JANICE'S BLUES ALLEY PRESENTS
JOHNNY NASH
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Although he intially built his career in the R&B world, singer Johnny Nash proved a pivotal force behind the mainstream acceptance of reggae with the international success of his 1972 chart-topper "I Can See Clearly Now." Already a seasoned performer by the time of its release, Nash had enjoyed modest success singing pop and R&B music before a late-60s trip to Jamaica set him on a path that would dramatically alter his career. One of the first American acts to record in Kingston, Nash reached his commerical peak in the early-70s and remained popular, especially in England, throughout the decade after which he more or less retired from recording, touring very now and then up until his death in 2020. Born in Houston, Texas on August 19, 1940, Nash honed his vocal skills singing in his Baptist church's choir and by 13 was a regular on the local television series Matinee, performing covers of current R&B hits; in 1956 he was discovered by Arthur Godfrey, appearing on his radio and TV broadcasts for the next seven years. Nash signed to ABC-Paramount to release his 1957 debut single "A Teenager Sings the Blues," scoring his first chart hit early the following year with a rendition of Doris Day's "A Very Special Love"; in late 1958, he also teamed with Paul Anka and George Hamilton IV for the inspirational "The Teen Commandments." Marketed as a rival to Johnny Mathis, he even began a film career with 1959's Take a Giant Step, also appearing in 1960's Key Witness before his career flagged with a series of little-noticed singles for Warner Bros., Groove, and Argo. Nash returned to prominence in 1965 when the ballad "Let's Move and Groove Together" reached the R&B Top Five; more importantly, the record became a major hit in Jamaica, where he traveled in 1967 on a promotional tour. During a return trip, he cut the ska-influenced single "Hold Me Tight" at Byron Lee's Federal Studios; a Top Five pop hit on both sides of the Atlantic, the record was issued on his own JAD label, which in early 1970 scored a Top 40 hit with a reggae-fied rendition of Sam Cooke's "Cupid" as well. The following year Nash scored a major British hit with his reading of the Bob Marley perennial "Stir It Up"; while living in Britain, he signed to Epic, which in 1972 released his biggest hit, "I Can See Clearly Now," which sat atop the American pop charts for four weeks. Although his popularity at home again dimmed, Nash returned to the U.K. charts in 1975 with his number one classic "Tears on My Pillow," followed a year later by another Sam Cooke cover, "(What A) Wonderful World." He gradually retired from performing, although he released an album, Here Again, in 1986, and made a few live appearances. In the early 2000s he began the work of transferring analog tapes of his material from the '70s and '80s to a digital platform at Tierra Studios in his native Houston. Intensely private, Nash has stayed out of the public eye except for occasional tours as the 21st century deepened. Johnny Nash died at his home in Houston on October 6, 2020; he was 80 years old. -- Jason Ankeny of All Music Guide. |
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1958 Johnny Nash | |||
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01. Imagination 02. Like Someone In Love 03. I Had The Craziest Dream 04. It's Always You 05. Midnight Moonlight 06. Here Am I Brokenhearted |
07. My Foolish Heart 08. Darn That Dream 09. I Wish I Knew 10. For All We Know 11. I Dream Of You 12. That's All | ||
1959 The Quiet Hour | |||
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01. I Got A Robe 02. Bless This House 03. I Want Jesus To Walk With Me 04. The Eyes Of God 05. The Prayer Of St. Francis 06. I Believe |
07. Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child 08. I See God 09. Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen 10. Be The Good Lord Willing 11. I Heard Of A City Called Heaven 12. The Lord's Prayer | ||
1959 I Got Rhythm | |||
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01. I Got Rhythm 02. You're Driving Me Crazy 03. Jeepers Creepers 04. 'S Wonderful 05. Baby, Won't You Please Come Home? 06. Looking For A Girl |
07. And The Angels Sing 08. I'm Beginning To See The Light 09. I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles 10. It's All Right With Me 11. (You've Got) The Love I Love 12. Baby, Baby, Baby | ||
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1960 Let's Get Lost | |||
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01. Let's Get Lost 02. That's My Desire 03. Take Me Away From The Crowd 04. Together 05. Lost In A Trance 06. Let's Fly Away |
07. Penthouse Serenade 08. Let's Drop Out Of Sight 09. Alone Together 10. The Love Nest 11. Let The Rest Of The World Go By 12. Let's Go Home | ||
1961 Studio Time | |||
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01. Besame Mucho 02. My Melancholy Baby 03. Cry Like The Wind 04. Girls Of My Dreams 05. All Of My Life 06. I Surrender Dear |
07. (I'm Afraid) The Masquerade Is Over 08. Lover Come Back To Me 09. I'm Lost For Words 10. May I Never Fall In Love Again 11. How Do I Say I Love You 12. Lady Of Spain | ||
1964 Composer's Choice | |||
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01. One For My Baby 02. Someone To Watch Over Me 03. Come To Me Bend To Me 04. By Myself 05. Last Night When We Were Young |
