BACK TO BACHARACH
plus INTERVIEW with Janine Johnson
Palace Theatre, Westcliff-on-Sea
Saturday 18th February 2017
plus INTERVIEW with Janine Johnson
Palace Theatre, Westcliff-on-Sea
Saturday 18th February 2017
BACK TO BACHARACH celebrates the magical music of Burt Bacharach, one of the most accomplished popular composers of the 20th Century, who together with Hal David penned some of the most memorable and iconic hits that stand the test of time.
Songs featured in the show include Alfie, Anyone Who Had A Heart, Arthur's Theme, Always Something There To Remind Me, Close To You, I Say A Little Prayer For You, Magic Moments, Walk On By, What’s New Pussycat?, 24 Hours from Tulsa, Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head and many more.
We chat to Back to Bacharach's Janine Johnson (below), one of the show's newest principal performers.
Songs featured in the show include Alfie, Anyone Who Had A Heart, Arthur's Theme, Always Something There To Remind Me, Close To You, I Say A Little Prayer For You, Magic Moments, Walk On By, What’s New Pussycat?, 24 Hours from Tulsa, Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head and many more.
We chat to Back to Bacharach's Janine Johnson (below), one of the show's newest principal performers.
Janine Johnson has been performing with the Back to Bacharach show since last June when director, David Foster, got in touch after they worked together on the Blues Brothers musical some years ago.
Janine, who comes from Bromley tells me that she started singing in church as a child. After taking a degree in Economics she decided to follow her dream of being a performer and went back to drama school to study musical theatre, eventually becoming a professional musician. She is also an independent artiste, working as a session singer and also performs with her own bands. What gives her an edge and certainly helps her stand out from the crowd, aside from a fabulous singing voice, is that she has quite a distinctive look!
She explains, “I was living in Spain for 12 years and I had dreadlocks. When I came back my hair was falling out and I was like, ‘What am I gonna do?’ You can’t really do much with dreadlocks - once they’re in, they’re in, so you have to shave it all off which I did and I’ve loved it ever since. I don’t know what I’d do with hair now!” she exclaims.
I suggest that, in a way, it must be quite liberating and Janine agrees, “It is! It really is! If anyone’s contemplating it I would definitely go for it.” She adds, with a chuckle, “I get to wear lots of different, interesting hats so, you know, it works out!”
One singer that Janine worked as a session singer for was George Michael and I ask her if it was a shock to find out about his untimely death on Christmas day last year.
“Oh bless him,” she sighs, “it was such a shock.”
As a special tribute to the singer, she’ll pay homage to Michael in her next show with her band on 26th January at the Hideaway Jazz Cafe Club in London. “I feel it’s necessary because, you know, he represents my childhood. He was such a great artiste and person. He had a great voice - it’s such a shame.”
I wonder how she manages her independent career around the Back to Bacharach show and she admits that it can be a bit of a juggle at times.
“I like the diversity of it,” she explains, “I can go from singing Burt Bacharach to Chaka Khan, which is just great!”
Why does she think that Bacharach’s music is still so popular with today’s audiences?
“Oh wow there’s so many things. The melodies - I think they’re timeless really. Some of these songs were written so many years ago and yet their melodies are strong and I’m wondering how many of the songs we’ve got today - you know in the pop charts - whatever, how many of those are going to be played in 50 years time. He’s always teaming up with really good writers as well, isn’t he? He’s got the wonderful lyrics of Hal David that make it perfect - what can I say?”
Janine, who comes from Bromley tells me that she started singing in church as a child. After taking a degree in Economics she decided to follow her dream of being a performer and went back to drama school to study musical theatre, eventually becoming a professional musician. She is also an independent artiste, working as a session singer and also performs with her own bands. What gives her an edge and certainly helps her stand out from the crowd, aside from a fabulous singing voice, is that she has quite a distinctive look!
She explains, “I was living in Spain for 12 years and I had dreadlocks. When I came back my hair was falling out and I was like, ‘What am I gonna do?’ You can’t really do much with dreadlocks - once they’re in, they’re in, so you have to shave it all off which I did and I’ve loved it ever since. I don’t know what I’d do with hair now!” she exclaims.
I suggest that, in a way, it must be quite liberating and Janine agrees, “It is! It really is! If anyone’s contemplating it I would definitely go for it.” She adds, with a chuckle, “I get to wear lots of different, interesting hats so, you know, it works out!”
One singer that Janine worked as a session singer for was George Michael and I ask her if it was a shock to find out about his untimely death on Christmas day last year.
“Oh bless him,” she sighs, “it was such a shock.”
As a special tribute to the singer, she’ll pay homage to Michael in her next show with her band on 26th January at the Hideaway Jazz Cafe Club in London. “I feel it’s necessary because, you know, he represents my childhood. He was such a great artiste and person. He had a great voice - it’s such a shame.”
I wonder how she manages her independent career around the Back to Bacharach show and she admits that it can be a bit of a juggle at times.
