Jo Jo Gunne
Encyclopedia
Jo Jo Gunne is a rock band
, formed in Los Angeles
, California
, in 1971 by Jay Ferguson
(keyboards
, vocals and guitar
) and Mark Andes
(bass guitar
and vocals) after they had left Spirit
. The group's name is derived from a song by Chuck Berry
, Joe Joe Gun, a single that peaked at #83 in November of 1958.
, Matt Andes (born circa 1950, California
) (guitar, vocals) and William "Curly" Smith (born 31 January 1952, Wolf Point
, Montana
) (drums
, vocals and harp), they were signed to Asylum Records
.
Jo Jo Gunne had a Top 10 hit
in the UK Singles Chart
with the song
, "Run Run Run", taken from their first album
, Jo Jo Gunne (1972), which peaked at 27 in U.S. charts, and received airplay on U.S. album-oriented rock
FM radio stations.
The group did not maintain the commercial momentum of their first release. With Jumpin' the Gunnes tasteless album cover
being blamed for drastically falling sales, they broke up in 1975. However they made several notable tracks, especially "Take It Easy", "Broken Down Man", "Neon City" and "Falling Angel".
. Randall introduced a brighter bass sound and helped increase the band's overall volume.
Matt Andes left after Jumpin' the Gunne, and he was briefly replaced by Star Donaldson. A more permanent replacement was found in John Staehely (born 25 January 1952, Austin, Texas
), who had played on Feedback
, the Spirit album that followed Ferguson and Ande's departure. Staehely's overdriven guitar was a complete change from Matt Andes's Ry Cooder
style slide guitar
.
After the band broke up, Ferguson recorded several solo
albums, including the hit single
s "Thunder Island" and "Shakedown Cruise", and scored TV
shows and mostly non-notable film
s. Andes joined Firefall
and, later, Heart
. Smith went on to have a successful career as a session
drummer, and also played with Spirit
in the 1980s and Boston
from 1994 to 2000.
again.
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
, formed in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, in 1971 by Jay Ferguson
Jay Ferguson (American musician)
Jay Ferguson is an American rock and roll musician, known for his work with Spirit and Jo Jo Gunne, and his 1978 solo hit "Thunder Island". His later career has been as a composer of music for television programs and films.-Childhood and early musical career:He was born in Burbank, California, in...
(keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, vocals and guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
) and Mark Andes
Mark Andes
Mark Andes is an American musician, known for his work as a bassist with Spirit, Jo Jo Gunne, Firefall, Heart, and Mirabal.-Early life:...
(bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
and vocals) after they had left Spirit
Spirit (band)
Spirit was an American jazz/hard rock/progressive rock/psychedelic band founded in 1967, based in Los Angeles, California.- The original lineup :...
. The group's name is derived from a song by Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
, Joe Joe Gun, a single that peaked at #83 in November of 1958.
Career
With the addition of Andes' brotherSibling
Siblings are people who share at least one parent. A male sibling is called a brother; and a female sibling is called a sister. In most societies throughout the world, siblings usually grow up together and spend a good deal of their childhood socializing with one another...
, Matt Andes (born circa 1950, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
) (guitar, vocals) and William "Curly" Smith (born 31 January 1952, Wolf Point
Wolf Point, Montana
Wolf Point is a city in and the county seat of Roosevelt County, Montana, United States. The population was 2,621 at the 2010 census. It is the largest community on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. Wolf Point is the home of the annual Wild Horse Stampede, held every year during the second weekend...
, Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
) (drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, vocals and harp), they were signed to Asylum Records
Asylum Records
Asylum Records is an American record label founded in 1971 by David Geffen, and partner Elliot Roberts, who had previously worked as agents at the William Morris Agency. Founded specifically to provide a record contract for Jackson Browne, the label signed Tom Waits, Linda Ronstadt, Joni Mitchell...
.
Jo Jo Gunne had a Top 10 hit
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
with the song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
, "Run Run Run", taken from their first album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, Jo Jo Gunne (1972), which peaked at 27 in U.S. charts, and received airplay on U.S. album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock is an American FM radio format focusing on album tracks by rock artists.-Music played:Most radio formats are based on a select, tight rotation of hit singles...
