Johnny and Mary

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"Johnny and Mary"
File:Robert Palmer - Johnny and Mary.jpg
Single by Robert Palmer
from the album Clues
Released 1980
Format
Recorded Compass Point Studios
Genre
Length 3:59
Label Island
Writer(s) Robert Palmer
Robert Palmer singles chronology
"Can We Still Be Friends"
(1979)		 "Johnny and Mary"
(1980)		 "Looking for Clues"
(1980)

"Johnny and Mary" is a song written and originally performed by Robert Palmer. Palmer's version was recorded in 1980 at Compass Point Studios, New Providence, in the Bahamas. The song was featured on Palmer's album Clues (1980).

"Johnny and Mary" went to no. 44 on the UK Singles Chart,[3] and was a top 40 hit in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and several European countries. In Germany, it peaked at no. 7 on the singles chart and spent a total of 23 weeks in the Top 20.[4][5] In France, it reached no. 2 while in Spain, it peaked at no. 1 on the Spanish singles chart (AFYVE).[6]

Though the single did not chart in the US Hot 100, it did reach no. 18 on Billboard's Club Play Singles chart.[7]

"Johnny and Mary" was used as the signature tune in advertisements promoting Renault cars throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Early adverts used Palmer's original version, while a range of special recordings in different styles were produced during the 1990s, most famously an acoustic interpretation by Martin Taylor, which he released on his album Spirit of Django. Taylor recorded alternate versions for Renault; the last being in 1998 for the launch of the all-new Renault Clio.

AllMusic suggests that "Johnny and Mary" was the inspiration for Rod Stewart's later hit "Young Turks".

Chart performance

Preceded by Spanish number-one single
30 March 1981 – 27 April 1981 (5 weeks)		 Succeeded by
"Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime" by The Korgis

Todd Terje and Bryan Ferry version

"Johnny and Mary"
File:Todd Terje and Bryan Ferry - Johnny and Mary cover art.jpg
Single by Todd Terje featuring Bryan Ferry
from the album It's Album Time and Avonmore
Released 7 April 2014 (2014-04-07)
Format
  • CD
  • digital download
Length
  • 6:32 (album version)
  • 5:10 (radio edit)
Label Olsen
Producer(s) Todd Terje
Todd Terje singles chronology
"Leisure Suit Preben"
(2013)		 "Johnny and Mary"
(2014)		 "Alfonso Muskedunder"
(2015)
Bryan Ferry singles chronology
"Alphaville"
(2011)		 "Johnny and Mary"
(2014)		 "Loop De Li"
(2014)

Norwegian DJ Todd Terje covered "Johnny and Mary" for his debut studio album It's Album Time. His version features vocals from English musician Bryan Ferry. Terje's version was released as a single on 7 April 2014 as a digital download[24] and peaked at number 185 on the French Singles Chart.[25] It also appears on Ferry's fourteenth studio album, Avonmore.

Track listing

CD single[25]
No. Title Length
1. "Johnny and Mary"   6:32
2. "Johnny and Mary" (Radio edit) 5:10
Digital download[24]
No. Title Length
1. "Johnny and Mary" (Radio edit) 5:10

Chart performance

Chart (2014) Peak
position
France (SNEP)[25] 185

Other cover versions

  • Tina Turner included her own version of the song in the album The Collected Recordings – Sixties to Nineties.
  • Hungarian singer Kati Kovács wrote Hungarian lyrics to this song and recorded her version in 1985. This cover was published on the Favorit label as 7" single (B-side of SPS 70689).
  • German band The Notwist covered the song on their 1993 EP Johnny and Mary.
  • A Finnish-language version "Jari ja Mari" was released in 1993 by Muska.[26]
  • Status Quo covered the song for their 1996 album Don't Stop.
  • The track was also covered by British rock band Placebo as a B-side to their 2000 single "Taste in Men" and on their 2003 album Covers.
  • A cover in Swiss German is on the Züri West 2008 album Haubi Songs.
  • French band Nouvelle Vague recorded their version with a Polish singer Ania on the Polish edition of their 2009 album 3. The song was also included on the deluxe edition of Ania's 2010 album Ania Movie.
  • German band Wir sind Helden recorded a cover in 2011[27]
  • American Avant-Rock group Crane Eater (featuring Dan Sheffield) covers the song on their debut record Eatin' Cranes.
  • German Band Knabenkraut (featuring singer and wildlife filmmaker Oliver Goetzl) covered the song on their album "Someone still loves you, Knabenkraut" (Marsh–Marigold Records, 2014).
  • Other artists who have covered the song include Ellen Foley, Melissa Manchester and folk duo John & Mary on their 2007 album Peace Bridge.

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Robert Palmer: Artist Chart History" Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Robert Palmer – Johnny And Mary" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
  10. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Robert Palmer – Johnny And Mary" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0274." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ "Officialcharts.de – Robert Palmer – Johnny And Mary". GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Robert Palmer - Johnny And Mary search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
  17. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Robert Palmer – Johnny And Mary" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
  18. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Robert Palmer – Johnny And Mary". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Robert Palmer – Johnny And Mary". Singles Top 60. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
  21. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Robert Palmer – Johnny And Mary". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 "Lescharts.com – Todd Terje feat. Bryan Ferry – Johnny and Mary" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
  26. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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