Southside Johnny
Encyclopedia
Southside Johnny is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...

, who usually fronts his band Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes
Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes
Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes are a Jersey Shore musical group led by Southside Johnny. They have been recording albums since 1976 and are closely associated with Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band. They have recorded and/or performed several Springsteen songs, including "The Fever" and...

.

Early days

Lyon grew up in Ocean Grove, New Jersey
Ocean Grove, New Jersey
Ocean Grove is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place in Neptune Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey. It had a population of 3,342 at the 2010 census. It is located on the Atlantic Ocean Jersey Shore, between Asbury Park to the north and Bradley Beach to the south...

 and graduated from Neptune High School
Neptune High School
Neptune High School is a comprehensive, four-year community public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grade from Neptune Township, in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Neptune Township Schools. Neptune Township Schools is one of New Jersey's...

. Southside has long been considered the Grandfather of "the New Jersey Sound
Jersey Shore sound
The Jersey Shore sound is a genre of rock and roll popularized at the Jersey Shore on the Atlantic Ocean coast of New Jersey, United States, that goes by a variety of names or, more often, is defined by its artists...

." Jon Bon Jovi has acknowledged Southside as his "reason for singing."

1975-1980

Southside Johnny first achieved prominence in the mid-1970s as the second act to emerge from the Jersey Shore
Jersey Shore
The Jersey Shore is a term used to refer to both the Atlantic coast of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the adjacent resort and residential communities. . The New Jersey State Department of Tourism considers the Shore Region, Greater Atlantic City, and the Southern Shore to be distinct, each having...

 music scene and be considered part of the Jersey Shore sound
Jersey Shore sound
The Jersey Shore sound is a genre of rock and roll popularized at the Jersey Shore on the Atlantic Ocean coast of New Jersey, United States, that goes by a variety of names or, more often, is defined by its artists...

, following Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...

. Southside's first three albums, I Don't Want To Go Home
I Don't Want To Go Home
I Don't Want to Go Home was the first album by seminal New Jersey rock/R&B band Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes. The work helped establish the basis of the Jersey Shore sound....

(1976), This Time It's for Real
This Time It's for Real (album)
This Time It's for Real was the second album by seminal New Jersey Rock/R&B band Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes. Like their first album I Don't Want To Go Home this album features a number of guest artists and duets, a trend that would be dropped for their next album Hearts of Stone. "Check Mr...

(1977), and Hearts of Stone
Hearts of Stone (Asbury Jukes)
Hearts of Stone is the third album by New Jersey rock–R&B band Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, released in 1978.-History:Hearts of Stone has been called "the best album Bruce Springsteen never recorded", which is not quite accurate...

(1978), were Stax
Stax Records
Stax Records is an American record label, originally based in Memphis, Tennessee.Founded in 1957 as Satellite Records, the name Stax Records was adopted in 1961. The label was a major factor in the creation of the Southern soul and Memphis soul music styles, also releasing gospel, funk, jazz, and...

-influenced R&B arranged and produced by the co-founder of the band and Springsteen confederate Steven Van Zandt
Steven Van Zandt
Steven Van Zandt is an Italian-American musician, songwriter, arranger, record producer, actor, and radio disc jockey, who frequently goes by the stage names Little Steven or Miami Steve...

 and largely featured songs written by Van Zandt and/or Springsteen. The Van Zandt-written "I Don't Want To Go Home" became Southside's signature song
Signature song
A signature song is the one song that a popular and well-established singer or band is most closely identified with or best known for, even if they have had success with a variety of songs...

, an evocative mixture of horn
Horn (instrument)
The horn is a brass instrument consisting of about of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. A musician who plays the horn is called a horn player ....

-based melodic riffs and sentimental lyrics. Other notable songs included "The Fever
The Fever (Bruce Springsteen song)
"The Fever" is an early Bruce Springsteen song, perhaps first written in 1971 under the title " Fever For the Girl". It was performed by Springsteen in concert beginning in March 1973...

", "Talk to Me", "This Time It's For Real", "Love on the Wrong Side of Town", and the definitive version of Springsteen's "Hearts of Stone". In 1977, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes were featured as a bar band in the movie, "Between the Lines."