“I like the diversity of it,” she explains, “I can go from singing Burt Bacharach to Chaka Khan, which is just great!”
Why does she think that Bacharach’s music is still so popular with today’s audiences?
“Oh wow there’s so many things. The melodies - I think they’re timeless really. Some of these songs were written so many years ago and yet their melodies are strong and I’m wondering how many of the songs we’ve got today - you know in the pop charts - whatever, how many of those are going to be played in 50 years time. He’s always teaming up with really good writers as well, isn’t he? He’s got the wonderful lyrics of Hal David that make it perfect - what can I say?”
Janine with Martin Neely, Arabella Rodrigo & Choe Dupre
The Back to Bacharach show returns to Southend after a successful run last year and Janine informs me that the line-up will contain some other new faces as well as her own. Along with an eight piece band, the show takes you on a musical journey.
“There’s a little bit of story telling in between the songs and along with my fellow cast members, Martin Neely, Chloe Dupre and Arabella Rodrigo, we all help to weave those stories to remind you of things that might have happened during that time and link those memories to the story; along with funny anecdotes, that people may not know, about how the songs came about. It’s really interesting.” She adds, with a giggle, “I’ve learned so much from doing the show myself!”
Favourite songs that Janine loves to sing include, Say a Little Prayer, The Look of Love, Do You Know the Way to San Jose and one that she confesses she hadn’t heard before, One Less Bell.
“I really love it. It really is a beautiful song. I didn’t know it before but it’s amazing and has become one of my favourites.” “That’s the great thing about the show; not only does it have the songs that you know but it also has the ones that you don’t expect. It’s a learning experience for everyone and I think you come away with new favourites, definitely.”
“Bacharach wrote for so many people; and that’s a talent to write songs that fit so many people with so many different styles. We each have our own kind of style but you know they work so well together because Bacharach is so diverse. We can all find our place within that music. It’s really good.”
Back to Bacharach are also proud to announce that they have partnered with Breast Cancer Now, the UK’s leading breast cancer charity by donating £1 from each theatre ticket sold and are committing to raise a minimum of £10,000. This is something that Janine is also keen to support having had friends that have overcome their own battle with the disease.
“I know friends that have overcome it and that’s due to all that research and people supporting.”
So what does the future hold for Janine?
“More Back to Bacharach, I hope, but as well as that I’m working on my album called Passion, there’s an EP out at the moment with the same name.”
Having already heard some of Janine’s music before our conversation, I tell her how much I enjoyed it and that I think it would be ideal to listen to on holiday lying down on the beach.
“Oh I want to go and lie down on a beach too!” she squeals, -“….but I’ll come to Southend first!”
Well that’s a relief - Southend audiences certainly won’t want to miss out seeing the musical talents of Janine and the Back to Bacharach concert.
For an opportunity to win tickets to see Janine and Back to Bacharach go to our Facebook or Twitter
For tickets go online to www.southendtheatres.org.uk or call the box office on 01702 351135
“There’s a little bit of story telling in between the songs and along with my fellow cast members, Martin Neely, Chloe Dupre and Arabella Rodrigo, we all help to weave those stories to remind you of things that might have happened during that time and link those memories to the story; along with funny anecdotes, that people may not know, about how the songs came about. It’s really interesting.” She adds, with a giggle, “I’ve learned so much from doing the show myself!”
Favourite songs that Janine loves to sing include, Say a Little Prayer, The Look of Love, Do You Know the Way to San Jose and one that she confesses she hadn’t heard before, One Less Bell.
“I really love it. It really is a beautiful song. I didn’t know it before but it’s amazing and has become one of my favourites.” “That’s the great thing about the show; not only does it have the songs that you know but it also has the ones that you don’t expect. It’s a learning experience for everyone and I think you come away with new favourites, definitely.”
“Bacharach wrote for so many people; and that’s a talent to write songs that fit so many people with so many different styles. We each have our own kind of style but you know they work so well together because Bacharach is so diverse. We can all find our place within that music. It’s really good.”
Back to Bacharach are also proud to announce that they have partnered with Breast Cancer Now, the UK’s leading breast cancer charity by donating £1 from each theatre ticket sold and are committing to raise a minimum of £10,000. This is something that Janine is also keen to support having had friends that have overcome their own battle with the disease.
“I know friends that have overcome it and that’s due to all that research and people supporting.”
So what does the future hold for Janine?
“More Back to Bacharach, I hope, but as well as that I’m working on my album called Passion, there’s an EP out at the moment with the same name.”
Having already heard some of Janine’s music before our conversation, I tell her how much I enjoyed it and that I think it would be ideal to listen to on holiday lying down on the beach.
“Oh I want to go and lie down on a beach too!” she squeals, -“….but I’ll come to Southend first!”
Well that’s a relief - Southend audiences certainly won’t want to miss out seeing the musical talents of Janine and the Back to Bacharach concert.
For an opportunity to win tickets to see Janine and Back to Bacharach go to our Facebook or Twitter
For tickets go online to www.southendtheatres.org.uk or call the box office on 01702 351135