He was versatile enough to do folk songs, blues, covers of old-time Rock n' roll songs, and some original material, all of them in his own unique style. Rivers's greatest success came in the mid and late 1960s with a string of hit songs (including "Seventh Son," "Poor Side of Town" and "Secret Agent Man") but he has continued to record and perform to the present.
In 1960, Rivers met fellow Louisianan, James Burton, the guitar player for Ricky Nelson. Burton later recommended one of Rivers's songs to Nelson, who went on to record it. In 1961, Rivers went to Los Angeles to meet Nelson, and ended up relocating there, working as a song writer and studio musician. In 1963, Rivers's big break came when he temporarily filled in for a jazz combo at Bill Gazzari's night club; the temporary gig became long-term due to positive customer response.
In 1964, Elmer Valentine then gave Rivers a one-year contract to open his new club, Whisky a Go Go, on Sunset Strip in West Hollywood. The Whisky opened three days before The Beatles released "I Want To Hold Your Hand" and the British Invasion knocked almost every American artist off the top of the charts. But Rivers was so popular, producer Lou Adler decided to issue Johnny Rivers Live At The Whiskey A Go Go. The live album reached #12 on the charts and the single "Memphis" (a Chuck Berry cover) reached #2. Rivers made the successful transition from nightclub entertainer to chart-busting pop singer and had created the Go Go sound, part of a scene which included Go-Go dancers.
Into 1965, Rivers continued to record mostly live, Go Go style records including "Maybellene" (another Berry cover), which he followed "Mountain of Love", "Midnight Special", "Seventh Son" (written by Willie Dixon) e "Where Have All The Flowers Gone" (with Pete Seeger's), all of which were hits.
Rivers wanted to try something different and adopted a more idiosyncratic approach as from 1966. Characterized by his smooth, soulful voice, he produced hit portrayals as "Poor Side Of Town", which would be his biggest hit ever and his only number one record. Into another hit was "Secret Agent Man", the theme from Secret Agent television series (written by P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri). He also started own record company, Soul City Records, where he won a Grammy Award as the producer of the 5th Dimension, which eventually recorded "Aquarius/Let The Sun Shine In" and "Wedding Bell Blues", two number one hits on Rivers' label. Johnny is also credited with giving songwriter Jimmy Webb a major break when they recorded Webb's song "Up, Up, and Away". James Hendricks, one of the artists of that signed with Soul City, wrote "Summer Rain", a song that Rivers recorded and turned a hit.
Johnny Rivers continued to record more hits, including "Baby I Need Your Lovin'" and "The Tracks of My Tears" (cover of The Miracles), both top 10 in 1967. In 1968, Rivers released what many fans consider his best album, Realization, a number five album on the LP charts. The album was evocative of the psychedelic influences of the time and marked a subtle change in his musical direction, with more thoughtful types of songs, included such ballads as "Going Back to Big Sur".
In the 1970s, Rivers continued to record more songs and albums which were a success with music critics, but did not sell as well as some of his earlier hits. One of these albums, "L.A. Reggae" in 1972, reached the LP charts as a result of the top 10 "Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu" (a cover of Huey Smith & the Clowns). Anothers hits that time were "Blue Suede Shoes" (a cover of Carl Perkins), in 1973, which would reach the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100, and "Help Me Rhonda", in 1975 - a cover of The Beach Boys on which Brian Wilson helped with backup vocals. His last entry on the charts was "Swayin' to the Music (Slow Dancing)", a top ten hit in 1977.
1980's until nowadays
Rivers continued recording into the '80's, although his recording career wound down somewhat. In spite of his music hasn't reached the best seller charts for quite a while, Rivers is still touring, doing 50 to 60 shows a year, increasingly returning to the blues that inspired him initially.
In 1998], Rivers reactivated his Soul City imprint and released Last Train to Memphis, his first new studio album in 15 years.
In early 2000, Johnny recorded with Eric Clapton, Tom Petty, and Paul McCartney on a tribute album dedicated to Buddy Holly's backup band, "The Crickets".
In all, Rivers had 9 top ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100 and 17 in the top 40 from 1964 to 1977. In total, he has sold well over 25 million records.
Respect
Johnny Rivers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What you need
You know I got it
All I'm askin' is for a little respect
When you come home
Baby when you come home
Respect
I'm out to give you all my money
Is to give me my proper respect
When you get home
Yeah, baby, when you get home
I ain't gonna do you wrong while you gone
I ain't gonna do you wrong
'Cause I don't want to
All I'm askin' is for a little respect
When you come home
Baby, when you come home
Respect
Ooh, your kisses, sweeter than honey
But guess what, so here's my money
All I want you to do for me
Is give me some respect when you get home
Yeah, baby, when you get home
are-E-S-P-E-see-T
Find out what it means to me
are-E-S-P-E-see-T
Take care, T-see-be
A little respect
The lyrics to Johnny Rivers's song Respect are a plea from a man to his lover for recognition and dignity in their relationship. He acknowledges that he has what she wants and needs, and all he asks in return is for her to show him a little respect. The man promises to not do her wrong while she's gone, and asks only for the same level of loyalty and respect in return. He notes that her kisses are sweeter than honey and that he is willing to give her all his money, but he emphasizes that what is most important to him is to be treated with respect.
The song's focus on respect as a core component of a romantic relationship was unusual for its time. In the 1960s, when the song was released, popular music rarely delved into such serious topics. Johnny Rivers's version of Respect, which was actually a cover of an Otis Redding song, was a significant success. It reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and it is now widely regarded as one of the most iconic songs of the era.
Line by Line Meaning
What you want baby I got
I have what you desire, my dear
What you need
Not only what you desire, but also what you require
You know I got it
You are aware that I possess what you want and need
All I'm askin' is for a little respect
The only thing I demand in return is a small amount of consideration
When you come home
After you return from being away
Baby when you come home
When you are back by my side, my dear
Respect
The consideration that I am seeking from you
I'm out to give you all my money
I am willing to provide you with all of my wealth
But all I'm askin in return honey
However, all that I ask for in response, my love, is this
Is to give me my proper respect
That you treat me with appropriate dignity
When you get home
Once you have returned to me
Yeah, baby, when you get home
Upon your arrival, my dear
I ain't gonna do you wrong while you gone
During your absence, I shall not bring you harm
I ain't gonna do you wrong
I will not mistreat you or cause you any pain
'Cause I don't want to
For the reason that I do not wish to
All I'm askin' is for a little respect
The only thing I am requesting is a bit of consideration
When you come home
When you return to my side
Baby, when you come home
Once you are back in my company, my dear
Respect
The consideration that I desire from you
Ooh, your kisses, sweeter than honey
Your smooches are more pleasant than sugar, my dear
But guess what, so here's my money
Nonetheless, my wealth is at your disposal
All I want you to do for me
The only thing I want from you
Is give me some respect when you get home
Is to grant me the dignity I deserve, once you have returned
Yeah, baby, when you get home
My plea is for when you've made it back to my side, my dear
are-E-S-P-E-see-T
Spelling the word for your knowledge
Find out what it means to me
Discovering the significance it holds for me personally
are-E-S-P-E-see-T
Spelling the word again for emphasis
Take care, T-see-be
Be cautious and treat me with respect
A little respect
Only a small amount of consideration is requested
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Otis Redding
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind