Johnny Wakelin
Johnny Wakelin (born 1939 in Brighton, Sussex, England) is an English recording artist with the Pye Records label.
Career
He had his first outings in clubs in his hometown but without big success. Discovered by Pye record producer Robin Blanchflower, the man who launched Carl Douglas to the top of the charts with "Kung Fu Fighting", and working with Steve Elson and Keith Rossiter in addition to Branchflower, Wakelin set about writing songs that would, he hoped, "catch people's eye"
Then he got the idea of writing a homage to the boxing champion Muhammad Ali who fought on 30 October 1974 in Kinshasa against George Foreman in a matchup known as The Rumble in the Jungle, gaining victory in the eighth round. In January 1975 Wakelin's "Black Superman (Muhammad Ali)" reached number seven in the UK Singles Chart. It reached number one in Australia and spent six months in the US Billboard Hot 100 in more than one chart run in 1975, eventually peaking at No. 21 in September of that year. Ali, however, did not approve of the song and shunned it completely. It is thought that the American success of Wakelin's song inspired DC Comics to publish the 1978 comic Superman vs. Muhammad Ali. 1975 brought a further single, "Cream Puff," backed by "Gotta Keep on Going"; it flopped, but both songs would be incorporated into Wakelin's March 1976 album, Reggae, Soul & Rock 'n' Roll.
Podcasts:
Johnny Wakelin
ALBUMS
- Reggae, Soul and Rock 'n' Roll released:
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by Kingston Trio
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by Golden Earring
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by Ludacris
Genny Glenn
by: Kingston TrioWell, I'm not gonna brag but I been courtin' all my life
They consider me a roguish lad, especially for my size
And with you, and with you, and with you, Genny Glenn
I'll take you down to Glasgow Town and dance you home again
I'll take you down to Glasgow Town and dance you home again
Now, Genny would come a-callin' while there was still some light
I'd sit her down with a pull or two, she'd stay most all the night
I'd put my arm around her and then I'd bar the door
There'd be laughin' and some squealin' like you never heard before
And with you, and with you, and with you, Genny Glenn
I'll take you down to Glasgow Town and dance you home again
I'll take you down to Glasgow Town and dance you home again
Well, a lot of girls would-a liked me and they're pretty, heaven knows
But there's something about my Genny that keeps me on my toes
She'd tickle me and squeeze me till I could hardly moan
Then she'd light out a-runnin' and I'd chase her half way home
And with you, and with you, and with you, Genny Glenn
I'll take you down to Glasgow Town and dance you home again
I'll take you down to Glasgow Town and dance you home again
Well, she wouldn't come to see me for about a week or more
She'd do it just to tease me 'cause she knew it made me sore
Then I'd do whiskey drinkin' till the jug was getting dry
I'd go lookin' for my Genny with a mean look in my eye
And with you, and with you, and with you, Genny Glenn
I'll take you down to Glasgow Town and dance you home again