Lonnie Johnson's early recordings are the first guitar recordings that display a single-note soloing style with use of string bending and vibrato. While it cannot be proven that this contains the influence of earlier players who did not record, it is the origin of Blues and Rock solo guitar. Johnson's influence is obvious in Django Reinhardt, T-Bone Walker and virtually all electric blues guitar players.
[citation needed] Raised in a family of musicians, Johnson studied violin and guitar as a child, but concentrated on the latter throughout his professional career. A 1917 tour to England with a revue may have saved his life, for he returned to New Orleans in 1919 to find that most of his family had died in the 1918 influenza epidemic.
In the early 1920s, Johnson worked with the orchestras of Charlie Creath and Fate Marable on riverboats, but he made St. Louis his home in 1925. There he entered and won an Okeh Records blues contest that resulted in his making a series of memorable recordings for the label between 1925 and 1932, including guitar duets with Eddie Lang and vocal duets with Victoria Spivey. In the 1920s, Johnson also made guest appearances on records by Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five, the Duke Ellington orchestra, and The Chocolate Dandies, playing 12-string guitar solos in an extraordinary, pioneering single-string style that greatly influenced such future jazz guitarists as Charlie Christian and Django Reinhardt, and gave the instrument new meaning as a jazz voice.
Lonnie Johnson's career was a rollercoaster ride that sometimes took him away from music. In between great musical accomplishments, he found it necessary to take menial jobs that ranged from working in a steel foundry to mopping floors as a janitor. He was working at Philadelphia's Benjamin Franklin Hotel in 1959 when WHAT-FM disc jockey Chris Albertson happened upon him. Albertson succeeded in securing for Johnson a Chicago engagement at the Playboy Club, which launched yet another comeback. Johnson subsequently performed with Duke Ellington and his orchestra and with an all-star folk concert, both at Town Hall, New York City.
He also toured Europe and recorded several albums for the Prestige Bluesville label, some with Elmer Snowden, and one with his Okeh vocal partner, Victoria Spivey. To his great regret, Johnson was always tagged as a blues artist, and he found it difficult to be regarded as anything else. "I had done some singing by then," he explained when asked why he entered the Okeh contest, "but I still didn't take it as seriously as my guitar playing, and I guess I would have done anything to get recorded--it just happened to be a blues contest, so I sang the blues."
Johnson died in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, June 16, 1970 of complications resulting from a 1969 auto accident. He was posthumously inducted into the Louisiana Blues Hall of Fame in 1997.
One of Elvis Presley's earliest recordings was Johnson's blues ballad, "Tomorrow Night", which was also recorded by LaVern Baker
Bob Dylan wrote about the performing method he learned from Johnson in Chronicles, Vol. 1. Dylan thinks Robert Johnson had learned a lot from Lonnie.
Lots Of Loving
Lonnie Johnson Lyrics
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Baby I've got a whole lots of squeezin', and a whole lot of pleasin' just for you.
And the way I'm gonna love you, baby I now you gonna squeeze me too.
You so fine, so mella, you're really built for speed.
Baby, you're so fine, so mella, and you're really built for speed.
And when I look at that fine brown body, you've got everything a good man need.
Yes, baby, you're so fine and mella, and you just about my size.
And every time my love comes down, when I look into your big brown eyes.
Baby, you've got what it takes, and you a whole lotta woman to see.
Yes, baby, you've got what it takes, and you a whole lotta woman to see.
And when I look at these big bow legs, baby, yes, you got everything belongs to me.
In Lonnie Johnson's song "Lots of Loving," the lyrics convey a passionate and intense desire for a specific person. The singer expresses that they have immense affection and desire to please their beloved. The repetition of the phrase "whole lots of squeezin' and a whole lot of pleasin'" emphasizes the abundance of affection and gratification they have to offer. The singer believes that their love will be reciprocated, as they confidently state, "And the way I'm gonna love you, baby, I know you gonna squeeze me too."
The lyrics also highlight the physical beauty and allure of the person they are addressing. The description of them being "so fine, so mella" suggests that they are attractive and possess a calm and alluring presence. The line "you're really built for speed" may be a metaphorical way of saying that the person is sexually appealing and capable. The singer admires their partner's physique, stating that their "fine brown body" has everything a good man needs.
Moreover, the lyrics imply a deep emotional connection between the singer and their beloved. The repeated references to their size and the intensity of their love suggest a sense of compatibility on both physical and emotional levels. The singer finds solace and depth in their partner's eyes, symbolizing a profound connection and understanding.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby, I've got a whole lots of squeezin', and a whole lot of pleasin' for you.
I have an abundance of affection and satisfaction to offer you.
And the way I'm gonna love you, baby I now you gonna squeeze me too.
I know that you will reciprocate my love and affection.
Baby, you're so fine, so mella, and you're really built for speed.
You are exceptionally attractive, calm, and possess great agility.
And when I look at that fine brown body, you've got everything a good man need.
When I admire your beautiful brown complexion, I realize you possess all the qualities a good man desires.
Yes, baby, you're so fine and mella, and you just about my size.
Indeed, my dear, you are incredibly attractive and calm, and you are almost the perfect match for me.
And every time my love comes down, when I look into your big brown eyes.
Whenever I express my love, I am captivated by the depth of emotion reflected in your large brown eyes.
Yes, baby, you've got what it takes, and you a whole lotta woman to see.
Absolutely, darling, you possess the necessary qualities, and you are a remarkable woman to be appreciated.
And when I look at these big bow legs, baby, yes, you got everything belongs to me.
When I gaze at your shapely legs, my dear, I realize that you possess everything that is rightfully mine.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
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