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.
Magnetized
Johnny Hates Jazz Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're a spirit I recognize
Feelings I cannot explain
And I don't even know your name
Do we only live to die
Or is it that our hearts are Magnetized
And our worlds collide for a reason
Or is it that our hearts are Magnetized
Going round and round like the seasons
Have I come to make amends
Are old enemies now my friends
And are you here to be my guide
To heal the wounds that I bear inside
Do we only live to die
Or is it that our hearts are Magnetized
And our worlds collide for a reason
Do we only live to die
Or is it that our hearts are Magnetized
Going round and round like the seasons
Been here many times before
With a different face from a different shore
Both here to discover the other again
Do we only live to die
Or is it that our hearts are Magnetized
And our worlds collide for a reason
Do we only live to die
Or is it that our hearts are Magnetized
Going round and round like the seasons
Been here many times before
With a different face from a different shore
We've lived many lives before
Fought on different sides of a hundred wars
The lyrics of "Magnetized" by Johnny Hates Jazz paint the picture of two people who have never met before but feel a strong connection. The first verse establishes that there is a familiarity between them that defies explanation. The song then explores the idea that perhaps our hearts are "magnetized" and that's why we meet the people we do. The chorus poses the question of whether our purpose in life is simply to die, or if there's a deeper reason that we're drawn to certain people. Despite being strangers, the two people in the song are brought together for a reason that they may not yet understand. The second verse suggests that they may have had a past conflict or have been on opposite sides of a war, but now they're meeting again to rediscover each other.
The overall theme of "Magnetized" seems to be fate and the idea that certain people are meant to cross paths in life. It raises the possibility that our hearts have their own kind of magnetic pull that draws certain people into our lives. The song suggests that there is a bigger purpose to the connections we make with others, even if we don't always understand why.
Line by Line Meaning
I can see it in your eyes
I recognize your soul by seeing your eyes.
You're a spirit I recognize
You have a familiar spirit that I recognize.
Feelings I cannot explain
I have intense emotions, but I cannot identify or express them.
And I don't even know your name
I have a connection with you, but I don't know who you are.
Do we only live to die
Is our existence limited to dying?
Or is it that our hearts are Magnetized
But maybe our souls are connected due to a strong attraction.
And our worlds collide for a reason
We have met for a purpose.
Going round and round like the seasons
Our lives have a cyclical nature like seasons.
Have I come to make amends
I wonder if I am here to fix mistakes.
Are old enemies now my friends
Maybe former foes are now companions.
And are you here to be my guide
I want to know if you are here to help me find direction.
To heal the wounds that I bear inside
I seek aid in recovering from emotional pain.
Been here many times before
This situation has repeated numerous times.
With a different face from a different shore
But with new people from diverse places.
We've lived many lives before
It seems like we have reincarnated previously.
