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news

Phil Brown has passed away

February 6, 2012

We recieved some very sad news on Friday Feb 4. Phil Brown, an original member of The Records, had passed away. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his many friends and family. More soon.

Review of Rotate Reissue

January 13, 2012

Carolina Orange, a sports and music website, reviewed Rotate (the reissue) as part of it's Top 11 CDs of 2011. You can read their review here.

Plans for the new year...

January 7, 2012

Plans are underway for support of the reissue of Rotate. Tour dates and promotional activities are in the works but nothing has been finalized. We'll update you as soon as possible.

The Reviews are in...

December 1, 2011

The reviews of the new, improved Rotate are coming in, the first one from Dave Steinfeld of Blurt. Read Dave's review HERE.

Rotate with bonus trax!

December 1, 2011

It's out! Fuel Records has re-released Rotate with bonus tracks including a brand new version of Starry Eyes! Get it at Amazon.com HERE!

Two Guest Appearances This November

November 1, 2011

On November 12, John Wicks will be appearing as a special guest of the one and only Al Stewart at McCabes in Santa Monica, CA. And on Nov 13, John is honored to be a special guest of singer/songwriter extraordinaire Dave Nachmanoff at Cafe Cordiale in Sherman Oaks, CA. These promise to be memorable evenings, so don't miss them!

Rotate Release Date Moved Up!

Oct 31, 2011

It looks like Fuel Records will make Rotate available on November 8. We'll keep you posted!

e-Press Release, Rotate and Facebook

October 2, 2011

With Fall comes change. And, thanks to a new Records' Facebook promotion, you can keep yours in your pocket while getting some FREE music to listen to. John Wicks, lead singer of The Records and co-writer of the hit songs Starry Eyes and Hearts In Her Eyes, has decided to post a complete live set via his Facebook fan page found right here. Starting October 2, each week John will be posting one of nine live songs from a set that was recording earlier this year. With guest appearances from Debbi Peterson of The Bangles and Andy Qunta of Icehouse, this recording is truly one of a kind. Just "like" the page, and the mp3 is yours. We'll post one track per week, leading up to the re-release of Rotate due out Noverber 8, this time with three bonus tracks and an all new, pedal to the metal version of The Records' classic hit "Starry Eyes". Starting October 2, go to www.facebook.com/TheRecordsFeaturingJohnWicks and click "Like", refresh your browser, and the mp3 will be available to you...FOR FREE. Check out The Records' main website at www.johnwicksandtherecords.com for news, tour, or any other additional information about The Records or the new version of "Starry Eyes".

Three New Songs on Rotate!

September 4, 2011

November 8 is the big date....mark it down. Fuel Recordings will be reissuing Rotate, this time with additional cuts and (drum roll plese) a new, redone, and sonically improved Starry Eyes! Stay tuned!

Song Revelation Interview

September 3, 2011

Kevin Allen interviewed John for SongRevelelation.com and it includes video, and audio sample, and some great questions. Check it out when you get a moment. It's highly entertaining.

Facebook Update

September 2, 2011

This summer's free mp3 giveaway is done, but don't fret. There's another one on the way. This time, we'll post a live show, one track at a time until the entire live set has been posted. Download the entire series and it will be almost as good as actually being there! Check it out starting October 1 at HERE.

John's Interview with Blurt

August 1, 2011

The current edition of Blurt magazine includes an insightful narative and interview with John Wicks and Will Birch. From the insurgence of punk to the pinnacle of powerpop and beyond, they discuss it all. Check it our HERE.

Facebook Promotion

July 1, 2011

For the entire summer, John and The Records will be posting a free, rare demo or outtake every week on the band's Facebook fan page. Just go to www.facebook.com/TheRecordsFeaturingJohnWicks, "like" the page, and you'll be treated to that week's feature outtake or demo. Most if not all of these cuts have never seen the light of day and promise to be a real treat, both for those familiar with Wicks' work as well as those who just dig good, melodic pop of the highest order.
Eventually some but not all of these tracks will appear on an upcoming CD release, but the only way to make sure you hear them all is to check out John's fanpage.

