Johnny Colla
Encyclopedia
Johnny Colla is one of the founding members of the American
rock band
, Huey Lewis and the News
. He is the guitarist
and saxophonist. He has been heavily involved in the San Francisco Bay Area
music scene for more than 25 years.
's backing band for a time. Other members of Sound Hole were drummer
Bill Gibson and bassist
Mario Cipollina. Sound Hole was the major competition to pre Huey Lewis band, Clover. After Sound Hole, Colla was part of Sly and the Family Stone for a few months and recorded
with them. In the late 1970s Sound Hole and Clover merged to form a new group, the American Express, which later became known as Huey Lewis and the News
. For the News, Colla became saxophonist, rhythm guitarist, backing singer and songwriter
.
Colla was drawn to San Francisco
from the Sacramento Valley
during the 1960s Summer of Love
. Like many others, Colla patronized the Avalon Ballroom and the Fillmore Auditorium
, eventually pursuing his idols and musical dreams over the Golden Gate Bridge
into Marin County.
Colla co-wrote hit songs such as "The Heart of Rock and Roll", "The Power of Love", and "If This Is It
". Lewis and Colla co-produced
the band's 2001 album
Plan B
.
career to expand his personal musical horizons.
"Deep inside, every songwriter wants to sing the songs that they write." Colla states "Once a person writes something they really believe in, it's strong medicine. It's like a drug; you want to do it again and again. It's a bit self-indulgent, but songwriting is my creative outlet; It is a scratch I have to itch. I'm not looking for fame or fortune in my solo endeavor; I'm simply exploring my own beliefs and musical tastes. If I can put into words what someone else can't say themselves, I've done what I set out to do. Besides all that, it’s still great fun to jump up on stage and bash it all out!"
Colla recently released his first solo
album Lucky Devil, which has been compared to everything from the "Rockabilly side of Huey and the News" to "Don Henley without the pretentious lyrics". Johnny Colla and the Lucky Devils were formed in the mid 1990s by Colla.
Whenever the News take a break Colla plays his favorite music with his own band. Major influences in his music are rhythm and blues
and 1950s music
.
.
lead vocal (duet) with Arlene Smith, "Letter Full of Tears"
saxophone solo, "Talk to me Right"
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rock band
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...
, Huey Lewis and the News
Huey Lewis and the News
Huey Lewis and the News is an American rock band based in San Francisco, California. They had a run of hit singles during the 1980s and early 1990s, eventually scoring a total of 19 top-ten singles across the Billboard Hot 100, Adult Contemporary and Mainstream Rock charts...
. He is the guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
and saxophonist. He has been heavily involved in the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
music scene for more than 25 years.
Brief history
The first bands that Colla was involved with were the Furlanders and Cottonmouth. After these he joined Sound Hole as a saxophonist. Sound Hole was successful at a local level and became Van MorrisonVan Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
's backing band for a time. Other members of Sound Hole were drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
Bill Gibson and bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
Mario Cipollina. Sound Hole was the major competition to pre Huey Lewis band, Clover. After Sound Hole, Colla was part of Sly and the Family Stone for a few months and recorded
Sound 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...
with them. In the late 1970s Sound Hole and Clover merged to form a new group, the American Express, which later became known as Huey Lewis and the News
Huey Lewis and the News
Huey Lewis and the News is an American rock band based in San Francisco, California. They had a run of hit singles during the 1980s and early 1990s, eventually scoring a total of 19 top-ten singles across the Billboard Hot 100, Adult Contemporary and Mainstream Rock charts...
. For the News, Colla became saxophonist, rhythm guitarist, backing singer and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
.
Colla was drawn to San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
from the Sacramento Valley
Sacramento Valley
The Sacramento Valley is the portion of the California Central Valley that lies to the north of the San Joaquin-Sacramento Delta in the U.S. state of California. It encompasses all or parts of ten counties.-Geography:...
during the 1960s Summer of Love
Summer of Love
The Summer of Love was a social phenomenon that occurred during the summer of 1967, when as many as 100,000 people converged on the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco, creating a cultural and political rebellion...
. Like many others, Colla patronized the Avalon Ballroom and the Fillmore Auditorium
The Fillmore
The Fillmore Auditorium is a historic music venue in San Francisco, California, made famous by Bill Graham. Named for its original location at the intersection of Fillmore Street and Geary Boulevard, it lies on the boundary of the Western Addition and the Pacific Heights neighborhoods.In 1968,...
, eventually pursuing his idols and musical dreams over the Golden Gate Bridge
Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the opening of the San Francisco Bay into the Pacific Ocean. As part of both U.S. Route 101 and California State Route 1, the structure links the city of San Francisco, on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula, to...
into Marin County.
"I moved to Marin because that's where all the musicians moved after the San Francisco scene blew up. For a start-up musician in the seventies, it was a hot-bed of musical activity; a great place to be and be heard." He says. "Then I beat the odds. We not only started a great band, but actually became successful at it!"
"Sure, we're the Tony Bennetts of our generation[...]but it's not such a bad way to go. I can think of worse jobs."
Colla co-wrote hit songs such as "The Heart of Rock and Roll", "The Power of Love", and "If This Is It
If This Is It
"If This Is It" is a song by American rock band Huey Lewis and the News. It was released as the fourth single from their number-one album Sports in 1984, and became their fifth top-ten and third consecutive number-six hit on the Billboard Hot 100...
". Lewis and Colla co-produced
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
the band's 2001 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...
