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My career has been a long exciting journey with all roads leading to the musical oasis called Beach Music. In the spring of 1966 in Raleigh, North Carolina, as lead singer of the Showmen, I performed before my first Beach Music audience. Thinking Beach Music was music by artist like The Beach Boys and Jan and Dean, we nervously performed a variety of rhythm and blues classics. Surprisingly, each song was met with the audience's approval. As we ended the show with our regional hit "39-21-46" and our nationally charted hit song, "It Will Stand," the audience responded by applauding us back for an encore. Because we didn't know any other songs to perform, we sang two more verses of "It Will Stand" and spontaneously, began to adlib the chorus of Bruce Channel's song "Hey Baby." As we sang "Hey Baby," we waved our hands in the air and to our surprise, everyone in the audience responded by doing the same. When we concluded the show with a bow, the audience showed their appreciation by rewarding us with another
thunderous round of applause. That spring night, I understood, appreciated and became a part of the Beach Music phenomenon.
In 1968, 1 moved to Detroit, Michigan to further my career with Invictus Records. As a member of The Chairmen of the Board, I experienced and enjoyed international success as a songwriter and an artist. My success in such a short period of time magnified the business dealings with my recording and management companies. Soon, business disagreements deteriorated our musical relationship and eventually terminated our successful venture. In 1974, 1 left Invictus.
In 1978, I returned to the Carolinas with The Chairmen of the Board. For the first time in eight years, I enjoyed performing music without the depression of the music business. I found an independent music industry that was still free of monopoly, politics and categorization. I felt the energy of an industry propelled by its loyal supporters.
In 1979, I, along with the late Mike Branch, formed Surfside Records. Our objective was to record new music to revitalize the identity of a thriving music market that was slowly being recognized as and too dependent on old recordings.
In 1981, two years after forming Surfside Records, I was contacted by Motown Records, leading to discussions with then CEO Mr. Berry Gordy Jr. The meetings at his home in California were personable and candid. His offer could have proven to be financially lucrative for me but would have meant moving to California and abandoning Surfside Records and the musical utopia that I had found to be a safe haven. I respectfully declined Motown offer and for years, I wondered if I had made the right decision.
Nineteen years later, I have absolutely no regrets. Those years have been filled with excitement and personal fulfillment that exceeds any monetary gains that I could have attained.
~General Johnson~ |
The Blacker the Berry, the Sweeter the Juice is one of the most important songs I’ve written during my long career. It expresses the true feelings of any black man who has black grandmothers, a black mother, wife, daughters, sisters, aunts and black female friends. The song was written to lift up the black woman, not to put down women of other ethnic groups. Mainstream society believes some songs, recorded by rappers, have tainted the image of the black woman. Frankly, songs performed by young black recording artist who are portraying “gangstas,” thugs and pimps, should not affect the image of anyone or anything.
No matter what others think, black men know that under all kinds of circumstances, no matter how bleak, the black woman has stood by and stood up for us. We do appreciate her unconditional love, loyalty and tremendous sacrifices. “Ask me why I love my woman so and I’ll tell ya, what the whole world already knows - - The Blacker the Berry, the Sweeter the Juice.”
~General Johnson~ |
The road to success is a long and difficult journey of disappointments, frustrations and sacrifices. The wise traveler tries not to acknowledge how far he or she has come because that only distorts the dream and blurs the vision of the true destination. The ultimate destination is to be the best that you can be.
My hometown, Norfolk, Virginia, recently honored me with the legends of music award, an honor that I will cherish forever. I gratefully share this honor with Tidewater greats Ella Fitzgerald, Pearl Bailey, Bruce Hornsby, Ruth Brown, Clarence Clemmons and many other tremendously talented artists from the Tidewater area.
As my family, friends and well-wishers gathered around me, I unveiled my award, a large bronze medallion embedded into the sidewalk of Granby Street. It reads “The Legends of Music Walk of Fame - General Norman Johnson.” When the crowd began to applaud, my mind began to wander. I was taken back in time to a boy raised on the poverty stricken side of Norfolk, to a boy who dreamed of one day recording million selling records, performing at the Apollo Theatre, appearing on American Band Stand and the Tonight Show, touring and performing around the world. Although I could only play three chord progressions, I also dreamed of becoming a successful songwriter. During the award ceremony, the proud expressions on the faces of my family and friends magnified what I already knew but very seldom think of. Against all odds, I have accomplished all of my boyhood dreams.
As I hugged, shook hands and received congratulations from my family, old friends and other well wishers, I’m embarrassed to say my mind was trying to drift away from this incredibly wonderful moment to a song that I’m writing a for a new recording.
