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.

Like Rock
Johnny & The Hurricanes Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

J'étais jeune,
J'avais pas vingt ans
J'étais increvable,
J'avais tout mon temps
J'avais toute ma force
On ne pouvait pas m'bouger
Comme un roc

J'avais vingt ans
Les choses étaient claires
J'ai trouvé une femme
Une femme que j'aimais
Y avait pas de mystère
Un amour très fort
Comme un roc

Les deux mains valides
Tranquilles et solides
J'avais tout construit
Dans ma vie
Y avait toi et moi
Je me tenais tout droit
Comme un roc

Comme un roc
J'avais confiance en la vie
Comme un roc
Il pouvait rien m'arriver
Comme un roc
C'était parti pour durer
Comme un roc

Et je criais mon espoir de réussir
Ne pas mentir ni tromper ni blesser
J'étais fier, j'étais fort
Je défiais la mort
Comme un roc
Oh, je croyais à tous mes rêves
Comme un roc

J'avais vingt ans
Les choses étaient claires
J'ai trouvé une femme
Une femme que j'aimais
Y avait pas de mystère
Un amour très fort
Comme un roc

Comme un roc
J'avais confiance en la vie
Comme un roc
Il pouvait rien m'arriver
Comme un roc
C'était parti pour durer
Comme un roc

Comme un roc
Je criais mon espoir
Comme un roc
Je défiais la mort
Oh, comme un roc
J'croyais à tous mes rêves
Comme un roc

Comme un roc
J'avais confiance en la vie
Comme un roc
Il pouvait rien m'arriver
Comme un roc
C'était parti pour durer
Comme un roc

Comme un roc.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Johnny & The Hurricanes' song "Like Rock" tell the story of a young man in his twenties who feels invincible and has all the time and strength in the world. He finds a woman whom he loves deeply and builds a life with her. The feeling of being a rock (or "comme un roc" in French) gives him confidence in life, and he believes that nothing can stop him.

As the song progresses, the man's sense of confidence and strength comes through in lines like "Les deux mains valides, tranquilles et solides" ("Two valid hands, calm and solid"). He has built a life for himself and his partner, and he proudly proclaims that he can take on anything that comes his way.

Towards the end of the song, the man's unwavering commitment to his dreams and his love for his partner is emphasized. He believes that he can achieve anything he sets his mind to and that nothing can get in his way. Overall, the lyrics to "Like Rock" tell the story of a young man who feels invincible and who has found true love and ambition.

Line by Line Meaning

J'étais jeune,
I was young and full of life

J'avais pas vingt ans
I was not yet twenty years old

J'étais increvable,
I felt invincible, unstoppable

J'avais tout mon temps
I had plenty of time to do anything I wanted

J'avais toute ma force
I had all my strength and energy

On ne pouvait pas m'bouger
No one could move me, I was so stable and anchored

Comme un roc
Like a rock, impenetrable and unmovable

Les choses étaient claires
Things were clear and straightforward

J'ai trouvé une femme
I found a woman that I loved

Une femme que j'aimais
A woman that I deeply cared for

Y avait pas de mystère
There was no mystery, everything was pure and genuine