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.
Molly
Johnny & The Hurricanes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She went insane 'cos she lost her only love
And the dogs they would howl when they heard her scream out loud
He sent her poems to her home but never showed
She passed the years shedding tears but clutching hope
They found his head, it was buried in the sand
When she heard his death, well she finally went mad
And the dogs they did howl when they heard her scream out loud
Yes the dogs they did howl when they laid her body down
Johnny & The Hurricanes's song "Molly" tells a tragic story of a young couple whose love was cut short by untimely circumstances. The opening lines set the scene for what is to come. The singer, a restless young man, decides to leave his hometown and embark on an adventure to see the world and have some fun. His departure leaves his girlfriend, Molly, devastated, and soon she starts to lose her sanity as a result of the heartbreak. The dogs in the story serve as a metaphor for the agony that Molly experiences, with their constant howling representing her screams, which echo all around her.
The lyrics suggest that even after he leaves, the young man still thinks about Molly. He sends her poems, but he never comes back to see her. The years pass, and Molly continues to hold on to hope that he will return, but he never does. Eventually, news arrives of his death, and she finally succumbs to the madness that has been plaguing her. The dogs still howl, serving as a reminder of the loss that she has suffered.
In conclusion, "Molly" is a touching and heart-wrenching tale of a love that was destined never to reach fulfillment. The howling of the dogs serves as a haunting echo of the sorrow and despair that Molly feels, and the tragic ending of the story only heightens the sense of sadness.
Line by Line Meaning
He ran away to see the world and have some fun
The man left his life behind to explore and enjoy the world.
She went insane 'cos she lost her only love
The woman lost her one and only love, causing her to go insane and lose her mind.
And the dogs they would howl when they heard her scream out loud
The sound of the woman's screams would cause the dogs to howl in response.
He sent her poems to her home but never showed
The man sent the woman love poems, but never came to see her in person.
She passed the years shedding tears but clutching hope
Through many years of sorrow and tears, the woman held onto hope for a happy future.
They found his head, it was buried in the sand
The man's head was discovered buried in the sand, indicating his death.
When she heard his death, well she finally went mad
Upon learning of the man's death, the woman finally lost her sanity completely.
And the dogs they did howl when they heard her scream out loud
The sound of the woman's screams caused the dogs to howl once again.
Yes the dogs they did howl when they laid her body down
Even in death, the sound of the woman's screams led the dogs to howl in response.
Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: Johnny Butler
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
St Pauli
perhaps the best rendition ever of "Greensleeves".i just love the instrumental layering.the strings just say 1960!
Soulman
Greensleeves for ever !!!
tony gould
wonder what henry the 8 th would have to say