JOHNNY MERCURY31/07/2008 -
Johnny Mercury's influences run as deep as the country roads he was raised on back in West Virginia. On the surface one may say "Rockabilly" or "Rock & Roll" but when you listen to his music, a lot of what you hear doesn't figure into the paint by numbers scheme so often heard on today's records
Johnny Mercury's influences run as deep as the country roads he was raised on back in West Virginia. On the surface one may say "Rockabilly" or "Rock & Roll" but when you listen to his music, a lot of what you hear doesn't figure into the paint by numbers scheme so often heard on today's records.
Cutting is hit teeth in tent revival bands in Pentacostal churches at the age of 15 may have had something to do with...or maybe it's listening to country and 50's vocalist records at home...one might also say it's come from collecting records of just about everything good prior to the mid-1960's. Anyway you slice it, it's something original and "Johnny Mercury". The music runs the gamut of Country, Blues, Jazz and Gospel, the four building blocks of Rock and Roll.
Since the bands inception in 1995, there have been big jumps from the coal miner and bikers bars he started out in. Johnny has played venues and evnts susch as the Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend (NV), once under his own name and three time backing artists on guitar such as Rockabilly Legend Ray Campi, Rockabilly traditionilist, Marshall Scott Warner, as well the debut appearance of The Casey Sisters.
Other events include, the world-famous CBGB's, KEXP's Shake The Shack featuring himself as well as playing guitar for Rockabilly Legend Sid King and the Five Strings, Pep Torres and others at the Tractor Tavern in Seattle, Washington, South Carolina's LoDown HoDown, San Francisco's Rockabilly Circus, Hot Rod-A-Rama Car Show (Wa), Rainin' Blood (Or) and most recently the Ink & Iron Festival 2008 in Long Beach, Ca!
A live Johnny Mercury show leaves you entertained with his stage presence, in awe with his guitar playing and swooning with his voice. It's really a good package that you never get tired of becasue it's never the same twice. Just listen to what some folks have to say about him:
"i would have loved to had a guitarist like you back in the 50's" - Wanda Jackson (Queen of Rockabilly and Rock and Roll legend)
"Throughout my travels, Johnny Mercury is closest to the raw rockabilly sound I've ever heard!" - Rudy "Tutti" Grayzell (original Sun/Starday/Capitol Records rockabilly artist)
"Johnny Mercury himself plays that sizzling lead guitar and sings his heart out." - Blue Suede News
"these guys are rockin' true to their roots" - Lux Interior (The Cramps)
"An ace...one of the best guitar players I've seen in years." - Billy Poore (original rockabilly artist and author of 'Rockabilly: A Forty Year Journey)
"most energetic show we've seen (webcast) this year..." - collegemusic.com
The band has released 3 full length CD's; Introducing... (1996), Atomic Guitar Boogie (2001) and the newly-released Real Gone Rockin' (2007), one EP; Shank Hands, Shack Up! (2005) and has been featured on 8 CD compilations ranging from Rockabilly, Psychobilly, Rock & Roll and Punk bands. Johnny has also written and contributed for film and television as well starting the independant film Just a Sweater (1997), Stray Dogs (tv pilot 2005), Flyin Saucer Rock and Roll (2006) and he just recorded several television commercials for The Kroger Company and their subsideraries (April 2007) as well as other films and and multimedia projects.
With the release of Real Gone Rockin' in March of 2007, it marks a maturity in his songwriting with songs like Since You're Gone, Blue Boy, Wrapped Up In You're Love and You Better Be My Baby but maintins the witty and playfulness of songs such as I Wanna Rock and Roll With Every Girl, Get Gone and No Money Honey, a song about prostitution. This album was both recorded and produced by Johnny in his recording studio, Hypnolab Studios, to allow him the freedom to get both the lo-fi sound and artistic vision he wanted for this album. He's really hit the mark with this record and we think you'll agree.
Johnny has shared the staged with many bands both contemporary and legendary both as a featured srtist as well as a sideman playing guitar. He's shared the stage with bands and artist as:
Brief list of Artists we have backed up or play with regularly:
Wanda Jackson
Sid King and the Five Strings
Rudy "Tutti" Grazell
Ray Campi
Pep Torres
Marshall Scott Warner
Justin Curtis
Trudie Falls
Rip Carson
Bands that we have shared the bill/stage with:
Barbara Pittman
Big Sandy & his Fly-Rite Boys
Hasil Adkins
Sleepy LaBeef
The Blasters
Cave Catt Sammy
Deke Dickerson
Rockin' Lloyd Tripp
Lil Bit' and the Customatics
Paul Galaxy & the Galactix
The Bop Kings
Dusty 45's
Nick Curran & the Nitelifes
Mojo Nixon
Twistin' Tarantlas
The Blue Moon Boys
Jackie & the Cedrics
The Go-Devils
Dropkick Murphys
Cult of the Psychic Fetus
The Bottle Rockets
Lords of the Highway
Jack Black
Belmont Playboys
The Cowslingers
The Flyin' Saucers and many more...
Johnny Mercury forges on to make more music and new records to express what he has felt in life but keep it fun and entertaining in the process. Listen to his music and you'll see what we mean.
- Gene Ledbetter
CONTACT
email: johnnymercury@gmail.com
OR
Write to us or send us your money to:
Johnny Mercury
Po Box 17472
Seattle, Wa 98127
Source : http://www.bartemon.net/dossiers/dossiers.php?val=281_johnny+mercury
Sujet: JOHNNY MERCURY