Power Pop Prime and The Records

June 10, 2011

Bruce Brodeen of Not Lame Recordings has a new book coming out. Entitled Power Pop Prime, it's 316 pages, comes with a 18 track CD and then a few special PDF workbook and sheets that will be bonuses that I had specially designed for purchasers, which they will receive 4-6 weeks after it comes out. Both Rotate and the Music on Both Sides albums are discussed so get your copy HERE.

IPO on July 29 & the new CD

May 1, 2011

As recording has progressed, John and the band have decided to take advantage of the new technologies available to get the new music to you on a fast track. By making each cut available via download as soon as it has been mixed and mastered, you'll be able to hear the new CD as it takes shape. Don't worry, when all tracks have been completed we'll release a nice, professionally packaged CD! Kind of exciting, no? Oh...and don't forget, the band will play the prestigious International Pop Overthrow Festival on July 29. It promises to be a memorable evening of kick-ass rock n' roll.

Preorder Lessons Learned

March 8, 2011

This first-ever DVD release from John Wicks captures he and guitarist Dennis Taylor in a very special unplugged setting. Preorder it at Kool Kat Musik!

Mike Oldfieled Bio

March 1, 2011

John has been asked to contribute his memories to a biography of a childhood friend and music notable, Mike Oldfield. More here when we have it.

Two New Dates Added

March 1, 2011

Molly Malones will host John and the band on Friday night March 25. This show will be recorded for possible release, so you'll want to be part of the festivities as John and the band will "pull out all the stops". The same can be said of Friday night April 15 at Kulak's Woodshed, except this time it will be a Records extravaganza! The band will perform and John will do a few acoustic numbers as well. Both will be truly unique performances.

Early 2011 shows

Jan 15, 2011

The first show of the new year will be at Rusty's Surf Ranch in Santa Monica on January 21. Showtime is 10:15pm. Call the Ranch at 310 393-PIER for more info. Also, John and The Records will be appearing at The Satellite (formerly Spaceland) on Saturday February 5. For more details call (323) 661-4380 or stay tuned...more soon.

New LP

Jan 5, 2011

The first few songs have been completed for the new LP and mixing has commensed! It'll be a while before the remaining songs have been recorded but you won't have to wait long for something new. Things are progressing with the completion of a live DVD. We hope to have more on that very shortly.

John with Al Stewart

Dec 11, 2010

Some of us were fortunate to witness Al Stewart's show at Pepperdine University this past Saturday where those in attendance got a rare treat. He was joined on stage by John Wicks and they performed "Starry Eyes." Check out the video clip here in the "vision" page.

New DVD on the way!

Dec 4, 2010

Its nearly on it's way....John Wicks and Dennis Taylor live at McCabes on DVD! It was a great night with a capacity crowd, and John (with the help of Dennis!) wowed a full house with some brand new material and a couple of classics too! We hope to se a release date in early 2011. We'll keep you posted as further details become available.

Kool Kat Kristmas is out!

Dec 1, 2010

Available now by clicking here!

Live from the Woodshed!

Nov 3, 2010

John Wicks will be performing at Kulak's Woodshed via live webcast on November 11. From the Kulak's website: "Kulak’s Woodshed is a live webcast TV recording studio and 49 seat listening room created for the promotion of singer songwriters...completely operated by volunteers and funded with audience donations. Artists range from beginners to Grammy winners." The Woodshed is at 5230 1/2 Laurel Canyon Blvd. No. Hollywood CA. Can't be there? To catch the performance via live webcast click here.

It's a Kool Kat Kristmas!

Nov 2, 2010

Kool Kat Musik is putting out a Christmas record, and John has contributed a song co-written with Duncan Mackay (of 10cc) entitled "Star of Bethlehem". From Kool Kat Musik: "Due in about three weeks, "A Kool Kat Kristmas" is an all-Kool Kat artist collection of original Holiday tunes! And even better, it's a fund-raising venture for a very worthy cause, The Susan Giblin Foundation whose mission is to raise and dispense funds to support animal caregiving organizations, to foster awareness and education of complementary therapies, and to support the continued education of those in the animal medical field". Buy it here.

Live Shows / CD Giveaway!

