Who Did It Better? Johnny And Mary

Who Did It Better? 

Johnny And Mary

Sometimes a song can float about for the longest time, eventually becoming part of the musical landscape without ever becoming a bona fide hit. Today's Who Did It Better? selection is one of those songs.

Johnny And Mary was written and first performed by Robert Palmer as part of his album, Clues, released in 1980. Recorded at Compass Point Studios, New Providence, in the Bahamas and released as the lead single for the album in September 1980, the song hit the #44 spot on the UK Singles Chart, and was a top 40 hit in Canada (#32), Australia (#20), New Zealand (#12), South Africa (#5), Germany (#7), Belgium (#8), Netherlands (#21), Sweden (#11), Switzerland (#5), and snagged the #1 slot in Spain. 

Stateside, the song failed to chart on Billboard's Hot 100, however it did well in the clubs, reaching #18 on the Club Play Singles chart.

In 1982, Tina Turner was a free agent, touring constantly and going wherever work was offered. At the time she had been doing a bit of experimenting, working with a group of musicians who would help shape her sound, eventually leading to her breakthrough solo album, Private Dancer (1984). Her version of Johnny And Mary is part of that experimentation. It (along with another recording of hers called Crazy In The Night) would appear on the soundtrack for the 1982 film, Summer Lovers, which would feature songs by Elton John, Depeche Mode, Michael Sembello, Chicago, Heaven 17, and Nona Hendryx.

Ellen Foley initially gained high public recognition singing with Meat Loaf on the hit single Paradise by the Dashboard Light from the 1977 smash album Bat Out of Hell. Typically, that should have been enough to cement her place in music history, but a bit of confusion ensued. Yes, that's Karla DeVito, who toured with Meat Loaf in support of the album, in the music video, however, she's lip synching Foley's vocals! But no worries, Foley would snag an album contract on Epic records and cover Johnny And Mary for her third album, 1983's Another Breath. It was released as a single, but failed to chart.

Coming off of the surprise success of her 1982 hit, You Should Hear How She Talks About You, suddenly Melissa Manchester was all about electronic dance music. Her 11th album, 1983's Emergency would feature her version of Johnny And Mary. She looked great, but, the public wasn't buying it. Emergency would prove to be her final album on Arista Records after a ten year run. 

Johnny And Mary was used as the signature tune in advertisements promoting Renault cars throughout the 1980s and 1990s. It has been recorded by numerous performers since, including Status Quo, Placebo, and Bryan Ferry (w/ Todd Terje.)

And that's the whole story.

Now? On to the competition!

The Song: Johnny And Mary

The Competitors: Palmer vs. Turner vs. Foley vs. Manchester

Johnny and Mary - Robert Palmer

Johnny And Mary - Tina Turner

Johnny And Mary - Ellen Foley

Johnny And Mary - Melissa Manchester

Robert Palmer

Have always loved this song. Keep in mind that this version was done in 1980. The concept of big beats were a long way off and recording technology was advancing, but still rather rudimentary. That was true of synthesizers, as well. Given all that, this song is remarkably ahead of its time and felt as foreign as the alien landscapes of Gary Numan (whom Palmer was collaborating with at the time.)

It's the propulsion that hooks me. Instantly. The first verse is pitched rather low in Palmer's range, but that's because he needs to pop up an octave later in the song - I'm assuming. I think that's the reason the song never popped on AM radio. His voice in this range? It doesn't cut through sharply enough to engage the listener's ear. 

I love the distant perspective of the lyrics. The observations are almost clinical in nature. This is a fascinating story, a sort of post mortem autopsy of a relationship. 

I dislike the instrumental bridge. It fails to cut through, too. And the synths all feel muted and fail to engage. It's actually quite clever stuff - that synthesized guitar - but too subtle for AM radio. Still adore the propulsive beat. 

Palmer continues in his lower range for the second round. There's something almost monotone about his dispassionate delivery. Love that scratchy synthesizer sawing away in the background. The second instrumental break is an improvement on the first. But, I guess, it brings home exactly why this didn't hit big stateside. The US simply wasn't sophisticated enough to appreciate it yet. At the time, I imagine, this sounded more like a science experiment than a pop song.

Weird vocalization on 'lonely.' Not sure of the motive there. 

Love the guitar work on the final instrumental break. Subtle and chunky. Had he introduced that earlier, it might have grabbed listeners. But not only does Palmer fail to seize on the more pronounced elements of the new wave sound, he also fails to pop up an octave, rendering this too mumbled and cold. A bit of heat would have helped a great deal. I mean, why repeat the first verse unless you're going to bring something more dramatic to it? 

Kudos on the experimental nature of this exercise, but it fails as a pop song because it simply is not savvy enough to engage the listener.

Tina Turner

I immediately like the brighter sound and the heavy synth swaths utilized in this arrangement. Those drums are crisp. 

Tina's vocals cut where Palmer's failed to, right out the gate. Her vocals are overtreated, but it's an interesting mix with her vibrato and the reverb, creating a kind of tension. Great beat. Adore the S.O.S. signals (strings?) stinging in and out in the background.  

Huh, the instrumental break is a tad boring, but Turner's added vocalizing brings the fire. 

