Long-time readers may recall from when we covered Johnny Foreigner signing to its current label Best Before Records [story here] that the label is the bottom rung on a corporate ladder of which the top rung is UK media and entertainment consortium MAMA Group. Actually, for that metaphor to work we suppose the entire ladder is MAMA. But either way, this is no longer the case, as on Feb. 1 it was disclosed that the UK-based music and video retailer HMV (“his master’s voice,” seriously) had acquired a controlling interest (56.4%) in MAMA. While the two previously had an existing partnership for ticketing and merch sales, terms of the new deal between the two companies are complicated [press release here], but unless we are missing something, the acquisition of the controlling interest means HMV now owns Best Before Records as well. What does this mean for Johnny Foreigner (and Glaswegian labelmates Dananananaykroyd)? Frankly, we don’t know. HMV’s top executive was quoted saying “[t]he acquisition represents a further significant step for HMV as we continue the transformation of our business begun in 2007… Building on the successful platform created by the formation of our joint venture with MAMA just over a year ago, we will be embarking on exciting new growth plans for the Group in live music and ticketing.” “Live music and ticketing” doesn’t seem to include record labels or artist services for Johnny Foreigner. To speculate, in the continuum of possibilities we suppose the acquisition could lead to something like tour sponsorships or heavier promotion at retail (well, at least at HMV stores). Time will tell, but the fact that Johnny Foreigner is self-releasing the vinyl version of its forthcoming single “Every Cloakroom Ever” does little to clarify how the deal affects Best Before and the band. The digital version of “Every Cloakroom Ever” is released tomorrow to digital storefronts. We just visited our go-to North American-serving stores and the single is not yet available there (sometimes those things pop up early; not this time, however). [UPDATE: We've received a couple comments that we haven't approved because they say things that should really be coming from an official source. If an official source wants to comment to us on the record, our email address is in the sidebar. Cheers.]
With the band jetting off to South Africa in less than a week, taking in RAMFEST along their way, details of their first 2010 UK Festival Appearance have been announced. After a quiet summer last year, we’re hoping that the band takes in more of the summer festival season, however their first date comes on Saturday April 3rd at Hinterland Festival in Glasgow, Scotland. Surprisingly headlined by a Friendly Fires DJ set, Johnny Foreigner look like they’ll be playing near the top of the bill on the 2nd stage. The festival’s last.fm page claims it to be “A brand new music and arts event for 10,000 music fans over two days, at a dozen venues, with one all access ticket….” and you can buy tickets here.
For those of you who don’t obsessively sit and wait for Johnny Foreigner to update one of its multitude of web presences, we direct you to the following remark: “imagine, right, if you were in a band, and you did some kind of ZANY preorder scheme for yr next 7″ single. and imagine it was waaaay more successful than you thought. would you feel obliged to upgrade to say, 10″?” This is curious, as a recent missive sent by Johnny Foreigner’s label Best Before Records — which we’ve all been told is only releasing the digital version of the band’s forthcoming single for “Every Cloakroom Ever” due in digital storefronts Monday (!!!!) — stated that the vinyl issue of the single was limited to 300 copies. Is it possible they’ve already sold out of the edition in pre-orders? Either way, the prospect of upgrading the release to a 10″ (Lewes has got to fit all those names on the art, yeh?) is exciting, although we imagine such an increase comes with a commensurate increase in cost to the band to produce the vinyl. Don’t forget to make a profit guys!
The other exciting bit: we’ve followed Johnny Foreigner closely for almost exactly three years, and in all that time we’ve never seen the most basic question answered: what was the inspiration for the band name? Well, Alexei offers the answer to that question and many more in a very information interview recently given to South African web publication Mahala.co.za; here is the link — highly recommended. Alexei offers other insight, such as: 1) the inspiration for Johnny Foreigner’s South African tour was a vacation drummer Junior spent there; 2) Junior has increased his song-writing input for the band; 3) and apparently none of the band members’ parents have seen the band play. Which from an insatiable fan’s perspective seems really sad. Anyway, Johnny Foreigner is wrapping a short U.K. tour Tuesday night in London at KCSLU, and then the band is off to fulfill its commitments to its burgeoning South African fanbase. Our standard request applies: please shoot video! Please post the video to YouTube or Vimeo or somewhere where we can see it! Those South African tour dates again (and updated since our item of 15 January):
02.13 — The Assembly — Cape Town
02.17 — Klein Libertas Theatre — Stellenbosch
02.19 — Hotbox Studios — Pretoria
02.20 — Roxy’s — Johannesburg
02.26 — RAMFEST — Worcester
So, here’s the deal. Pre-order the Johnny Foreigner-made limited edition 7″ of Every Cloakroom Ever, which comes with 2 new tracks on the flipside, and your name will be incorporated into the artwork. Art of course will be put together by the inimitable (amazing) Lewes Herriot.
Deadline for pre-orders is February 11th 2010, after which we’ll go away and make it and send it to you. We promise not to spend the money on haribo. Does that sound cool? It does.
