Please Mr. Johnson
1967 · Diamond D-219 · USA
- Artist
- Dewey Jones
- Title
- Please Mr. Johnson
- Release
- Please Mr. Johnson / My Susanna
- Year
- 1967
- Label
- Diamond # D-219
- Format
- 7" · Single
- Language
- English
- Country
- USA
- Genre
- Pop · Pop
- Primary theme
- Peace, Protest & Anti-War
Annotation
The song "Please Mr. Johnson" (Diamond Records Inc # D-219) featured the 11 year old Dewey Jones, protesting against the Vietnam War. Written and produced by Artie Wayne and sung to a mid-tempo pop tune. The narrator described how his brother fought in Vietnam, making his parents cry. So he decided to write a letter to US President Johnson, reminding him that "you said on television, it won't be long" and that "war's no fun, you can hurt someone". The DJ copy of the single came with a promotional slip, that described Jones as a "11 year old Broadway star". It went on to claim "this is not a protest song. But rather the plea of a kid brother on behalf of his himself and his parents who are all lonesome for an anxious to see his brother again!!" Unable to verify any of this information, it may be constructed to sell more records. (1)
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
About the artist
Unknown - 'Please Mr. Johnson' was issued on Diamond D-219 (1967) and has been reissued on the Bear Family set BCD 16070 and on Omni's Plantation Gold compilation; no biographical record, obituary or session credit has been located for the artist credited as Dewey Jones. [Source: Discogs; Bear Family BCD 16070; Omni Plantation Gold]