The Longest Johns

The Longest Johns is a British folk musical group from Bristol, England,[1][2] consisting of Andy Yates, Dave Robinson, Jonathan "JD" Darley, and Robbie Sattin. They are known for performing folk music and sea shanties in the English tradition, and they also compose and record their own music.[3] They became famous for their rendition of the 1800s folk song "Wellerman", which went viral on Tiktok in early 2021.[4][5][6]

The Longest Johns
Genres
Websitethelongestjohns.com
MembersAndy Yates
Dave Robinson
Jonathan "JD" Darley
Robbie Sattin

In May 2020, they released a song titled "Flatten the Curve", urging people to stay indoors during the COVID-19 pandemic.[7]

In January 2021, they signed a deal with Decca Records and United Talent Agency.[8]

Recordings

The band has self-released three albums and several EPs: EP Bones in the Ocean (2013), Written in Salt (2016), Between Wind and Water (2018), and Cures What Ails Ya (2020).[9]

Between Wind and Water was released on June 19, 2018[10] by the band through Bandcamp. The album includes 15 tracks with traditional songs and original compositions.

Cures What Ails Ya was released in 2020 by the band and includes a mix of traditional tunes and their band's own compositions. In a review Mike Davies stated the band takes a "irreverent and playful approach to the tradition." Tunes such as "Got No Beard" and "Hoist up the Thing" are humorous in nature.[11] Their original tune "Fire and Flame" tells the story of Halifax Explosion, a 1917 maritime disaster which took place in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.[12]

TikTok viral trend

The Longest Johns found sudden fame after a sea shanty video went viral on TikTok. On 27 December 2020, fellow British musician and TikTok user Nathan Evans (username NathanEvanss) uploaded a video of himself singing the sea shanty 'Soon May the Wellerman Come', which quickly went viral. Other usernames sang their own version, or added their own contribution to the video from Evans, and the original video racked up over 7.8 million views (as of 21 January 2021).[13] The trend sparked a huge interest in sea shanties, with millions of people discovering The Longest Johns' recording of Wellerman, originally released on their 2018 album Between Wind and Water.[14] The song has been streamed on Spotify over 17.1 million times (as of 31 January 2021).

Discography

Studio albums
Title Details
Written in Salt
  • Released: 17 June 2016
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download, CD
Between Wind and Water
  • Released: 7 June 2018
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download, CD, Vinyl
Cures What Ails Ya
  • Released: 10 June 2020
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download, CD, Vinyl

Extended plays
Title Details
Bones in the Ocean
  • Released: 27 May 2013
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download, CD
Christmas at Sea
  • Released: 2 December 2013
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download, CD

Singles
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
UK
[15]
"Drunken Sailor" 2013 — Written in Salt
"Christmas at Sea" — Non-album singles
"Fairytale of New York" 2019 —
"(See You All) When Lockdown Ends" 2020 —
"Wellerman" 2021 37

References
  1. Furdyk, Brent (2020-12-31). "The Longest Johns Host 500-Person Singalong Of Sea Shanty". ET Canada. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
  2. "About Us". The Longest Johns. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
  3. "Written in Salt by The Longest Johns". brightyoungfolk.com. Retrieved 2021-01-17.
  4. "The true story behind the viral TikTok sea shanty hit". the Guardian. 2021-01-15. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
  5. "Tendance. Les "sea shanties", des chants de marins à l'abordage de TikTok". Courrier international (in French). 2021-01-13. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
  6. "Why TikTok (and Everyone Else) Is Singing Sea Chanteys". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
  7. Murray, Robin (2020-03-26). "Bristol band release catchy song urging people to stay indoors". BristolLive. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
  8. "Bristol sea shanty sensations The Longest Johns sign major record label deal". Bristol 24/7. 2021-01-25. Retrieved 2021-01-25.
  9. "The Longest Johns". Discogs. Retrieved 2021-01-17.
  10. "Between Wind and Water, by The Longest Johns". The Longest Johns. Retrieved 2021-01-17.
  11. Editor, Author (2020-06-12). "THE LONGEST JOHNS – Cures What Ails Ya (own label)". Folking.com. Retrieved 2021-01-17.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
  12. Editor, Author (2020-06-12). "THE LONGEST JOHNS – Cures What Ails Ya (own label)". Folking.com. Retrieved 2021-01-17.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
  13. "People Stop Me In The Street". Independent. Retrieved 2021-01-21.
  14. "Bristol band The Longest Johns steer sea shanty craze". BBC News. Retrieved 2021-01-21.
  15. "Longest Johns | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
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