Oct 2, 2010

This coming Thursday John will be performing with Paul Collins at The Coffee Gallery Backstage in Altadena CA. This promises to be a special night and for those how attend, you'll receive an autographed CDR of a live, radio only show that John & Paul did last year in New York. Just email us here and let us know you'll be attending. We'll have a copy signed for you. For reservations contact the Coffee Gallery at (626) 794-2424. The Coffee Gallery is located at 2029 No. Lake in Altadena. Also, John & Paul will be appearing at Genghis Cohen in LA on Friday night, October 8. Genghis Cohen is located at 740 North Fairfax Avenue, Los Angeles, CA. For tix visit www.genghiscohen.com or call 323/653-0640.

Junior's Cave Interview!

Oct 2, 2010

Check out the interview John did with Isaac Davis of Junior's Cave. It's a great online magazine and a teriffic interview, one you're sure to enjoy. Click here to go to the interview.

Ringtones!

August 1, 2010

An "Oh Yeah!" ringtone is now available from your iphone. Since it appears that there is no portal that will make this ringtone available to users of Verizon, we've decided to give it away free to Verizon users! Just download the sound file below and follow these instructions:

1) Download this file to your desktop.
2) Rename the file from ohyeahringtone.mp3 to ohyeahringtone.mid.
3) Email the renamed file (the file should now be named ohyeahringtone.mid) to yourself at (your cellphone number)@vzwpix.com.
4) once you have a message on your phone, play the message and then select "options" and "save sound".
5) go to "tunes and tones", then select "my ringtones".
6) select "ringtone" and click "OK"
Some Verizon cell phones have slightly different menues depending on the age and model so if the above doesn't work for you try consulting this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ap0bSu4Fbdw

Only the second half of the video is applicable, but this should help.

Finally, if you have any trouble downloading the file email us and we'll send you one via emal.

Details of Upcoming Shows

July 1, 2010

On Thursday August 5 John Wicks and the Records are very pleased to be performing at the Echoplex in LA as part of David Bash's International Pop Overthrow festival. This promises to be a fantastic night of music as four other outstanding bands are on the bill, so try to get out for this one. Also, John will be performing a couple of acoustic shows with Paul Collins on October 7 at The Coffee Gallery Backstage and October 8 at Genghis Cohen in LA. Shows in the past have been nothing short of power pop bliss. Check 'em out.

International Pop Overthrow LA

May 31, 2010

John and The Records are thrilled to be part of the International Pop Overthrow LA festival to take place this August in various venues around town. Also, John will be appearing in several accoustic shows with Paul Collins some time in October. Stay tuned for more details about both these events.

Show Details for June 2

May 30, 2010

This wednesday there's a show at the Mint that you don't want to miss. John and the band go on around 10:15. The Mint is located at 6010 W. Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90035. Call 323-954-9400 for further details.

New Date Just Announced

May 14, 2010

John Wicks and The Records will be appearing at The Mint in Los Angeles in June 2! More details to come...

Remembering Chris

April 26, 2010

My band was down to a 3 piece when we met Chris back in late 1996. Then only 20 years old, he was working at Big Mo Studios in Kensington Maryland, where we were engaged in the process of recording songs for the Rotate CD. On telling him that we were on the lookout for a new lead guitarist, Chris informed us that he was in fact a guitarist, and offered his services. He played so brilliantly on the 3 tracks we were laying down at the time, that we asked him to join us. He did just that and we hit the road. Later he would play on rock 'ola, a low-budget, limited edition CD released in Spain, in support of a tour we did there in March 1998. Chris was with us for several years, during which - in addtion to being a band member - he became a great and loyal friend. When he made his decison to leave the band and move on, whilst we knew we would most certainly miss having him around, at the same time we were happy for him, in the knowledge that he was choosing his path through life wisely. Chris touched many hearts in his brief time on this planet, ours included. He was truly the most wonderful soul and I write this with a heavy heart. Thanks Chris, we love you! R.I. P. May you live forever through the music.

John, Gary & Joel

New/Old recordings unearthed!

April 23, 2010

As you well know, there's a great woman behind every man's success. Val made John clean out the garage and guess what he found?...some long lost recordings! John recovered a wealth of old material written and recorded with some other familiar pop names. The plans are for it to see the light of day in the next few months so, stay tuned.

