Authority control databases
| International | |
|---|---|
| Artists | |
The Three Johns | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Leeds, England |
| Genres | Post-punk, indie rock |
| Years active | 1981–1990, 2012–2017 |
| Labels | CNT, Abstract, T.I.M., Caroline Records, ROIR, Low Noise, Tupelo Recording Company |
| Past members | Jon Langford John Hyatt Phillip "John" Brennan |
The Three Johns were an English post-punk/indie rock band formed in 1981 in Leeds, England, originally consisting of guitarist Jon Langford (co-founder of the Mekons), vocalist John Hyatt and bassist Phillip "John" Brennan, augmented by a drum machine.[1]
The band initially formed just before the 1981 wedding of Prince Charles and Diana Spencer, and their first gig was to be part of a "Funk the Wedding" event, but they were refused permission to play because they were drunk.[1] They signed to CNT Records in 1982, which Langford jointly founded, releasing two singles and an EP for the label. A reworking of the Mekons' "English White Boy Engineer", which attacked hypocritical attitudes towards South Africa and apartheid, led to the band being labelled as left-wing rockers.[1] The band explained: "We're not a socialist band. We're a group of socialists who are in a band. It's a fine distinction but an important one".[1] Their left-wing leanings were further evidenced by the sleeve of their 1984 Atom Drum Bop album, which carried the words "Rock 'n' Roll Versus Thaatchiism", a reference to then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and her marketing by Saatchi & Saatchi.[1] On 7 July 1985, The Three Johns played at the GLC's Jobs for a Change festival in London's Battersea Park.[2]
The band regularly appeared in the UK Indie Chart during the mid-1980s, with singles such as "A.W.O.L.", "Death of the European" (an NME "Single of the Week"), and "Brainbox (He's a Brainbox)".[1] During the band's career, the members maintained their day jobs: Langford as a graphic designer and Hyatt a teacher of fine art at Leeds Polytechnic.[1]
The band recorded six sessions for John Peel's BBC Radio 1 show, and reached No. 14 in the 1985 Festive Fifty with "Death of the European".[3]
The band split up in late 1988 after a disastrous US tour, but reformed in 1990, releasing Eat Your Sons, a concept album about cannibalism, before splitting again.[1][4] Langford continued with the Mekons, later releasing a solo album, while Hyatt concentrated on his academic career.[4] They reformed again in 2012, playing five shows,[5] and continued to perform intermittently through 2017 in the UK, mostly in the Manchester and Leeds-Bradford areas.[6]
Vocalist John Hyatt died after a long battle with neck and head cancer on 4 December 2023.[7]
Chart placings shown are from the UK Indie Chart.[8]
