Johnny and the Hurricanes were an American instrumental rock and roll band … Read Full Bio ↴Johnny and the Hurricanes were an American instrumental rock and roll band from Toledo, Ohio, that had a number of hits, especially in the UK, in the 1950s and early 1960s.

They began as the Orbits in Toledo in 1957. Led by saxophonist Johnny Paris (born John Matthew Pocisk in Walbridge, Ohio, 29 August 1940 - 1 May 2006, Ann Arbor, Michigan), they were school friends who played on a few recordings behind Mack Vickery, a local rockabilly singer.

They signed with Harry Balk and Irving Micahnik of Twirl Records, which led to national engagements in 1959. Johnny and the Hurricanes recorded "Crossfire" in a vacant cinema to provide echo. It became a nationwide U.S. hit, and ranked No. 23 in the U.S. chart in the summer of 1959.

Johnny and the Hurricanes followed with "Red River Rock", an instrumental version of "Red River Valley", on Warwick Records, that became a top ten hit on both sides of the Atlantic (No. 5 in the U.S., No. 3 in the UK), and sold over a million copies. The musicians in the band then were Paris on saxophone, Paul Tesluk on a Hammond Chord organ, Dave Yorko on guitar, Lionel "Butch" Mattice on bass, and Bill "Little Bo" Savich on drums.

They specialised in versions of old tunes with a rock and roll beat. They chose these songs because they were well recognized and easier to accept with the beat. Tunes were credited to 'King, Mack' and usually one other name: King and Mack were in fact pseudonyms for Harry Balk and Irving Micahnik, the band's managers. In 1960, they recorded the United States Army bugle call, "Reveille", as "Reveille Rock", and turned "Blue Tail Fly" into "Beatnik Fly". Both tunes made the Top 40 achieving number 15 and 25 respectively. The band also recorded "Down Yonder" for Big Top Records. In the same year, they recorded "When The Saints Go Marching In" as "Revival", but it ranked in the charts for just one week, peaking at No. 97. The record was flipped over in the UK, where "Rocking Goose" reached No. 3 in the UK Singles Chart.

The band developed a following in Europe. In 1962, they played at the Star-Club in Hamburg, where the Beatles, then a little-known band, served as an opening act. Johnny and the Hurricanes cut records until 1987, with "Old Smokie" (their cover of "On Top of Old Smokey"), and an original tune, "Traffic Jam", both on Big Top Records, being their last releases to chart in America. Johnny Paris, the only constant member of the band, continued to tour with his Hurricanes in Europe and the United States until his death. He had an uncle, a realtor, in Rossford, Ohio, Johnny's home town, who owned a building on the main street and offered Johnny's first wife, Sharon Venier-Pocisk, space for an antique shop. When not on the road he helped out with the antique shop and vending machine business as payment for the store front for his first wife.

Johnny Paris and his band toured Europe occasionally until the end of 2005. He died on 1 May 2006 at the University Clinic of Ann Arbor, Michigan, of hospital-borne infections after an operation. Paris's second wife and widow, the German journalist, novelist and vocalist Sonja Verena (Reuter) Paris, took over his business (Atila Records, Sirius 1 Music and Johnny and the Hurricanes Incorporated) and the rights to his songs and trademarks. Paris claimed that over 300 musicians played in the band in its fifty-year existence.

The band inspired the song "Johnny and the Hurricanes" on the album How I Learned to Love the Bootboys, by the band the Auteurs. They were also namechecked in the Kinks' 1973 song "One of the Survivors", and in "Bridge in Time" on the 1990 Burton Cummings album Plus Signs.

Drummer Bill "Little Bo" Savich died on 4 January 2002. Bassist Lionel "Butch" Mattice died on October 16, 2006. Guitarist David Yorko died on 17 February 2017 at the age of 73.

Jada
Johnny & The Hurricanes Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You've heard all about your raggy melody
Everything from opera down to harmony
But I've a little song that I will sing to you
It's gonna win you through and through
There ain't much to the words but the music is grand
And you'll be a-singing it to beat the band
You've heard of the tisket and tasket it's true
But give a little listen to this will you?

