Johnny Mann
Encyclopedia
Johnny Mann is an American
arranger
, composer
, conductor
, entertainer, and recording artist
.
with the Johnny Mann Singers, the group recorded
approximately three dozen album
s, hosted the TV series
entitled Stand Up and Cheer, and was the musical director for The Joey Bishop Show. He was also musical director of The Alvin Show
, and was the voice of Theodore. Mann was also choral director for the NBC Comedy Hour.
The Johnny Mann Singers' cover version
of "Up, Up and Away
", rather than the original by The 5th Dimension, became the hit
version of the song in the UK Singles Chart
. The version also won a Grammy Award
in 1968 in the Best Performance by a Choir of Seven or More Persons category. In total, Mann has been nominated for five Grammys, two of which he won.
Mann wrote a number of radio
jingle
s, the most famous being Los Angeles station "93 KHJ" as well as the "Sounds of the City" jingle for KSFO in San Francisco, California
. This jingle became as requested as many of the songs played by KSFO in the era of Don Sherwood
, and it was adapted by Mann for other radio stations around the country which included KFRC
(AM) in San Francisco and CKLW
in Windsor, Ontario
.
The Johnny Mann Singers still record jingles for radio stations today, done in the Bill Drake
style of the 1960s and 1970s Top 40 era. Mann is credited as "Johnnie Mann" in some of his earlier works. The group's most notable alumna is Vicki Lawrence
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
arranger
Arrangement
The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
, entertainer, and recording artist
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....
.
Career
As bandleaderBandleader
A bandleader is the leader of a band of musicians. The term is most commonly, though not exclusively, used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhythm and blues or rock and roll music....
with the Johnny Mann Singers, the group recorded
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
approximately three dozen album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s, hosted the TV series
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
entitled Stand Up and Cheer, and was the musical director for The Joey Bishop Show. He was also musical director of The Alvin Show
The Alvin Show
The Alvin Show is an American animated television series. It was the first to feature the singing characters Alvin and the Chipmunks, although a series with a similar concept The Nutty Squirrels Present had aired a year earlier...
, and was the voice of Theodore. Mann was also choral director for the NBC Comedy Hour.
The Johnny Mann Singers' cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of "Up, Up and Away
Up, Up and Away (song)
"Up, Up and Away" is a 1967 song written by Jimmy Webb and recorded by The 5th Dimension, that became a major pop hit, reaching #7 on the U.S. Pop Singles chart and #18 in Canada...
", rather than the original by The 5th Dimension, became the hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
version of the song in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. The version also won a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
in 1968 in the Best Performance by a Choir of Seven or More Persons category. In total, Mann has been nominated for five Grammys, two of which he won.
Mann wrote a number of radio
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
jingle
Jingle
A jingle is a short tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. The jingle contains one or more hooks and lyrics that explicitly promote the product being advertised, usually through the use of one or more advertising slogans. Ad buyers use jingles in radio and television...
s, the most famous being Los Angeles station "93 KHJ" as well as the "Sounds of the City" jingle for KSFO in San Francisco, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. This jingle became as requested as many of the songs played by KSFO in the era of Don Sherwood
Don Sherwood (disc jockey)
Don Sherwood was an American radio personality. He was a San Francisco, California disc jockey during the 1950s and 1960s. Billed as "The World's Greatest Disc Jockey," Sherwood spent most of his career hosting a 6 to 9 a.m...
, and it was adapted by Mann for other radio stations around the country which included KFRC
KFRC (defunct)
KFRC was a radio station in San Francisco, California in the United States, which made its first broadcast on Wednesday, September 24, 1924, from studios in the Hotel Whitcomb 1231 Market Street. KFRC originally broadcast with 50 watts on the 270 meter wavelength , then moved to 660 kHz. in...
(AM) in San Francisco and CKLW
CKLW
CKLW is a 50,000 watt AM radio station broadcasting on 800 kHz and located in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, and serving Windsor and Detroit. Additionally, its signal can be heard as far west as Belding, Michigan; as far east as Batavia, New York; as far south as Edgewood, Kentucky; and as far...
in Windsor, Ontario
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
.
The Johnny Mann Singers still record jingles for radio stations today, done in the Bill Drake
Bill Drake
Bill Drake , born Philip Yarbrough, was an American radio programmer who co-developed the Boss Radio format with Gene Chenault via their company Drake-Chenault.-Early career:...
style of the 1960s and 1970s Top 40 era. Mann is credited as "Johnnie Mann" in some of his earlier works. The group's most notable alumna is Vicki Lawrence
Vicki Lawrence
Vicki Lawrence is an American actress, comedienne, and Billboard Hot 100 #1 singer, who was frequently a game show panelist in the 1970s and 1980s...
.