John Zonn

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Thompson meets Zappa, Dylan, Bailey, Barrett, Otway, Gainsbourg, Harper, Stanshall, Bragg, Reed & a bunch of others down the local coffee-house, where they meld into a hybrid musical-performance-poet-artiste: John Zonn!


Putting pen to paper, the man writes songs of 'social and political import' (ref: Janis Joplin), as well as ballads of everyday existence and 'up-in-the-air' love ditties. He also plays live and is a generally good bloke.

Contents

[edit] About

It was 2001 when Zonn produced his first solo recording in over ten years. A track from this LP - Photocopy of My Mind - was played on Swindon Hospital Radio, UK.

2002 saw the re-release - with new cover design - of Hard Fruit, the seminal second album, well-known for it's hippily contradictory approach to the 80's.

Early in 2004, John independently released a 'one-song' CD entitled - Don't Speak Too Soon - which was on the playlist at: KIDN, KFMU & NPR radio stations, Colorado, USA. Then, during his live tour of South-East England, he went in the studio again to create the aptly named - Portfolio Career - which was a collection of new and old songs.

Tracks from the album have featured regularly on RADIO GETS WILD online radio station and in 2005 he was given a Silver Award. The song - Hands of the Brewery - also made it the CDR: Best Of 2004, which was a charity release produced by Russell Barker, of Russell's Reviews in aid of Tsunami Disaster Relief.

Other recent successes have included the track - Mucky Pup - reaching number One in the ROCK CIRCLE website charts and the resurgence of live shows at Scaledown in London and various other places.

In July 2007 he released a new EP, which - within days of release - had already been played three times at the "poshest restaurant in Monsanto", Portugal. Since then it has also touched the turntable at RÁDIO CLUBE DE MONSANTO and the hi-fi system at The Juggler café, Hoxton, London.

December 2007 brought more good news in the form of the classic tineolacide tune - Night of the Moths - achieving Song of the Day status at BEAT THE MIX online music platform.

And to cap it all, John was recently interviewed and recorded playing live for The Friday Show at Ravensbourne College of Design & Communication at Chislehurst, in Kent...

In 2008 Zonn had more surprises for music lovers - like his participation in judging entries for the 1st Annual NATIVE-E MUSIC AWARDS (for upcoming Native American and Canadian Aboriginal artists) that took place in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. Also, he released another CD (entitled Back in Blighty) and started a new website --Johnzonn 06:40, 4 April 2008 (PDT)--Johnzonn 14:17, 11 August 2008 (PDT)

Now, in August 2009, a new album has appeared: Separation Anxiety is made up from six songs and is perhaps John's most adventurous recording to date. All of the tracks deal with issues of moving on...disappearance...transcience...return, all dig into the world of emotions that one can find when faced with these moments in life. For good or for bad, here it all is set into CD plastic.


EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with JOHN ZONN!


[edit] Awards & Certifications

Year Award Category
2005 Silver Artist Award Radio Gets Wild (Internet Radio Station)
2007 Song of the Day Beat The Mix (Online Music Platform)

[edit] News

  • August 2009 - New CD album (Separation Anxiety) is out.
  • December 2008 - New website is up and running - link at bottom of the page.
  • August 2008 - John has been on the judging panel for the 1st Annual Native-E Music Awards - for contemporary Native American and Canadian Aboriginal music.--Johnzonn 06:47, 4 April 2008 (PDT)--Johnzonn 14:20, 11 August 2008 (PDT)--Johnzonn 06:56, 15 September 2008 (PDT)

[edit] Tours & Concerts

  • 26th March 2009 - John supported that great duo: Diego Brown & The Good Fairy, at Ryan's Bar, Stoke Newington, London.
  • 20th September 2008 - The Dyke Tavern, Brighton, UK. With Andrea Kenny, Rich Pickings and Big Jim. The 1st ever UK performance of Don't Forget About Me, written by Michael Bucher - easing the way for contemporary Native American music to cross borders and continents.--Johnzonn 06:56, 15 September 2008 (PDT)
  • John plays sometimes at Viva Viva, Hornsey, London, UK.Johnzonn 05:12, 2 February 2008 (PST)
  • John had a song playing all day, every day, from 25th February until 11th March 2007, at the Virtual Open Mic (see External link at bottom of page). -- 11.23, 26 February 2007 (PST)

Image:Johnzonnportmahon3medium.jpg

[edit] Announcements

  • August 2009 - New CD album is out!
  • December 2008 - New website is up and running!
  • August 2008 - New CD Back in Blighty released.--Johnzonn 14:20, 11 August 2008 (PDT)
  • January 2008 - John was interviewed for The Friday Show at Ravensbourne College of Design & Communication, where he was also video-ed playing the song Los Galgos.--Johnzonn 05:11, 2 February 2008 (PST)
  • December 2007 - Night of the Moths was chosen as Song of the Day at Beat The Mix online music platform.--Johnzonn 05:11, 2 February 2008 (PST)
  • July 2007 - New Los Galgos EP CD out now!!--Johnzonn 05:11, 2 February 2008 (PST)

[edit] Discography

Comprehensive list of the recordings made.

[edit] Albums

Year Title Labels
1988 Precarious Flamingo JR Discs
1988 Hard Fruit JR Discs
2001 Photocopy of My Mind JR Discs
2002 Hard Fruit (Re-release) JR Discs
2004 Portfolio Career JR Discs
2009 Separation Anxiety JR Discs

[edit] EPs

Back in Blighty
Released: 2008
Label: JR Discs
EP
Released: 2007
Label: JR Discs

[edit] Singles

Don't Speak Too Soon
Released: 2004
Label: JR Discs

[edit] Compilations & Live Releases

[edit] Listening Room

[edit] Other artists

[edit] Influences

John has said that he is influenced by anything and everything that affects him, whether directly or indirectly. This is nature at work, of course, but musical influences (not necessarily in order of importance) include:

[edit] Similar artists

[edit] Contemporaries

[edit] Trivia

  • John originally billed himself as Alias John Riley - a name that he adopted from a song on the Fifth Dimension album by The Byrds, which was titled simply John Riley. He later took the name Zonn, when an MC at a gig said "...and John's on next..."
  • John performed his first live solo gig in 1997.

[edit] Reviews

  • The songs of John Zonn: Caffeine Days, Headhunter's Song, Photocopy of my Mind and Don't Speak Too Soon seem to me the beginning of a rebirth of Beatles. The main and background vocals in Don't Speak Too Soon create a perfect blend that you would either sing with it, dance with it or do both at the same time. Caffeine Days is soft and mellow and invokes an introspective mood. Remember Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds in the song Photocopy of my Mind. John Zonn intended it that way I guess, and created a twist in the lyrics to focus on delivering what's inside his mind. John Zonn is a breath of fresh air in music. He abandons the convenience of distortion effects to direct your ears to the vocals and lyrics instead. ---Jodelen Ortiz, www.WikiMusicGuide.com Admin Member

[edit] External Links

Retrieved from "http://www.wikimusicguide.com/John_Zonn"
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