The 1980s was pure bliss for pop music and one of my favorite groups from this era was Johnny Hates Jazz which was formed in 1986 by Clark Datchler (vocals, piano), Calvin Hayes (keyboards), and Mike Nocito (bass). The band had a very short lifespan from its creation in 1986 to 1992 when they broke up. They did reform in 2008 and have begun touring but no studio album release yet. While they were active from 1986 to 1992 they made two studio albums – Turn Back the Clock (1987) and Tall Stories (1991). Compilation albums of their hits are available in The Very Best of Johnny Hates Jazz (1993), Best of the 80′s (2000), and The Very Best of Johnny Hates Jazz (2003).
The group was named after a friend who really hated jazz, but in terms of pop music they made pure bliss. This is one group who will stand the test of time in terms of the fabulous music they made albeit very little considering their short lived lifespan as a group. Two of their monster hits every pop music aficionado is aware of are “Shattered Dreams” and “Turn Back The Clock” but there are other hits like "Me and My Foolish Heart", "I Don’t Want to Be a Hero", "Heart of Gold", "Don’t Say It’s Love", "Turn the Tide", "Let Me Change Your Mind Tonight", and "The Last to Know" among others.
One of the founding members, Clark Datchler who was also the lead singer and also the main songwriter for the group left in 1988 and was replaced by a former member of The Cure in Phil Thornalley. The departure of Clark Datchler did leave the newfound millions of fans in a tizzy, but Clark Datchler later said creative differences were the reasons for his leaving with the other members changing the lyrics and content of the songs he penned. Calvin Hayes, Phil Thornalley and Mike Nocito continued with Johnny Hates Jazz and had success with "Turn The Tide", but it did not reach the same dizzying heights as the previous offerings.
The band finally broke up in 1992 when they were involved in a major car accident which left the other founding member and keyboardist Calvin Hayes in a body cast for over a year. This was the final straw and the band disbanded in the year 1992. The band did however reform in 2008 with the original members Calvin Hayes and Mike Nocito and a new singer in Danny Saxon, but no studio album has been released yet although the group is touring and performing at live shows. Clark Datchler once said the listener will want to play good pop music many times and for years to come and this is so true with the musical gems Johnny Hates Jazz created. They have been one of my favorite bands ever since I heard them in the 1980s and they continue to thrill me even today.
You can check out Johnny Hates Jazz albums at Johnny Hates Jazz Albums