Fought on different sides of a hundred wars
We have been enemies during numerous warring events.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: CLARK DATCHLER, MIKE NOCITO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
synchronicity676
I can see it in your eyes
You're a spirit I recognize
Feelings I cannot explain
And I don't even know your name
Do we only live to die
Or is it that our hearts are Magnetized
And our worlds collide for a reason
Do we only live to die
Or is it that our hearts are Magnetized
Going round and round like the seasons
Have I come to make amends
Are old enemies now my friends
And are you here to be my guide
To heal the wounds that I bear inside
Do we only live to die
Or is it that our hearts are Magnetized
And our worlds collide for a reason
Do we only live to die
Or is it that our hearts are Magnetized
Going round and round like the seasons
Been here many times before
With a different face from a different shore
Both here to discover the other again
Do we only live to die
Or is it that our hearts are Magnetized
And our worlds collide for a reason
Do we only live to die
Or is it that our hearts are Magnetized
Going round and round like the seasons
Been here many times before
With a different face from a different shore
We've lived many lives before
Fought on different sides of a hundred wars..🎵
prithvi shetty
I can see it in your eyes
You're a spirit I recognize
Feelings I cannot explain
And I don't even know your name
Do we only live to die
Or is it that our hearts are Magnetized
And our worlds collide for a reason
Do we only live to die
Or is it that our hearts are Magnetized
Going round and round like the seasons
Have I come to make amends
Are old enemies now my friends
And are you here to be my guide
To heal the wounds that I bear inside
Do we only live to die
Or is it that our hearts are Magnetized
And our worlds collide for a reason
Do we only live to die
Or is it that our hearts are Magnetized
Going round and round like the seasons
Been here many times before
With a different face from a different shore
Both here to discover the other again
Do we only live to die
Or is it that our hearts are Magnetized
And our worlds collide for a reason
Do we only live to die
Or is it that our hearts are Magnetized
Going round and round like the seasons
Been here many times before
With a different face from a different shore
We've lived many lives before
Fought on different sides of a hundred wars
Maree Waru
I can see it in your eyes
You're a spirit I recognize
Feelings I cannot explain
And I don't even know your name
Do we only live to die
Or is it that our hearts are magnetized
And our worlds collide for a reason
Do we only live to die
Or is it that our hearts are magnetized
Going round and round like the seasons
Have I come to make amends
Are old enemies now're my friends
And are you here to be my guide
To heal the wounds that I bear inside
Do we only live to die
Or is it that our hearts are magnetized
And our worlds collide for a reason
Do we only live to die
Or is it that our hearts are magnetized
Going round and round like the seasons
Been here many times before
With a different face from a different shore
Both here to discover the other again
Do we only live to die
Or is it that our hearts are magnetized
And our worlds collide for a reason
Do we only live to die
Or is it that our hearts are magnetized
Going round and round like the seasons
Been here many times before
With a different face from a different shore
David Trestrail
Just goes to show you can disappear for a while and come back just as great as you were before. You guys were awesome then and still are!
MrCraigblaze
Only 2/3 of the band .But still !!
Richard Franklin
I love reading these comments. I like reading from those who live outside of the U.S.A. To me, the music from the 70's & 80's will never grow old, or, fade away. Especially the 80's, it was just a special period. So much more talent. None of this "autotune" to cover up the FACT that a lot of singers out there really can't sing or write decent music. I'm SO grateful for places like YouTube where I can go and chill out "back in the day" with acts like Johnny Hates Jazz, and Swing Out Sister!
Juan Pablo Mendez
That's exactly what i think and i wanted to say. I like heavy metal music but i listen all kind of music and for me the 80's were one of the greatest times for the music (and movies too) so much talent.
Sculpture's Hard
The music of today's youth in North America is extremely circular containing a lot of base and with little meaning the only thing that's different is the lyrics. I find it extremely frustrating to listen to and it makes no sense because if it's circularity however linear music really grabs you by the soul as does this particular tune by Johnny hates jazz. the first heard them when I was in a restaurant all over 28 years ago import the album as soon as I could that one of my favorite groups in I particularly like this song.
t00
Richard, I listen to mostly music from South Africa and the continent and from some other places. There is still good music being produced there. Some in English, some a mix of languages and some in only Zulu or other tongue. Of course, like you, I still listen to the oldies but nothing current. As you say it's become more about marketing than music. So some mediocre female can do well just by stripping off most of her clothes, acting trashy and utilizing social media to further her name. You might enjoy the band Freshlyground. Just one example of the talent from SA. Best of luck to you.
NYKgjl10
Couldn't have said it any better Richard Franklin!!
michael douglas
I have totally stopped listening to current pop music, such a waste of time. FYI Pet Shop Boy released a new album and it amaze me as it still retain 80's style. Also search for FM-84 - Atlas a modern retro album. We need to applause every artist who still hold true to the 80's spirit cheers.
Iris McGough
this is so good - takes me back to the days of brilliant music and lyrics, so catchy - love it
Cor Severin Chris
Always love this band ❤️ peacefull hits