Alana Davis
Encyclopedia
Alana Davis is an American
singer-songwriter
. Her father, Walter Davis, Jr.
, was an African-American pianist who played alongside such jazz greats as Charlie Parker
and Dizzy Gillespie
.
A record deal with Elektra Records
produced Davis' first two albums; Blame It on Me, which was chosen as one of Time
s five best albums of 1997, and 2001's Fortune Cookies, which featured production by The Neptunes
and Ed Tuton. She released videos for the songs "32 Flavors" and "Crazy".
Davis achieved a radio hit with the single "32 Flavors
" from her debut album. The song is a cover version
of a track written and previously recorded by Ani DiFranco
. Blame It on Me stayed on the Billboard Top 200 for seven weeks, peaking at #157 in February 1998 and reaching sales of over 240,000 in the United States.
After guest appearances on the soundtrack to The Mod Squad
and Jay-Z
's Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter
, Davis left Elektra and signed a single deal with Sony Records. She released the single "Carry On" on this label, and the song was featured in a Super Bowl
commercial for Sony Electronics
.
Tired of the major record label, Davis went independent in 2005 and formed her own label Tigress Records. She released a third album, Surrender Dorothy
, on this label, featuring the single "Wide Open".
In 2006, Davis toured with Thievery Corporation
for a couple of dates as a guest vocalist.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
. Her father, Walter Davis, Jr.
Walter Davis, Jr.
Walter Davis, Jr. was an American hard bop pianist.Born in Richmond, Virginia, Davis performed as a teenager with Babs Gonzales and his group Three Bips and a Bop. In the 1950s, Davis recorded with Melba Liston, Max Roach and played with Roach, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie...
, was an African-American pianist who played alongside such jazz greats as Charlie Parker
Charlie Parker
Charles Parker, Jr. , famously called Bird or Yardbird, was an American jazz saxophonist and composer....
and Dizzy Gillespie
Dizzy Gillespie
John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie was an American jazz trumpet player, bandleader, singer, and composer dubbed "the sound of surprise".Together with Charlie Parker, he was a major figure in the development of bebop and modern jazz...
.
A record deal with Elektra Records
Elektra Records
Elektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009....
produced Davis' first two albums; Blame It on Me, which was chosen as one of Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
s five best albums of 1997, and 2001's Fortune Cookies, which featured production by The Neptunes
The Neptunes
The Neptunes are a record production duo consisting of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who are credited with contributing the sound for many successful hip hop, R&B and pop artists in the late-1990s and 2000s...
and Ed Tuton. She released videos for the songs "32 Flavors" and "Crazy".
Davis achieved a radio hit with the single "32 Flavors
32 Flavors
"32 Flavors" is a song, written and performed by Ani DiFranco. The song was later covered by Alana Davis. The title of the song is a pun on Canton, Massachusetts-based ice cream store Baskin-Robbins and its well-known "31 flavors" slogan.-Ani DiFranco version:...
" from her debut album. The song is a cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of a track written and previously recorded by Ani DiFranco
Ani DiFranco
Ani DiFranco is an American Grammy Award-winning singer, guitarist, poet, and songwriter. She has released more than 20 albums, and is widely considered a feminist icon.-Biography:...
. Blame It on Me stayed on the Billboard Top 200 for seven weeks, peaking at #157 in February 1998 and reaching sales of over 240,000 in the United States.
After guest appearances on the soundtrack to The Mod Squad
The Mod Squad (film)
The Mod Squad is a 1999 film directed by Scott Silver and starring Claire Danes, Omar Epps and Giovanni Ribisi. It is based on the popular television show of the same name.-Plot:...
and Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
's Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter
Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter
Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter is the fourth studio album by American rapper Jay-Z, released December 28, 1999 on Roc-A-Fella Records. It exhibits a return to the street-oriented sound of his debut album, Reasonable Doubt...
, Davis left Elektra and signed a single deal with Sony Records. She released the single "Carry On" on this label, and the song was featured in a Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
commercial for Sony Electronics
Sony Electronics
Sony Electronics Inc., headquartered in San Diego, Calif., is the largest component of Sony Corporation of America, the U.S. holding company for Sony's U.S.-based electronics and entertainment businesses.-External links:***...
.
Tired of the major record label, Davis went independent in 2005 and formed her own label Tigress Records. She released a third album, Surrender Dorothy
Surrender Dorothy (album)
Surrender Dorothy is the third album by Alana Davis. It was released in 2005 on Davis' own label, Tigress Records."Surrender Dorothy" is a line from the film The Wizard of Oz.-Track listing:...
, on this label, featuring the single "Wide Open".
In 2006, Davis toured with Thievery Corporation
Thievery Corporation
Thievery Corporation is a Washington, D.C. based recording artist and DJ duo consisting of Rob Garza, Eric Hilton, and their supporting artists, including current drummer Jeff Franca...
for a couple of dates as a guest vocalist.
Albums
- Blame It on Me (September 23, 1997, #157 US)
- Fortune Cookies (October 30, 2001)
- Surrender DorothySurrender Dorothy (album)Surrender Dorothy is the third album by Alana Davis. It was released in 2005 on Davis' own label, Tigress Records."Surrender Dorothy" is a line from the film The Wizard of Oz.-Track listing:...
(February 22, 2005)
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
Adult Top 40 | Top 40 Mainstream | |||
| 1997 | "32 Flavors 32 Flavors "32 Flavors" is a song, written and performed by Ani DiFranco. The song was later covered by Alana Davis. The title of the song is a pun on Canton, Massachusetts-based ice cream store Baskin-Robbins and its well-known "31 flavors" slogan.-Ani DiFranco version:... " |
37 | 17 | 34 | Blame It on Me |
| 1998 | "Crazy Crazy (Alana Davis song) "Crazy" was the second single from Alana Davis's album Blame It on Me.-Charts:... " |
- | 27 | 37 | |
| 2001 | "I Want You I Want You (Third Eye Blind song) "I Want You" is the 11th song from the American rock band Third Eye Blind's self-titled, debut album.While it wasn't released as a single or included on A Collection, it remains a fan favorite and is played frequently in concert, significantly more often than such popular singles as "Anything", "10... " |
- | - | - | Fortune Cookies |
| 2002 | "Carry On" | - | - | - | non-album single |
| 2005 | "Wide Open" | - | - | - | Surrender Dorothy |
External links
- Alana Davis official website