Season 107: "Johnny" week

Hi All,

I had a couple of great sweeping philosophical themes ready for this week, but then on Valentine's day, I learned that a friend from way back - a man so full of joy and life and creativity - died of a heart attack playing in the snow with his younger daughter. This tragic turn of events brought me grief of course, and even more to some of my friends who had known him since elementary school. Very sad. But I noticed that as I thought about him and grieved and thought about what a unique person he was, songs with his name kept jumping into my head.

About ten years ago I lost another great friend named Johnny, so this season is for both of them

So there is our theme: songs mentioning the name Johnny in the lyrics or title, and as a separate category songs written or performed by a person or persons named Johnny.

if you're having trouble finding a song, here's a good resource:
http://songmeanings.com/query/?query=johnny&type=lyrics

http://youtu.be/Pwq27fwZeCg




Usual rules apply, please don't post anything until midnight Hawaii time tonight time, and so on.

-Uke front and center

-Multitrack OK

-prizes for each category will be a credit to the UU shop for a t shirt unless I come up with something more creative.
(more on this later)

- selection will be semi-random - a random drawing from among favorites, or if I get busy with work, we'll just go straight to the hat

- I get to do a song or two

- Entry? Bonus? whatever. just play some songs.

playlists:

SONGS MENTIONING JOHNNY

SONGS FEATURING JOHNNY

And here is the Frankie and Johnny and Mary Playlist...

I'm assuming "John" works also?

Clarification: the theme is "Johnny" not "John" no "Sloop John B.", no "John the Revelator" !!

John Bonham, John Coltrane, John Denver = Not OK
Johnny Marr, Johnny Thunders, Johnny "Guitar" Watson = OK

Unless someone can convince me that there aren't enough songs or musicians that fit the bill.

Well, John the Revelator might work since I think John Lee Hooker's Mom called him Johnny......

JLH does refer to himself as Johnny in several songs, but John the Revelator was Son House!

we got this Peter- great theme. SO sorry for the loss of your friend.

i have my non-entry bonus song ready..just don't want to post too early!
the real entry will take some searching!...

TCK said:

View attachment 64383 we got this Peter- great theme. SO sorry for the loss of your friend.

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Thanks Dave, I appreciate it... but let's not make this a sob fest, think of it more as a Jazz Funeral celebration. Bring on the Johnny tunes!

thesillydave said:

i have my non-entry bonus song ready..just don't want to post too early!
the real entry will take some searching!...

Click to expand...

every entry is a bonus, every bonus is an entry. I'll do my best to watch and comment on at least the first couple for each of you. And
looking forward to it.

peewee said:

Thanks Dave, I appreciate it... but let's not make this a sob fest, think of it more as a Jazz Funeral celebration. Bring on the Johnny tunes!

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Would not think of it any other way. Tiny umbrella at the ready

I'm finding some great Johnny songs out there. I may actually learn The Ballad of Johnny Appleseed this week...
I'm hoping a Johnny as the lyricist is OK.

myrnaukelele said:

I'm finding some great Johnny songs out there. I may actually learn The Ballad of Johnny Appleseed this week...
I'm hoping a Johnny as the lyricist is OK.

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Family legend is that I am somehow related to Mr. Appleseed (Chapman), so that would be great, don't know that tune...and lyricist is fine, especially if it's Johnny Mercer!

great theme pete, really looking forward to this, i could be really naughty and do a whole songbook of songs performed and some written by a certain johnny , i may have to exercise some restraint on my self.

Johnny's Gone for a Soldier

Was doing the intro and outro much better til I turned the camera on but did stick to my one take rule.

peewee - sad reason but super theme

pabrizzer said:

Was doing the intro and outro much better til I turned the camera on but did stick to my one take rule.

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murphy's law. well - that's the polite expression for it!


here's my vid - i say that like i'm only gonna do one! we'll see! ...

"johhny come home" - fine young cannibals

I thought about trying Dr. John Stafford by Turlough O'Carolan, but there are some songs you just really need bass strings for. So I'm going to just leave this here:

Rock and Roll is dead, long live Rock and Roll

A certain Mr Rotten gets a mention in this song.

Fun theme, Peter. I'm totally on board with celebrating our lost and losses in a joyful way.

Do alternate spellings count? Johnnie? Jonny? Gianni?

As usual, I think I have an obscure fun humorous song picked out that I've learned from a local performer. With hats! It's going to be interesting figuring out how to change hats while playing ukulele.....

Okay, I have three great ideas already for this week, and Uke Can 2! does not have time to put in a live new appearance this time, but this song that we did a few Seasons back was learned in part from this wonderful version sung (not written) by Johnny Mercer and Margaret Whiting. So probably the best we can do as a duo this week (not an entry, of course, just another taste of Johnny):

This was from the movie short circuit, if you have not seen that, I think you should. It is one of those fun feel good movies, with a happy ending. I could not find the chords online so I made them up, so here is my interpretation of El Debarge - Who's Johnny. Unfortunately I had some distortion on this take.

This U2 song was also recorded by Johnny Cash, I guess mine is more U2 like, but it is Johnny week so this is One by Johnny Cash .