Johnny Hates Jazz "Shattered Dreams" C/D

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i heard this song burned out interest in the group.

― Startrekman, Sunday, 10 July 2005 00:50 (7 years ago) Permalink

the singles are always the worst tracks. the album is fucking great. it sounds like bill laswell mixed with godspeed, you black emperor

― michael burble, Sunday, 10 July 2005 02:03 (7 years ago) Permalink

Lovely song, one of the better sophisti-pop singles. The followup single "I Don't Want To Be A Hero" is just as good.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Sunday, 10 July 2005 13:42 (7 years ago) Permalink

Wonderful song. Classic.

Crap band name, though.

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Sunday, 10 July 2005 13:55 (7 years ago) Permalink

Just heard it. It's got a bongo solo. BONGOS! Unmitigated genius!

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 18:05 (7 years ago) Permalink

What's the line after "I could walk away, walk away, from my (unintelligible)"? That always confused me.

― Chuck_Tatum (Chuck_Tatum), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 18:12 (7 years ago) Permalink

"walk away from my heart". It is damn near unintelligible.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 18:19 (7 years ago) Permalink

Are you talking about "Feel like I could run away, run away from this empty heart"? I didn't know it until I read the lyrics. (Yes, I once paid real money, albeit only 25 cents of it, for Turn Back the Clock.) I wondered if it was "from this sense of awe", which would have been way deeper.

― Sundar (sundar), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 20:39 (7 years ago) Permalink

I'd love to listen to the album. how is it?

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 21:20 (7 years ago) Permalink

Awful insipid shit, but still better than, say, Rob Thomas and/or Antigone Rising.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 22:11 (7 years ago) Permalink

"Shattered Dreams" is anything insipid, much less awful.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 22:13 (7 years ago) Permalink

10 months pass...

SO MUCH FOR YOUR PROMISES

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 15 June 2006 00:16 (7 years ago) Permalink

Johnny Hates...Jazz?

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Thursday, 15 June 2006 02:57 (7 years ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

I like "Shattered Dreams", but their best moments were their two next singles, "I Don't Want To Be a Hero" and "Turn Back The Clock".

Johnny Hates Jazz is sort of seen as the archetypical bad 80s act, which is very unfair. To me, they are among the better new acts of the second half of the 80s. Great melodies, great lyrics, and great Alex Sadkin-influenced production.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Thursday, 20 July 2006 21:00 (6 years ago) Permalink

In Geir's world Alex Sadkin = George Martin

I thought about this song yesterday. Still lojve the bongos. And the two-note bass line played beneath the keyb hook that comes after the chorus.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 20 July 2006 21:26 (6 years ago) Permalink

Alex Sadkin is pretty genius, so that assessment is kinda in my world too.

I *heart* Johnny Hates Jazz and don't care what anyone thinks about that. I'm a huge fan of their kind of "sophisti-pop" and think it fits in well with everything that was great about the second half of the '80s. This implies that there was a not-so-great side to that half-decade, but I'm not going into that at the moment.

― Phoenix Dancing (krushsister), Friday, 21 July 2006 01:36 (6 years ago) Permalink

Er, or was pretty genius. That "is" kinda sticks out like a sore thumb, don't you think?

― Phoenix Dancing (krushsister), Friday, 21 July 2006 01:37 (6 years ago) Permalink

You'll love this thread, Phoenix:

Swing Out Sister - "Breakout" C/D

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Friday, 21 July 2006 01:42 (6 years ago) Permalink

everything i will ever have to say about shattered dreams:

This song is not only ubiquitous -it is ALWAYS being played on the radio somewhere and has been since it was released- but also almost completely anonymous in its way. If you walk into a store/restaurant/office and its playing, you won't even register its sounds as music. It is simply a part of the environment, like the trees and furniture and sidewalk. You will very rarely find yourself even making note of the fact that it is a song entitled "Shattered Dreams" and that it was a big hit in the late 80's. You will never ever find yourself singing along to it or asking someone to "turn this one up!" And yet it is always around. Like a cloud or wallpaper or your grandma. It has assimilated and insinuated itself so thoroughly into the fabric of daily life that it almost ceases to exist. For almost 20 years it has worked its strange inoffensive magic on our sleeping brains. What has it done to us? When a song is both there and not there, who pays the price for forgetting? The cocktail waitress? The line-cook? The temp worker in payroll? The drywall man? When will we all remember the common dream that we all share? Who will rub our eyes and make us notice, for perhaps the first time, the bluejay and the oriole outside our window? And their georgous flight from the trees to the sky above.

