Early career:
Both Datchler and Nocito were born into musical families. Datchler's father, Fred, was a member of two chart-topping bands from the 1950s. The Stargazers had the distinction of being the first British band to reach No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart. As part of the Polkadots, Fred Datchler sang backing vocals for The Beatles, Frank Sinatra, and Petula Clark. Nocito hails from an American family based in Europe with the United States armed forces. His mother was a singer in a close-harmony group called The Cactus Kids, performing for troops throughout Northern Europe.
Having been a singer, guitarist, and keyboard player in numerous bands as a teenager, Datchler released his first single on the London independent record label, Bluebird Records at the age of 17, backed by members of reggae band Aswad. He went on to work with Rusty Egan of Visage, fusing electronic music with soul, and performed often on the London club scene. He was subsequently signed to Warner Brothers Music as a songwriter and moved to Los Angeles.
Nocito was a guitarist in school bands, having grown up alongside friend and fellow record producer Phil Thornalley, as well as members of Katrina and the Waves. He became a recording engineer and worked with Pink Floyd, The Police, The Cure, Duran Duran, and the Thompson Twins.
The two met in 1982 at RAK Studios in London. Datchler had just become the lead singer in the band Hot Club, alongside the third and final original JHJ member Calvin Hayes. The line-up also included bass player Glen Matlock and guitarist James Stevenson. In 1983, Hot Club released a single on RAK Records and performed at London's Marquee Club, a performance that impressed RAK head (and Hayes' father), Mickie Most. He decided to sign Datchler to the label as a solo artist. It was Most who suggested that Datchler works with Nocito, who was an engineer at RAK Studios at the time. Over the next four years, the two worked together on Datchler's solo recordings. Most also guided Datchler, producing several of his recordings in the mid-1980s.
Original tenure:
In April 1986, Datchler, Nocito, and Hayes released the first Johnny Hates Jazz single, "Me and My Foolish Heart", on RAK Records. It was not a commercial success, but gained substantial airplay and was Sounds magazine's record of the week.
Datchler began writing new songs, which included "Shattered Dreams." JHJ then performed a showcase at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club and was subsequently signed to Virgin Records. "Shattered Dreams" was released in March 1987 and became a top-five hit in the UK throughout mainland Europe and Asia, and reached No. 2 in Japan. Three other worldwide hits, “I Don't Want to Be a Hero,“ ”Turn Back the Clock (featuring Kim Wilde on backing vocals), and “Heart of Gold” followed it. In 1988, "Shattered Dreams" reached No. 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100, No. 1 on the US Adult Contemporary chart, and climbed to No. 4 in Canada. That same year, their album, Turn Back the Clock, entered the UK Albums Chart at No. 1, selling four million copies.
At the end of 1987, JHJ made two music videos with director David Fincher. The videos were for the US releases of "Shattered Dreams" and "Heart of Gold." Datchler left the band at the end of 1988.
Hayes and Nocito continued the band and replaced Datchler with their friend Phil Thornalley, a Grammy Award-nominated engineer and record producer and a former bass player for The Cure. The new line-up released a second album, Tall Stories, in 1991. However, the album was unsuccessful and the band dissolved the next year.
Post-break-up:
Datchler moved to Amsterdam at the end of the 1980s and focused on his solo work, recording the albums Raindance and Fishing for Souls. Returning to the UK, he based himself at Peter Gabriel's Real World Studios near Bath throughout the 1990s. In 2000, he moved to the US and created a solar-powered home and studio, where he recorded much of his most recent album, Tomorrow. Throughout this time, he studied the philosophy of indigenous people and became environmentally active. In 2008, he received a GreenTec Award (formerly the Clean Tech Media Awards) in Berlin.
Following the dissolution of Johnny Hates Jazz, Nocito based himself in Cambridge, England, and produced the Katrina and the Waves single "Love Shine a Light," winner of the 1997 Eurovision Song Contest and a top-10 hit throughout Europe. He also produced and wrote for Hepburn, Gina G, and Orson, and continued to work extensively with Katrina and the Waves.
