Episode 001 — Janice Marie Johnson

She was told black people didn't want to hear Japanese music. She recorded it anyway. And it changed her life. ________________________________________ WHO YOU'RE ABOUT TO MEET Janice Marie Johnson is my sister. We go way back — two artists who came up doing the real work, playing real stages, in front of real people who showed up and gave everything back. Janice is a co-founder of Taste of Honey, the group that gave us Boogie Oogie Oogie — one of the most joyful, undeniable songs in the history of R&B — and a woman who plays bass, writes, sings, dances, and has been doing all of it at the highest level for decades. I wanted the world to know her story because the story behind the songs is just as powerful as the songs themselves. This one is personal. And that's exactly why you need to listen. ________________________________________ THE CONVERSATION This episode starts at a show — live, in the room, Janice still glowing from the stage — and that energy never leaves. We talk about a record company executive who told her she couldn't record a Japanese song, a broken heart that quietly became an entire album, and the night Boogie Oogie Oogie was born at an air base in California with a hand on her hip and a crowd that couldn't stop staring. Janice doesn't just tell you what happened. She sings it to you. And if you're listening, you'll feel every word. ________________________________________ MOMENTS YOU WON'T FORGET "I Forbid You to Record It" The head of Capitol Records told Janice that black people didn't want to hear Japanese music and that she was not allowed to record the song. What she said back — and what she did next — is exactly what courage looks like in this industry. The Secret Behind the Whole Album Sukiyaki was about a broken heart. But it wasn't just one song. Janice reveals that Sukiyaki, Rescue Me, I'm Talking About You, Don't You Leave Me, and Goodbye Baby — the whole Twice as Sweet LP — were all written about the same man. What Sukiyaki Actually Means The original Japanese title is Ue O Muite Aruko — not Sukiyaki. Sukiyaki is a food. Janice asked three people to translate the real title and all three said the same thing: I'm looking up to keep my tears from falling down. What each person said about WHY is where it gets beautiful. The Night Boogie Oogie Oogie Was Born Janice and Hazel were onstage at an air base and the crowd was just staring. She put her hand on her hip and started talking to them. That first verse — spoken, not sung — was recorded that same night on a reel-to-reel recorder. The whole thing came out in a moment, the way the best ones always do. ________________________________________ WHAT JANICE SAID ABOUT MUSIC Skip didn't ask the signature question in this episode — the conversation was too alive, too in-the-moment to stop for it. But Janice answered it anyway, without being asked. "Being sad really helps with the writing. Being happy is great too, but it's easy to write when you're brokenhearted. It comes right to your mouth." That's music, right there. Pain turned into something the whole world can sing. ________________________________________ WORDS WORTH KEEPING "You can not put it on the record if you want, but I'm going to record what I want to." — Janice Marie Johnson "It's easy to write when you're broken hearted. It comes right to your mouth." — Janice Marie Johnson "They're all about the same guy. Thank him — he made you, Janice." — Skip Martin "Great songs usually come up very fast and we record them quickly." — Janice Marie Johnson "I'm looking up to keep my tears from falling down." — The meaning behind Ue O Muite Aruko (Sukiyaki) ________________________________________ CONNECT WITH JANICE Facebook: Taste of Honey / Janice Marie Johnson 1 Website: tastinhoney.net ________________________________________ CONNECT WITH SKIP Website: https://www.skipmartinmusic.com/ ________________________________________ ABOUT FRIENDS AND LEGENDS Grammy Award winner and music industry icon Ski Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.