Johnny Rivers

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Johnny Rivers
Rivers performing in 2007
Rivers performing in 2007
Background information
Birth nameJohn Henry Ramistella
Born (1942-11-07) November 7, 1942 (age 81)
New York City, U.S.
OriginBaton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Musician
  • songwriter
  • record producer
Instrument(s)
  • Vocals
  • guitar
Years active1956–2023
Labels
Websitejohnnyrivers.com

Johnny Rivers (born John Henry Ramistella; November 7, 1942)[1] is a retired American musician. He achieved commercial success and popularity throughout the 1960s and 1970s as a singer and guitarist, characterized as a versatile and influential artist.[2] Rivers is best known for his 1960s output, having popularized the mid-60s discotheque scene through his live rock and roll recordings at Los Angeles' Whiskey a Go Go nightclub, and later shifting to a more orchestral, soul-oriented sound during the latter half of the decade.[2][3] These developments were reflected by his most notable string of hit singles between 1964 and 1968, many of them covers. They include "Memphis", "Mountain of Love", "The Seventh Son", "Secret Agent Man", "Poor Side of Town"[a], "Baby I Need Your Lovin'", and "Summer Rain".[4][5] Ultimately, Rivers landed 9 top ten hits and 17 top forty hits on US charts from 1964 to 1977.[3][6]

Life and career

Early years

Rivers was born John Henry Ramistella in New York City, of Italian descent. His family moved from New York to

the Rockets, led by Dick Holler, who later wrote several hit songs, including "Abraham, Martin and John" and the novelty song "Snoopy vs. the Red Baron".[4][5]

Ramistella formed his own band, the Spades, and made his first record at 14 while he was a student at

Baton Rouge High School.[4] Some of their music was recorded on the Suede label as early as 1956.[7]

On a trip to New York City in 1958, Ramistella met Alan Freed, who advised him to change his name to "Johnny Rivers" referencing the Mississippi River that flows through Baton Rouge.[4] Freed also helped Rivers get several recording contracts on the Gone label.[5] From March 1958 to March 1959, Johnny Rivers released three records, including "Baby Come Back" (a non-Christmas version of Elvis Presley's "Santa Bring My Baby Back (To Me)"), none of which sold well.[4]

Rivers returned to Baton Rouge in 1959 and began playing throughout the

American South alongside comedian Brother Dave Gardner. One evening in Birmingham, Alabama, Rivers met Audrey Williams, Hank Williams' first wife. She encouraged Rivers to move to Nashville, Tennessee, where he found work as a songwriter and demo singer. Rivers also worked alongside Roger Miller. By this time, Rivers had decided he would never make it as a singer and songwriting became his priority.[4][5]

1960s

In 1958, Rivers met fellow Louisianan

studio musician. His big break came in 1963 when he filled in for a jazz combo at Gazzarri's, a nightclub in Hollywood where his instant popularity drew large crowds.[4][5][8]

In 1964,

gold disc.[11] According to Elvis Presley's friend and employee, Alan Fortas, Presley played a test pressing of "Memphis" for Rivers that Presley had made but not released. Rivers was impressed and much to Presley's chagrin, Rivers recorded and released it even copying the arrangement. [12] Rivers' version far outsold the Chuck Berry original from August 1959, which stalled at No. 87 in the US.[13]

Rivers continued to record mostly live performances throughout 1964 and 1965, including

Seventh Son" (written by Willie Dixon) plus Pete Seeger's" Where Have All the Flowers Gone?", all of which were hits.[4][14]

Rivers performing at a USO show in An Khê, Vietnam, 1966.

In 1963, Rivers began working with writers

P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri on a theme song for the American broadcast of a British television series Danger Man, starring Patrick McGoohan. At first Rivers balked at the idea but eventually changed his mind. The American version of the show, titled Secret Agent, went on the air in the spring of 1965. The theme song was very popular and created public demand for a longer single version. Rivers' recording of "Secret Agent Man" reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1966.[15] It sold a million copies also winning gold disc status.[11]

In 1966, Rivers began to record ballads that featured background vocalists. He produced several hits including his own "Poor Side of Town", which became his biggest chart hit and his only No. 1 record. He also started his own record company, Soul City Records, which included the 5th Dimension. The group's recordings of "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In" and "Wedding Bell Blues" became No. 1 hits for the new label. In addition, Rivers is credited with giving songwriter Jimmy Webb a major break when the 5th Dimension recorded his song "Up, Up and Away".[5] Rivers also recorded Webb's "By the Time I Get to Phoenix". It was covered by Glen Campbell, who had a major hit with it.[16]

Rivers continued to record more hits

Baby I Need Your Lovin'", originally recorded by the Four Tops, and "The Tracks of My Tears" by the Miracles, both going Top 10 in 1967. In 1968, Rivers put out Realization, a No. 5 album that included the No. 14 pop chart single "Summer Rain", written by a former member of the Mugwumps, James Hendricks. The album included some of the psychedelic influences of the time, like the song "Hey Joe" with a two-minute introduction and marked a change in Rivers' musical direction with more introspective songs including "Look to Your Soul" and "Going Back to Big Sur".[17]

