Pete Johnson
I WAS 14 in 1954 when my family moved from Texas to Massachusetts, where I discovered Arnie "Woo Woo" Ginsburg and Joe Smith, disc jockeys who mixed doo wop with rock & roll and street-level rhythm & blues. I began collecting singles in pursuit of their mysteries.
I was a white kid going to a mostly-white high school. We didn't have a TV set and singles came in generic jackets, so I was surprised to learn that most of the artists I liked were Black.
One of the first rock & roll albums I bought was Here's Little Richard, yellow-orange and cover, Richard full face, mid-scream. That album still thrills me and I credit it with teaching me how to hear music. Richard himself was high voltage, but his New Orleans band cooked like a thousand watts.
We moved to Los Angeles in 1958. Radio was less alluring, though there were glimmers like Art Laboe, Hunter Hancock and Huggy Boy. I went to college, majored in English Lit. Saw Ray Charles, Bobby Bland, Junior Parker, Fats Domino, Ike & Tina Turner in local Black clubs.
Started at the Los Angeles Times as a copyboy. After a time I graduated to reporter trainee working the police beat and City Room. My father, a journalist, suggested that I introduce myself to the Entertainment Editor. The editor assigned me a music review. I didn't know how to write a review and my first was clumsy, but it was published. A month later he sent me on me another and this time I found my balance.
That was in 1965. Soon the editor hired me as a reviewer and assistant editor. I wrote a million reviews and 500,000 interviews during the next several years. In 1968 KHJ contracted me to write "The History of Rock & Roll." The Times kept me on payroll but when the show aired in 1969 I was burned out. A few months later I left the Times for Warner Bros. Records.
I had a variety of jobs at WBR for 17 years, then bounced around, then went to Apple in 1992. I was there about 11 years, mostly writing, editing, managing writers and coding websites.
Now I'm retired, living in San Jose, California, listening to music, reading novels, walking our greyhounds and playing on the computer.
43 articles
List of articles in the library by date
The Rising Sons: Rising Sons Sing Blue Tunes
Profile by Pete Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 18 March 1966
THEY RADIATE a complete spectrum of Pop haberdashery — odd vests, coats of varying cuts, one or two neckties, assorted shirts and a miscellany of ...
Profile and Interview by Pete Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 1966
"A WOMAN'S place is in the stove," Roger Miller drawled over the babble of four housewives sitting behind him in a plush Encino restaurant. ...
Clifton Chenier, Bob Dylan, Bert Kaempfert: Bob Dylan: Blonde on Blonde (Columbia C2L 41 028 841)
Review by Pete Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 1966
Playboy Hops on Dylan Bandwagon ...
Review by Pete Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 1966
POPULAR RECORDS: PASS ASPIRIN, PLEASE ...
The Beatles: Revolver (Capitol ST-2576/T-2576)
Review by Pete Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 7 August 1966
New Beatles Album Best Yet ...
Review by Pete Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 28 August 1966
THIS SUMMER may rank along with most Christmases for the number of seasonal records it has produced — every radio station's hit list is loaded ...
James Brown: Brown Arrives in His Own Style
Report and Interview by Pete Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 15 September 1966
JAMES BROWN, who will appear at the Hollywood Bowl for a concert Friday night, has built up a 10-year momentum which catapulted him out of ...
Review by Pete Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 25 September 1966
Monkees Ape Their Betters ...
Simon & Garfunkel: Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme (Columbia CS-9363, CL 2563)
Review by Pete Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 20 November 1966
S and G Sing of Sly Sociology ...
The Doors: Whisky a Go Go, Los Angeles CA
Live Review by Pete Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 1967
Doors Rattle Hinges at Whisky a Go Go ...
The Impressions: Whisky a Go Go, Los Angeles CA
Live Review by Pete Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 1967
Impressions Win a Warm Welcome ...
Live Review by Pete Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 1967
Two Pop Groups in Los Angeles Debuts ...
Paul Revere & The Raiders: Revere's Raiders Attack the Treasury
Interview by Pete Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 1967
YOU CAN'T identify Paul Revere and the Raiders without a program and to get a program you have to buy it from Paul Revere, the ...
James Brown: the Royal Tahitian, Ontario CA
Live Review by Pete Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 1967
JAMES BROWN has sustained 12 years of rock solid solid rock popularity, carving his career scream by scream, frantic performance after frantic performance, building a ...
Review by Pete Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 10 September 1967
New Album From Bobbie Gentry ...
Herb Alpert, Sergio Mendes: A&M Records Tooting Its Own Horn
Interview by Pete Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 29 September 1967
ON A 2.3-ACRE lot near the corner of La Brea and Sunset in Hollywood sits one of the most successful record companies in the country, ...
