The Leemen - Johnny Guitar (1960)

(Peggy Lee - Victor Young)
Australia
#5 Sydney #34 Melbourne #18 Brisbane #9 Adelaide #16 Perth

Instrumental by Lonnie Lee’s backing band.

The Leemen came together in 1959 when Lonnie Lee was establishing his career in Sydney with Johnny O’Keefe as manager and a recording contract with Leedon Records. The line-up was Derby Wilson (lead guitar), Peter Bazley (rhythm guitar), Johnny Ryan (bass), Dave Scott (sax) and Tony Gaha (drums).

In the film it had lyrics written and sung by Peggy Lee.

Suggestion and multiple version alerts from Terry Stacey.

Norman George - Johnny Guitar (1960)

(Peggy Lee - Victor Young)
UK

Track on Pye EP By George! by British orchestra and session violinist, recorded after midnight by the Pye Mobile Recording Unit at the Ashton-under-Lyme Palais near Manchester, according to the liner notes.

Choral backing by the Raymond Woodhill Singers.

Tuula Ikäheimo - Johnny Guitar (1959)

(Peggy Lee - Victor Young)
Finland

EP on the Rytmi label Kaksi Tuulaa by Finnish pop singer Tuula Ikäheimo (b. 1942), active late-50s to early 80s. The EP is a joint release with her contemporary Tuula Siponius (b. 1940), two tracks each, hence the EP’s title, two Tuulas.

Peggy Lee - Johnny Guitar (1954)

(Peggy Lee - Victor Young)
USA
Original version: soundtrack

With the Victor Young Orchestra, released as a B-side on Decca (USA) March 1954.

The title song of Nicholas Ray’s 1954 film starring Joan Crawford and Sterling Hayden. Lyrics by Peggy Lee. See IMDb entry.

Peggy Lee (1920-2002) was a versatile jazz and pop singer who also composed songs and acted on TV and in films. Her big break was replacing Helen Forrest in Benny Goodman’s band in 1941. She was adaptable and multi-skilled and her career covered an extraordinary range of genres, media and collaborators. See, for example, Donald Clarke’s Peggy Lee biography which is a good overview with plenty of detail.

The Composer
Chicago-born Victor Young (1899-1956) was a classically trained concert violinist who eventually moved into popular music as conductor, composer, arranger, and Hollywood music director. He was nominated for an Oscar 22 times but his only win was for Around The World from Around the World in Eighty Days (1956), and it was awarded posthumously. At this website, see his compositions Blue Star (Theme From ‘Medic’) and Love Letters.

Further reading: 1. The detailed Victor Young article at Wikipedia 2. Victor Young biography by Joslyn Lane at All Music.

Many, many versions
You may like to peruse the lists at Cover.info (65 versions) or at Second Hand Songs (150). Arnold Rypens has a more modest list at The Originals, but differs in declaring Enrico Granados as the original composer (below).

[Published composition] - Danza Española No. 5: Andaluza (1890)

(Enrique Granados)
Spain
Original melody?

Johnny Guitar is reminiscent of this work by Spanish composer Enrique Granados (1867-1916), whether or not the borrowing is intentional.

See, for example, the post and discussion at Medicina y Melodía which gives further details about the composition’s history, including other adaptations.

There are many recordings of the work. This one is by guitarist Julian Bream:
♫ Listen at YouTube

Sources: 1. Song history at The Originals. 2. Blogpost at Medicina y Melodíaby by José Manuel Brea Feijoo.

The Rockets - Johnny Guitar (1961)

(Peggy Lee - Victor Young)
New Zealand
Later version

B-side on Pacific by rock band active around the Hawkes Bay cities of Hastings and Napier in the early 1960s.

Further reading: The Rockets are covered in detail between Bruce Sergent’s NZ music site and AudioCulture.

Boris Solian - Johnny Guitar

(Peggy Lee - Victor Young)
Australia
Later version

*Australian Jewish News* (Melbourne) 15 Dec 61

Single on Adria, probably around 1960-61, probably from Melbourne. I doubt that this label is connected with others called Adria listed at discographic websites.

This ad in Melbourne’s Australian Jewish News is one of three from late 1961. Apart from listings of the record, they are the only mentions of a Boris Solian that I have found in any context, anywhere (not here, or here).

The label: The Adria disc was a custom pressing by W&G Records. Michael De Looper at his Australian Record Labels site lists Adria under Ethnic Labels with two releases, one dated 1960 and this one undated.

The Spotnicks - Johnny Guitar (1962)

(Peggy Lee - Victor Young)
Sweden
Later version

B-side on Karusell by popular Swedish instrumental band led by Bo Winberg, B-side of Hava Nagila (#13 UK, the highest charting of four UK singles 1962-63).

Further reading: 1. Spotnicks from Instromania [archived page]. 2. Spotnicks biography by Lars Lovén at All Music.

Thanks to Dave Overett.

Daniella - Johnny Guitar (1965)

(Peggy Lee - Victor Young)
Denmark
Later version

B-side on Music Corner by Danish pop singer known as “Denmark’s Brenda Lee” (b. 1950, Bente Madsen), with Ole Erling’s group (Ole Erling Gruppen).

(The) Swamp Salad - Johnny Guitar (1971)

(Peggy Lee - Victor Young)
Australia
Later version

Single on ATA by country-rock band formed by guitarist Dave Donovan, also on the album On The Country Line.

The band’s name is shown as Swamp Salad on the album, The Swamp Salad on the single.

(Hans Hollestelle) - Johnny Guitar (1990)

(Peggy Lee - Victor Young)
Netherlands
Later version

Track on Arcade album Guitar Greatest.

Some listeners have mistakenly believed it is a long-lost Shadows track.

No artist is shown on the release, but the small print holds the key: Arranged and programmed by Hans Hollestelle. This is the multi-skilled Dutch guitarist (b. 1945) whose career has taken in songwriting, arranging and producing, and membership of several bands.

See the illuminating discussion at Shadow Music which has the last word on the topic.