* Johnny Guitar *

BOTTOMS UP

"I`m inspired by `wild things` says Johnny, and when we listen to his music we know exactly where he`s coming from.

THE JOHNNY GUITAR FILM

They don`t make films like this any more. Starring Joan Crawford and Mercedes McCambridge - (Whatever happened to Mercedes McCambridge, you might ask?) - this film will have you glued to your seats.

I won`t give you a blow by blow account of the plot, and spoil things - just the gist. This is a classic, a cult movie long before they invented the word `cult`. `Johnny Guitar` has been called a "weird Freudian western with cockeyed feminist attitudes," which only goes to show how far ahead of its time this film truly was.

It`s about two women who are engaged in a battle to the death. Set in Arizona during the pioneering days of the early west, men and women would go to any lengths to protect their interests. Joan Crawford, in the leading role, has never been more dynamic. Nicholas Ray, the director, has never been more outrageous. As Leslie Halliwell said: this film is unforgettable because "it`s almost always over the top".

So if you`re a Joan Crawford fan, or a Johnny Guitar fan, or a Mercedes Cambridge fan, you won`t want to miss this experience. But be warned. You might have to wait a while for a re-run on Channel 4. Even then you`ll probably have to sit up until 4 o`clock in the morning.

However,don`t despair! If you`d like to add Johnny Guitar to your video collection click the CONTACT button at the top, or email Johnny.

johnnyguitar@btopenworld.com

More About Johnny

His first electric guitar, which set him on his current path, he was pleased to receive when he was 16. Then his father, being a true Scot, gave him the choice of heating his freezing cold bedroom, or switching on his amplifier. He chose the amplifier and has never regretted it since.

But his experience did make an impression on him. Although it sounded a bit fishy, he thought of naming his first band `Johnny Guitar and the Frozen Fingers.`

Hank Marven of the Shadows was Johnny`s hero and he loved `Apache.` Despite this, Johnny admitted to a fan that he could shiver and tremble all he wanted, even without a tremaloe, but he still couldn`t play Apache. This saddened Johnny. "But I can do the dance, and I know how to swing my guitar," he reassures himself.

Years Later

"So you`re a Sydney fan?" he was asked. Johnny was seen to cringe under his big hat. "I think you`ve got the wrong person" he groaned. "You should see the ladies with the blue rinses. I`ve never rinsed my hair in my life!" In a whisper he was heard to admit: "You know, I used to like country and western music."

"All over Glasgow on a Saturday night, you could hear different renditions of Hank William`s `Your Cheating Heart` "I`ll never forget my father`s version, or the way my mother`s face used to lighten up a bright red colour when he sang it. Let`s face it - television, computer games - and we`ve got to admit it - SYDNEY - have killed it."

Johnny believes he is quite experimental and does what he calls New World music today. "I like to improvise" he says "And I never play anything the same way twice."

"I write my own songs, and I never sing them more than once. Each day is the beginning of a new discovery."

"As the old saying goes, if you don`t use it, you lose it."

His biggest dream is to get a lifetime achievement award for bottleneck guitar. He`s beginning to discover just how much bottle he`s got.