John Kennedy's Love Gone Wrong
Encyclopedia
John Kennedy is an Australia
n musician
, a singer-songwriter with a penchant for strong melodies and "heart on your sleeve" pop songs often with country and western influences.
in 1980. They quickly established themselves on the small Brisbane scene with their smart Squeeze influenced pop. After releasing two cassette albums and playing support spots with the Pretenders
and Ian Dury and the Blockheads, the band moved to Sydney in 1982.
After recruiting a new rhythm section, Kennedy and Paterson started performing live in Sydney in late '82 playing a residency at the Southern Cross Hotel in Surry Hills. A four song EP, Careless Talk Costs Lives, recorded in Brisbane in early '82 became the band's first release in Sydney. The EP was the first release on the new Waterfront Records label and featured the song, "The Texan Thing", which received a lot of attention and alternative radio play. JFK established themselves on the Sydney inner city live scene along with contemporaries like the Triffids. However musical differences were already appearing and personality clashes followed. JFK broke up in 1984 after releasing the album The End Of The Affair and its related single, The Ballad of Jackie O.
. In 1990 Red Eye released a compilation of Kennedy's work and he toured Australia to promote it before returning to Germany where he formed John Kennedy and the Honeymooners. The album recorded before he left Australia finally came out on Berlin label Twang! in 1993.
In early 1994 he moved to Hong Kong
, then in early 1997 he moved to London
. He moved back to Australia in late 1999.
Kennedy released a retrospective album Inner West: Greatest Bits and Pieces, rescued from aging master tapes. In 2003 released Kennedy Town, an album for which he returned to Berlin to record.
John's 7" singles were often distinguished by the unusual covers. The single for "Miracle (in Marrickville)" featured an actual printed photograph of John standing in front of an auto electrician garage, and for "Big County" a plastic map of Australia was affixed to every cover.
in the then West Germany
Kennedy formed John Kennedy and the Honeymooners. They released one full length album in 1993. The Honeymooners were the backing band on his 2003 solo album Kennedy Town.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, a singer-songwriter with a penchant for strong melodies and "heart on your sleeve" pop songs often with country and western influences.
Early life
Kennedy was born John Kennedy in Liverpool, England on 1 July 1958. His family migrated to Australia in when Kennedy was seven and settled in Brisbane. He took the confirmation name of Francis when he was 10 to complete the famous JFK moniker.JFK & The Cuban Crisis
Kennedy formed his first band, JFK & The Cuban Crisis, with former school friend James Paterson in BrisbaneBrisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
in 1980. They quickly established themselves on the small Brisbane scene with their smart Squeeze influenced pop. After releasing two cassette albums and playing support spots with the Pretenders
The Pretenders
The Pretenders are an English rock band formed in Hereford, England in March 1978. The original band consisted of initiator and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde , James Honeyman-Scott , Pete Farndon , and Martin Chambers...
and Ian Dury and the Blockheads, the band moved to Sydney in 1982.
After recruiting a new rhythm section, Kennedy and Paterson started performing live in Sydney in late '82 playing a residency at the Southern Cross Hotel in Surry Hills. A four song EP, Careless Talk Costs Lives, recorded in Brisbane in early '82 became the band's first release in Sydney. The EP was the first release on the new Waterfront Records label and featured the song, "The Texan Thing", which received a lot of attention and alternative radio play. JFK established themselves on the Sydney inner city live scene along with contemporaries like the Triffids. However musical differences were already appearing and personality clashes followed. JFK broke up in 1984 after releasing the album The End Of The Affair and its related single, The Ballad of Jackie O.
Members
- John Kennedy - vocals, guitar
- James Paterson - guitar, vocals
- Paul Hardman - keyboards
- John Downie - bass
- Stephen Pritchard - drums
- Greg Hall - bass
- Paul Rochelli - drums
- Oscar Beath - bass
Discography
- "Am I A Pagan" 7" (1982) - Two Possibilities
- Careless Talk Costs Lives 7"ep (1982) - Waterfront
- "The Ballad of Jackie O" 7"(1984) - Waterfront
- The End of the Affair LP (1984) - Waterfront
Solo
Kennedy embarked on a solo career with the recording of a single in 1984. To help promote the release he formed John Kennedy's Love Gone Wrong. He continued to release records with everchanging lineups of that band. In 1988, he performed at the Berlin Independence Day Music Festival. He released a solo album, One Day, in 1989 and did a farewell tour of Australia. After the tour he moved to US and UK before settling in BerlinBerlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. In 1990 Red Eye released a compilation of Kennedy's work and he toured Australia to promote it before returning to Germany where he formed John Kennedy and the Honeymooners. The album recorded before he left Australia finally came out on Berlin label Twang! in 1993.