-- scott seward (skotro...), May 22nd, 2006. (scott seward) (tracklink)

― scott seward (scott seward), Friday, 21 July 2006 01:57 (6 years ago) Permalink

And then the bongo solo. Your grandma doesn't play bongos. Betcha $10 the cocktail waitress does neither.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Friday, 21 July 2006 02:04 (6 years ago) Permalink

you sound so sure of yourself.

― scott seward (scott seward), Friday, 21 July 2006 02:10 (6 years ago) Permalink

I just looked up Johnny Hates Jazz on YouTube and was surprised to find out that there were TWO "Shattered Dreams" videos. The black & white one directed by David Fincher is the only one I've ever been aware of. I'm going to check out the second one now.

Before I do that, though, I'd like to dispute the claims that this song is in any way "anonymous". If I heard it played in a restaurant or department store, I'd definitely be able to pick it out, and even will sing along with it, regardless of how much adverse attention that might bring.

Okay, now I'm going off to view this video.

― Phoenix Dancing (krushsister), Friday, 21 July 2006 02:30 (6 years ago) Permalink

Oh my God, the non-U.S. version of the "Shattered Dreams" video is CHEESEARIFFIC. Times fifty. Thank God David Fincher created that classy b&w video for the American market.

― Phoenix Dancing (krushsister), Friday, 21 July 2006 02:36 (6 years ago) Permalink

check the comments on the US version - anyone spot jerry seinfeld playing bass? lmao.

this one's a forgotten classic too:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oC-xU_ghmVg&search=breathe%20hands%20to%20heaven

check the overwrought power ballad hand moves, climaxing at the last 'gooooodbyyeeee'. by the final chorus, the director's told him to put his hands in his pockets and keep 'em there.

― beeble (beeble), Friday, 21 July 2006 08:30 (6 years ago) Permalink

Haha, my friends dealer is called Johnny and makes rubbish dance tracks under the name "Johnny Loves House:.

― Chewshabadoo (Chewshabadoo), Friday, 21 July 2006 08:40 (6 years ago) Permalink

Shattered Dreams was on the radio in the background when I kissed a girl for the first time ever. But I think it'd still be CLASSIC, even if that wasn't the case.

― JimD (JimD), Friday, 21 July 2006 08:49 (6 years ago) Permalink

I remember that Smash Hits published a "Johnny Hates Jazz in the studio" feature around the time that Shattered Dreams made it into the UK top ten, with the intent of giving readers some insight into what was involved in the making of a hit single. I recall the following nuggets of information:
1. Seinfeld-lookalike Mike Nocito commented that the Hofner "Beatles" bass he sported in the video actually sounded rubbish, and that he'd never use it to actually record with;
2. Clark Datchler wrote all the songs for the album on a Casio keyboard;
3. Calvin Hayes is the son of English pop impressario Mickie Most.

― Palomino (Palomino), Saturday, 22 July 2006 16:54 (6 years ago) Permalink

Clark Datchler is quite the fox. Check out the George Michael stubble, the marvelous VO5-styled hair, and sports jacket in the video. Rrrr.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Saturday, 22 July 2006 17:47 (6 years ago) Permalink

Ha ha ha, yes, "Clark Datchler is quite the fox" indeed. I'm in complete agreement with you.

― Phoenix Dancing (krushsister), Saturday, 22 July 2006 19:25 (6 years ago) Permalink

4 years pass...

"Turn Back the Clock" is a precious, perfect vision.

― spanikopitcon (Abbott), Saturday, 7 August 2010 02:17 (2 years ago) Permalink

I mean, I think it's a good album.

― spanikopitcon (Abbott), Saturday, 7 August 2010 02:17 (2 years ago) Permalink

still better than, say, Rob Thomas and/or Antigone Rising

damned, by the faintest of faint praise.

― Daniel, Esq., Saturday, 7 August 2010 02:20 (2 years ago) Permalink

http://www.stylusmagazine.com/articles/bluffer/sophisti-pop.htm

― Gucci Mane hermeneuticist (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 7 August 2010 02:32 (2 years ago) Permalink

I'm a fan of this song. It hadn't occured to me that this might be a good album, but I might give it a shot .. I associate this with Howard Jones & the late-80s equivalent of adult-alternative.. not exactly "cool" music but certainly a guilty pleasure.

