An engineer left the tape rolling during a pre-session warm-up, and recorded the bass break that afforded Janice Marie Johnson renown as the sultry slap and pop diva on the dance classic “Boogie Oogie Oogie”
A versatile singer, composer, bassist, Janice anchored disco / contemporary R&B ensemble A Taste of Honey (1978 Best NewArtist Grammy) for a few platters and singles, most notably the aforementioned anthem and hits such as “Do It Good,” and “Sukiyaki.” Far from a one-trick disco pony, Janice and TOH were a dexterous collective, traversing soul, funk, traditional ballads, MOR, rock, and permutations thereof.
Raised in a musical family, Janice started her career as a jazz singer in her native Los Angeles. She gravitated to the instrument as a college student – and was a natural. Given her dexterity on the instrument, Janice is the consummate song player – every note counts, and serves the melody and groove. She’s been photographed with a variety of instruments, however KYBP digs Janice with her vintage Fender Jazz basses!
Janice Marie Johnson FB
Following A Taste Of Honey’s initial commercial decline, she waxed a fine slab in 1984 aptly titled One Taste of Honey. Janice is still on the bandstand, slappin’…poppin’…singin’…tearin’ it up!
If it were only for his inestimably copied motif in “Good Times” the late, truly great Bernard Edwards would be legend.
However his career as a producer, songwriter, recording artist, and bassist with Nile Rogers and Chic, The Power Station, Sister Sledge, Diana Ross, Robert Palmer, Jody Watley, and Debbie Harry to cite a select few, is equally legend.
Among the most sampled bassist ever, and an absolute master of the groove, Edwards’ immaculate tone by way of flat-wound strings on a MusicMan Stingray bass, matchless use of rhythm and space, and his indelible melodic genius continues to inspire generations of players ranging from rock, pop, hip-hop, jazz, disco, dance, funk, and rhythm and blues.