Jim Johnston thinks he knows why WWE hasn’t called him back to make entrance music, and according to the legendary composer, it comes down to Triple H not being a big fan of him.
Johnston addressed his current standing with WWE during an appearance on the All Access Entertainment Podcast. While discussing Chris Warren, Motörhead and the music he created for Triple H over the years, Johnston explained why he believes Paul “Triple H” Levesque never brought him back into the fold after gaining more power behind the scenes. Johnston said Triple H wanted his own people around him and viewed Johnston as somebody closely tied to Vince McMahon.
“I don’t think he’s a very big fan. I think when he was coming into, sort of, out of wrestling into more of a behind-the-scenes role, he clearly wanted his own guys and he perceived me as Vince’s guy. So I think that’s why I’m not being asked to write themes anymore.”
That’s quite the assessment coming from a guy who spent more than three decades creating WWE entrance music. Johnston was behind themes for some of the biggest names in company history, including The Undertaker, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, The Rock and Triple H himself.
The conversation actually got there while Johnston was talking about Chris Warren’s work on D-Generation X and Triple H’s “My Time” theme. Johnston explained that Warren’s voice became so closely associated with DX that using him for other wrestlers could create what they used to call “gimmick infringement.”
“He had wanted to do more stuff, and I had explained as best I could that he has such a unique voice that it’s sort of gimmick infringement, we used to call it. It’s tough because you hear him for this guy and you’re thinking about DX, or you’re thinking about Hunter with ‘My Time.’ Even the switch to doing Hunter’s music was a little uncomfortable, but he was part of DX.”
Johnston then brought up Motörhead and suggested Triple H may prefer fans believing the band was responsible for creating his famous entrance songs.
“I still don’t think, by the way, that—I think still Hunter, Paul, wants to maintain and think that Motörhead wrote those songs.”
Johnston had already explained that Motörhead largely performed the songs the way he presented them in his demos, making his comment about Triple H even more pointed. As for whether Johnston would ever return to WWE and start cranking out themes again, he isn’t shutting the door. He just doesn’t think Triple H is going to be the guy calling him.
“I’d be happy to do it, but you have to be asked. I think the chances that Hunter—that Paul’s going to ask—are close to zero. That the WWE Music Group is going to call me up, I think is zero, and that the guy who’s currently doing the themes for WWE, I think is zero. Why would you invite me in or invite somebody else in?”
Johnston is still willing to make wrestling music, but he clearly believes his connection to Vince McMahon became baggage once Triple H started putting his own team together. Whether that’s actually why WWE hasn’t brought Johnston back is another story, but Johnston certainly seems convinced that being viewed as “Vince’s guy” didn’t help his chances.
Do you think Triple H viewing Jim Johnston as “Vince’s guy” is why WWE never brought him back, or should WWE put old relationships aside and get Johnston working on entrance themes again? Leave your feedback in the comments.
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