In 1979, Southside Johnny and Asbury Jukes appeared on television, featured as the musical guest for the cross-border sketch comedy show, SCTV. Johnny and the band played three full songs, including "The Fever", and performed many truncated versions from their other tunes that served to fill the necessities of television: fading in from a commercial, beginning another tune that leads to a hard break, and, throughout, some very good background action and music. The producers of SCTV did a profoundly good job making full use and exposure of the band. Johnny acted in one sketch, and the entire band was featured as a plot point in another. It was a new perspective of such artists as Southside Johnny and Asbury Jukes, and one that trumped the prevailing standard of TWO-LIVE-TUNES somewhere between D and E block, slipped in between the bumble bee sketch, and a juggling political satirist.

1980-1990

Cast under Springsteen's long shadow, Southside and the Jukes never gained national commercial success and in 1979 they were dropped by their record company. Now working without Van Zandt, they released The Jukes in 1979 and Love is a Sacrifice in 1980. Neither of these achieved much success either. The band's first official live release also came out in 1980, the double album Live: Reach Up and Touch the Sky
Reach Up and Touch the Sky
Reach Up and Touch the Sky, sometimes called Reach Out and Touch the Sky, is a 1981 double live album by Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes. Released on Mercury Records in 1981 to satisfy the contract of the band, which had recently broken up, it was a moderate commercial success, charting in the...

.

In 1982 Rolling Stone Magazine voted the album Hearts of Stone among the top 100 albums of the 1970s and 1980s.

During the 1980s Southside Johnny's recording contracts continued to change almost by album, but he continued to release records: Trash It Up (1983), a disco influenced album written by Billy Rush and produced by Nile Rodgers
Nile Rodgers
Nile Gregory Rodgers is an American musician, producer, composer, arranger, and guitarist.-Biography:...

; In the Heat (1984) an album trying to reach out to "Adult Contemporary" radio; and At Least We Got Shoes (1986) where guitarist and Jersey shore fixture Bobby Bandiera
Bobby Bandiera
Bobby Bandiera is an American rock guitarist and singer known in the Jersey Shore sound world.- Biography :Bandiera was originally in a band called Holme from Orange, New Jersey...

 took over songwriting and guitar work from Billy Rush and led the Asbury Jukes back to their original sound. Songwriting credits on At Least We Got Shoes also contain a song co-written by Bandiera and singer Patti Scialfa
Patti Scialfa
Vivienne Patricia "Patti" Scialfa is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. She is married to Bruce Springsteen and they have three children.- Early life :...

, who was known as a Jukes collaborator since the 1980 album Love is a Sacrifice and who became a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band
E Street Band
The E Street Band has been rock musician Bruce Springsteen's primary backing band since 1972.The band has also recorded with a wide range of other artists including Bob Dylan, Meat Loaf, Bonnie Tyler, Air Supply, Dire Straits, David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, Stevie Nicks, Tom Morello, Sting, Ian...

 in 1984.

In 1987, Southside and the Jukes were featured in the film Adventures in Babysitting
Adventures in Babysitting
Adventures in Babysitting is a 1987 American comedy film written by David Simkins, directed by Chris Columbus, and starring Elisabeth Shue, Maia Brewton, Keith Coogan, Anthony Rapp, Penelope Ann Miller, Bradley Whitford, and a brief cameo by blues singer/guitarist Albert Collins...

performing at a college frat party. One of the songs performed was Future In Your Eyes.

In 1988 Southside Johnny released his first solo record Slow Dance containing ballads and love songs like On the Air, but also "Little Calcutta" which is still discussed as Southside's most political song of his career, describing the life and environment of the homeless in New York City.

1990-today

His recording career was re-launched with the album Better Days (1991), which featured production by Van Zandt, songs by Springsteen, and vocal performances from Van Zandt, Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi
Jon Bon Jovi
Jon Bon Jovi is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor, best known as the founder, occasional rhythm guitarist, and lead singer of rock band Bon Jovi, which was named after him...

