Johnny Nash

John Lester "Johnny" Nash, Jr. (born August 19, 1940) is an American reggae singer-songwriter, best known in the US for his 1972 comeback hit, "I Can See Clearly Now". He was also one of the first non-Jamaican singers to record reggae music in Kingston, Jamaica.

Life and musical career

Born John Lester Nash, Jr. in Houston, Texas, he began as a pop singer in the 1950s. He released four albums for ABC-Paramount, with his self named debut in 1958. Around 20 singles were released between 1958 & 1964 on a variety of labels such as Groove, Chess, Argo and Warners. He also enjoyed success as an actor early in his career appearing in the screen version of playwright Louis S. Peterson's Take a Giant Step. Nash won a Silver Sail Award for his performance from the Locarno International Film Festival.

In 1965, Johnny Nash and Danny Sims formed the JODA Records label in New York. One of the more interesting signings was four brothers from Newport, Rhode Island, ages 9, 11, 15 and 16, called The Cowsills, before signing with Mercury/Philips with Shelby Singleton, before MGM and their first million selling hit single, "The Rain, The Park & Other Things". The Cowsills went into the studio in New York with studio musicians and recorded a number of songs like "Either You Do Or You Don't" and "You Can't Go Halfway". Eventually The Cowsills would write and record their own song, "All I Really Wanta Be Is Me", which became the group's debut single release on JODA (J-103).

John Nash

John Nash may refer to:

Rock Me Baby (Johnny Nash song)

"Rock Me Baby" is a 1985 song by Johnny Nash. The song appeared on his Here Again album, released early the following year.

After the release, the song was a minor hit in the United Kingdom but did not chart on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. It was a bigger success in other European nations like Germany and Switzerland. Due to the lack of success in the United States, however, a music video was never shot for the song.

Track listings

7" Single

Charts

Cover versions

References

Rock Me Baby

Rock Me Baby may refer to:

Rock Me Baby (TV series)

Rock Me Baby is an American television series set in Denver, Colorado. It is a comedy / drama that debuted on September 15, 2003 on UPN. Rock Me Baby stars actor and comedian Dan Cortese as Jimmy Cox, co-host of a popular Denver radio show with his best friend, Carl, played by Carl Anthony Payne II. Bianca Kajlich plays Beth Cox, Jimmy's wife, and the two have a baby named Otis. Tammy Townsend plays Beth's best friend, Pamela, who is obsessed with the glamorous life.

Characters

Plot

Rock Me Baby is about a former exotic dancer, Beth, and a radio personality, Jimmy, who produce a child together, with most of the storylines of each episode revolving around the baby, Otis. Throughout the beginning of the series, Carl has a crush on Pamela and is rejected on every attempt to gain closure with her. Jimmy and Beth overcome a series obstables about being new parents and the phases of life.

Rock Me Baby (song)

"Rock Me Baby" is a blues standard that has become one of the most recorded blues songs of all time. When B.B. King's recording of "Rock Me Baby" was released in 1964, it became his first Top 40 hit. It is based on earlier blues songs and has been interpreted and recorded by numerous artists in a variety of styles.

Earlier songs

B.B. King's "Rock Me Baby" is based on "Rockin' and Rollin'", a song recorded by Lil' Son Jackson in 1950 (Imperial 5113). King's lyrics are nearly identical to Jackson's, although instrumentally the songs are different. "Rockin' and Rollin'" is a solo piece, with Jackson's vocal and guitar accompaniment, whereas "Rock Me Baby" is an ensemble piece.

Muddy Waters' song "Rock Me", recorded in 1956 (Chess 1652), is also based on Jackson's song. Some of Jackson's lyrics were used, but Waters incorporated a couple of verses from his 1951 song "All Night Long" (which is also based on "Rockin' and Rollin'") (Chess 1509). Muddy Waters' "Rock Me" also uses Jackson's guitar figure and the starting of the vocal on the IV chord and he interpreted it as an unusual fifteen-bar blues (an uneven number of measures, rather than the traditional twelve bars or somewhat less common eight or sixteen bars). Muddy Waters recorded a second version of "Rock Me" for his 1978 album I'm Ready.