Home

Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music [ A-Z entries]

Gene Lees’ JAZZLETTER

The Rise And Fall of Popular Music [A polemical history]

All Or Nothing At All: A Life of Frank Sinatra

Billie Holiday: Wishing on the Moon

Jascha Horenstein: A CD Discography of the Great Conductor

Donald's Blog

 

Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

RIVERS, Johnny

(b John Ramistella, 7 Nov. '42, NYC) Versatile pop/rock singer grew up in Louisiana; on trip to NYC met Alan Freed, who suggested name change, helped get record deal with Gone late '50s. To West Coast '60, by '63 a headliner at the Whisky A Go Go, performing covers with catchy arrangements similar to those used by Trini Lopez in similar surroundings. Johnny Rivers Live At The Whisky A Go Go '64 on Imperial was no. 12 LP incl. no. 2 single "Memphis', cover of Chuck Berry hit; he had 25 Hot 100 singles '64-73 on Imperial/United Artists (now EMI), most in top 40, 8 altogether in top 10; also 14 LPs in top 200. At the time rock'n'roll was turning into rock, its classics old enough to be revisited as juke box hits by entertainers like Rivers and Lopez (along with folk- protest songs; Rivers had a top 30 hit with Pete Seeger's "Where Have All The Flowers Gone' '65). His biggest hit and only no. 1 was "Poor Side Of Town' '66. LP Realization '68 a was change of direction, his best-selling LP at no. 5, incl. top 15 "Summer Rain', written by James Hendricks, who'd signed to Rivers' Soul City Records, along with the Fifth Dimension, who cashed in with songs by Jimmy Webb. Rivers' LPs Slim Slo Slider '70, Home Grown '71 were critically praised as an advance for him, but didn't chart as well as earlier ones; L.A. Reggae '72 got back up to no. 78 with help of no. 6 hit cover of "Rockin' Pneumonia', '57 R&B hit by Huey Smith. Blue Suede Shoes '73 did not chart, but Carl Perkins title cover went top 40; this was also the period when the singles market was being abandoned to kids, while baby-boomers buying LPs wanted something more serious. He switched to Atlantic for live Last Boogie In Paris and Road '74, which didn't chart; surfaced on Epic with New Lovers And Old Friends '75, which did: incl. "Help Me Rhonda', USA top 30 hit with backing vocal by Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys (LP retitled for UK but it didn't work: he had no hits at all there). Then to Soul City for Outside Help '78 (on Big Tree in USA, Polydor in UK), his last chart entry, with top 10 single "Swayin' To The Music (Slow Dancin')'. Not A Through Street '83 was an inspirational LP on CBS.