Johnny Hates Jazz

["Turn Back The Clock" by Johnny Hates Jazz]
In the midst of the mid-to-late 80's techno-synth British New Wave movement, came a slew of quasi-pre-packaged boy bands featuring young clean cut guys dapperly dressed and singing happy-pop tunes with mild candy-sweet angst ~ folks like Fine Young Cannibals, Brother Beyond (later known as Bros), Breathe standing alongside the "new romantics" like Duran Duran and Depeche Mode ~ and carving out their own following amongst folks who wanted entertainment beyond disco-dance tunes, IMHO. Threading a bit on the edge, but safe enough to "bring home to mom & dad", and of course to sell albums, music magazines and posters :)

Although considered lightweight muzak - they were the perhaps necessary transition to the 90's, when heavier sounds and grunge took over the airwaves and listening habits. In many ways, I remember that evolution to be the period when Compact Discs / CDs began getting more popular over cassette tapes, and the advent of Karaoke helped propel these easy singalong songs beyond their years. (Dun bluff, you sang them too rite? LOL)


["Shattered Dreams" by Johnny Hates Jazz]
Johnny Hates Jazz was clued in to the melodic pathos of the era (well, at least for me, surviving secondary school angst and starting technical institute studies) without the burden (or glorification) of teen-insecurities, while giving a taste of blossoming adolescence ... or rather the notion of "music maturity" poised at the cusp of "adulthood" seemed more reachable than reality dictated, IMHO.

Johnny Hates Jazz is an English pop band formed in 1986 by Clark Datchler (vocals, piano), Calvin Hayes (keyboards), and the German born Mike Nocito (bass) ... The group's debut single for Virgin, "Shattered Dreams", became a hit in 1987, reaching #5 in the UK Singles Chart and #2 in the U.S. charts. The group's debut album, Turn Back the Clock, also proved successful, reaching #1 on the UK Albums Chart. They had three more Top 20 singles in the UK from this album: "I Don't Want to Be a Hero" (UK #11, US #31), "Turn Back the Clock" (UK #12), and "Heart of Gold" (UK #19), which was their last hit single." [wiki]

["I Don't Want To Be A Hero" by Johnny Hates Jazz]