Widely regarded as one of the most successful bands of the ‘80s, notching up a string of global hits and a world-wide No 1 smash hit album that made history in the Virgin Records vaults, Johnny Hates Jazz are set to make a monumental return after a 25-year departure from the industry.
Recording of the new album spanned much of 2011 and 2012 and took place at Real World Studios, Hamp Sound near Cambridge, and Angel Studios in London. Now complete, it features Clark as songwriter / vocalist / keyboard player; and Mike as producer / engineer. There are also string arrangements and additional keyboards from Art Of Noise co-founder and oscar-winning composer Anne Dudley, who arranged the strings on ‘Turn Back The Clock’. Other contributors include drummer Alex Reeves (Dizzee Rascal), guitarist David Rhodes (Peter Gabriel), synth player Pete Watson (Hurts), and mix engineer Stephen Tayler (Kate Bush).
The album is entitled ‘Magnetized’ and is set for release in May 2013. Preceding this will be the release of the first single, also called ‘Magnetized’, in April. In a twist of fate, JHJ are now managed by John Wooler, the A&R man who signed them to Virgin Records in 1986.
It’s been a long 25-years since the ‘Turn Back The Clock’ album reached No 1, and with the imminent release of ‘Magnetized’, it looks like Johnny Hates Jazz are finally coming of age.