Ja-Da, Ja-Da, Ja-Da, Ja-Da
Jing, Jing, Jing
Ja-Da, Ja-Da, Ja-Da, Ja-Da
Jing, Jing, Jing
That's a funny little bit of melody
It's so soothing and appealing to me
It goes Ja-Da, Ja-Da, Ja-Da, Ja-Da
Jing, Jing, Jing

Our bands have been digging back for tunes to be sung
Operas and nursery rhymes have been overdone
I dug a little deeper and I found this thing
It's ragtime but it still can swing
It ain't a turkeytrot or a shimmey onestep
But when grandma danced to it
She thought she was hep
It still is a ditty
I'm sure you will find
Will keep a runnin' 'round and around your mind

Ja-Da, Ja-Da, Ja-Da, Ja-Da
Jing, Jing, Jing
Ja-Da, Ja-Da, Ja-Da, Ja-Da
Jing, Jing, Jing
That's a funny little bit of melody
It's so soothing and appealing to me

It goes Ja-Da, Ja-Da, Ja-Da, Ja-Da
Jing, Jing, Jing

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Johnny & The Hurricanes’ song “Jada” celebrate a catchy and upbeat melody that will capture the listener’s attention. Despite the fact that there are not many words to the song, the music is described as grand, and it promises to win the listener over. The lyrics make reference to other well-known and popular musical styles, including opera, nursery rhymes, the turkey trot, and the shimmy onestep. The song suggests that “Jada” offers a fresh and unique sound that is different from anything that has been done before, with a ragtime beat that can still swing.

The lyrics of “Jada” are also reflective of the cultural and historical context in which the song was created. The late 1950s and early 1960s were a time of musical experimentation, where new styles such as rock and roll, soul, and funk were being developed. At the same time, musicians were looking to the past for inspiration, and many songs that celebrated ragtime, jazz, and other early musical styles were produced. “Jada” could be seen as an attempt to revive an earlier sound through a catchy, infectious melody that would appeal to a modern audience.

Line by Line Meaning

You've heard all about your raggy melody
You are familiar with various types of music ranging from opera to harmony.

Everything from opera down to harmony
All types of music, from formal opera to simple harmony.

But I've a little song that I will sing to you
However, I have a small but charming song I'd like to perform for you.

It's gonna win you through and through
It will capture your heart and mind entirely.

There ain't much to the words but the music is grand
The lyrics are simple, but the melody is magnificent.

And you'll be a-singing it to beat the band
You will be singing it with great enthusiasm and fervor.

You've heard of the tisket and tasket it's true
You are familiar with the popular tune 'A-Tisket, A-Tasket.'

But give a little listen to this will you?
However, let me introduce you to a new song.

Ja-Da, Ja-Da, Ja-Da, Ja-Da
The refrain of the song.

Jing, Jing, Jing
A rhythmic phrase that follows the refrain.

That's a funny little bit of melody
That is a charming and amusing melody.

It's so soothing and appealing to me
It is a melody I find calming and delightful.

Our bands have been digging back for tunes to be sung
Musicians have been searching through old songs to perform.

Operas and nursery rhymes have been overdone
Operas and nursery rhymes have been performed too many times already.

I dug a little deeper and I found this thing
I searched harder and discovered this song.

It's ragtime but it still can swing
It is in the style of ragtime, but it also has a lively rhythm.

It ain't a turkeytrot or a shimmey onestep
It is not a dance with a specific set of steps, such as the Turkey Trot or the Shimmy One Step.

But when grandma danced to it
But even when our grandmothers danced to it,

She thought she was hep
She believed she was fashionable and modern.

It still is a ditty
It is still a simple and catchy song.

I'm sure you will find
I am confident that you will discover

Will keep a runnin' 'round and around your mind
That the melody will get stuck in your head and you'll want to continue singing it over and over again.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BOB CARLETON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Comments from YouTube:

Wayne Smith

14y↑2

When I think current music is becoming ridiculous I go back and listen to this stuff and once again my head is facing the right way....

MarkinDC

6y↑3

THANKS for posting these. I picked up some of their LP's back in the 80's. These guys were pioneers of instrumental rock, which nearly always included organ and sax as part of the sound. Modern surf revival bands often only have guitars......