Johnny Mann, Arranger/Composer's Talented Singers Delivered Energetic, Elegant Harmonies On Radio Logos for 93/KHJ In 60s And KRTH/101 Decades Later

(June 23, 2014) -- LBREPORT.com is saddened to report the passing at age 85 of Johnny Mann, the gifted musical arranger and composer whose "Johnny Mann Singers" performed on multiple albums and TV shows -- but whose work may have been more widely heard (if not recognized) elsewhere.

Mr. Mann and his talented singers delivered the energetic, elegant harmonies heard on the a cappella logos used by L.A.'s market dominant 93/KHJ ("Boss Radio") in the mid-60s. Remember these? Click here.

Yes, the Johnny Mann singers also did similar logos for then-Top 40 powerhouses KFRC San Francisco, KGB San Diego, WOR-FM New York, WRKO Boston and CKLW Detroit/Windsor among others.

Johnny Mann's logos, taking up barely a second or two, were a radio game changer. Stations previously played lengthy, heavily produced musical odes boasting about themselves. Radio programmer Bill Drake did the opposite, hiring Johnny Mann to record very short a cappella logos to be played immediately before each song. The result was an air product with less clutter and a powerful, almost Pavlovian, connection: hear the station's musical logo, get the station's real selling point, its music. Johnny Mann's musical logos helped propel that message into radio market dominance.

A few decades later, KRTH/101 (playing music of that era on FM) hired the Johnny Mann Singers to replicate that sound. To see/hear the perfection for which they strove on a single logo, click the video icon below (from Sept. 1997.)