I am just allowing this to wash over me. I can't believe this was never released as a single. It's a perfect marriage and you can totally hear where Turner was headed, creatively. 

Wow, really love her vocal choices on the play out. 

This is a very winning performance. On the part of Turner.

The arrangement and production work? A tad rote.

Ellen Foley

That guitar sting right at the opening, a definite bid to grab a radio listener's ear. The synths are too high in the mix and I really wish the rhythm guitar was mixed hotter. It's the new wave drive we need to grab onto and it's lost here.

Her voice is super strong, mixed very clear. She bleats a bit, and then compensates by throwing her voice under her chin. It's an interesting vocal choice, an intriguing combination. The multi-tracked vocals on the chorus don't work for me. 

I do like the harmonies on the second verse. Nice touch. Weird phrasing choice on "Mary combs her hair..."

I don't know that the multi-tracked vocals on the chorus works. Suddenly we go from a single POV to this wall of observers... it's contrary to the songwriter's intent. And the lead guitar work feels very rote. It should be more like a David Bowie freak out (think of Adrian Belew's work on the Lodger album) than a by-the-numbers reading of the melody. 

I do love all the drama Foley is bringing to this. She gets it. I only wish the arrangement and production work were on the same page. This could have been a very Lena Lovich moment. 

Dislike the angel chorus. Those backing vocals on the play out... blech.

A very schizophrenic read. Musically, not everyone here is on the same page.

Melissa Manchester

I like the beat. Wish that synth was turned up several degrees. 

A very muscular reading. Manchester sounds sure and in charge. I'm buying this. 

Love those subtle synth washes in the back ground. Icy and effective. That pulsing, throbbing synth holding the bottom line... that is propelling this thing. I like. 

Huh. I wonder where the additional lyrics came from. It does add a different dimension to the song. Fleshing it out a bit, which strikes me as contrary to Palmer's original dystopian stance for the piece. 

I really like the production work here. I like the synth arrangements, as well. Manchester's super strong vocals are just idiosyncratic enough to keep things interesting and I rather enjoy her occasional toss off ("ha!", for example). 

The additional lyrics (by Bernie Taupin!) are a tad problematic, but then I understand why they are there. This is Melissa Manchester, not some robotic android goddess. She's always been about the heart and the human condition. It helps make the song more 'her.'

I like the male backing vocals with Manchester's voice. Great choice. As is the tiny Manchester echo at the end of certain phrases. That pulsing, throbbing synth is not, however, interesting enough to stand solo for an eight count. However, the Gary Numan inspired instrumental bit that follows? Wow. 

And Manchester pays ode to the original by popping down an octave. Much more effective later in the piece than if she had started the song that way. Interesting choice on "pro-por-tion." And the oddness just increases as we play out. I am done with this at the 3:41 mark, but she and the producer/arranger Arif Mardin, with great assist from back-up singers, David Lasley, Marcy Levy (Eric Clapton), and Ula Hedwig (Bette Midler), manage to put a lot of interesting elements into play for the remainder of the song.

It's as if there are two different songs here, melded together. Everything before the 2:31 mark is rather straightforward, but after that pulsing synth throbs for a count of eight it enters another world. 

I don't think this could have been a hit for her, but it is really quite interesting and a stretch for Manchester. She manages to pull it off really well. 

A side note: Manchester's Emergency album, her final work for Arista, failed because it ended up being such a mish-mash of conflicting ideas. Big, melodramatic ballads sitting side-by-side with more alien fare, such as Johnny And Mary? It was too confusing for the average consumer. Clive, and perhaps Manchester herself, wanted a foot in both camps and the two styles proved contradictory to one another leaving the public confused and apathetic.

The Verdict

I love this song. It's one in a long line of observational domestic situation songs. Think back to John Prine's Hello In There and Manchester's own Through The Eyes Of Grace. Capturing those tiny, intimate moments... breathtaking stuff.

This is tougher than I thought.

Palmer's version, while accomplishing his creative objectives, fails as a hit single. Nothing there cuts through, other than the propulsive nature of the beat. 

Foley's version can't quite make up it's mind about what it wants to be - a straight ahead pop rocker or something more esoteric? She has great chops, but needed to take a firm stand.

Manchester's version is far better than one would expect. I really like both halves. Her vocals are super strong, as is the production work throughout with great assist from those backing vocalists. 

Tina Turner's version is on fire from note one. Something about the melancholy nature that resides within her voice, no matter what she is singing, adds a great deal of poignancy to this microcosmic slice-of-life song. 

It's really between Manchester and Turner for me. 

And I am going with...

Tina Turner.

Her version is simpler and more succinct than Manchester's. There's also that distinctive howl of hers which lends a strangely chilling melancholy to the proceedings, all the while her vocal fireworks are on full display. She's always had great chops and its fun listening to her find her way into this (then) new sound. It's a shame it was never pushed as a single.

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And that's enough of me.

Okay, your turn. What did you think? Leave your thoughts and choice in the comments section. I love to hear from you! Differing opinion? Bring it on.

That's all for now.

Until next time...

Thanks for reading... and listening!

Johnny And Mary - Robert Palmer