Joanna

Album: In the Heart (1983)
Charted: 2 2
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  • Lyrics currently unavailable Writer/s: CHARLES JAY SMITH, CLAYDES SMITH, CLIFFORD JR. ADAMS, CURTIS FITZGERALD WILLIAMS, CURTIS WILLIAMS, GEORGE BROWN, JAMES BONNEFOND, JAMES BONNEFORD, JAMES TAYLOR, JAMES WARREN TAYLOR, ROBERT BELL, RONALD BELL, RONALD NATHAN BELL
    Publisher: BMG Rights Management, Capitol CMG Publishing, Rough Trade Publishing, Royalty Network, Songtrust Ave, Third Side Music Inc., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

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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