Waves of Success: The Story of Jack Johnson's 'Better Together'

This week on Encore, we're going to talk about a bonafide sleeper hit of an album, with bonafide sleeper hit singles; a charmingly upbeat and wholesome record by a guy who surfed his way into our hearts some 20 years ago; with songs that equally resonate as much with a trip to the grocery store as a trip to the beach. But like - in a good way. I am of course talking about Jack Johnson’s 2005 effort In Between Dreams - and its heartwarming first track - Better Together. Son of surfer Jeff Johnson, Jack’s first love was of course: surfing. He was an avid surfer by the age of 5 - and by 17, he was the youngest invitee to make the finals of the lauded Pipeline Masters event in Hawaii. Things went sideways for young Jack though, as he was involved in a serious surfing accident at the very same event; with Johnson needing over 100 stitches in his forehead and the removal of some teeth. Soon after the accident, Jack would trade the surfboard for the director’s chair, and enrolled himself in film school, as well as joining a local band called Soil and playing the University of California, Santa Barbara campus’ party scene. Ever the polymath; Jack Johnson also successfully put his film studies degree he earned at USCB to good use by combining his love of Surfing, Film, and music to direct the surfer-documentary Thicker Than Water with his pals Chris and Emmett Malloy in the year 2000. It was around this time Johnson met stoner-soul-rock-funk musician G. Love of the band G. Love and Special Sauce. The fun-loving G. Love met Johnson through his surf-documentary circles, and invited Jack to collaborate on a song called Rodeo Clowns. With his foot now in the door in a variety of artistic circles - Johnson then caught the attention of travelling bluesman Ben Harper and his producer JP Plunier. Plunier was a fan of Johnson’s Demo Tape, and offered to produce his debut album, eventually titled Brushfire Fairytales and released in February 2001. Jack Johnson would open for Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals throughout 2001 - and by late 2002, Brushfire Fairytales officially became his first platinum-selling album. After a less successful second album - Jack Johnson would hit it big with his classic third album In Between Dreams. This is the story of its biggest single, Better Together. Written by Clayton Taylor for iHeartRadio.