06. Speak Low 07. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes 08. Always 09. If There Is Someone Lovelier Than You 10. In The Still Of The Night 11. The Inch Worm 12. Spring Is Here | ||
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1968 Hold Me Tight | |||
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01. Hold Me Tight 02. Don't Look Back 03. Love 04. People In Love 05. Groovin' |
06. Cupid 07. Lovey Dovey 08. You Got To Change Your Ways 09. You Got Soul 10. Don't Cry | ||
1969 Soul Folk | |||
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01. You Got Soul---Part 1 02. Love Me Tender 03. Five Hundred Miles 04. Country Boy 05. Blowing In The Wind |
06. Island In The Sun 07. Cool Water 08. Chain Gang 09. Scarlet Ribbons 10. Twelfth Of Never 11. You Got Soul---Part2 | ||
1969 Prince Of Peace | |||
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01. We Wish You A Merry Christmas 02. Prince Of Peace 03. Away In The Manger 04. Mary's Little Boy Child 05. The Borning Day |
06. The Christmas Song 07. Sweet Little Jesus Boy 08. Medley: Silent Night / Oh Holy Night 09. Go Tell It On The Mountain | ||
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1969 Love and Peace | |||
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01. Medley: This Little Light Of Mine - One Little Candle 02. It Is No Secret 03. Trees 04. I Heard A Forest Praying 05. One God 06. Love And Peace |
07. I Believe 08. Rock Of Ages 09. May The Good Lord Bless And Keep You 10. You'll Never Walk Alove 11. Medley: We Shall Overcome - Precious Lord Take My Hand | ||
1970 Johnny Nash [Polar] | |||
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01. Meditation 02. What Kind Of Fool Am I 03. All I'll Ever Need Is You 04. Ebb Tide 05. Star Dust 06. Without A Song |
07. We Can Work It Out 08. Stay As Sweet As You Are 09. When I Fall In Love 10. A Change Is Gonna Come 11. There's A Kind Of Hush 12. You Don't Love Me Anymore | ||
1972 Teardrops In The Rain | |||
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01. Teardrops In The Rain 02. Gonna Get Myself Together 03. Talk To Me 04. Strange Feeling 05. Let It Be Me |
06. Who Am I 07. Love Ain't Nothin' 08. Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye 09. Raining In My Heart 10. I Know What I Want | ||
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1972 I Can See Clearly Now | |||
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01. Stir It Up 02. That's The Way We Get By 03. Guava Jelly 04. (It Was) So Nice While It Lasted 05. Ooh Baby You've Been Good To Me 06. You Poured Sugar On Me |
07. I Can See Clearly Now 08. Comma Comma 09. We're All Alike 10. How Good It Is 11. The Fish And The Alley Of Destruction 12. There Are More Questions Than Answers | ||
1973 My Merry-Go-Round | |||
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01. My Merry-Go-Round 02. Nice Time 03. You Better Stop (Messing Around) 04. Gonna Open Up My Heart Again 05. Ooh What A Feeling |
06. Love Is Not A Game 07. Loving You 08. Yellow House 09. (Oh Jesus) We're Trying To Get Back To You 10. Salt Annie Ginger Tree | ||
1973 Teardrops In The Rain | |||
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01. Teardrops In The Rain 02. Gonna Get Myself Together 03. Talk To Me 04. Strange Feeling 05. Let It Be Mine |
06. Who Am I 07. Love Ain't Nothin' 08. Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye 09. Raining In My Heart 10. I Know Whay I Want | ||
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1974 Celebrate Life | |||
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01. Everybody's Got An Aura 02. You Can't Go Halfway 03. Beautiful Baby 04. The Look In Your Eyes 05. Fanny Big Horn 06. Celebrate Life |
07. (You Gave Me Such) Good Vibrations 08. Take Me Back 09. For Your Love 10. The Very First Time 11. Standing In The Rain | ||
1975 Tears On My Pillow | |||
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01. Why Did You Do It 02. Rock It Baby (We've Got A Date) 03. I'm Comin' Home In The Morning 04. The Edge Of Love 05. Tears On My Pillow (I Can't Take It) |
06. Reggae On Broadway 07. Mellow Mood 08. Let's Be Friends 09. Cream Puff 10. Say It Ain't True | ||
1976 What A Wonderful World | |||
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01. Jamaica 02. (What A) Wonderful World 03. That Woman 04. All I Have To Do Is Dream 05. Rose Garden 06. Birds Of A Feather |
07. Rock You To Your Socks 08. Halfway To Paradise 09. Back In Time 10. Dream Lover 11. Goodnight Baby br> | ||
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1978 Love Me Tender | |||
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01. Love Me Tender 02. You Got Soul 03. Five Hundred Miles 04. Somewhere 05. Understanding |
06. Country Boy 07. You Got Soul Pt II 08. One More Time 09. Big City 10. Trying To Find Her | ||
1979 Let's Go Dancing | |||
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01. Wondelfull Woman 02. Don't Forget 03. Closer 04. Mr. Sea 05. You're The One |
06. Looking Over My Shoulder 07. We're Lovers 08. Very Special Girl 09. Let's Go Dancing | ||
1986 Here Again | |||
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01. Born To Sing 02. Precious Lady 03. Rock Me Baby 04. Island Girl 05. Baby You're Mine |
06. Mansion In The Sky 07. Here Again 08. We Got Troubles 09. Now You're Gone 10. Never Going Back | ||
