culture / music

Open Mic Adventures III: Joanie Sommers’s “Johnny Get Angry”

The Portly Politico22 Comments

Well, it was inevitable: after getting the early 1960s Joanie Sommers tune “Johnny Get Angry” stuck in my head, I had to cover it myself.  The version that really got me into this song is from the 1990 film Nightbreed, specifically the Clive Barker-approved director’s cut.  Other versions of the film apparently were missing the song—performed by actress Anne Bobby in the role of heroine/love interest Lori Winston—which is a travesty, as it’s really key to highlighting the struggle inherent in Lori and Boone’s relationship in the flick.

Here’s that version:

The Anne Bobby/Nightbreed version is the one I used as the basis for my own performance.  Instead of the iconic kazoo solo from the Sommers original, I replaced it with a classic late 1950s/early 1960s voiceover part after the key change.

I also decided to have fun with the song, dedicating it to my friend John.  John and I have been buddies for ten years, and have been jamming and playing together for about as long.  We also attend church together, so we know each other pretty well.

I thought framing it as me singing the song to John—complaining about his lack of machismo in our “relationship”—would make for a humorous send-up:

You can’t see John in the video, but he was beet red and fairly amused.

I promise, I’m an allegedly heterosexual man.

Rock on!

—TPP

Other Editions of Open Mic Adventures:

22 thoughts on “Open Mic Adventures III: Joanie Sommers’s “Johnny Get Angry””

  3. Great stuff, mate.

    Next time, though, sing something a bit more manly, heterosexual and grrr! I nearly suggested Saturday Night’s All Right For Fighting but crikey, look who sang that! 🙂 🙂

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