We’ll use the name on your order status – if you want anything specific, include it in the notes/special requests section of your order.
PLEASE NOTE: You will also be sent Hi-Quality digital files of the tracks as well.
Make a piece of Johnny Foreigner history today by pre-ordering from their online merch store!
Through a Twitter message just now, Talons have confirmed that they will be suppporting Johnny Foreigner on their upcoming UK tour which starts in just under 2 weeks. The band have already played with Johnny Foreigner at SWN Festival, Cardiff last year and “are an instrumental band, who call the backwater town of Hereford their home. Forging the explosive energy of hardcore, the subtleties of post-rock and the fractured song structures and complexities associated with math-rock, Talons possess a fascinating sense of urgency and drive, with a sound that both soothes and savages in equal measure.”
Along with their show at London Kings College on February 9th as part of the band’s upcoming UK tour, another London gig has been announced which sees the band reunited with Internet Forever, and joined by a host of other bands for Zonino! 5. Taking place at Brixton Windmill on January 30th tickets are only £7.50 are and available here, so there’s no excuse for you not to head on down!
It’s true. For longtime fans with full ITunes folders labeled “Johnny Foreigner,” the tour sampler This Summer! (is it summer in South Africa right now?) offers little new. But it is sort of notable that Johnny Foreigner is giving away for free three singles that once we all had to pay for (plus the always free “Feels Like Summer” and “Sofa Core,” which we always think was on the first Laundrette single, but in fact was not). But the art, the art, so cool. Basically it appears band cohort Lewes Herriot created a disc cover, front cover and tray insert so fans can print them out and voila! Instant collector’s item, as first seen at Electrotrash.co.za. You can download This Summer!right here, it’s totally legit (we think)! Here’s the track listing:
1. “Salt, Pepa and Spinderella”
2. “Feels Like Summer”
3. “Sofa Core”
4. “Eyes Wide Terrified”
5. “Criminals”
Johnny Foreigner actually has a handful of U.K. dates before it heads south. Here’s the trio’s current itinerary as pilfered from MySpazzzz:
Feb 1 2010 – Cabaret Voltaire — Edinburgh, Scotland
Feb 2 2010 – Ruby Lounge — Manchester, Northwest
Feb 3 2010 – The Harley — Sheffield, Midlands
Feb 5 2010 – Hare and Hounds — Birmingham, Midlands
Feb 6 2010 – Clwb Ifor Bach — Cardiff, Wales
Feb 9 2010 – KCLSU (King’s College) 14+ — London
Feb 12 2010 — JF ARE OFF TO S.A.
Feb 17 2010 — Klein Libertas – Stellenbosch
Feb 19 2010 — Hotbox – Johannesburg
Feb 26 2010 — RAMFEST — worcester
Hello peoplez of the Internerds. Welcome to 2010. We had hoped to post something of a Johnny Foreigner 2009 year in review, but you know, then we did other stuff instead. Your favorite band is about to go to South Africa. Not the sort of thing an English band, any band really, would have done 25 years ago, yeh? But exciting all the same for we denizens of today’s modern world. And we suppose you’ve all heard about the Winterval EP and et cetera. So really, let’s not get into anything too heavy, it’s a Sunday morning in the U.K., so just put your feet up and watch this clip, which scans like a Johnny Foreigner greatest hits reel because, well, that’s what it kinda is. Our best to the band in 2010.
Do you like your acoustic Johnny Foreigner tracks? Well, we sure do, and we were lucky enough to come across Johnny Foreigner’s “White Van Band” session recording for Bethan Elfyn’s BBC Introducing show which was broadcast across Wales this Thursday, although it was recorded prior to the album’s release. The band played very bare versions of The Coast Was Always Clear and I’llchoosemysideandshutup, alright as well as giving former bandmate Dan Boyle’s band Gentle Friendly a play of their song Lovers Rock. You can listen back to the show on the BBC website with Johnny Foreigner from around the 23minute mark
Keeping Some Dark Secrets is curated and edited by Luke Cotton and Jay Breitling, two guys at opposite sides of the Atlantic who thought that all there was to know about Birmingham, England-based indie rock geniuses Johnny Foreigner should be accessible in one place. Now it is.
What you will find here: news, exclusives, release information, lyrics and a community of rabid Johnny Foreigner fans. What you won’t find here: any commercially available tracks.
Please support our favourite band by buying its records and merchandise at an indie retailer or at a show. Or just spread the Johnny Foreigner message by enlightening someone you know about the band. Oddly, all of this songwriting and touring no longer seems to pay for itself, so do your part.
Have you got a tip for us? Want to file a gig report? Send it to keepingsomedarksecrets (at) googlemail (dot) com
So, here’s the deal. Pre-order the Johnny Foreigner-made limited edition 7″ of Every Cloakroom Ever, which comes with 2 new tracks on the flipside, and your name will be incorporated into the artwork. Art of course will be put together by the inimitable (amazing) Lewes Herriot.