Plan B
Plan B (album)
Plan B is the eighth album by American rock band Huey Lewis and the News, released in 2001 .This was the last album to feature founding member/guitarist Chris Hayes, who performed on the album but then left after work was completed. Hayes was replaced by Oakland-born guitarist Stef Burns...
.
Solo career
Colla embarked upon a soloSolo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
career to expand his personal musical horizons.
"Deep inside, every songwriter wants to sing the songs that they write." Colla states "Once a person writes something they really believe in, it's strong medicine. It's like a drug; you want to do it again and again. It's a bit self-indulgent, but songwriting is my creative outlet; It is a scratch I have to itch. I'm not looking for fame or fortune in my solo endeavor; I'm simply exploring my own beliefs and musical tastes. If I can put into words what someone else can't say themselves, I've done what I set out to do. Besides all that, it’s still great fun to jump up on stage and bash it all out!"
Colla recently released his first solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
album Lucky Devil, which has been compared to everything from the "Rockabilly side of Huey and the News" to "Don Henley without the pretentious lyrics". Johnny Colla and the Lucky Devils were formed in the mid 1990s by Colla.
Whenever the News take a break Colla plays his favorite music with his own band. Major influences in his music are rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
and 1950s music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
.
Appraisal
Earbuzz.com calls the quality of Colla's vocal performance "compelling and soulful", reminiscent of the blue-eyed Philly Sound, with "a beautiful pop subtlety", adding that "fans of pop, western movers, Americana, and guitar rockabilly have struck the mother lode of music and will fall in love with the entire CD". EarBuzz continues to say "Equally impressive is (the fact) that Colla produced, performed, and wrote all of the tracks without his signature sax playing - further magnifying his abilities as a singer/songwriter of substance and talent ".Discography
Colla produced or performed on these recordsGramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
.
- Patrick SimmonsPatrick SimmonsPatrick Simmons is an American musician best known as a guitarist and vocalist for the rock band The Doobie Brothers. His fingerstyle guitar playing complements the strumming style of Tom Johnston. Born in Aberdeen, Washington, he has been the band's only consistent member throughout their tenure...
(The Doobie BrothersThe Doobie BrothersThe Doobie Brothers are an American rock band. The group has sold over 40 million units worldwide throughout their career. The Doobie Brothers were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004.-Original incarnation:...
), Arcade (Elektra RecordsElektra RecordsElektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009....
, 1982) songwriter, "Don't Make Me Do It" - HeartHeart (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...
(EMD/Capitol RecordsCapitol RecordsCapitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
, 1985) backing vocals, "These Dreams" and other tracks - Nick LoweNick LoweNicholas Drain "Nick" Lowe , is an English singer-songwriter, musician and producer.A pivotal figure in UK pub rock, punk rock and new wave, Lowe has recorded a string of well-reviewed solo albums. Along with vocals, Lowe plays guitar, bass guitar, piano and harmonica...
album - The Rose of England (CBS RecordsCBS RecordsCBS Records is a record label founded by CBS Corporation in 2006 to take advantage of music from its entertainment properties owned by CBS Television Studios. The initial label roster consisted of only three artists; rock band Señor Happy and singer/songwriters Will Dailey and P.J...
, 1988) backing singer "I Knew the Bride (When She Used to Rock 'n' Roll)" - back to the streets celebrating the music of Don CovayDon CovayDon Covay is an American R&B/rock and roll/soul music singer and songwriter most active in the 1950s and 1960s, who received a Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation in 1994...
(shanachie records, 1993)
lead vocal (duet) with Arlene Smith, "Letter Full of Tears"
- Pablo CruisePablo CruisePablo Cruise is a pop/rock band currently composed of David Jenkins , Cory Lerios , Steve Price and Larry Antonino . Formed in 1973, the band released eight studio albums over the next decade, during which time four singles reached the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart...
, Out of our Hands (A&M RecordsA&M RecordsA&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
, 1993)
saxophone solo, "Talk to me Right"
- Yoshihiro ishikawa, Peace (pioneer ldc, Japan, 1993) produced, recorded, arranged and performed on several tracks
- A tribute to Curtis MayfieldCurtis MayfieldCurtis Lee Mayfield was an American soul, R&B, and funk singer, songwriter, and record producer.He is best known for his anthemic music with The Impressions during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's and for composing the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Super Fly, Mayfield is highly...
People get Ready (shanachie records, 1993) produced, arranged and sang with Huey Lewis and the News on "It's Alright" - Yoshihiro Ishikawa Love (pioneer ldc, Japan, 1994) produced, recorded, arranged and performed on several tracks
- Doc Kupka's strokeland superband Kick It Up A Step (Strokeland Records) backing vocals and vocal arrangement, "Bittersweet With a Ray of Hope"
- Holiday Heroes compilation cd Holiday Heroes (Soul Purpose Records, 1995) songwriter, lead vocal, producer, "My Christmas Wish"
- Grace SlickGrace SlickGrace Slick is an American singer and songwriter, who was one of the lead singers of the rock groups The Great Society, Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship, and Starship, and was a solo artist, for nearly three decades, from the mid-1960s to the mid-1990s...
, SoftwareSoftware (album)-Singles:*"All the Machines " – 3:34 b/w "All the Machines" – 4:47 *"Through the Window" b/w "Habits" -Personnel:*Grace Slick – lead vocals, background vocals*Peter Wolf – keyboards, linn programming, synth bass...
(RCA RecordsRCA RecordsRCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
) backing vocals, "Through the Window", "It Just won't Stop" - Deborah Coleman, Soft Place to Fall (Blind Pig Records, 2000) songwriter, "Don't Lie to Me"