Jesse Johnson (musician)

Jesse Woods Johnson (born June 1, 1960) is an American musician best known as the guitarist in the original lineup of the Time (more recently known as the Original 7ven).[1]

Jesse Johnson
Birth nameJesse Woods Johnson
Born (1960-06-01) June 1, 1960
OriginRock Island, Illinois
GenresFunk, rock, R&B
Occupation(s)Musician, composer
InstrumentsGuitar
Years active1981present
LabelsWarner Bros.
A&M
Associated actsThe Time
Prince
D'Angelo and the Vanguard
Da Krash
Paula Abdul
Kool Skool
TaMara and the Seen
Janet Jackson
Robert Townsend
The Dells
The Five Heartbeats

Life and career

Johnson was born in Rock Island, Illinois. He moved to East St. Louis, Illinois at the age of nine and was raised by foster parents after his parents split up. At age 16 he moved back to Rock Island to live with his father Jackwood Johnson. Johnson began playing guitar when he was 15, honing his chops in local rock bands such as Treacherous Funk, Pilot, and Dealer, throughout his teens and early twenties. On a friend's recommendation, he moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1981, where he met Morris Day and played briefly in Day's band which was called Enterprise. He then became the lead guitarist for the Time, a funk rock group formed by Prince.[2]

Although Prince basically wrote and recorded the first two Time albums on his own with input from Morris Day, Johnson did contribute to another Prince project, Vanity 6, with a song called "Bite the Beat" co-written with Prince. On the Time's third album, Ice Cream Castle, Johnson contributed to the hit singles "The Bird" and "Jungle Love", which were helped by the popularity of the Purple Rain film.

However, at the height of the Time's popularity following Purple Rain, following the departure of Morris Day, Johnson left the band and with the help of Manager Owen Husney signed a solo deal with A&M Records in 1984 and released Jesse Johnson's Revue the following year.[2] This album featured two other former members of the Time in Johnson's backing band, keyboardist Mark Cardenas and bassist Jerry Hubbard. Three songs were released from the album: "Be Your Man", "Can You Help Me" and "I Want My Girl", a slow song about a fateful relationship. Then came the funk non-album outing "Free World". His second album Shockadelica was released in 1986 containing the hit single "Crazay", a duet with Sly Stone, and his third album Every Shade of Love followed in 1988. Throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s Johnson also featured on the soundtracks to The Breakfast Club (contributing "Heart Too Hot To Hold", a duet with Stephanie Spruill), Pretty In Pink, Another 48 Hrs. and White Men Can't Jump.

Johnson has produced a wide variety of artists, most notable are Janet Jackson, Paula Abdul, TaMara and the Seen, After 7, Da Krash, Kool Skool, Debbie Allen, Cheryl Lynn, and Les Rita Mitsouko.

By 1990 the Time reformed and issued Pandemonium, which was more of a group effort than their former albums.[2] The album allowed Johnson to contribute his hard rock guitar sound to several tracks.

After the band dissolved once again, Johnson remained in the background for several years, quietly contributing to soundtracks and other artists. His music he recorded for the film A Time To Kill was not released on the soundtrack but can be heard in the film. Finally in 1996, Johnson released another album, Bare My Naked Soul on the Dinosaur Entertainment label. The album was a departure from his funk-filled albums from the 1980s and instead verged into blues and hard rock.

Four years later, the highlights of Johnson's solo albums were collected on his Ultimate Collection, the album includes B-sides, 12" versions, album tracks, and one previously unreleased song called "Vibe".

After a nearly 14-year absence from the music scene, Johnson released a new double album Verbal Penetration Volumes 1 and 2 on October 27, 2009.

In February 2012, Johnson served as house guitarist behind a host of all-star blues musicians in the PBS special "In Performance at the White House: Red, White and Blues". Other members of the house band included Booker T. Jones, Bobby Ross Avila, Narada Michael Walden, Ernie Fields, Jr., Freddie Hendrix and Fred Wesley. Performers included B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Mick Jagger, Jeff Beck, Warren Haynes, Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi, Keb Mo, Trombone Shorty and Gary Clark, Jr..

More recently, he has been playing in D'Angelo's band the Vanguard.

Solo discography

Studio albums

Year Album details Chart positions Certifications
(sales thresholds)
US[3] US R&B[4]
1985 Jesse Johnson's Revue
  • Labels: A&M Records
43 8 700,000 (Worldwide Sales)
1986 Shockadelica
  • Labels: A&M Records
70 15 1,000,000 (Worldwide Sales)
1988 Every Shade of Love
  • Labels: A&M Records
79 26 500,000 (Worldwide Sales)
1996 Bare My Naked Soul
  • Labels: Dinosaur Entertainment Corporation
- -
2009 Verbal Penetration
  • Labels: Bellavenix Music
- -

Compilation albums

Singles

Year Title Chart positions
US Hot 100[5] US R&B[6] US Club Play[7] NZ UK[8]
1985 "Be Your Man" 61 4 20 - -
"Can You Help Me" - 3 12 - -
"I Want My Girl" 76 7 - - -
"Let's Have Some Fun" - 87 - - -
1986 "Crazay" (featuring Sly Stone) 53 2 12 22 -
"She (I Can't Resist)" - 28 18 - 95
1987 "Baby Let's Kiss" - 23 - - -
"Black in America" - - - - -
"Free World" - - - - -
1988 "Love Struck" 78 4 13 25 76
"Every Shade of Love" - 19 - - 98
"I'm Just Wanting You" (Promo Single) - - - - -
1996 "My Life" - - - - -

References

  1. "Jesse Johnson Makes It Big; Ex-Prince Protege". Jet. Johnson Publishing Company. July 22, 1985. p. 62. Retrieved April 19, 2011.
  2. Phares, Heather. "Artist Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  3. "Jesse Johnson: Chart History - BILLBOARD 200". Billboard. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  4. "Jesse Johnson: Chart History - TOP R&B/HIP-HOP ALBUMS". Billboard. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  5. "Jesse Johnson: Chart History - Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  6. "Jesse Johnson: Chart History - HOT R&B/HIP-HOP SONGS". Billboard. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  7. "Jesse Johnson: Chart History - DANCE CLUB SONGS". Billboard. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  8. "JESSE JOHNSON - full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
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