Joanna by Kool & the Gang

Album: In the Heart (1983)

Charted: 2 2

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Songfacts®:

This was a huge hit for Kool & the Gang, and their second most successful song after "Celebration." It's a love song for a particular woman. In the video, Joanna is a well-liked waitress in a popular local diner who was once quite the glamor girl. >>
Suggestion credit:
Mike - Santa Barbara, CA
Just a few days before the album's release, Kool & the Gang performed this at New York's Radio City Music Hall, never imagining it would become the first single. The band's longtime associate Cleveland Brown recalled to Billboard: "Well the Radio City crowd got so frenzied by the chorus and horn break - people jumping up and down as if it were a hit anthem - that the group was taken by surprise. They were looking at each other, wondering what was up. But they tried it again the next night, and the next. And I remember Khalis [Bayyan aka Ronald Bell] came backstage and said, 'They went berserk! I guess it's the first single.'"
Guitarist Claydes Charles Smith brought the tune to the Gang under the title "Dear Mom." Ronald Bell suggested a few changes, including a new title that would capitalize on the "name" song trend, like Toto's hit "Rosanna" the year before.
Tenor sax solos are frequently used in the group's songs, but this one features a trombone solo from Clifford Adams.
In the Heart brought its challenges, namely the absence of producer Eumir Deodato, who helped pull the band out of a career slump with classic albums like Ladies Night and Celebrate! "We worked by a committee this time," group founder Robert "Kool" Bell told Billboard. "It's hard for 10 people to come to a decision together, but we managed remarkably well. My brother, Ronald Bell, headed the committee and he helped us come to a sound we were all happy with."
This was featured in the 2009 Judd Apatow film Funny People, starring Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen.
The Gang scored a #5 hit with the romantic number "Too Hot" in 1979, but this song proves it wasn't just a one-off. With smooth lead vocals from J.T. Taylor, "Joanna" marked yet another transition for the funk-turned-dance pop band, proving they had the chops to turn out romantic R&B ballads that would become a staple of their later releases like "Cherish."

Comments: 7

Jim from AustraliaIn a recent discussion regarding the similarity (not really similar) between Joanna and George Michael’s Last Christmas, I stumbled upon this site and was surprised to read some of the comments about the origin of Joanna. As co-writer, producer and engineer of the song/album, I can attest to the fact that the song was originally titled ‘Dear Mom’ and was changed to Joanna. It was I who suggested that Dear Mom was a thoughtful concept but would be difficult to turn into a pop song. I further suggested that a girls name be used and that Rosanna would be good for phrasing but had been recently used as a title by the band Toto, so I proposed finding a name that rhymes with Rosanna. Within a few days, the bands trombone player, Clifford Adams, came up with Joanna, and it stuck.
Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn February 25th 1984, Kool and the Gang performed "Joanna" on the NBC-TV program 'Saturday Night Live'...
Four months earlier on October 30th, 1983 it entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #90; and on February 5th, 1984 it peaked at #2 (for 1 week) and spent 21 weeks on the Top 100 (and for 6 of those 21 weeks it was on the Top 10)...
And on January 8th, 1984 it reached #1 (for 2 weeks) on Billboard's R&B Singles chart...
The week is was at #2 on the Top 100 chart, the #1 record was "Karma Chameleon" by Culture Club...
On the same 'SNL' program they also performed "Celebration"; which reached #1 in 1981 on both the Top 100 and the R&B Singles charts.
Duffy from Sparks, GaI don't think The White Stripes did a cover of "Joanna", as far as I know, Michaela. You may be thinking of "Jolene", the Dolly Parton cover released by The Stripes as a single in 2000 on the B-side of "Hello, Operator".
Bert from Glendale, CaMy mom had told me one day that this song was written for her by a guy that came to see her about everyday when she was a waitress/manager at the Copper Penny. She had told me this when I was about 10 year old. She had told me how the song-writer had told her how he needed to change the name of the song to Joanna so that the song can have a good rythm. My mom's name is Jo ANN. I believed her some. When I was doing some research today about this song, I was shocked when I saw that the music video was filmed at a diner and indeed is about a waitress and written for a waitress and that indeed there was a song name change. Maybe my mom was telling me the absolute truth. Ha!
Rick from Toms River, NjYou are correct. Actually, the first lyrics were: "Dear mom, you know my heart is true. That's why I wrote this song especially for you". Thank you J.T. for coming up with the change to "Joanna". This song was almost not included on the album.
Michaela from Houston, TxThe White Stripes have done a cover of this song.
Edward Pearce from Ashford, Kent, EnglandAccording to All Music Guide this was originally titled "Dear Mom."

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