1957 hit "Over the Mountain; Across the Sea."

Contents

History

Johnnie Louise Richardson (June 29, 1935, Montgomery, Alabama - October 25, 1988, New York City) [1] and Joe Rivers (March 20, 1937, Charleston, South Carolina) [2] began singing together in 1957 and released several singles on Chess Records, [3] which were leased from J & S Records, to whom the duo were under contract. Richardson was the daughter of the J & S label owner, Zelma "Zell" Sanders, who had been a touring member of The Hearts. [2]

Richardson and Rivers resumed their professional partnership later in the 1960s. During the 1970s and '80s they performed in oldies concerts, and made a critically acclaimed album, Kingdom of Love, in 1982. [4] Johnnie Richardson died of complications from a stroke in 1988.

Discography

Three of the songs hit the U.S. singles charts. "Over the Mountain; Across the Sea," written by Rex Garvin, went to #3 on the R&B chart and #8 on the Billboard Hot 100, [5] and "I'll Be Spinning," written by Freddie Scott, went Top 10 R&B, both in 1957. [3] [6] "My Baby's Gone," a #15 R&B hit, was their last hit, [3] although "Over the Mountain, Across the Sea" returned to the pop charts in 1960, peaking at #89 the second time around. [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnnie Taylor</span> American singer and songwriter (1934–2000)

Johnnie Harrison Taylor was an American recording artist and songwriter who performed a wide variety of genres, from blues, rhythm and blues, soul, and gospel to pop, doo-wop, and disco. He was initially successful at Stax Records with the number-one R&B hits "Who's Making Love" (1968), "Jody's Got Your Girl and Gone" (1971) and "I Believe in You " (1973), and reached number one on the US pop charts with "Disco Lady" in 1976.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Bobbettes</span> American R&B girl group

The Bobbettes were an American R&B girl group who had a 1957 top 10 hit song called "Mr. Lee". The group initially existed from 1955 to 1974 and included Jannie Pought (1945–1980), Emma Pought, Reather Dixon (1944–2014), Laura Webb (1941–2001), and Helen Gathers (1942–2011).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freddie Scott</span> Musical artist

Freddie Scott was an American soul singer and songwriter. His biggest hits were "Hey, Girl", a top ten US pop hit in 1963, and "Are You Lonely for Me", a No. 1 hit on the R&B chart in early 1967.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kitty Wells</span> American country music singer (1919–2012)

Ellen Muriel Deason, known professionally as Kitty Wells, was an American pioneering female country music singer. She broke down a barrier for women in country music with her 1952 hit recording "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels", which also made her the first female country singer to top the U.S. country charts and turned her into the first female country superstar. “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels” would also be her first of several pop crossover hits. Wells is the only artist to be awarded top female vocalist awards for 14 consecutive years. Her chart-topping hits continued until the mid-1960s, paving the way for and inspiring a long list of female country singers who came to prominence in the 1960s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'll Be There (Jackson 5 song)</span> 1970 single by The Jackson 5

"I'll Be There" is the first single released from Third Album by The Jackson 5. It was written by Berry Gordy, Hal Davis, Bob West, and Willie Hutch.

Next is an American R&B musical trio, popular during the late 1990s and early 2000s. They are best known for their Billboard Hot 100 number-one hit single "Too Close". They are also known for "Wifey", "Butta Love" and "I Still Love You", all of which still receive frequent airplay on Urban Adult Contemporary radio stations in the U.S. and internationally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shop Around</span> American popular song written by Smokey Robinson and Berry Gordy

"Shop Around" is a song originally recorded by the Miracles on Motown Records' Tamla subsidiary label. It was written by Miracles lead singer Smokey Robinson and Motown Records founder Berry Gordy. It became a smash hit in 1960 when originally recorded by the Miracles, reaching number one on the Billboard R&B chart, number one on the Cashbox Top 100 Pop Chart, and number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It was the Miracles' first million-selling hit record, and the first-million-selling hit for the Motown Record Corporation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cookie Crew</span> 1983–1992 British rap duo

Cookie Crew were a rap music duo formed in Clapham, South London in 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">In the Still of the Night (The Five Satins song)</span> 1956 single by The Five Satins

"In the Still of the Nite", also subsequently titled "In the Still of the Night", is a song written by Fred Parris and recorded by his band the Five Satins. Originally the song was titled "(I'll Remember) In the Still of the Nite" to distinguish itself from Cole Porter's "In the Still of the Night". Later the title was changed to "In the Still of the Night".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marv Johnson</span> American singer and songwriter (1938–1993)

Marvin Earl Johnson was an American R&B singer, songwriter and pianist. He was influential in the development of the Motown style of music, primarily for the song "Come to Me," which was the first record issued by Tamla Records, the precursor to the famous label.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yarbrough and Peoples</span> American R&B duo

Yarbrough and Peoples is an American urban contemporary duo from Dallas, Texas. The duo’s biggest-selling release was "Don't Stop the Music," a US Billboard R&B chart topper in 1981.

