Johnny Hates Jazz | |
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 Johnny Hates Jazz performing in 2014 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | London, England |
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| Members |
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| Past members |
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| Website | www |
Johnny Hates Jazz are a British pop [5] band, currently consisting of Clark Datchler (songwriter, vocalist, keyboards) and Mike Nocito (guitarist, bassist, producer, engineer). In April 1987, they achieved international success with their single "Shattered Dreams". [6]
Both Datchler and Nocito were born into musical families. Datchler's father, Fred, was a member of two chart-topping bands from the 1950s. The Stargazers had the distinction of being the first British band to reach No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart. [7] As part of the Polkadots, Fred Datchler sang backing vocals for Frank Sinatra and Petula Clark. Nocito hails from an American family based in Europe with the U.S. armed forces. His mother was a singer in a close-harmony group called the Cactus Kids, which performed for troops throughout northern Europe.[ citation needed ]
Having been a singer, guitarist, and keyboard player in numerous bands as a teenager, Datchler at the age of 17 released his first single on the London independent record label Bluebird Records, backed by members of reggae band Aswad. He went on to work with Rusty Egan of Visage, fusing electronic music with soul, and performed often on the London club scene. He was subsequently signed to Warner Brothers Music as a songwriter, and moved to Los Angeles. [8]
Nocito [9] was a guitarist in school bands, having grown up alongside friend and fellow record producer Phil Thornalley, as well as members of Katrina and the Waves. He became a recording engineer and worked with Pink Floyd, the Police, the Cure, Duran Duran, and the Thompson Twins.[ citation needed ]
The two met in 1982 at RAK Studios in London. Datchler had just become lead singer in the band Hot Club, alongside the third and final original JHJ member Calvin Hayes. The line-up also included bass player Glen Matlock and guitarist James Stevenson. In 1983, Hot Club released a single on RAK Records and performed at London's Marquee Club, a performance that impressed RAK head (and Hayes' father), [10] Mickie Most. He decided to sign Datchler to the label as a solo artist. It was Most who suggested that Datchler work with Nocito, who was an engineer at RAK Studios at the time. Over the next four years, the two worked together on Datchler's solo recordings. Most also guided Datchler, producing several of his recordings in the mid-1980s.[ citation needed ]
In April 1986, Datchler, Nocito and Hayes released the first Johnny Hates Jazz single, "Me and My Foolish Heart", on RAK Records. [11] It was not a commercial success, but gained substantial airplay and was Sounds magazine's record of the week.[ citation needed ]
Datchler began writing new songs which included "Shattered Dreams". JHJ then performed a showcase at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club, and were subsequently signed to Virgin Records. "Shattered Dreams" was released in March 1987 and became a top 5 hit in the UK, [11] throughout mainland Europe and Asia, and reached No. 2 in Japan. It was followed by three other worldwide hits, "I Don't Want to Be a Hero", "Turn Back the Clock" (featuring Kim Wilde on backing vocals) and "Heart of Gold". [11] In 1988, "Shattered Dreams" reached No. 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100, No. 1 on the US Adult Contemporary chart, and climbed to No. 4 in Canada. That same year, their album Turn Back the Clock entered the UK Albums Chart at No. 1, selling four million copies. [11]
At the end of 1987, JHJ made two music videos with director David Fincher. The videos were for the US releases of "Shattered Dreams" and "Heart of Gold". Datchler left the band at the end of 1988.