― billstevejim, Saturday, 7 August 2010 21:43 (2 years ago) Permalink

Reading that article reminded me of Curiosity Killed The Cat's Misfit which sounds similar to Hipsway's Honeythief. I prefer Honeythief.

― brotherlovesdub, Saturday, 7 August 2010 23:26 (2 years ago) Permalink

This song was on the radio the other day and I didn't realize what a great song this is. The song itself is good, it just got saddled with a unremarkable vocal performance, a band with a bad image and slick 80's production.

If the same exact song was recorded in 1975 with a good black singer and band it would be an undisputed classic. The songwriting is great, the song just had the misfortune of being recorded in the wrong place at the wrong time.

― your original display name is still visible. (Display Name), Sunday, 8 August 2010 00:00 (2 years ago) Permalink

I love the production, especially that strange bass riff before the "You said you'd die for me" bit.

― Gucci Mane hermeneuticist (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 8 August 2010 03:12 (2 years ago) Permalink

My copy has a mix of "Heart of Gold" (J. Mendelsohn Mix) that is super smooth & flangey at the same time. Awesome!

― spanikopitcon (Abbott), Sunday, 8 August 2010 03:26 (2 years ago) Permalink

the falsetto rules in this tune

― plate of dinosaurs (San Te), Sunday, 8 August 2010 03:40 (2 years ago) Permalink

Everything rules about this tune. This is what I want most from these straitjacketed eighties sophisti-pop productions.

― Gucci Mane hermeneuticist (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 8 August 2010 03:48 (2 years ago) Permalink

Another one that really delivers on this level (imo) is Level 42's "Something About You," which also has a goofy/touching video.

― spanikopitcon (Abbott), Sunday, 8 August 2010 04:16 (2 years ago) Permalink

lol holy fuck I was just thinking of that song.

CUZ THERE WAS SOMETHING ABOUT YOUUUUUUU, BABY, SO RIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT

― plate of dinosaurs (San Te), Sunday, 8 August 2010 04:21 (2 years ago) Permalink

I will let you guys champion this stuff, aside from Sade and a couple of Simply Red singles, most of this stuff is irredeemable.

― your original display name is still visible. (Display Name), Sunday, 8 August 2010 04:22 (2 years ago) Permalink

I do like that Level 42 single tho...

― your original display name is still visible. (Display Name), Sunday, 8 August 2010 04:22 (2 years ago) Permalink

smug dismissiveness is a fun trait

― plate of dinosaurs (San Te), Sunday, 8 August 2010 04:24 (2 years ago) Permalink

Are you sure you are able to accurately judge a person's mood via a single sentence on the interwebs?

― your original display name is still visible. (Display Name), Sunday, 8 August 2010 04:29 (2 years ago) Permalink

Can't judge a person's mood, no, but what you wrote above implied "Well, I'll let YOU GUYS discuss this crap, personally I myself know it is garbage".

but anyway back 2 the song, has anybody ever covered this? like high profile not 'ironically' or at a concert or something

― plate of dinosaurs (San Te), Sunday, 8 August 2010 16:38 (2 years ago) Permalink

i think this song is just okay. when the chorus begins, i keep expecting it to soar, but it just meanders.

― Daniel, Esq., Sunday, 8 August 2010 16:42 (2 years ago) Permalink

Enjoyed reading Alfred's passionate write-ups of this stuff because, at the risk of being smugly dismissive, this is possibly my most hated sub-genre ever - Smooth Criminal and Break Out are the only songs on that Stylus list I can tolerate. It's such an easy target that it's interesting to read some affectionate analysis. Even when I bought Now 10 (late 1987), which introduced me to Rent, the first song I ever obsessed over, and thus triggered my real love affair with pop music, I remember thinking a lot of this was ghastly.

― Haunted Clocks For Sale (Dorianlynskey), Monday, 9 August 2010 09:14 (2 years ago) Permalink

Ah, I've been getting into this very song and was toying with starting a thread in praise of it ... and of course the thread already exists. I love you ILM.