The Jaynetts were an American girl group based in the Bronx, New York, who became a one-hit wonder in 1963 with the song "Sally Go 'Round the Roses", which reached No. 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

"Drown in My Own Tears", originally credited as "I'll Drown in My Tears", is a song written by Henry Glover. It is best known in the version released as a single in 1956 by Ray Charles on the Atlantic record label.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kieran Kane</span> American country music artist (born 1949)

Kieran Kane is an American country music artist, as well as the owner of Dead Reckoning Records, an independent record label. Between 1986 and 1990, he and Jamie O'Hara comprised The O'Kanes, a duo which charted seven singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles charts, including the Number One single "Can't Stop My Heart from Loving You". In addition, Kieran charted a string of solo singles on Asylum Records in 1982. After The O'Kanes disbanded in 1990, both O'Hara and Kane recorded solo albums of their own. Kane was also responsible for writing the song "I'll Go On Loving You" which was a top 5 country hit for Alan Jackson in 1998.

J & S Records was a New York record label started in 1956 and continued through to the early 1970s. The owner was Zelma "Zell" Sanders (1922–1976), one of the few woman label owners in the record business.

Rex Garvin was an American rhythm and blues singer, songwriter, keyboard player and arranger. His writing credits include the 1957 US chart hit "Over the Mountain; Across the Sea", by Johnnie and Joe, and his own 1966 recording "Sock It To 'Em J.B.", later recorded by The Specials.

The singles discography of Kitty Wells, an American country artist, consists of ninety singles, nineteen B-sides, and two music videos. In 1949 she was signed to RCA Victor Records, where she released her debut single, "Death at the Bar" also in 1949. Dropped from RCA in 1950, Wells signed with Decca Records and released the single "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" in 1952. The song was an answer song to Hank Thompson's hit, "The Wild Side of Life", spending six weeks at number one on the Billboard Magazine Hot C&W Sides chart. The single sold one million copies and made Wells the first female country artist to have a single reach number one on the Billboard country list. Until the end of the decade, Wells became the only woman on the country chart that would consistently receive radio airplay. In 1953 the song, "Paying for That Back Street Affair" reached #6 on the Billboard Hot C&W Sides list, as well as twenty one additional Top Ten singles on the same chart between 1953 and 1959. This included singles such as the Red Foley duet "One by One" (1954), "Making Believe" (1955), "I Can't Stop Loving You" (1958), "Mommy for a Day" (1959), and "Amigo's Guitar" (1959). The latter song was written by Wells herself and later won her a BMI Songwriter's Award.

George Henry Jackson was an American blues, rhythm & blues, rock and soul songwriter and singer. His prominence was as a prolific and skilled songwriter; he wrote or co-wrote many hit songs for other musicians, including "Down Home Blues," "One Bad Apple", "Old Time Rock and Roll" and "The Only Way Is Up". As a southern soul singer he recorded fifteen singles between 1963 and 1985, with some success.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Over the Mountain; Across the Sea</span>

"Over the Mountain; Across the Sea" is a song written by Rex Garvin. The song was a hit for Johnnie & Joe in 1957 and Bobby Vinton in 1963.

"Stop the World (and Let Me Off)" is a song written and originally performed by Carl Belew. It was released as a single first by Belew in January 1958. It was later followed by competing versions by Patsy Cline and Johnnie & Jack. The latter duo's version became the first successful version of the song to be a hit. It was later covered a decade later by Waylon Jennings and then again by Susan Raye in 1974.

References

  1. Johnnie Louise Richardson at AllMusic
  2. 1 2 "REX GARVIN". Rockabilly.nl.
  3. 1 2 3 Wynn, Ron. Biography of Johnnie & Joe at AllMusic
  4. "Johnnie & Joe Biography". Oldies.com.
  5. 1 2 Billboard Singles for Johnnie & Joe at AllMusic
  6. Review of I'll Be Spinning at AllMusic