Johnny Hates Jazz

Johnny Hates Jazz is a British pop rock band, presently consisting of Clark Datchler (songwriter, vocalist, keyboard player) and Mike Nocito (producer, engineer). In April 1987, they had international success with their first hit single "Shattered Dreams".



They two met in 1982 at RAK Studios in London. Datchler had just become lead singer in the band, Hot Club, alongside another original Johnny Hates Jazz member, Calvin Hayes. The line-up also included bass player Glenn 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, 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.

In April 1986, Datchler, Nocito and Hayes released the first Johnny Hates Jazz single, "Me And My Foolish Heart", on RAK Records. It was not a commercial success, but gained substantial airplay and was Sounds magazine's record of the week.

Datchler began writing new songs which included "Shattered Dreams". Johnny Hates Jazz 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, 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".

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.

At the end of 1987, Johnny Hates Jazz 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.

Datchler moved to Amsterdam at the end of the 1980s and focused on his solo work, recording the albums Raindance and Fishing For Souls. 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, became environmentally active and, in 2008, he received a GreenTec Award (formerly the Clean Tech Media Awards) in Berlin.

Nocito went on to make another album under the Johnny Hates Jazz banner with Hayes and Thornalley entitled Tall Stories. He then based himself in Cambridge, England and produced the Katrina and The Waves' single "Love Shine A Light", winner of the 1997 Eurovision Song Contest and a top 10 hit throughout Europe. He also produced and wrote for Hepburn, Gina G, and Orson, and continued to work extensively with Katrina and The Waves.

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 Johnny Hates Jazz 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 had commenced.

That same year, Datchler received a BMI award for "Shattered Dreams", receiving over three million broadcast performances in the US alone.

The subsequent album was entitled Magnetized. Recording spanned much of 2011 and 2012, and took place at Real World Studios near Bath, Hamp Sound near Cambridge, and Angel Studios in London. It featured Datchler as songwriter / vocalist / keyboard player, and Nocito as producer / engineer. There are also string arrangements and additional keyboards from Anne Dudley, who had arranged the strings on "Turn Back The Clock". Other contributors include drummer Alex Reeves, guitarist David Rhodes, synthesizer player Pete Watson, and mix engineer Stephen W. Tayler.

https://youtu.be/cX-8MHKuQ5I



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