Jefferson Airplane: After Bathing at Baxter's (RCA)
Review by Pete Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 27 November 1967
Airplane Album to Be Released Friday ...
The Rolling Stones: Their Satanic Majesties Request (London)
Review by Pete Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 3 December 1967
Can't Tell an Album by Its Cover ...
Review by Pete Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 10 December 1967
Beatles Back With Another LP ...
The Beach Boys, Van Dyke Parks: Van Dyke Parks: Pop Music's Pilot Through the Aesthetic Shoals
Profile and Interview by Pete Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 10 December 1967
WHAT FOLLOWS is an exorbitant number of words about and from an insignificant recording artist named Van Dyke Parks. He is insignificant at the moment, ...
Review by Pete Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 17 December 1967
Biggest Happening in Album Covers ...
Taj Mahal: Taj Mahal (Columbia)
Review by Pete Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 4 February 1968
TAJ MAHAL, a talented blues singer who has kicked around Los Angeles for several years as a soloist and a member of the now-dead Rising ...
Review by Pete Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 25 February 1968
Love's Third Album Out on Elektra ...
Jefferson Airplane: Up, Up and Away With the Jefferson Airplane
Interview by Pete Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 25 February 1968
How old are the people in the group? Grace: Oldest group in the country. Spencer: Between 25 and 30. Manager: Between 23 ...
Review by Pete Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 3 March 1968
Aretha Just Keeps Rolling Along ...
Dr. John, Tiny Tim: Albums from Tiny Tim and Dr. John
Review by Pete Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 17 March 1968
Bless You, Tiny Tim ...
Solomon Burke, Laura Nyro: Laura Nyro: Eli and the 13th Confession (Columbia)
Review by Pete Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 7 April 1968
Laura Nyro Makes a Change ...
The Byrds, Penny Nichols: Troubadour, Los Angeles CA
Live Review by Pete Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 27 April 1968
'New' Byrds Make Bow at Troubadour ...
Live Review by Pete Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 1968
Springfield Plays Farewell Concert ...
The Nazz, Red Beans & Rice (US): The Nazz, Red Beans & Rice: Whisky a Go Go, Los Angeles CA
Live Review by Pete Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 1968
Two Rock Groups at Whisky a Go Go ...
Cream: Wheels of Fire (Atco SD 2-700)
Review by Pete Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 23 June 1968
Cream Rises to Top ...
The Doors: Waiting for the Sun (Elektra EKS- 74024)
Review by Pete Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 28 July 1968
The Doors Find Love ...
The Band, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Vanilla Fudge: A Band by Any Other Name...
Interview by Pete Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 11 August 1968
SEVERAL WEEKS ago I reviewed an outstanding album titled Music From Big Pink (Capitol SKAO 2955) and identified the group playing as the Band, formerly ...
Review by Pete Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 18 August 1968
Big Brother Album Out ...
Kaleidoscope, Seatrain: the Ash Grove, Los Angeles CA
Live Review by Pete Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 13 September 1968
THE KALEIDOSCOPE is possibly the most underrated rock group in the country, a local group which has been playing for two years waiting for audiences ...
Buffalo Springfield, Neil Young: Neil Young Charts His Own Course
Interview by Pete Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 28 October 1968
"MAYBE SOME group will come along and be big, you know, but who cares," Neil Young says in his slow country way. "It's just happened ...
Dusty Springfield: Dusty in Memphis (SD 8214)
Review by Pete Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 2 February 1969
Down Dusty Music Road to Memphis ...
Crazy Horse, Neil Young: Neil Young & Crazy Horse: Troubadour, Los Angeles CA
Live Review by Pete Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 13 March 1969
Neil Young Featured in Show at Troubadour ...
Live Review by Pete Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 29 April 1969
THE JIMI Hendrix Experience was an unpleasant one at the Forum in Inglewood Saturday night. ...
Joe Cocker: With a Little Help From My Friends (A&M SP 4182)
Review by Pete Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 1969
Singer Has Help From Ray Charles ...
Wild Man Fischer: An Evening With Wild Man Fischer (Bizarre 6332)
Review by Pete Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 5 May 1969
A RATHER unusual album froze me between my loudspeakers one late night last week and, though I am not sure it is entertainment and would ...
Review by Pete Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 1969
Bettye Swann's "Soul" ...
Brewer and Shipley, Laura Nyro: Laura Nyro, Brewer & Shipley: the Troubadour, Los Angeles CA
Live Review by Pete Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 1969
LAURA NYRO reminded me that she is my favorite female singer Thursday night at the Troubadour, where she will appear through Sunday for two reserved-seat ...
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