Johnny Hates Jazz

Johnny Hates Jazz is composed of Clark Datchler, responsible for songwriting, vocals, and keyboards, and Mike Nocito, who handles production, engineering, and guitars. The band achieved significant recognition in the late 1980s with a series of popular songs. Their most successful track, “Shattered Dreams,” released in March 1987, reached the top 5 in the UK, across mainland Europe, and in Asia, and secured the number 2 spot in Japan. This success was followed by other worldwide hits such as “I Don’t Want To Be A Hero,” “Turn Back The Clock,” “Heart Of Gold,” and “Don’t Say Its Love.” In 1988, “Shattered Dreams” peaked at number 2 on the US Billboard chart, reached number 1 on the US Adult Contemporary chart, and climbed to number 4 in Canada. The album “Turn Back The Clock” debuted at number 1 on the UK charts in the same year, selling over four million copies and achieving triple-platinum status. It stands as one of the definitive albums of the 1980s and is one of only two debut albums from Virgin Records to immediately top the charts. Additionally, “Shattered Dreams” has been played more than 3.8 million times on US radio.

Johnny Hates Jazz initially disbanded at the height of their success, marking the end of an era for electronic bands emerging in the 1980s. However, Datchler and Nocito reunited in 2010 after pursuing individual projects. This reunion led to the release of their 2013 album, “Magnetized,” recorded at Real World Studios in Bath, UK, and The Farm near Cambridge, UK. The title track became a radio hit in the UK, and “Release You,” an album track not released as a single, subsequently became one of their most-streamed songs. In 2018, the band released a 30th Anniversary edition of “Turn Back The Clock,” which included new acoustic versions of all the album’s songs. Clark Datchler also contributed to songwriting for Mike and The Mechanics, co-writing numerous songs for their albums “Let Me Fly” and “Out Of The Blue” with Mike Rutherford.

In 2020, Johnny Hates Jazz released “Wide Awake,” an album that took over two years to create. This project drew inspiration from their musical roots in the 1970s and features soulful melodies, uplifting lyrics, and a consistently positive energy, evident in singles like “Spirit Of Love,” “New Day Ahead,” and “Greater Good.” The band toured the UK in 2021 as special guests for Level 42 and has continued to perform at festivals globally. Last year, Johnny Hates Jazz completed a successful headline tour of the UK, their first in 36 years, and also performed in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Mexico. Currently, in 2025, they are engaged in writing and recording new music, with a new single anticipated soon, and have scheduled several live shows in May, followed by another UK headline tour in October.