1970s

Rivers on October 11, 1975

In the 1970s, Rivers continued to record more songs and albums that were successes with

music critics but did not sell well. L.A. Reggae (1972) reached the LP chart as a result of the No. 6 hit "Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu," a cover version of the Huey "Piano" Smith and the Clowns song. The track became Rivers' third million seller, which was acknowledged with the presentation of a gold disc by the Recording Industry Association of America (R.I.A.A.) on January 29, 1973.[11]

Reviewing L.A. Reggae in Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies (1981), Robert Christgau said, "there are modernization moves, of course—two get-out-the-vote songs (just what George needs) plus the mysterious reggae conceit plus a heartfelt if belated antiwar song—but basically this is just Johnny nasalizing on some fine old memories. 'Rockin' Pneumonia' and 'Knock on Wood' are especially fine."[18]

Other Hot 100 top 40 hits from that time period were 1973's "

Help Me Rhonda" (originally a No. 1 hit for the Beach Boys), on which Brian Wilson
sang back-up vocals.

Rivers' last Top 10 entry was his 1977 recording of "

Hot 100
and 17 in the Top 40 from 1964 to 1977.

1980s to present

Rivers (left) playing with Argentine guitarist Pappo, 1986

Rivers continued releasing material into the 1980s (e.g. 1980's Borrowed Time LP), garnering an interview with Dick Clark on American Bandstand in 1981,[19][20] although his recording career was winding down. Around this time, Rivers turned to Christianity.[21]

In 1998 he reactivated his Soul City Records label and released Last Train to Memphis. In early 2000, Rivers recorded with Eric Clapton, Tom Petty and Paul McCartney on a tribute album dedicated to Buddy Holly's backup band, the Crickets.[22]

Rivers performing at the Mohegan Sun Casino on June 18, 2011, in Connecticut

He is one of a small number of performers whose names are listed as the copyright owner on their recordings. Most records list the recording company as the owner of the recording. Others include Mariah Carey, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Pink Floyd (from 1975's Wish You Were Here onward), Queen, Genesis (though under the members' individual names and/or the pseudonym Gelring Limited), and Neil Diamond. The practice began with the Bee Gees and their $200 million lawsuit against RSO Records, the largest successful lawsuit against a record company by an artist or group.[23]

On June 12, 2009, Johnny Rivers was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.[4] His name has been suggested many times for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but he has never been selected. Rivers, however, was a nominee for 2015 induction into America's Pop Music Hall of Fame.

On April 9, 2017, he performed a song, accompanying himself on acoustic guitar, at the funeral for Chuck Berry, at The Pageant, in St. Louis, Missouri.

In 2019, Rivers announced his farewell tour.[24] His last live performance was in July 2023 at Commerce Casino near Los Angeles. E .[25]

Discography

Main article: Johnny Rivers discography

References

  1. ^ His only No. 1 American hit, 1966.
  • "Johnny Rivers – Discography 1964–1969". JohnnyRivers.com. Retrieved October 31, 2010.
  • "Johnny Rivers – Discography 1970–present". JohnnyRivers.com. Retrieved October 31, 2010.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Johnny Rivers.
Wikiquote has quotations related to Johnny Rivers.
  1. ISBN 0-85112-939-0
    .
  2. ^ a b "Johnny Rivers Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More". AllMusic. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Johnny Rivers". www.history-of-rock.com. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Louisiana Music Hall of Fame – Johnny Rivers". Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on October 4, 2018. Retrieved October 31, 2010.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g "Johnny Rivers Biography". JohnnyRivers.com. Retrieved October 31, 2010.
  6. ^ "Johnny Rivers - Biography". IMDb. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  7. ^
    ISBN 0-7935-9142-2
    .
  8. ^
    ISBN 1-56625-197-4
    .
  9. ^ Johnny Rivers interviewed on the Pop Chronicles (1969)
  10. ^ "Cash box: Top 100 singles 1964". Cashbox Magazine. Retrieved October 31, 2010.
  11. ^
    ISBN 0-214-20512-6
    .
  12. ISBN 978-1-84513-322-1
    .
  13. ^ "Cash box: Top 100 singles 1963". Cashbox Magazine. Retrieved October 31, 2010.
  14. ^ Price, Randy. "The 60s Charts". Cash Box Top Singles. Cashbox Magazine. Retrieved January 30, 2010.
  15. ISBN 0-89820-126-8
    .
  16. ^ "By the Time I Get to Phoenix". Songfacts. Retrieved January 9, 2015.
  17. ^ a b "Johnny Rivers Hits". JohnnyRivers.com. Retrieved October 31, 2010.
  18. ISBN 089919026X
    . Retrieved March 12, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  19. ^ "Dick Clark Interviews Johnny Rivers - American Bandstand". phim pha online. February 28, 1981. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
  20. ^ "Dick Clark Interviews Johnny Rivers - American Bandstand". AwardsShowNetwork. February 28, 1981. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
  21. ISBN 9781365429408
    . Retrieved November 16, 2019.
  22. ^ Simons, Jeff (May 11, 2000). "Rivers still on road with electric guitar". Amarillo Globe News. Retrieved April 5, 2017.
  23. ISBN 978-0965125024
    . Retrieved April 5, 2017.
  24. ^ "The Final Tour of the Legendary Johnny Rivers". NowPlayingNashville.com. March 19, 2019. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  25. ^ "Johnny Rivers Concert & Tour History | Concert Archives". www.concertarchives.org. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
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