Show Notes
She was told black people didn't want to hear Japanese music. She recorded it anyway. And it changed her life. ________________________________________ WHO YOU'RE ABOUT TO MEET Janice Marie Johnson is my sister. We go way back — two artists who came up doing the real work, playing real stages, in front of real people who showed up and gave everything back. Janice is a co-founder of Taste of Honey, the group that gave us Boogie Oogie Oogie — one of the most joyful, undeniable songs in the history of R&B — and a woman who plays bass, writes, sings, dances, and has been doing all of it at the highest level for decades. I wanted the world to know her story because the story behind the songs is just as powerful as the songs themselves. This one is personal. And that's exactly why you need to listen. ________________________________________ THE CONVERSATION This episode starts at a show — live, in the room, Janice still glowing from the stage — and that energy never leaves. We talk about a record company executive who told her she couldn't record a Japanese song, a broken heart that quietly became an entire album, and the night Boogie Oogie Oogie was born at an air base in California with a hand on her hip and a crowd that couldn't stop staring. Janice doesn't just tell you what happened. She sings it to you. And if you're listening, you'll feel every word. ________________________________________ MOMENTS YOU WON'T FORGET "I Forbid You to Record It" The head of Capitol Records told Janice that black people didn't want to hear Japanese music and that she was not allowed to record the song. What she said back — and what she did next — is exactly what courage looks like in this industry. The Secret Behind the Whole Album Sukiyaki was about a broken heart. But it wasn't just one song. Janice reveals that Sukiyaki, Rescue Me, I'm Talking About You, Don't You Leave Me, and Goodbye Baby — the whole Twice as Sweet LP — were all written about the same man. What Sukiyaki Actually Means The original Japanese title is Ue O Muite Aruko — not Sukiyaki. Sukiyaki is a food. Janice asked three people to translate the real title and all three said the same thing: I'm looking up to keep my tears from falling down. What each person said about WHY is where it gets beautiful. The Night Boogie Oogie Oogie Was Born Janice and Hazel were onstage at an air base and the crowd was just staring. She put her hand on her hip and started talking to them. That first verse — spoken, not sung — was recorded that same night on a reel-to-reel recorder. The whole thing came out in a moment, the way the best ones always do. ________________________________________ WHAT JANICE SAID ABOUT MUSIC Skip didn't ask the signature question in this episode — the conversation was too alive, too in-the-moment to stop for it. But Janice answered it anyway, without being asked. "Being sad really helps with the writing. Being happy is great too, but it's easy to write when you're brokenhearted. It comes right to your mouth." That's music, right there. Pain turned into something the whole world can sing. ________________________________________ WORDS WORTH KEEPING "You can not put it on the record if you want, but I'm going to record what I want to." — Janice Marie Johnson "It's easy to write when you're broken hearted. It comes right to your mouth." — Janice Marie Johnson "They're all about the same guy. Thank him — he made you, Janice." — Skip Martin "Great songs usually come up very fast and we record them quickly." — Janice Marie Johnson "I'm looking up to keep my tears from falling down." — The meaning behind Ue O Muite Aruko (Sukiyaki) ________________________________________ CONNECT WITH JANICE Facebook: Taste of Honey / Janice Marie Johnson 1 Website: tastinhoney.net ________________________________________ CONNECT WITH SKIP Website: https://www.skipmartinmusic.com/ ________________________________________ ABOUT FRIENDS AND LEGENDS Grammy Award winner and music industry icon Ski
More from FRIENDS AND LEGENDS WITH SKIP MARTIN
Friends & Legends with Skip Martin Host: Skip Martin
Friends & Legends with Skip Martin Host: Skip Martin
Friends & Legends with Skip Martin Host: Skip Martin
Friends & Legends with Skip Martin Host: Skip Martin Summary: Skip Martin sits down with his old friend Denella Ri'chard, the award winning host and executive producer of the nationally syndicated series Traveling with Denella Ri'chard. She grew up in Baton Rouge, caught the travel bug following her mum's bowling tournaments, and found her calling studying abroad in Harare, Zimbabwe in 1994, the year Nelson Mandela became president. A career at Hilton and then as a cruise industry executive ended on 13 March 2020, when she laid off her team of more than 40 and then lost her own job. What started as a one year lockdown project is now filming its ninth season. She takes Skip from a hot air balloon over the Serengeti to a Maasai classroom with no electricity and no running water, Skip shares what he saw in Kenya, and he closes with his C words for success and the goat in the well. Main Topics: Growing up in Baton Rouge and travelling with her bowler mum Studying abroad in Harare, Zimbabwe in 1994 A school project on Nelson Mandela, Steve Biko and apartheid Hilton, the Hampton launch and the cruise industry Inviting Oprah Winfrey aboard as a ship's godmother March 2020: laying off 40 people, then losing her own job Why 9-11 taught her travel always comes back A lockdown prime time slot and the birth of the show From poolside pina coladas to sharks, stingrays and monkeys A hot air balloon over the Serengeti The Maasai children who would match any US kindergarten Skip in Kenya: the water truck comes Thursday Skip's C words for success Intriguing Quotes: "I realized I was sipping more than I was painting." - Denella Ri'chard "When borders open, we're going to travel the world again." - Denella Ri'chard "I would put them against any kindergarten class in the United States." - Denella Ri'chard "Where are the kids? Take me to the kids." - Denella Ri'chard "The water truck will be here Thursday." - Skip Martin "One completed idea is more valuable than a thousand dreams." - Skip Martin "Success is a double-edged sword." - Skip Martin "Just shake it off." - Skip Martin Key Moments: [00:00] Skip welcomes Denella Ri'chard [01:22] Baton Rouge and a mum who bowled tournaments [02:28] Southern University and a semester in Zimbabwe [03:45] 1994, the year Mandela became president [05:03] Hilton, Beverly Hills and the cruise industry [06:07] 13 March 2020 and the ships shut down [07:18] A friend offers a prime time TV slot [08:08] What 9-11 taught her about travel [09:14] Naming Traveling with Denella [10:11] Monkeys, sharks and stingrays [10:52] One year becomes season nine [11:21] Ballooning over the Serengeti [12:37] Take me to the kids [14:58] Skip in Kenya and the water truck [16:45] Soccer on a garbage dump and the Xbox lesson [19:48] Skip's C words for success [22:43] The goat in the well [24:10] Where to watch Denella's show Notable Resources: Traveling with Denella Ri'chard, streaming on YouTube, Tubi and Apple TV+, and on local broadcast TV Connect with Denella Ri'chard: Website: https://www.travelingwithdenella.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/travelingwithdenella/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/travelingwithdenellarichard YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@travelingwithdenella LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/denella/ Connect with Skip Martin: Website: https://www.skipmartinmusic.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/skipmartinmusic Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skipmartinmusic/ Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/skipmartinmusic YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/skipmartinmusic
Friends & Legends with Skip Martin Host: Skip Martin Summary: Part 2 of Skip Martin's conversation with Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon turns to the part nobody puts on a highlight reel: what a career on the road costs a family. Warren talks about meeting his wife in high school in Los Angeles, marrying at twenty three, raising four kids, and a marriage of twenty seven years that ended without either of them falling out of love. They are still good friends, eleven grandkids later, and still together at Christmas, birthdays and graduations. He is honest about the games and the dance recitals he missed, and Skip matches it with eight months a year on the road and the alienation that can follow a father home. It finishes on Warren's message to young people about phones, noise and keeping your circle small, and Skip's story about a goat in a well. Main Topics: Meeting his wife at Hamilton High and marrying at twenty three Twenty seven years, four kids and eleven grandkids Why a marriage can end without either person falling out of love Staying friends, and still showing up at Christmas Skip on eight months a year with the Dazz Band and Kool and the Gang The appearances, the TV show, the radio show and the foundation The games and the dance recitals Warren missed The alienation of daddy, and only one side of the story getting told Taking his two daughters to the Kentucky Derby for the first time All four kids going to Canton for his twentieth Hall of Fame anniversary Fifty years of the Dazz Band and a street dedication in Cleveland What Warren would tell young people about social media Intriguing Quotes: "We never stopped loving each other. We just kinda outgrew each other." - Warren Moon "It's a tremendous sacrifice." - Warren Moon "I missed some of their games and I missed some of their dance recitals." - Warren Moon "That is the alienation of daddy." - Skip Martin "You never get to tell your side of the story." - Skip Martin "Make that group that you have very small around you." - Warren Moon "Set your goals high, dream big and believe in yourself." - Warren Moon "The goat would just shake it off." - Skip Martin "Use that phone for what it was supposed to be for." - Warren Moon Key Moments: [00:00] Skip welcomes Warren Moon back for part two [02:07] High school sweethearts, San Jose State and the University of Washington [02:35] Twenty seven years, four kids, and why they parted [03:11] Still good friends, still together at Christmas [04:56] Skip on the grind, and what it does to a partner [05:34] Daddy's home, guess where we're going [06:09] Warren on the tremendous sacrifice [07:03] The games and dance recitals he missed [07:31] Skip on the alienation of daddy [08:35] Two daughters at the Kentucky Derby [08:59] Taking all four kids to Canton [12:14] A hundred and thirty legends back in Canton every year [13:12] Fifty years of the Dazz Band in Cleveland [16:16] Warren's message on social media and bullying [17:25] Keep your circle small and set your goals high [18:31] The goat in the well, and how to shake it off [20:40] Skip closes out, don't play no games Notable Resources: Pro Football Hall of Fame, Canton, Ohio, where Warren Moon is enshrined Connect with Warren Moon: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/warrenmoon1/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HWarrenMoon1/ X: https://x.com/WMoon1 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/warrenmoon1/ Connect with Skip Martin: Website: https://www.skipmartinmusic.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/skipmartinmusic Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skipmartinmusic/ Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/skipmartinmusic YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/skipmartinmusic