Hayes and Nocito continued the band, and replaced Datchler with their friend Phil Thornalley, a Grammy Award-nominated engineer and record producer, and a former bass player for The Cure. The new line-up released a second album, Tall Stories , in 1991. However, the album was unsuccessful, and the band dissolved the following year due to a car accident in which Hayes was badly injured and in hospital for 2 years. [11]
Datchler moved to Amsterdam at the end of the 1980s and focused on his solo work, recording the albums Raindance and Fishing for Souls. [12] Returning to the UK, he based himself at Peter Gabriel's Real World Studios near Bath throughout the 1990s. In 2000, he moved to the US and created a solar-powered home and studio, where he recorded much of his most recent album, Tomorrow. Throughout this time, he studied the philosophy of indigenous people and became environmentally active. In 2008 he received a GreenTec Award (formerly the Clean Tech Media Awards) in Berlin. [13] [14]
Following the dissolution of Johnny Hates Jazz, Nocito based himself in Cambridge, England, and produced the Katrina and the Waves single "Love Shine a Light", a top 10 hit throughout Europe and winner of the 1997 Eurovision Song Contest. [15] He also produced and wrote for Hepburn, Gina G, and Orson, and continued to work extensively with Katrina and the Waves.[ citation needed ]
Datchler and Nocito met again in 2009 after Datchler wrote a song called "Magnetized", which he felt would be ideal for Johnny Hates Jazz. Soon after, they decided to record a new album. Datchler moved back to the UK and wrote the rest of the songs for the project. At the same time, the original line-up of Datchler, Nocito, and Hayes performed live at various international festivals. However, after several shows in 2010, Hayes left the band before recording of the new album commenced. [12]
That same year, Datchler received a BMI award for "Shattered Dreams" in recognition of receiving over three million broadcast performances of the song in the US alone. [16]
The subsequent album was titled Magnetized . [17] Recording spanned much of 2011 and 2012, and took place at Real World Studios near Bath, Hamp Sound near Cambridge, and Angel Recording Studios in London. It featured Datchler as songwriter, vocalist, and keyboard player, and Nocito as producer and engineer. [17] There were also string arrangements and additional keyboards from The Art of Noise's Anne Dudley, who had arranged the strings on "Turn Back The Clock". Other contributors included drummer Alex Reeves, guitarists David Rhodes and Marcus Bonfanti, synthesizer player Pete Watson, and mix engineer Stephen W. Tayler. [18]
The first single, "Magnetized", was released in the UK on 28 April 2013, and received widespread airplay, being A-listed for several weeks on BBC Radio 2. It was also released in Germany and achieved similar success on radio there. The album was subsequently released on 5 May in the UK. [19] However, Datchler collapsed in London shortly after this, and was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. As a result, all promotion came to halt. It was not until the following year that he made a full recovery, but by that time the album had lost momentum, and the band decided to focus on live work instead.
After this, the band performed extensively in the UK at festivals, as well as in Germany and Asia. In 2017, they released a remixed version of "Magnetized" in China, as well as performing live. Subsequently, they began writing and recording material for a new album. In addition, Datchler co-wrote 11 songs with Mike Rutherford for the UK top 10 Mike + the Mechanics albums Let Me Fly and Out of the Blue .
The band released a new single, titled "Spirit Of Love", on 29 May 2020. It has a few inspirations and musical roots from the 1970s during which Datchler and Nocito grew up. [20] [21] Also on 29 May, it was announced in a trailer that a new album, Wide Awake, would be released on 14 August 2020. This was said to have been "two years in the making", and to contain "... a mixture of soulful melodies, uplifting lyrics, and a positive energy that is present from start to finish." On 4 June 2020, a music video was released that featured fan pictures and videos of what they loved most and the band members walking around and visiting different spots in Japan. [22] [23] [24] [20]
In October 2021, the band toured the UK supporting Level 42.
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK [25] | UK Sales [26] | UK Indie [27] | AUS [28] | AUT [29] | CAN [30] | GER [31] | NLD [32] | NOR [33] | NZ [34] | SWE [35] | SWI [36] | US [37] | |||
| Turn Back the Clock | 1 | 1 | — | 72 | 20 | 40 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 56 | ||
| Tall Stories |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Magnetized |
| 102 | 102 | 23 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Wide Awake |
| — | 92 | 31 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||||||||
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | UK Network [39] | UK Indie | UK Heritage [40] | AUS | BEL (FL) [41] | GER | IRE [42] | NLD | NZ | SWE | SWI | US [43] | |||
| "Me and My Foolish Heart" | 1986 | 112 [44] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Turn Back the Clock |
| "Shattered Dreams" | 1987 | 5 | 3 | — | — | 22 | 36 | 7 | 3 | 26 | — | 7 | 5 | 2 | |
| "I Don't Want to Be a Hero" | 11 | 11 | — | — | 76 | 16 | 17 | 13 | 25 | — | 10 | 12 | 31 | ||
| "Turn Back the Clock" | 12 | 14 | — | — | — | 9 | 19 | 17 | 6 | 3 | 20 | — | — | ||
| "Heart of Gold" | 1988 | 19 | 18 | — | — | 87 | 30 | 55 | 19 | 27 | 18 | — | — | — | |
| "Don't Say It's Love" | 48 | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Turn the Tide" | 1989 | 84 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single |
| "Let Me Change Your Mind Tonight" | 1991 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Tall Stories |
| "The Last to Know" | — | — | — | — | — | — | 57 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Magnetized" | 2013 | — | — | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Magnetized |
| "Spirit of Love" [45] | 2020 | — | — | — | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Wide Awake |
| "New Day Ahead" | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Greater Good" | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||||||||
Michael Peter Hayes, known as Mickie Most, was an English record producer behind scores of hit singles for acts such as the Animals, Herman's Hermits, the Nashville Teens, Donovan, Lulu, Suzi Quatro, Hot Chocolate, Arrows, Racey and the Jeff Beck Group, often issued on his own RAK Records label.