. With Bobby Bandiera
Bobby Bandiera
Bobby Bandiera is an American rock guitarist and singer known in the Jersey Shore sound world.- Biography :Bandiera was originally in a band called Holme from Orange, New Jersey...

 driving the band, the Jukes were gaining new energy for a world wide tour supporting the album. But once again, Southside Johnny's bad luck with the industry was shown when the record label went bankrupt while the tour was still rolling.

Southside performed the theme song for the 1990s television sitcom Dave's World
Dave's World
Dave's World is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from 1993 to 1997. The series was based on the writing of Miami Herald columnist Dave Barry.-Plot:...

, a cover of Billy Joel
Billy Joel
William Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...

's "You May Be Right
You May Be Right (song)
"You May Be Right" is a single written and performed by rock singer Billy Joel from his 1980 album Glass Houses. The song reached #7 on the US charts, but failed to chart in the UK unlike his preceding and succeeding singles "All for Leyna" and "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me"...

."

Southside eventually relocated to Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...

 taking a break from the music business. A few members of the Asbury Jukes would end up being part of The Max Weinberg 7 on the Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...

television show, while some others went on tour and into the recording studio with artists like Jon Bon Jovi
Jon Bon Jovi
Jon Bon Jovi is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor, best known as the founder, occasional rhythm guitarist, and lead singer of rock band Bon Jovi, which was named after him...

, Mink DeVille
Mink DeVille
Mink DeVille was a rock band known for its association with early punk rock bands at New York’s CBGB nightclub and for being a showcase for the music of Willy DeVille. The band recorded six albums in the years 1977 to 1985. Except for frontman Willy DeVille, the original members of the band played...

, Graham Parker
Graham Parker
Graham Parker is a British rock singer and songwriter, who is best known as the lead singer of the popular British band Graham Parker & the Rumour.-Early career :...

, and Robert Cray
Robert Cray
Robert Cray is an American blues guitarist and singer. A five-time Grammy Award winner, he has led his own band, as well as an acclaimed solo career.-Career:...

.

In 1998 Southside Johnny came back into the spotlight with an independent release titled Spittin' Fire, a live record with a semi-acoustic Jukes lineup released in France containing a 20 song set recorded during a series of 10 shows at the "Chesterfield Café" in Paris, France.

Since 2001 Southside Johnny and the Jukes have toured the UK and Europe as an annual event, their first since the 1992 Better Days tour, although Southside and Bobby Bandiera
Bobby Bandiera
Bobby Bandiera is an American rock guitarist and singer known in the Jersey Shore sound world.- Biography :Bandiera was originally in a band called Holme from Orange, New Jersey...

 did some acoustic shows in 1995.

After a decade without a record contract Southside finally founded his own record label in 2001 under the name of Leroy Records, and started releasing and distributing his new records fully under his own control: Messin' with the Blues (2000), Going to Jukesville (2002), Missing Pieces (2004), Into the Harbour (2005). Southside continued to perform, and maintains substantial audience followings as 2002's Live At The Opera House DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....

, filmed at a sold-out performance in Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...

, demonstrated.

In 2008, Southside Johnny collaborated with long-time Asbury Jukes trombone player Richie "La Bamba" Rosenberg, for a break from the classic Asbury Jukes sound to classic Big-Band Jazz. Together with a 20 piece big band they recorded a cover album of songs written by Tom Waits
Tom Waits
Thomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...

, arranged and conducted by Rosenberg.

As of 2009, Southside Johnny Lyon lives again in his original hometown Ocean Grove.

The Juke's newest album "Pills and Ammo" was released in June 2010, receiving the most critical acclaim since the Better Days album. All the songs were primarily written by Southside Johnny and Jukes keyboard player Jeff Kazee.

On September 24, 2010 Southside Johnny and the Jukes kicked off an international tour (official website) with a free performance at Overpeck Park in Ridgefield Park, NJ. Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes continue to be a fixture on the U.S. Northeast music scene including New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Maryland, as well as throughout the UK and Europe.

