Title: APOCALYPSE THEN (The Rocket Recordings 1978-1982)
Artist: JOHNNY WARMAN
Available for streaming and download now via this link
His voice a pitch-perfect mashup of Gabriel and Bowie, the synth-driven glam to new wave songs of Johnny Warman had Elton John describe him “the best human jukebox on the planet”.
Described by him as a ‘sonic Armageddon’, ‘Apocalypse Then’ focuses on Johnny’s fervent interest in sci-fi, future worlds and global politics, with tracks selected from solo albums recorded between 1978 and 1982 for Ringo Starr’s Ring O’Records label and Elton’s Rocket Records. All are served by the best of the day.
Debut ‘Hour Glass’, with The Jam producer Vic Coppersmith-Heaven, boasted top notch session players including Frank Ricotti and Chris Mercer and was followed by ‘Walking Into Mirrors’ with Jerry Marottan (Hall & Oates) on drums, Tony Levin (King Crimson) on bass and Dave Lawson (Greenslade) on keyboards.
Genesis’s Peter Gabriel also guested on the album adding his distinctive voice to single “Screaming Jets”, a surprise chart hit in Australia.
Johnny was at Manor Studios in Oxford in 1982 for the more musically intricate ‘From The Jungle to the New Horizons’, the previous line-up augmented by guitarist Chris Payne (Gary Numan), Andy Clark (Be Bop Deluxe) on keyboards, with backing vocals from Rocket-fave Kiki Dee.
Johnny reflects today on how little has changed in the world:
“I still remember sitting in the cinema on the edge of my seat watching the movie Apocalypse Now. I left the show inspired, it shaping the songs I wrote such as Screaming Jets, Walking into Mirrors, Searchlights, Radio Active, Martian Summer, Fantastic Light and S.O.S Sending out Signals.
“These set out what I felt was wrong and right about the world at the time such as the advancement of China as an economic force and Russia as a growing threat, all dominating the changing fortunes of Europe.
“It minds the folly of conflict when we have such a beautiful universe stretched before us.”
More on Johnny’s work via this link
TRACKS
- Screaming Jets
- (S.O.S.) Sending Out Signals
- China’s Moving (West)
- Here Come The Reds
- (United) The State of America
- Head On Collision
- War of the Worlds
- London’s Burning
- Into The Void
- Satellite
- I Love My Planet
- Martian Summer