Pornography is the fourth studio album by English rock band the Cure, released on 4 May 1982 by Fiction Records. Preceded by the non-album single "Charlotte Sometimes", it was the band's first album with new producer Phil Thornalley, and was recorded at RAK Studios from January to April 1982. The sessions saw the band on the brink of collapse, with heavy drug use, band in-fighting, and frontman Robert Smith's depression fueling the album's musical and lyrical content. Pornography represents the conclusion of the Cure's early dark, gloomy musical phase, which began with their second album Seventeen Seconds (1980).
Hepburn were a four-piece British all-female pop rock band. The band released an album and three singles between 1999 and 2000, but were best known for their first single "I Quit", which reached number 8 on the UK charts. Hepburn was best known to American audiences when they appeared on the soundtrack to the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The band was made up of Jamie Benson (vocals), Lisa Lister (guitar), Sarah Davies (bass), Beverley Fullen (drums), Lisa Gordon, and Tasha Baylis.
Philip Thornalley is an English songwriter-producer who has worked in the music industry since 1978. He is perhaps best known for co-writing the song "Torn" and the UK number one hits "Mama Do" and "Boys and Girls" for Pixie Lott. He also produced The Cure's 1982 album Pornography and was later their bass player for eighteen months, producing and performing the distinctive double bass line on their 1983 single "The Love Cats". In 1988, Thornalley released his first solo album Swamp and briefly joined the band Johnny Hates Jazz. He then worked principally as a songwriter for hire for many acts including Bryan Adams. In 2017, he joined Adams' band as bass player for 18 months before releasing two solo albums of his own 1970s inspired music under the moniker Astral Drive.
Turn Back the Clock is the debut studio album by English band Johnny Hates Jazz, released by Virgin Records on 11 January 1988 in United Kingdom and on 29 March 1988 in the United States. The album, whose most famous single was "Shattered Dreams", peaked at number one on the UK Albums Chart and at number 56 on the US Billboard 200. Kim Wilde sings backing vocals on the title track, which reached number 12 on the UK Singles Chart and number 10 in New Zealand. The track "Foolish Heart" was originally released as a single in 1986 as "Me and My Foolish Heart".
The Stargazers were a British vocal group, jointly founded in 1949 by Cliff Adams and Ronnie Milne. Other original members were Marie Benson, Fred Datchler and Dick James.
Robbie Nevil is Robbie Nevil's first album, released in 1986. It peaked at #37 on the Billboard 200, remaining on the chart for 46 weeks. The album produced three Billboard Top 20 pop singles: "C'est La Vie" (#2), "Dominoes" (#14) and "Wot's It to Ya" (#10). In the United Kingdom, the album was retitled C'est La Vie after the single reached Number 3 on the Gallup UK Singles Chart, with the album becoming a small hit when it peaked at Number 93 in June 1987.
"Shattered Dreams" is a song by English musical group Johnny Hates Jazz from their debut studio album, Turn Back the Clock (1988). Written by the band's lead singer Clark Datchler, the song was released in March 1987 as the album's lead single. "Shattered Dreams" entered the UK Singles Chart at number 92 and gained popularity through extensive radio play and video rotation on MTV, eventually peaking at number five in May 1987 and spending three weeks at that position.
