Johnny Thunders Covers Project

Johnny Thunders has spent his whole life under the influence of rock and roll.
 
From the New York street beat of the Shangri-Las and Dion to Elvis Presley and the Rolling Stones, his love of the genre was reflected in the cover versions that featured in his live set throughout his career.
 
From the New York Dolls, Heartbreakers, Living Dead, Delinquents, Gang War and the much under-rated solo years.
 
Johnny's jukebox favourites would always keep the crowd hooked because after all the kids just want to dance.
 
"I'm Not Your Stepping Stone" (The Monkees,1966) first entered the set during the Living Dead days back in early 1978. Here we feature a cut from the final tour of Japan in 1991, continuing with Johnny's exceptional backing singer Alison Gordy taking the lead on "Hit The Road Jack" (Ray Charles,1961) whilst Johnny tears off a lick or two.
 
Next up "I Can Tell” (Bo Diddley,1962),"Little Queenie" (Chuck Berry,1959),"Louie Louie" (Richard Berry,1957), and "Hang On Sloopy" (The McCoys,1965) a selection of classics that has the rock and roll party going at full swing.
 
Anybody who has been lucky to see Johnny live over the years will know that "Pipeline" (The Chantays,1962) for many years was the classic setOPENER, giving you a shiver down the backbone moment as his guitar first kicks in.
 
A song that featured in many bands live sets, including the likes of The Doors and the Patti Smith Group, "Gloria” (Them,1964), gives an excuse for a full band workout showcasing the talents of Johnny's final band, The Oddballs, featuring Stevie Klasson on guitar, Stuart Kennedy on bass, Jamey Heath on saxophone, Chris Musto on drums and Alison Gordy on backing vocals and gyrations. Closing out the set we have another instrumental blast with "Wipeout" (The Surfaris,1963).
 
After digging up The Heartbreakers for a final bow in the mid-eighties it was back to soloPERFORMANCES for Johnny and time to add some new cover versions to the live set. We catch up with him next in Hollywood in the early days of 1987 now backed by three quarters of The Idols with Barry Jones (London Cowboys) on guitar, rock solid Arthur Kane on bass (New York Dolls / Killer Kane) and behind the drum kit the legend that is Jerry Nolan (New York Dolls / Heartbreakers) for a voodoo-glam-soul revue live on the infamous Sunset Strip.
 
"I Ain't Superstitious" (Howlin Wolf,1961) gets the ball rolling but it is the next song that turns out to be the jaw dropper for many. Johnny has turned "The Wizard" (T. Rex,1970) into his own by stripping right down the chaotic Bolan track to its bare bones, turning it into the song Marc should always have played.
 
Dipping in to the Jagger/Richards songbook takes us to "Play With Fire" (Rolling Stones,1965) a track that could have been Johnny's theme tune whilst spending most of his time living life on the edge.
Next the band stir up some serious modernist vibes with "Green Onions" (Booker T & The MG's,1962) a relic from the early eighties "In Cold Blood" album era. Some hot soul then hits the dance floor with, “In The Midnight Hour" (Wilson Pickett,1965), showing that Johnny’s roots and influences came from all musical genres and you can tell the band are having great fun tearing theJOINT up.
 
We finish off our trek back in Japan on the final tour with some tagged on acoustic shows featuring Johnny and Stevie (with some atmospheric sax in theBACKGROUND from Jamey) taking on the Stones again with” As Tears Go By" (Marianne Faithfull.
 
1964), along with a version of the sixties protest song "Eve Of Destruction" (Barry McGuire,1965) before finishing up with a heartfelt "I'd Much Rather Be With The Boys" (Rolling Stones,1965), and not long after he was, departing this world like the host of other original rockers who have fallen by the wayside.
 
Up in heaven, there’s one hell of a party going on.
"Hey God.......more reverb in the monitors"
 
Taylor Deadbolt.
 
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