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.
Nevermore
Johnny Hates Jazz Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I stood in the sun and I swayed in the breeze
The pride of the forest
Standing so tall
But then came the lightning out of the blue
She struck at my heart and tore me in two
And I fell to the ground
In the gathering storm
Whether I failed myself
You know that I need you
More than anyone else
Now will love me nevermore
Or is there a way to heal the hurting?
If we are still worth fighting for
Tell me now or nevermore
I live in a world where Winter holds sway
Your trust in me has withered away
Hoping in vain
For the coming of Spring
My heart is hollow
You are a stranger to me
It’s the season of sorrow
And I am a man bereaved
Now will you love me nevermore
Or is there a way to heal the hurting?
If we are still worth fighting for
Tell me now or nevermore
As I watch you turn and go
In the gently falling snow
I will dream for a thousand years
Quietly waiting,
Quietly waiting, waiting, waiting
Now will you love me nevermore
Or is there a way to heal the hurting?
If we are still worth fighting for
Tell me now or nevermore
Tell me now or nevermore
Tell me now or nevermore
The lyrics of Johnny Hates Jazz's song Nevermore is about a person who used to be strong and proud but was broken down after experiencing heartbreak. The first verse describes the person's strength as being comparable to a tree, standing tall and sturdy amidst the wind and sun. However, the lightning strike of heartache tore them apart, rendering them fallen and broken in the midst of the storm. The person then questions whether they failed themselves or the one they love, recognizing that they need that person more than anyone else in order to heal.
The second verse shifts to expressing the loneliness the person feels in a world dominated by winter and the absence of the one they love. They recognize that their partner no longer trusts them or has faith in their love, as hopes for the coming of spring, a time of new beginnings and warmth, fade away. The chorus repeats the theme of questioning whether the love they once had is gone forever or if there is still a way to heal their relationship. The song ends with the person dreaming of a future with their love, waiting for a way to mend what has been broken.
Overall, the lyrics of Nevermore are about loss, heartbreak, and the hope for healing and reconciliation. The use of natural imagery, such as trees and the changing of seasons, reinforces the theme of growth, change, and new beginnings, even in the midst of pain and loss.
Line by Line Meaning
I used to be strong, strong as a tree
I once had confidence and strength that rivalled the stability and sturdiness of a tree.
I stood in the sun and I swayed in the breeze
I used to enjoy the moment and sway with the rhythm of life like a tree sways with the breeze.
The pride of the forest
I was the embodiment of the forest's pride and represented its greatness.
Standing so tall
I was always head and shoulders above the rest and projected an image of greatness and success.
But then came the lightning out of the blue
All of a sudden, something unexpected and life-changing happened.
She struck at my heart and tore me in two
Whatever happened ripped my heart to shreds and left me in pieces.
And I fell to the ground
The blow was so severe that I lost all balance, suffered a complete breakdown, and hit rock bottom.
In the gathering storm
I was caught in a crisis that was only compounding and worsening as time went on.
Whether I failed you
I'm not sure if I let you down or didn't meet your expectations.
Whether I failed myself
I'm not sure if I'm disappointed in myself for the way things turned out.
You know that I need you
I am desperate for your companionship, love, and support, and cannot do without you.
More than anyone else
You are the most important person in my life, and I cannot bear to lose you.
Now will love me nevermore
Do you still harbor feelings for me, or have you moved on and forgotten about me completely?
Or is there a way to heal the hurting?
Is there anything we can do to mend things between us and bring back the love that we once had?
If we are still worth fighting for
Are we still important enough to each other to put in the effort to save what we had?
Tell me now or nevermore
I need to know if we stand a chance of working things out, or if it's time for me to move on and accept that we're over.
I live in a world where Winter holds sway
My life feels cold, barren, and devoid of vitality because I am in a state of emotional winter.
Your trust in me has withered away
You no longer believe in me, and your faith has turned into skepticism and suspicion.
Hoping in vain
I hold on to a glimmer of hope that things will improve, but it seems increasingly unlikely.
For the coming of Spring
I'm waiting for a season of new beginnings, warmth, and growth when my heart can thaw and bloom once again.
My heart is hollow
I feel empty inside because a part of me is missing, and I cannot find fulfillment or meaning.
You are a stranger to me
You have become someone unrecognizable to me because our love and connection have faded away.
It’s the season of sorrow
I'm in a period of mourning, lament, and grief because of what we've lost.
And I am a man bereaved
I'm a person who's lost something valuable and irreplaceable, and I'm struggling to cope with the pain and emptiness.
As I watch you turn and go
I see you walk away and leave me alone, and I feel helpless and powerless to stop you.
In the gently falling snow
The soft, delicate snowfall highlights the juxtaposition of the harsh, cold reality of the situation with the tender, wistful emotions in my heart.
I will dream for a thousand years
I'll keep on dreaming and hoping for a reunion and reconciliation for as long as it takes.
Quietly waiting, Quietly waiting, waiting, waiting
I'll wait patiently and resolutely, with the quiet determination and tenacity of a stoic, enduring the pain and loneliness until the day we can be together again.
Contributed by Aaron A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.