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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