Johnny Hates Jazz stand for the elegant British pop of the late eighties. Singer and songwriter Clark Datchler and producer Mike Nocito met in the early eighties at London’s RAK Studios, and in 1986 the first single “Me and My Foolish Heart” was released with Calvin Hayes. Shortly afterwards, the band signed with Virgin Records.
In March 1987, “Shattered Dreams” was released and became a Top 5 hit in Great Britain, much of Europe and Asia. In 1988, the song rose to number 2 on the Billboard charts in the USA. This was followed by the anti-war song “I Don’t Want to Be a Hero”, “Turn Back the Clock” with Kim Wilde on backing vocals and “Heart of Gold”. The album “Turn Back the Clock” entered the British charts at number 1 in 1988, two of the videos were shot by the young David Fincher.
Since 2009, Datchler and Nocito have been working together again as Johnny Hates Jazz. The albums “Magnetized” (2013) and “Wide Awake” (2020) were released, in 2024 the band played a sold-out tour of the UK, followed in 2026 by the single “Soul Believer” with Jaki Graham.
Johnny Hates Jazz will perform live with a full band: Clark Datchler’s unmistakable voice, warm synthesizers and a set full of classics that is equally suitable for eighties festivals, galas and concert evenings.
