Johnny Hates Jazz was an English pop band formed in 1986 by Clark Datchler (vocals, piano), Calvin Hayes (keyboards), and the German born Mike Nocito (bass).
Named after a friend who really did hate jazz, Johnny Hates Jazz released their first single, "Me and My Foolish Heart," on RAK Records in 1986. After searching for a major record label deal they landed one towards the end of 1986 with Virgin Records after a gig at, ironically enough, a jazz club. The group's début single for Virgin, "Shattered Dreams," became a big hit in 1987, reaching #5 in the UK and #2 in the US charts, giving the group their only hit in the US. The group's debut album, Turn Back The Clock, also proved successful, reaching #1 on the UK albums chart. They had many more Top 20 singles in the UK from this album, such as "I Don't Want To Be A Hero" (UK #11), "Turn Back The Clock" (UK #12), and "Heart Of Gold" (UK #19), which was their last hit single.
The lead singer and main songwriter, Clark Datchler left in 1988 and was replaced by the former Cure bass guitarist, Phil Thornalley. A month before the release of their second album, Tall Stories in 1992, the band was involved in a serious car accident which left keyboardist Calvin Hayes in a body cast for over a year. The band lost momentum and eventually split.
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