New era:
Datchler and Nocito met again in 2009 after Datchler wrote a song called "Magnetized," which he felt would be ideal for Johnny Hates Jazz. Soon after, they decided to record a new album. Datchler moved back to the UK and wrote the rest of the songs for the project. At the same time, the original line-up of Datchler, Nocito, and Hayes performed live at various international festivals. However, after several shows in 2010, Hayes left the band before the recording of the new album commenced.
That same year, Datchler received a BMI award for "Shattered Dreams" in recognition of receiving over 3.2 million broadcast performances of the song in the US alone.
The subsequent album was titled Magnetized. Recording spanned much of 2011 and 2012 and took place at Real World Studios near Bath, Hamp Sound near Cambridge, and Angel Recording Studios in London. It featured Datchler as songwriter, vocalist, and keyboard player, and Nocito as producer and engineer. There were also string arrangements and additional keyboards from The Art of Noise's Anne Dudley, who had arranged the strings on "Turn Back The Clock." Other contributors included drummer Alex Reeves, guitarists David Rhodes, and Marcus Bonfanti, synthesizer player Pete Watson, and mix engineer Stephen W. Tayler.
The first single, "Magnetized," was released in the UK on 28 April 2013, and received widespread airplay, being A-listed for several weeks on BBC Radio 2. It was also released in Germany and achieved similar success on the radio there. The album was subsequently released on 5 May in the UK. However, Datchler collapsed in London shortly after this time and was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. As a result, all promotions came to halt. It was not until the following year that he made a full recovery, but by that time, the album had lost momentum, and the band decided to focus on live work instead.
Since then, they have performed extensively in the UK, as well as in Germany and Asia. In 2017, they released a remixed version of "Magnetized" in China, as well as performed live. Subsequently, they began writing and recording material for a new album. Also, Datchler has co-written eight songs with Mike Rutherford for the Mike + the Mechanics album, Let Me Fly.
As of 2020, the band released a new single called "Spirit Of Love." This new single was released on 29 May 2020 and has a few inspirations and musical roots from the 1970s during which Datchler and Nocito grew up. Also on 29 May, Wide Awake, a new album was announced in a trailer and that it would be released on 14 August 2020. This album has spent over "two years in the making," and that it contains "... a mixture of soulful melodies, uplifting lyrics, and positive energy that is present from start to finish." On 4 June 2020, a music video was released that featured fan pictures and videos of what they loved most and the band members walking around and visiting different spots in Japan.
Don
Johnny Hates Jazz Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't let the change
We've never needed answers
To find the way
Now all of a sudden
Like waves on a beach
Love has come crashing down
(Chorus)
Don't say it's love, baby
'Cos you are to me
What you want to be
Don't say it's love, baby
If our friendship is to survive
Don't say it's love
We've shared so many secrets
Now kiss and tell
You make one move to love me
And it's farewell
'Cos somewhere there's someone
Who's waiting for you
To love you more than I could
Your heart was misunderstood
(Chorus)
Don't be a fool
You'll be alone in your confusion
If loving me is an illusion
Then let it go
Oh no no no no
Now I never counted
On ending this way
I always trusted fate
But if we are no too late
(Chorus)
...All you do is say it's love
The lyrics to "Don't Say It's Love" by Johnny Hates Jazz speak about a love that has suddenly changed and is now causing confusion and uncertainty. The singer expresses their fear of this change and how it might affect their friendship. They reminisce about the good times they had together, and how they never needed to define their relationship. But now, with the arrival of love, their friendship is in danger of being lost forever. The chorus pleads with the other person not to call it love if their friendship is to survive.
The fear of change and how it might affect relationships is a common theme in the song. The singer realizes that they might not be what their partner wants, and that someone else might be better suited for them. They convince their potential partner not to take a chance on love, as it might lead to heartbreak and leave them alone in their confusion. The song ends with a hopeful reminder that fate might bring them back together, but for now, they need to hold on to their friendship and not let love tear them apart.