― Ismael Klata, Monday, 9 August 2010 09:33 (2 years ago) Permalink

since it's been mentioned here, i love "something about you" so hard i could break it

― all yoga attacks are fire based (rogermexico.), Monday, 9 August 2010 16:57 (2 years ago) Permalink

I could listen to sad, overly-groomed men sing in falsetto all day long. I liked every song on that Stylus list.

― spanikopitcon (Abbott), Monday, 9 August 2010 17:02 (2 years ago) Permalink

Mike and the Mechanics Silent Runnin' is also a fav

― plate of dinosaurs (San Te), Monday, 9 August 2010 17:07 (2 years ago) Permalink

If anyone's interested, sc0tt w00ds and I discuss Bryan Ferry and sophisti-pop in some detail here.

― Gucci Mane hermeneuticist (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 9 August 2010 17:08 (2 years ago) Permalink

nice try, s0t0!

The URL you tried to load:
http://rockcriticsarchives.com/audiovisual/soto-woods-roxy-ferry-013.mp3

Phishing Site Blocked
Phishing is a fraudulent attempt to get you to provide personal information under false pretenses.

― all yoga attacks are fire based (rogermexico.), Monday, 9 August 2010 17:10 (2 years ago) Permalink

I've got Black's 'Wonderful Life' on IJ right now

― Ismael Klata, Monday, 9 August 2010 17:21 (2 years ago) Permalink

gah! Wonderful Life! Now i've got to make a playlist of this shit.

― brotherlovesdub, Monday, 9 August 2010 17:35 (2 years ago) Permalink

nice try, s0t0!

The URL you tried to load:

Huh. I tried it again and it worked fine.

― Gucci Mane hermeneuticist (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 9 August 2010 17:53 (2 years ago) Permalink

alfred thank you for that article. all of this stuff is so good, and awaiting its moment of reappraisal. i have been trying to get people into "digging your scene" for a while now.

― uptown churl, Monday, 9 August 2010 20:03 (2 years ago) Permalink

thanks! actually, that one I never warmed to.

― Gucci Mane hermeneuticist (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 9 August 2010 20:05 (2 years ago) Permalink

Forbidden Fruit is much better than Digging Your Scene.

― brotherlovesdub, Monday, 9 August 2010 20:24 (2 years ago) Permalink

'Digging Your Scene' is excellent. I've also been enjoying 'Labour Of Love' by Hue & Cry

― Ismael Klata, Monday, 9 August 2010 21:56 (2 years ago) Permalink

Damn! I've just remembered one day when I was ten or eleven, and I was out riding my bike. 'Labour of Love' was in the charts and locked on heavy rotation in my brain. I was riding down a path near my house with this song banging round my head, and just as I was coming up to pass a neighbour who was out walking I could keep it in no longer and "AIN'T GONNA WORK FOR YOU NO MORE" practically shouted itself out of my mouth.

She stopped and was all "What? WHAT DID YOU SAY?". I was mortified and was going to start to explain but realised there was no way to make any sense of it, so I just had to pedal harder and kept going. I think I managed a 'I wasn't talking to youuu' as I disappeared into the distance.

― Ismael Klata, Monday, 9 August 2010 22:14 (2 years ago) Permalink

Turn Back the Clock is a sad song

― Tolaca Luke (admrl), Monday, 9 August 2010 22:16 (2 years ago) Permalink

1 year passes...

Listening to this now. FYI.

Write it in your journals, guys.

― Cuba Pudding, Jr. (jaymc), Friday, 13 April 2012 06:07 (1 year ago) Permalink

By now you should have finished.

― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 13 April 2012 10:49 (1 year ago) Permalink

<3 this song

― easter back, somebody call the binks truck (Whiney G. Weingarten), Friday, 13 April 2012 12:39 (1 year ago) Permalink

6 months pass...

SO MUCH FOR YOUR PROMISES

― the ones that I'm near most: fellow outcasts and ilxors (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 15 October 2012 00:03 (8 months ago) Permalink

this is real pop FUCK YOU GAGA FUCK YOU BIBIER

― your face - u deserve to get it laughed in! (Hunt3r), Monday, 15 October 2012 01:45 (8 months ago) Permalink

I think we need a sophisti-pop OPX

― If Assholes Could Fly This Place Would Be An Airport, Monday, 15 October 2012 03:01 (8 months ago) Permalink

go!

― the ones that I'm near most: fellow outcasts and ilxors (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 15 October 2012 03:04 (8 months ago) Permalink

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