Clark Wynford Datchler is an English singer-songwriter and record producer. He first rose to fame in 1987 as the lead singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist in the pop band Johnny Hates Jazz.
Rhythm of Life is the debut studio album by the Scottish musician Paul Haig, released in November 1983 by Island Records. It was recorded at Sigma Sound Studios in New York City and RAK Studios in London with renowned record producer Alex Sadkin, known for his work on multiple albums by Grace Jones, and Thompson Twins. The album features guest musicians such as Bernie Worrell of Parliament-Funkadelic, Anton Fier of the Feelies and the Golden Palominos, and Tom Bailey of Thompson Twins. Four singles were released from Rhythm of Life: "Heaven Sent", "Never Give Up ", "Justice" and "Blue for You". The track "Adoration" was originally performed while Haig was still a member of the post-punk band Josef K. The album spent 2 weeks on the UK Albums Chart, peaking at No. 82.
Tall Stories is the second studio album by Johnny Hates Jazz, released by Virgin in 1991. The follow-up to 1988's Turn Back the Clock, Tall Stories features producer and songwriter Phil Thornalley as lead singer, following the departure of the band's frontman Clark Datchler. On the eve of the album's release, Thornalley and keyboardist Calvin Hayes were involved in a serious car crash that depleted the band's momentum. The album failed to chart, and the band subsequently folded.
Raindance is the debut solo album from English singer and musician Clark Datchler. It was released in 1990 by Virgin Records. Datchler had left Johnny Hates Jazz in 1988 to continue his solo career. He moved to Amsterdam and began work on his debut album.
"Turn the Tide" is a song by British pop band Johnny Hates Jazz, released by Virgin as a non-album single in 1989. The song was written by Phil Thornalley, Scott Cutler and Chris Murrell, and produced by Calvin Hayes and Mike Nocito. It peaked at number 84 in the UK Singles Chart and remained in the top 100 for two weeks.
Swamp is the debut and only solo studio album from English songwriter-producer Phil Thornalley, released in 1988 by MCA.
"Irresistible" is a song written and recorded by British singer-songwriter Steve Harley. It was released three times as a single; the first being in 1985 as a non-album single under his band's name Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel In 1986, a remixed version of the song was released by Harley as a solo single in the UK, and in 1992, he re-released this version as a single in Europe from his solo album Yes You Can. "Irresistible" was written by Harley and produced by English producer Mickie Most.
Magnetized is the third studio album by Johnny Hates Jazz released on May 24, 2013. This album was the band's first album in 22 years, after Tall Stories and the departure of members Calvin Hayes and Phil Thornalley, and the return of founding vocalist Clark Datchler. The album, was followed by the release of the same-titled lead single, along with a corresponding music video. The album peaked at #102 in the UK.
"Don't Say It's Love" is a song by British band Johnny Hates Jazz, released in 1988 as the sixth and final single from their debut studio album Turn Back the Clock. It was written by Clark Datchler and produced by Calvin Hayes and Mike Nocito. "Don't Say It's Love" reached No. 48 in the UK Singles Chart and remained in the top 100 for three weeks. The song did not achieve commercial success in Europe, but reached No. 22 on the European Airplay Top 50 chart.
"Crown of Thorns" is a song by English singer-songwriter Clark Datchler, which was released in 1990 as the lead single from his debut solo studio album Raindance. The song was written by Datchler, and produced by Datchler and Humberto Gatica. "Crown of Thorns" peaked at No. 100 on the UK Singles Chart.
"Me and My Foolish Heart" is the debut single by English band Johnny Hates Jazz, released by Rak in 1986. It was written by Phil Thornalley, Calvin Hayes, Iain MacDonald and Mike Nocito, and was produced by Hayes and Nocito. The song was included on the band's 1988 debut album Turn Back the Clock as "Foolish Heart".
"Heart of Gold" is a song by English band Johnny Hates Jazz, released by Virgin in 1988 as the fourth single from their debut studio album Turn Back the Clock (1987). The song was written by Clark Datchler and produced by Calvin Hayes and Mike Nocito. It reached number 19 in the UK Singles Chart and remained in the top 100 for seven weeks.
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