Free show added

April 22, 2010

John and The Records will be appearing at a benefit for Saint Francis DeSales school in Sherman Oaks...and admission is free. You can't beat that! The preceedings will be hosted by Chris Carter of the "Breakfast With The Beatles" radio show. There'll be music from noon until near midnight with appearances from King Cotton, The Ride, and Chuck Negron from 3 Dog Night among others. In the meantime check out Chris' show on 95.5 KLOS-FM!

Remembering Doug Fieger

March 1, 2010

On February 15, 2010 the music world lost Doug Fieger, lead singer and songwriter of The Knack. Doug, who was best known as the voice behind the smash hit "My Sharona" passed away at his home in Woodland Hills, Calif. He was 57. Having been asked his recollections of Doug for the latest issue of PopDose online, John recalled the following:

"Like many folks, I became a fan of The Knack back in 1979 after hearing My Sharona on the radio here in the U.S. I was on tour with my band The Records at the time, and I recall us all being blown away by the song each time we heard it played over the airwaves The impact and effect that it had upon us was dramatic to say the least. Needless to say I bought the album, which I still have in my collection to this day. However, our paths’ never crossed during our heydays. In fact, it was not until the mid-nineties that I finally got to meet the guys and catch them play live. I was invited to attend their reunion show at The Hard Rock Cafe in Washington D.C., where I was living at the time. I wasn’t sure quite what to expect but remember being totally bowled over by their electrifying performance. I couldn’t believe how incredibly tight they were, not to mention exciting! After the show, a bunch of us went back to hang with the band at their hotel, whereupon I engaged in a deep conversation with Doug. During our chat, which morphed from music to Doug’s new-found sobriety, and spirituality, it soon became apparent that Doug was one extremely complex and interesting character. We stayed in touch by phone sporadically after that, meeting up again in a Los Angeles recording studio in late 1998. I was engaged in the process of recording a new CD at the time, and Doug would drop by the studio to hang out and listen to the music. I was impressed by how stylish he was, since each and every time he dropped by he would be wearing a different and really cool outfit. We had great conversations, covering a variety of topics; I was especially struck by his wisdom and genuine warmth. This was in stark contrast to the stories we read about him and the band in the music press back in the day. There was absolutely no hint of hubris or arrogance whatsoever. During one phone conversation with him, I expressed my frustration with the music industry, and I recall telling him that I was seriously considering changing careers and joining Sharona in the real estate business! Either that, or move to L.A. I went on to ask him what I should do. Sensitive to my dilemma, he very kindly informed me that I would make a great Angeleno and would be more than welcome to come live in L.A., but his final advice was Zen-like: he calmly urged me to simply ‘follow my bliss.’ I took his advice and did just that. I moved to Los Angeles, Doug kept his word, welcoming me as he’d said he would, and accordingly I got to see The Knack play many more shows, including the Rock ‘n’ Roll Fun House one. Thank you, Doug, for the music and the friendship. Whilst we miss your presence here on this earth, I somehow feel that you’re still rocking in a parallel universe somewhere. Rock In Peace!”

The full article can be found here.

Some Powerpop Blog Love

January 27, 2010

A big Thank You goes out to our good friends at Powerpop Overdose and Powerpop Criminals. They posted some great info regarding John and his collaboration with Paul Collins on the 2009 house tour. Also, thanks to "Dr. Bristol" for his kind words.

New EPK and Live Release

January 9, 2010

The New Electronic Press Kit is here and it features some great old and new Records footage. Check it out here. Also, The Records Play Live, Evanston ILL 1980 is now available as a download through this site and CD Baby.

Recording of new CD is underway

October 24, 2009

The Records, featuring John Wicks, have begun recording a new full length release and word is things are going very well. John is taking a new approach to this CD, attempting to make the powerpop community an intergral part of the decision making process. Through the wonder of the internet, all those who wish to participate can have a "vote" into things like the title, track order, and other things that help form the finished release. For more information read the section to your immediate right or join our mailing list.

Upcoming Wicks/Collins CD!