On July 2, 2011 Southside Johnny and the Jukes recorded a live performance of Stevie Van Zandt's Men Without Women
Men Without Women (album)
Men Without Women, credited to Little Steven & The Disciples of Soul, was the debut solo album by Steven Van Zandt, a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band and a songwriter / producer with the Jersey Shore band Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes...

album at the Stone Pony in New Jersey for release on CD. The material on "Men Without Women" was composed almost entirely of unused material originally recorded by Southside Johnny during the "Hearts of Stone" sessions, later re-recorded by Van Zandt as his first solo album.

In October 2011, with his band "The Poor Fools", he recorded a version of "I'm Down" for The Beatles Complete On Ukulele
The Beatles Complete On Ukulele
The Beatles Complete On Ukulele is a music project by David Barratt that incorporates re-recording and re-creating all original songs The Beatles ever recorded....

.

According to a post by Southside Johnny from May 2011 on his official website, he is recording a new album with the Jukes as well as working on an acoustic album.

Discography

  • Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes
    • I Don't Want to Go Home
      I Don't Want To Go Home
      I Don't Want to Go Home was the first album by seminal New Jersey rock/R&B band Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes. The work helped establish the basis of the Jersey Shore sound....

      (1976)
    • Live at the Bottom Line (1976)
    • This Time It's for Real
      This Time It's for Real (album)
      This Time It's for Real was the second album by seminal New Jersey Rock/R&B band Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes. Like their first album I Don't Want To Go Home this album features a number of guest artists and duets, a trend that would be dropped for their next album Hearts of Stone. "Check Mr...

      (1977)
    • Hearts of Stone
      Hearts of Stone (Asbury Jukes)
      Hearts of Stone is the third album by New Jersey rock–R&B band Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, released in 1978.-History:Hearts of Stone has been called "the best album Bruce Springsteen never recorded", which is not quite accurate...

      (1978)
    • The Jukes (1979)
    • Love Is a Sacrifice (1980)
    • Live: Reach Up and Touch the Sky
      Reach Up and Touch the Sky
      Reach Up and Touch the Sky, sometimes called Reach Out and Touch the Sky, is a 1981 double live album by Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes. Released on Mercury Records in 1981 to satisfy the contract of the band, which had recently broken up, it was a moderate commercial success, charting in the...

      (1981)
    • Better Days
      Better Days (Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes album)
      Better Days is an album by Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes, released in 1991. It yielded minor hits "It's Been a Long Time" and "I've Been Workin' Too Hard". The song "It's Been a Long Time" features shared lead vocals by Southside Johnny, Steve Van Zandt, and Bruce Springsteen and is a...

      (1991)
    • Ruff Stuff (EP) (1995)
    • Live at the Paradise Theater (2000)
    • Messin' With the Blues (2000)
    • More Ruff Stuff (EP) (2000)
    • Going to Jukesville (2002)
    • Found in a Closet (EP) (2003)
    • Missing Pieces (2004)
    • Into the Harbour (2005)
    • Jukebox (2007)
    • Ruff Stuff 3 (EP) (2008)
    • From Southside to Tyneside (2008)
    • 1978: Live in Boston (2008)
    • Hearts of Stone LIVE (2009)
    • Pills and Ammo (2010)
    • Acoustic Ammo (EP) (2011)
    • Men Without Women LIVE (forthcoming)

  • Southside Johnny & the Jukes
    • Trash It Up! (1983)
    • In the Heat (1984)
    • At Least We Got Shoes (1986)

  • Southside Johnny
    • Slow Dance (1988)
    • Spittin' Fire (1997)

  • Southside Johnny with La Bamba's Big Band
    • Grapefruit Moon: The Songs of Tom Waits (2008)

  • Selected others
    • Jersey Artists for Mankind: "We Got the Love" / "Save Love, Save Life" (1986)
    • Soundtrack: Home Alone (1990)
    • Killer Joe: Scene of the Crime (1991)
    • Rusty Cloud: Walkin' the Night (1994)
    • Rattlesnake Guitar: Music of Peter Green (1997)
    • Gary U.S. Bonds
      Gary U.S. Bonds
      Gary U.S. Bonds is an American rhythm and blues and rock and roll singer. He is also a prolific songwriter.-Career:...

      : Back in 20 (2004)

Quotations

NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...

- September 1977

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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