Johnny Black - Extra chrome
Johnny Black - unusual Rockabilly from Australia.
1.Fade away 2.Fight back 3.Barroom hop 4.Rockabilly girls 5.Shakin' with the fever 6.Sock it to me 7.We're gonna rock 8.Rockin' boppin' strollin' 9.Bop bop bop 10.Goin' back south 11.New gypsy blues 12.Crackerjack 13.Hurricane 14.All nite longJohnny Black
Johnny Black is an Australian Rockabilly artist who plays fine piano. His Australian band is called The Blackjacks. This CD combines elements of Tim Polecat's 'Virtual Rockabilly', 'The Tunnel' from The Bluecats and there's also some of the more recent Quakes and Jerry Lee Lewis in there, too! Warning: This CD is the result of many years of alcohol research, user caution advised...
"I just got this CD in the mail today, and I'm already listening to it for the fourth time. At first I thought 'This is great', then I thought 'Heck, this guy is using electronic keyboards in rockabilly music!'. Yeah, I know, that's a big NO-NO. Still I couldn't stop listening to these self-penned, self-produced tracks. This album really rocks, and the sound is superb, the bass lines are so clear and catchy, I was boppin' around the office, swivel desk-chair and all.
Johnny wrote twelve of these songs himself, but you will notice that some are heavily influenced by original tracks. Like when listening to 'Fight Back', Marty Robbins' 'Big Iron' comes to mind immediately. Keyboards or not, this is an awesome rockabilly platter. And like Sonny Burgess got away with using trumpets in rockabilly (and you just gotta dig that!), maybe Australia's Johnny Black is gonna be the first to be accepted on the rockabilly scene using keyboards. Check him out!" Commented by The BlackCat, 2003
"Hailing from Adelaide, Australia, Johnny Black is a veritable one man band performing and recording all of the material on this CD. Extra Chrome contains fourteen tracks of self-penned songs that defy the norms of both neo and traditional rockabilly. Johnny is the 'Trent Reznor' of rockabilly, performing all of the instrumentation on electronic keyboards. The music is equal parts neo rockabilly + 80's new wave + Jerry Lee Lewis, with lyrical references that range from 'Cast Iron Arm' to 'Ballroom Blitz'. Johnny's singing voice is excellent and the recording quality is fairly good for a self produced album. This is a unique set of recordings that may not appeal to most traditional rockabilly fans, but those of you looking for something different should check it out." Planet Rockabilly
"This has absolutely got to be a first, at least a first for me. I’ve never heard of a one-man Rockabilly band before but now I can say I have. I'm no expert but all the kids out there making dance/electronic music with midi boards was pretty sure to bleed into different music styles and now we can say Australia's own Johnny Black has done just that. Mix Sigue Sigue Sputnik and the Stray Cats on some kind of crazy collaboration and you have Johnny's new CD, Extra Chrome, pretty well tagged. The instrumentation (if I can call it that) is pretty solid, sometimes sounding computer generated and sometimes deceivingly realistic. Overall if you ever want to hear something a little different, and a little daring, this is your disk. Extra Chrome is fourteen tracks with a majority of originals which are well written, with good vocals. This by far has been the most experimental and most interesting CD I've heard in a long while." Cleveland rockabilly uprising
FADE AWAY
baby baby baby listen to what I say, you're just like a bad dream that will not go away
baby baby baby you're as cold as ice, caught you runnin' round once, it ain't gonna happen twice
baby baby baby don't come here no more, baby baby baby I don't love you no more
you're nothin' but bad news and I regret the day I ever laid eyes on your face, baby fade away
© Nervous Publishing 2003
FIGHT BACK
If you see me comin' better step aside a lot of men didn't, a lot of men died
got a fist of steel a cast iron arm I've been known to raise an alarm
I've been kicked around since the day I was found, now I know the score I ain't gonna fight no more
rockabilly music's under attack listen man we gotta fight back
my hair is greased my clothes are loud I don't run with the usual crowd
got tight pegged pants and a switchblade knife I've been known to cause some strife
I like to drink and fight and drive my car right thru the nite
I don't need no excuse listen mama just turn me loose
rockabilly music's under attack listen man we gotta fight back
© Nervous Publishing 2003
BARROOM HOP
Well it's a friday night I feel alright, got plenty of venom, plenty of spite
you got her, she got you and I'm gonna dance with Suzy Q
boppin'at the barroom hop, boppin' at the barroom hop, I swear I never touched a drop
boppin' at the barroom hop
well there's little Jimmy, doin' the shimmy he's dancin with a memory
and there's a girl in red over in the corner, goodness gracious me
boppin' at the barroom hop, boppin' at the barroom hop, I swear I never touched a drop
boppin' at the barroom hop
well the barman said 'hey woman in red, better leave that fella alone
his wife's comin' in bout quarter to 12 she thinks she's the passionate one'
boppin' at the barroom hop, boppin' at the barroom hop, I swear I never touched a drop
boppin' at the barroom hop
if it's a real good night there ain't too many fights, we'll stay a little bit later
close the doors and clear the floors see ya later alligator
boppin' at the barroom hop boppin' at the barroom hop, I swear I never touched a drop
boppin' at the barroom hop
© Nervous Publishing 2003