Overall, the lyrics to "Don't Say It's Love" are a cautionary tale about the pitfalls of love and how it can affect even the closest of friendships. It speaks to those who fear losing someone they care about and reminds us all of the importance of communication in any relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
We've had it good for years now
Our relationship has been strong and stable for a long time.
Don't let the change
Don't let anything come between us and change our relationship.
We've never needed answers
We've never questioned our relationship as we have always been happy.
To find the way
We never had any issues navigating our relationship.
Now all of a sudden
Unexpectedly, things have taken a turn for the worse.
Like waves on a beach
Issues have come crashing into our relationship like waves on a beach.
Love has come crashing down
Our love, which was once strong, has come to an end.
The truth has been lost and found
We have lost sight of what we had together and now must face the truth.
Don't say it's love, baby
Don't mistake the issues between us for love.
'Cos you are to me
Our friendship is more important to me than our romantic relationship.
What you want to be
Continue to be my friend and not push for anything else right now.
If our friendship is to survive
We need to prioritize our friendship rather than trying to make something romantic work.
We've shared so many secrets
We have been close and trusted each other with our deepest thoughts and feelings.
Now kiss and tell
Please don't share any intimate details of our relationship with others.
You make one move to love me
If you try to make a romantic move on me, it will end our relationship.
And it's farewell
I can't continue a romantic relationship with you and say goodbye.
Don't be a fool
Don't make foolish decisions based on emotions.
You'll be alone in your confusion
If you continue in confusion, you will end up isolated and alone.
If loving me is an illusion
If you are only clinging to the idea of me and not who I truly am, this cannot continue.
Then let it go
It would be better to let go of the idea of me if it is causing you confusion.
Oh no no no no
Expressing frustration and disappointment with the situation.
Now I never counted
I never expected our relationship to end this way.
On ending this way
I hoped we could continue as friends, but if we can't, it's okay.
I always trusted fate
I believed everything would work out between us without any issues.
But if we are no too late
If we still have a chance to fix our friendship, let's not waste it.
...All you do is say it's love
The other person keeps insisting that their confusion is because they are in love, but that isn't truly the case.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: CLARK DATCHLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@lucanick1974
Oh, send me off to war
With a gun in my hand
But I won't pull the trigger
Our destiny is here
Beneath the red, white and blue
So lead me to the slaughter
Now don't be afraid
Come and join the parade
For the ultimate in sacrifice
It's an old-fashioned story
Of hope and of glory
A ticket for taking a life
I, I don't want to be a hero
I don't want to die for you
I don't want to be a hero
Oh send me off to war
In a far away land
I never knew existed
Subject me to the truth
To the horror and pain
Until my mind is twisted
And what if I fail
Will you put me in jail
For a murder I will not commit?
'Cause you don't understand
Till there's blood on your hands
That it's time to forget and forgive
I, I don't want to be a hero
I don't want to die for you
I don't want to be a hero
And those who return
Come back only to learn
That they're hated by those who they love
'cos you're not satisfied
Till the thousand will die
And your anger is paid for in blood
I, I don't want to be a hero
I don't want to die for you
I don't want to be a hero
@Dead-Ball-Situation
These guys created some beautiful songs and this was one of them. I just wish we had this back again today. I miss the 80's
@terryburton971
You have cds and YouTube i love and live in the 80s
@fermincastro7094
Me too...
@samgreak352
Look up fazzio death race or lost in thoughts both good songs FM attack which are bands race or darkwave/ synthwave
@canadiensuperman6496
nothing beats the eighties
@marcomaldotti4056
@@fermincastro7094 ⁰p0
@peterchambers2553
I just wish Johnny Hates Jazz had done more albums. Brilliant pop music with intelligent lyrics, great singing and musicianship.
@Vasu979
1980s was the best decade for music! Hands down
@kkwan5208
Always wonder why 80’s this decade can generate such a huge number of fabulous music
@derpysquid-8164
This era still cold war I belive that in turn created fun music to lighten mood, upbeat songs like this with serious lyrics, and good slower songs. In a way fear of war brought out the artists and passion.