October 22, 2009

John and Paul are planning to record a new CD together, with Jim Diamond (of White Stripes fame) producing. Recording could start as early as February. More details to come!

A Good Time Was Had By All

October 20, 2009

The "Kings of Power Pop" shows with Paul Collins and Eric Blakely went extrarodinarily well, culminating with a capacity crowd in Madrid. By all accounts this was a wonderful night and a great success. Thanks to all who attended.

Spain Tour Dates Added

August 31, 2009

John will be joining Paul Collins and Eric Blakely as the Kings of Power Pop. Tour dates include:
Oct 14 at Heartbreak Hotel - Albacete, Spain
Oct 15 at El Balcon de la Lola - Bilbao, Spain
Oct 16 at El Sol - Madrid, Spain
Oct 17 at Varadero in Gandia - Valencia, Spain

Tour Schedule Dates Added

June 6, 2009

Shows have been added to the summer's house tour schedule. They include June 14 at Kenny's Castaways in NYC and August 6,7,8 in Bozeman MT.

John and Paul on WFMU

June 5, 2009

On June 13 at 3:30pm John and Paul will appear on Terre T's Orange Blossom Clinic show. You can listen in here. And on June 11 at 9:30pm they'll be guests on Westcott Radio with Dana & Carl!

City Paper Interview

Chris Parker of the Pittsburgh CityPaper recently interviewed John about experiences past and this summer's tour. Read all about it.

A Return to the Studio

May 13, 2009

John and the band will soon return to the studio to begin recording new material with Steve Boyer on board to co-produce. Look for updates here and at the Starry Eyed and Listening Blog.

John and Paul on Live Radio

On June 5 at 7:30pm listen to John and Paul on KSCU with Jeff Shelton. And on June 11 at 9:30pm they'll be guests on Westcott Radio with Dana & Carl!

Record Collector Show Open To Public

May 12, 2009

John and Paul Collins will appear at The Record Collector in Bordentown NJ on June 13. Tickets info is available thru The Record Collector website at www.the-record-collector.com

Early Radio Dates Are In!

April 1, 2009

On June 4, tune in to KSCU 103.3 fm Santa Clara for John and Paul's appearance on Jeff Shelton's The Power Pop Show from 5 to 7 pm. The guys will be in Syracuse on June 11 as guests on This Is Rock and Roll Radio with Dana and Carl on westcottradio.org. It's an opportunity to hear John and Paul like you've never heard them before.

Radio Dates Forthcoming...

March 23, 2009

John and Paul will soon be performing live on the radio in a city near you! Details coming soon.

New releases featuring John Wicks...

February 6, 2009

Collectables will soon be releasing Garage Band Beatles featuring JW&TR's cover of "We Can Work It Out". Stay tuned for a release date.

January 15, 2009

Collectables has released two compilations featuring songs by John Wicks. Garage Band Christmas features the song "Star of Bethlehem" as well as songs by Glen Burtnick (Styx), Tommy Frenzy (Tuff Darts), and others. Garage Band Showcase features "That Girl is Emily" as well as songs from Nazz, Tuff Darts, Shadows or Knight, and others. Both are available by clicking here.

Read the latest review of John's current release,"Rotate", in this week's LA Weekly...

November 26, 2008

Starry Reprise

By Falling James

You might remember the British band the Records, who released one of the best and brightest power-pop songs of the late '70s, "Starry Eyes," a breakup anthem whose bitter lyrics were disguised by an exhilaratingly exuberant hook, which was wrapped up further in a thick wreath of super-jangly guitars and busy bass lines. Leader John Wicks has carried on with the band name and released a series of under-recognized albums since that breathtaking debut, culminating in 2007's Rotate. Although billed as an anthology, the album includes new songs as well as reinventions of some of his old favorites. What distinguishes Wicks' work, both then and now, is the supremely tasteful, melodically surging guitars that tear through yearningly romantic tunes like "That Girl Is Emily." He's mastered the rare craft of writing delicately wistful pop songs that actually rock. There's a gorgeous majesty to the way the guitars ring out and then crumble on the title track, as Wicks croons with a hint of Roger McGuinn's quaver, and the CD concludes with an interesting reduction of the Beatles' "We Can Work It Out."