Johnny and Mary

Upon its release, Mike Gardner of Record Mirror noted that Palmer had merged his own style with that of Gary Numan, "resulting in a mixture that sounds suspiciously like mid period Cliff Richard". He added that it has the "double distinction of giving the ears a treat and being a formidable appetiser for his forthcoming album".{{cite magazine |last=Gardner |first=Mike |title=Singles |magazine=Record Mirror |date=23 August 1980 |page=12 |issn=0144-5804}} Martyn Sutton of Melody Maker also believed that the "ultra-modern, Eighties single" was "something of a departure" from Palmer as it "offers less blue eyed soul than usual and a lot more cold eyes, electronic wheeling and dealing". He concluded that it "deserves to be a hit".{{cite magazine |last=Sutton |first=Martyn |title=Single File |magazine=Melody Maker |date=23 August 1980 |page=18 |issn=0025-9012}} Paul Rambali of NME was less positive in his review, writing that "what seems like a sad little story of connubial confusion" is "made more commonplace than it might otherwise be through injudicious use of electronic textures". He also felt that a "decent middle eight would have helped too".{{cite magazine |last=Rambali |first=Paul |title=Singles |magazine=New Musical Express |date=23 August 1980 |page=20 |issn=0028-6362}} In contrast, Danny Baker, writing a new review for NME, stated that "this is the best buy at 45 right now" and remarked that Rambali, "who coolly received this a fortnight ago, has a gleam in his piercing blue eye that suggests he mayn't have given this the shake it deserved at that time".{{cite magazine |last=Baker |first=Danny |title=Singles |magazine=New Musical Express |date=6 September 1980 |page=21 |issn=0028-6362}}

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{{Infobox song

| name = Johnny and Mary

| cover = Todd Terje and Bryan Ferry - Johnny and Mary cover art.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Todd Terje featuring Bryan Ferry

| album = It's Album Time and Avonmore

| released = {{start date|df=yes|2014|04|07}}

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = Electronica{{cite web|first= Chris |last= Todd |title= Album Review: Todd Terje – It's Album Time |website= The Line of Best Fit |date= 3 April 2014 |access-date= 7 January 2018 |url= https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/reviews/albums/todd-terje-its-album-time-149903}}

| length = {{ubl|6:32 {{small|(album version)}}|5:10 {{small|(radio edit)}}}}

| label = Olsen

| writer = Robert Palmer

| producer = Todd Terje

| prev_title =

| prev_year =

| next_title =

| next_year =

| misc = {{Extra chronology

| artist = Todd Terje

| type = single

| prev_title = Leisure Suit Preben

| prev_year = 2013

| title = Johnny and Mary

| year = 2014

| next_title = Alfonso Muskedunder

| next_year = 2015

}}

{{Extra chronology

| artist = Bryan Ferry

| type = single

| prev_title = Alphaville

| prev_year = 2011

| title = Johnny and Mary

| year = 2014

| next_title = Loop De Li

| next_year = 2014

}}

}}

Norwegian DJ Todd Terje covered "Johnny and Mary" for his debut studio album It's Album Time. His version features vocals from English musician Bryan Ferry. Terje's version was released as a single on 7 April 2014 as a digital download and peaked at number 185 on the French Singles Chart. It also appears on Ferry's fourteenth studio album, Avonmore.

{{Track listing

| headline = CD single

| title1 = Johnny and Mary

| length1 = 6:32

| title2 = Johnny and Mary

| note2 = Radio edit

| length2 = 5:10

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Digital download{{cite web|title= Johnny and Mary (Radio Edit) [feat. Bryan Ferry] |publisher= iTunes Norway |access-date= 3 January 2016 |url= https://music.apple.com/no/album/johnny-mary-radio-edit-feat/853802552}}

| title1 = Johnny and Mary

| note1 = Radio edit

| length1 = 5:10

}}

• In 1989, model Leigh Jaeger released a version of the song as a single through A&M Records. Jaeger previously appeared as one of the models in the music videos for Palmer's "I Didn't Mean to Turn You On" and "Simply Irresistible". Jaeger's version was produced by Stephen Stewart-Short and the 12-inch format included a remix by Phil Harding and Ian Curnow.{{cite magazine |title=Rock Over London: Video Stars on 45 |magazine=Radio & Records |date=4 July 1989 |publisher=Radio & Records, Inc. |issue=796 |page=35 |issn=0277-4860}} The music video features vogue dancing and was the earliest to showcase the dance in the UK.{{cite news |last=Russell |first=Ian |title=Ready for Vogue |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003423/19890707/014/0014 |newspaper=The Kilmarnock Standard |date=7 July 1989 |page=14 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=20 December 2023}}
• Placebo included a cover of the song on a Special Edition Bonus Disc of their album Sleeping with Ghosts in 2003.
• Finnish artist Stig recorded the song as "Jari ja Mari (Johnny and Mary)" on the Stig EP, released on 24 April 2015.
• Black Marble covered the song on their I Must Be Living Twice EP, released on 14 August 2020.

• List of number-one singles of 1981 (Spain)

{{Reflist}}

{{Robert Palmer}}

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Category:1980 songs

Category:1980 singles

Category:2014 singles

Category:Island Records singles

Category:Robert Palmer (singer) songs

Category:Todd Terje songs

Category:Songs written by Robert Palmer (singer)

Category:British synth-pop songs

Category:British new wave songs

Category:Number-one singles in Spain

Category:Bryan Ferry songs