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.
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.
Revival
Johnny & The Hurricanes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴
Sheesh
Yay
Yay
Ahh ahh ahh ahh
They say that I fell off? You could call this the Revival
I see most of ya still out here fighting for survival
While they watch me finesse I don't even gotta try to
If it's""fuck me"" then it's fuck you and that bitch you cry to
I say it direct won't catch me tryin to imply to
You think you the plug till my niggas go and supply you
Make sure it's correct don't make em have to pull up by you
With that heat and let it BAM like Adebayo
There's just certain shit I do not intend to reply to
Street credit good until the banks start to deny you
Fuck a drive-thru I'd rather pick a place to fly to
Don't give up is the only advice I can provide you
Like
Get it how you get it
Focus on the money, don't get distracted by bitches
Cause as soon as you try to mix that pleasure and that business
That shit right there boy
That shit'll leave your ass
Finished
And that's a fact
Bring it back
Call the plug up for the pack
Make em all go acrobat
For the stack
This shit make em all relapse
Watch me turn the fuckin stu into a trap
I really gotta get away
From the hate
Gotta cop some more fire
So I can smoke that right to the face
I need the Wraith
So it feel like I'm outer space
Then cop the safe
And fill that bitch until it's runnin out of space
Yea
Well okay I'm zonin
Ha Ha to the bank nigga no jokin
Za Za in the air baby I'm smokin
Ah Ah that's that good weed No Covid Whoa
They say that I fell off? You could call this the revival
Ahh ahh ahh ahh
Yay yay Yay
Yay
Yay
Ahh ahh ahh ahh
They say that I fell off? You could call this the Revival
I see most of ya still out here fighting for survival
While they watch me finesse I don't even gotta try to
I say it direct won't catch me tryin to imply to
You think you the plug till my niggas go and supply you
Make sure it's correct don't make em have to pull up by you
With that heat and let it BAM like Adebayo
There's just certain shit I do not intend to reply to
Street credit good until the banks start to deny you
Fuck a drive-thru I'd rather pick a place to fly to
Don't give up is the only advice I can provide you
Like
Get it how you get it
Focus on the money, don't get distracted by bitches
Cause as soon as you try to mix that pleasure and that business
That shit right there boy
That shit'll leave your ass
Finished
And that's a fact
Bring it back
Call the plug up for the pack
Make em all go acrobat
For the stack
This shit make em all relapse
Watch me turn the fuckin stu into a trap
I really gotta get away
From the hate
Gotta cop some more fire
So I can smoke that right to the face
I need the Wraith
So it feel like I'm outer space
Then cop the safe
And fill that bitch until it's runnin out of space
Yea
Well okay I'm zonin
Ha Ha to the bank nigga no jokin
Za Za in the air baby I'm smokin
Ah Ah that's that good weed No Covid Whoa
They say that I fell off? You could call this the revival
Ahh ahh ahh ahh
Yay yay Yay
The song "Revival" by Johnny & The Hurricanes begins with some nonsensical sounds followed by a rap verse. The verse is all about the singer's confidence and how he is back in the game after a little struggle. He talks about his effortless finesse and how others are struggling while he is succeeding. He says that he is not going to waste his time trying to prove himself to anyone. He advises people to focus on making money and not getting sidetracked by pleasure.
The rapper then talks about his affiliation with gangs and the "street cred" that comes along with it. He warns about the consequences of mixed up businesses and pleasure. He asks people to learn from his experiences and focus on making money. In the end, he talks about his desire to escape the hate and enjoy his riches by buying luxurious items like the Wraith car and filling up his safe with money.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Jonathan Valera
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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