Johnny Hates Jazz
British pop band known for the 1987 hit "Shattered Dreams."
Johnny Hates Jazz are a British pop band formed in 1986 by Clark Datchler, Mike Nocito, and Calvin Hayes. They achieved international success in 1987 with their second single "Shattered Dreams," which reached Number 5 in the United Kingdom and Number 2 in the United States. Their debut album, Turn Back the Clock, sold four million copies and reached Number 1 on the U.K. album charts.
Quick Facts
- Origin
- London, England
- Genre
- Pop
- synth-pop
- sophisti-pop
- Years active
- 1986–1992, 2009–present
- Label
- RAK
- Virgin
- InterAction
- Dato
- Current members
- Clark Datchler; Mike Nocito
- Past members
- Calvin Hayes (1986–1992, 2009–2010), Phil Thornalley (1988–1992)
Facts from the source article.
Early lives and careers prior to Johnny Hates Jazz
Clark Datchler, Calvin Hayes, and Mike Nocito each came from musical families. Datchler's father, Fred Datchler, was a member of The Stargazers, the first British band to reach No. 1 on the UK singles chart, and sang backing vocals for Frank Sinatra and Petula Clark as part of the Polkadots. Clark Datchler released his first single at age 17 on Bluebird Records, backed by members of reggae band Aswad, later worked with Rusty Egan of Visage, and was signed to Warner Brothers Music as a songwriter. Calvin Hayes was the son of record producer Mickie Most, founder of Rak Records, and played drums for Kim Wilde's 1981 touring band. Mike Nocito, from an American family based in Europe with the U.S. armed forces, grew up alongside Phil Thornalley and members of Katrina and the Waves, and became a recording engineer at RaK Records, working with The Police, Duran Duran, and the Thompson Twins. In the early 1980s, Hayes and Datchler were members of Hot Club alongside Glen Matlock and James Stevenson; the band released a single on Rak Records in 1983 and performed at the Marquee Club, impressing Mickie Most, who signed Datchler as a solo artist and suggested he work with Nocito.
Original tenure
They formed Johnny Hates Jazz and released their first single, "Me and My Foolish Heart," in April 1986, which was a commercial disappointment. Hayes arranged a performance at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club for other A&R scouts, leading to a signing with Virgin Records. The band's name originated at a party when Nocito's brother-in-law broke a Dave Brubeck record, and the wife of a friend of producer Phil Thornalley remarked, "Johnny Hates Jazz. Their second single, "Shattered Dreams," released in March 1987, slowly gained popularity in the UK, becoming a top 5 hit there and reaching No. 2 in Japan. In the United States, it reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart, accompanied by a black-and-white music video directed by David Fincher. Rak Records founder Mickie Most said he would stand naked in Selfridges' display windows if the song became a hit, but never fulfilled the promise. Fans in Asia and Europe compared Johnny Hates Jazz to Steely Dan.
After the break-up
After leaving Johnny Hates Jazz in 1988, Clark Datchler moved to Amsterdam, recording the albums Raindance and Fishing for Souls, later based himself at Peter Gabriel's Real World Studios, and in 2000 moved to the US, where he created a solar-powered home and studio. He studied indigenous philosophy, became environmentally active, and received a GreenTec Award in Berlin in 2008. Mike Nocito based himself in Cambridge, England, producing the Katrina and the Waves single "Love Shine a Light," a top 10 hit and winner of the 1997 Eurovision Song Contest, and worked with Hepburn, Gina G, and Orson. Calvin Hayes, recovering from a 1991 car accident, largely retreated from the public music industry. Phil Thornalley co-wrote Natalie Imbruglia's "Torn," a major hit in 1997 and 1998.
New era
In 2009, the original founding members Datchler, Hayes, and Nocito reunited and reformed Johnny Hates Jazz after Datchler wrote the song "Magnetized." They performed live at reunion concerts in Europe and Southeast Asia, but Hayes left in 2010 before recording commenced, citing personal reasons and touring strains. That year, Datchler received a BMI award for "Shattered Dreams" for over three million broadcast performances in the US. The 2013 album Magnetized, the band's first since 1991, was recorded at Real World Studios, Hamp Sound, and Angel Recording Studios, featuring Datchler on vocals and keyboards, Nocito as producer and engineer, string arrangements by Anne Dudley, and contributions from Alex Reeves, David Rhodes, Marcus Bonfanti, Pete Watson, and Stephen W. Tayler. The single "Magnetized" was A-listed on BBC Radio 2 and successful in Germany, but Datchler collapsed shortly after release and was diagnosed with a rare cancer; he recovered the following year, but album momentum was lost. The band performed at UK festivals, in Germany and Asia, released a remixed version of "Magnetized" in China in 2017, and began writing new material. Datchler co-wrote 11 songs with Mike Rutherford for the Mike + the Mechanics albums Let Me Fly and Out of the Blue.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Johnny Hates Jazz from?
Johnny Hates Jazz originated in London, England.
Which record labels has Johnny Hates Jazz released music on?
Johnny Hates Jazz has released music on RAK, Virgin, InterAction and Dato.
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