“Johnny Panic” formed 4 years ago and since then the South London lads have appeared all over the place raging from Donington’s “Download” to Tokyo’s “Summersonic” and more recently Quicksilver’s “Wheels and Waves” festival in Switzerland.  They released “The Violent Dazzling” in 2005 apparently to critical acclaim and also had the video to their single “Automatic Healer”  banned from most channels as they chose to use a real ‘Working Girl’ instead of a actress pretending to do the job. 

Now, I don’t know what I was expecting when I first played this single, but it certainly wasn’t a cover of the Turtles 1967 hit of “Happy Together”!  I always think that when groups do covers it is either because they haven’t got the talent to do their own stuff (Ronan Keating?) or that they are so desperate to get themselves noticed that they will do anything to get themselves heard.  Fortunately I don’t think this release falls into any of those categories and I reckon that these lads could have a bit of a hit with this song.  They have taken the old song, beefed it up a bit, made it very bouncy and come back with a cover that is very infectious and well worth a listen.  In fact, you may well have already heard it on TV.  It was used in the recent N Power ad campaign.   

The second (and better) track on this single is “I Live For”, where they prove that they can sound even better doing their own stuff and are not going to be locked in the temporal warp of “Cover” hell.  They have a well balanced, well produced sound that could be hugely acceptable to the younger market.  They are a Guitar band that stand somewhere between the Kasabians and the McFly’s of the current chart scene and could go places if they get the right coverage.  Not necessarily the type of music that I would chose for myself, but I wouldn’t be too upset if my daughter Bethan wanted to have it playing in the car. 

The CD single is being released for download on August 28^th and on limited edition 7” vinyl from 4^th September and is a bit of taster before their as yet untitled album release.  I personally wouldn’t buy a single, no matter how good, but I may well be tempted to buy my daughter the album, purely for her of course!!!!!!!!!!!

Let us know your views on 'Happy Together''

Track List

Happy Together
I Live For
 

Line Up

Rob Solly - Vocals/Guitar
Jonny Shock - Drums
Matt James - Guitar
Sean Mannion - Bass