jumped the bandwagon

Johnny Johnson and the Bandwagon

Johnny Johnson and the Bandwagon were a U.S. vocal soul group, prominent in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Career

Originally known simply as The Bandwagon, they were formed in 1967 and featured Artie Fullilove, Billy Bradley, Terry Lewis and lead singer Johnny Johnson. They had their first major UK hit in October 1968 with "Breakin' Down the Walls of Heartache", written by Sandy Linzer and Denny Randell, which reached number 4 on the UK Singles Chart.

The band returned to the UK charts for further hits with "Sweet Inspiration" (1970), and "(Blame It) On The Pony Express" (1970). The latter track was written by Tony Macaulay, Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway. They never had a Top 40 hit in the U.S., and were always more highly regarded in Britain, where they recorded the two latter singles, both on the Bell record label; their earlier U.S. releases, including an album, had been on the Direction label.

Their recording career continued through the 1970s, with a 1971 LP Soul Survivor, produced by Tony Macaulay, and singles that year including "Sally Put Your Red Shoes On" and a cover version of the Bob Dylan song, "Mr Tambourine Man", on the Bell label, with subsequent singles including "Honey Bee" (1972), "I Don't Know Why" (1973), both on Stateside Records, and "Music To My Heart" (1975), on Epic Records, but without success. However their hits are still revered as Northern soul classics, as they espoused a more commercial pop-soul style similar in sound to that of early Tamla Motown, as opposed to the more funky progressive style favoured by contemporaries like Sly & the Family Stone and The Isley Brothers.

Johnson had not been well for several years, and the pressures of constantly touring during the early 1970s took a heavy toll. He died of cancer in 1979.

"Breakin' Down The Walls Of Heartache" enjoyed a new lease of life in 1980, when covered by Dexy's Midnight Runners on the b-side of "Geno". It was also popular in UK soul clubs, during the early 1980s.

Their frontman is not to be confused with Chuck Berry's sideman, Johnnie Johnson.

Discography

Singles

Releases on Direction were simply credited to Bandwagon; releases on Bell and subsequent labels credited the full name.

The following details relate to tracks appearing in the UK Singles Chart only.

"Breakin' Down The Walls of Heartache" (Direction, 1968) - No. 4
"You" (Direction, 1969) - No. 34
"Let's Hang On" (Direction, 1969) - No. 36
"Sweet Inspiration" (Bell, 1970) - No. 10
"(Blame It) On The Pony Express" (Bell, 1970) - No. 7

Albums

Bandwagon: Johnny Johnson and the Bandwagon (Direction 8-63500, 1968)

"Breakin’ Down The Walls Of Heartache"; "When Love Has Gone Away"; "Stoned Soul Picnic"; "I Wish It Would Rain"; "You Blew Your Cool & Lost Your Fool"; "You"; "People Got To Be Free"; "Girl From Harlem"; "Are You Ready For This"; "I Ain't Lyin’"; "Don't Let It In"; "Baby Make Your Own Sweet Music"

Johnny Johnson and His Bandwagon: Soul Survivor (Bell SBLL 1138, 1971)

"(Blame It) On The Pony Express"; "Love is Blue (L'amour Est Bleu)"; "Gasoline Alley Bred"; "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother"; "Sweet Inspiration"; "In The Bad Old Days (Before You Loved Me)"; "United We Stand"; "Games People Play"; "Something"; "Pride Comes Before A Fall"; "Never Let Her Go"