I feel truly honored that my hometown has recognized me for the work I’ve done in the past but my brutally frank mind keeps reminding me that the road to success is a never ending experience. “It ain’t about how far you’ve come but all about where you’re trying to go.” Like the boy from my past, I still have dreams. I’m still traveling.
~General Johnson~
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We were to appear in a nightclub in North Carolina. Upon arriving, the club owner told me that one of his patrons, Captain Harry Rogers (a retired captain of the Charlotte, NC Fire Department) wished to speak with me.
I made my way through the crowd to Mr. Rogers' table. After complimenting me for my music, he gave me a letter that is so remarkable; I have to share it with you.
~General Johnson~
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February 18, 2006
Gentlemen,
I'd like to share an experience with all of you that I thought might interest you. In June, 1970, as a "short-timer" in the Central Highlands of South Vietnam I was guarding 6 Viet Cong prisoners who were helping to rebuild a sandbag bunker that their comrades in arms had demolished with mortar fire. As I kept watch over the captured enemy soldiers I was listening to The AFVN (Armed Forces Vietnam Network) on my battery powered radio. The DJ announced "and now a just released jam "Give Me Just a Little More Time" by The Chairmen of the Board!
It wasn't the first time that I'd heard it and I liked it very much but this time I noticed one of the prisoners was not singing but was lip syncing the words, even the part that goes ..... "and our love will surely grow....bluuuurrrrtttt"! I asked him if he spoke English and he told me that he attended the University of Michigan. When asked how he came to be in his current predicament he told me that North Vietnamese Soldiers held AK-47 Assault Rifles to his wife's, father's and mother's heads and demanded he serve in their army or they would kill his family. He got himself captured the very first opportunity that he got.
That day, instead of being the "inhuman animals" that I had been trained, even brainwashed to believe, I saw my enemy as being human beings for the first time. I believe that event helped me to overcome prejudice more than any other single lesson in my life. You guys clearly had a part in that experience. Thank you for making such a horrible part of my life and the lives of thousands of others a little better, if for just a couple of minutes at a time, through your music.
Thank You and God Bless You,
Harry A, Rogers Captain, Charlotte Fire Department, Retired
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I’m speaking on behalf of anyone who is an artist, a songwriter or music producer who has chosen music as a profession. You’ve got to love what you do because your long hours of work can be instantly stolen with the click of a button. What is amazing to me is that nobody really seems to care.
The lawmakers don’t care and those that download the music definitely don’t care. Maybe it’s because no one outside the music business really understands the long hours of work and financial costs necessary to deliver a good product of newly recorded music. Let me try to explain.
The songwriter conceives an idea and then translates that idea lyrically within the boundaries of a commercial melody. The lyric has to tell an interesting story which sometimes can take as long as a year to complete. I finished the chord progression (the music) to the song Patches within two weeks. However, I had to write and rewrite the lyrics until everyone involved was satisfied that the lyrics were the best that they could be. It took almost six months to perfect the song Patches.
The artist’s performance must capture the feeling of what the songwriter is trying to say. The performance also has to please the musical ear of the producer - - no easy task. Many hours of costly studio time is spent trying to capture the best performance the artist can project.
The arranger has to arrange the music with instruments that paint a picture of what the songwriter and the artist are trying to say. His work also has to satisfy the musical ear of the producer. Once again, costly hours of work are necessary.
The producer is responsible for overseeing every aspect of the recording project both creative and budget-wise. He spends countless hours tediously adjusting the sounds and volume levels of each instrument and every vocal performance. This process is called mixing. Mixing is one of the most important phases of the recording process. Many recordings have lost the magic because the vocals and instruments were not mixed properly.
The final process of the recording project is called mastering. Overseen by the producer, the mastering engineer perfects the overall sound of the project. When this process is completed the recording is finished.
All this costly, creative and technical work is done for one song. Most CD’s contain at least twelve songs that require the same amount of work and financial costs. Imagine the long hours spent by talents like Stevie Wonder and Prince who write, sing, play instruments, arrange and produce the recorded music.
Conservatively, the cost of a professionally recorded CD of twelve songs is approximately $100,000 to $150,000. This includes studio time, producer advancements, musicians, background vocalists, hotels, travel and a long list of additional miscellaneous expenses. All recording costs are charged to the artist. For their long hours of work, the songwriter, artist and producer depend on the royalties from CD sales. A large portion of these royalties are lost because of illegal downloading of their music.
Music thievery continues to get worse each day. As a result, independent recording companies, recording studios, recording distributors and music stores are going out of business at a frightening rate.
I know this article may not discourage the theft of music because you enjoy the music free of charge. But maybe, just maybe it will make those who steal the music feel a little bit guilty.
~General Johnson~
*This article does not pertain to the cost of recording sessions that feature samples of music previously recorded. |
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