In early 1994 he moved to Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, then in early 1997 he moved to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He moved back to Australia in late 1999.
Kennedy released a retrospective album Inner West: Greatest Bits and Pieces, rescued from aging master tapes. In 2003 released Kennedy Town, an album for which he returned to Berlin to record.
John's 7" singles were often distinguished by the unusual covers. The single for "Miracle (in Marrickville)" featured an actual printed photograph of John standing in front of an auto electrician garage, and for "Big County" a plastic map of Australia was affixed to every cover.
Discography
- "Forget"/"The End of the Affair" (1984) - Waterfront
- "Miracle (in Marrackville)"/"Two People" (1985) - Waterfront
- "To Love Somebody"/"Tourists in Heaven" (1988) - Mighty Boy (with Billy Baxter from the HollowmenThe HollowmenThe Hollowmen is an Australian television comedy series set in the offices of the Central Policy Unit, a fictional political advisory unit personally set up by the Prime Minister to help him get re-elected. Their brief is long term vision; to stop worrying about tomorrow's headlines, and focus on...
) - "Out of Town"/"Miracle" (1989) - Mighty Boy
- Have Songs Will Travel (1990) - Red Eye
- Fiction Facing Facts (1993) - Twang!
- Inner West: Greatest Bits and Pieces (2001) - Laughing Outlaw
- Kennedy Town (2003) - Laughing Outlaw
- Is This Not Paris? (2009) - Foghorn Records
John Kennedy's Love Gone Wrong
Kennedy formed John Kennedy's Love Gone Wrong (later just called Love Gone Wrong) in 1984 to promote his solo releases. They appeared on the Channel Ten TV series Starsearch, making the final in 1985. The band continued on and first released a single under that name in 1985. The band took a break in 86 while Kennedy travelled overseas but started up again later that year with a changed lineup. Kennedy broke the band up after Armiger left to join The Johnnys in 1988.Members
- John Kennedy - vocals
- Graham Lee - guitar
- Peter Kennard - bass, keyboards
- Peter Timmerman - drums
- Colin Bloxsom - guitar
- Barry Turnbull - bass
- Mark Dawson - drums
- Margaret Labi - harmony vocals
- Cory Messenger - guitar, harmony vocals
- Wayne Connolly - guitar
- Vincent Sheehan - drums
- Michael Armiger - bass
Discography
- "King Street"/"To Forget" (1985) - Red Eye
- "A Time For Giving" (1985)
- "Big Country"/"You Brought It All Back To Me" (1986) - Red Eye
- From Woe To Go (1986) - Red Eye
- "Run Rudolph Run"/"Rudolph's Talking Christmas Blues" (1986)
- "Singing City"/"Love Gone Wrong" (1987) - Mighty Boy
- Always the Bridegroom (1987) - Mighty Boy
- "World Upside Down"/"Better Days" (1988) - Mighty Boy
John Kennedy's Sweet Dreams
Kennedy had a casual band with Barry Turnbull and Cory Messenger called John Kennedy's Sweet Dreams. They played country inspired John Kennedy's Love Gone Wrong originals and covers of popular country songs.John Kennedy and the Honeymooners
While in BerlinBerlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
in the then West Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Kennedy formed John Kennedy and the Honeymooners. They released one full length album in 1993. The Honeymooners were the backing band on his 2003 solo album Kennedy Town.
Discography
- The Honeymooners ep (1993)
- Fiction Facing Facts (1993) - Polygram
- "By the Light of the Day" (1994)
John Kennedy and the Lone Gunmen
Back in Australia Kennedy formed John Kennedy and the Lone Gunmen.Members
- John Kennedy - vocals, guitar
- Steve Broughton - bass
- Jason Walker - guitar
- Osama Mustafa - drums
John Kennedy's '68 Comeback Special
After John Kennedy and the Lone Gunmen Kennedy formed John Kennedy's '68 Comeback Special, a band which included former members of Love Gone Wrong.Members
- John Kennedy - vocals, guitar
- Peter Timmerman - drums
- Jeff Pope - guitar, dobro, pedal steel
- Glen Pye - harmony vocals, harmonica
- Smithy - bass
- Steve Broughton - bass
- Colin Bloxsom - guitar
Discography
- Someone's Dad (2007) - Regal Records
- Is This Not Paris? (2009) - Foghorn Records
- Sons of Sun-Vol.1 (2011) - Foghorn Records