FM radio stations.
The group did not maintain the commercial momentum of their first release. With Jumpin' the Gunnes tasteless album cover
Album cover
An album cover is the front of the packaging of a commercially released audio recording product, or album. The term can refer to either the printed cardboard covers typically used to package sets of 10" and 12" 78 rpm records, single and sets of 12" LPs, sets of 45 rpm records , or the front-facing...
being blamed for drastically falling sales, they broke up in 1975. However they made several notable tracks, especially "Take It Easy", "Broken Down Man", "Neon City" and "Falling Angel".
Personnel changes
Following the first album, Mark Andes left the band and was replaced by Jimmie RandallJimmie Randall
Jimmie Randall is a bass guitarist best known for his work with Jo Jo Gunne.-Career:Jimmie Randall had been playing in several Texas bands since the early 1960s when, in 1972, he was invited to join Jo Jo Gunne as bass guitarist...
. Randall introduced a brighter bass sound and helped increase the band's overall volume.
Matt Andes left after Jumpin' the Gunne, and he was briefly replaced by Star Donaldson. A more permanent replacement was found in John Staehely (born 25 January 1952, Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
), who had played on Feedback
Feedback (Spirit album)
Feedback is the fifth album by the rock & roll band Spirit. Released in 1972, it was the first Spirit album without original members Jay Ferguson and Mark Andes, and it was also the only Spirit album that did not feature Randy California performing on it, as California had left the group to pursue...
, the Spirit album that followed Ferguson and Ande's departure. Staehely's overdriven guitar was a complete change from Matt Andes's Ry Cooder
Ry Cooder
Ryland Peter "Ry" Cooder is an American guitarist, singer and composer. He is known for his slide guitar work, his interest in roots music from the United States, and, more recently, his collaborations with traditional musicians from many countries.His solo work has been eclectic, encompassing...
style slide guitar
Slide guitar
Slide guitar or bottleneck guitar is a particular method or technique for playing the guitar. The term slide refers to the motion of the slide against the strings, while bottleneck refers to the original material of choice for such slides: the necks of glass bottles...
.
After the band broke up, Ferguson recorded several solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
albums, including the hit single
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
s "Thunder Island" and "Shakedown Cruise", and scored TV
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
shows and mostly non-notable film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
s. Andes joined Firefall
Firefall
Firefall is a rock band that formed in Boulder, Colorado in 1974. It was founded by Rick Roberts, who had been in the Flying Burrito Brothers, and Jock Bartley, who had been Tommy Bolin's replacement in Zephyr. The band's biggest hit single, "You Are the Woman", peaked at #9 on the Billboard charts...
and, later, Heart
Heart (band)
Heart is an American rock band who first found success in Canada. Throughout several lineup changes, the only two members remaining constant are sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson. The group rose to fame in the 1970s with their music being influenced by hard rock as well as folk music...
. Smith went on to have a successful career as a session
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
drummer, and also played with Spirit
Spirit (band)
Spirit was an American jazz/hard rock/progressive rock/psychedelic band founded in 1967, based in Los Angeles, California.- The original lineup :...
in the 1980s and Boston
Boston (band)
Boston is an American rock band from Boston, Massachusetts that achieved its most notable successes during the 1970s and 1980s. Centered on guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter, and producer Tom Scholz, the band is a staple of classic rock radio playlists...
from 1994 to 2000.
Reunion
The original line-up reformed in 2005, and began touring and recordingSound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
again.
Albums
- Jo Jo Gunne (1972)
- Bite Down Hard (1973)
- Jumpin' The Gunne (1973)
- So...Where's The Show? (1974)
- Big Chain (2005)
See also
- List of Asylum Records artists
- List of 1970s one-hit wonders in the United States
- One-hit wonders in the UKOne-hit wonders in the UKThis is a list of artists who have achieved one #1 hit on the UK Singles Chart and no other entry whatsoever on the chart. The Guinness Book of British Hit Singles uses this definition of "one-hit wonder", which is a controversial term with various other proposed definitions.-Methodology:A hit is...