Heaven (Jai album)
Encyclopedia
Heaven is the debut album of British neo soul
singer Jason Rowe
, performing under the name Jai. The album was released on November 11, 1997. While well-reviewed, it would be Rowe's only album for nearly ten years, with Rowe later releasing his second album, Lovelife, under his full name in February 2007.
The album includes covers
of the Arthur Hamilton
standard "Cry Me a River", as well as "Magnolia", an early song of J. J. Cale's. "I Believe", which was a moderate hit in the United States, was included in a special song collection compact disc sold around the same time by fashion retailer Banana Republic. A music video
directed by Paul Boyd for "I Believe" aired successively on The Box, VH1
, and MuchMusic
from August 1997 through February 1998.
There are two versions of the album, the alternate having been released in Europe. The cover art is virtually the same for both; in the European release, Jai's face is positioned at the center and occupies the entire frame, and his name and the album's title appear in the lower-left corner with the title both reduced in size and superimposed over his name. More significantly, alternate takes of the songs "Heaven" and "Wishing the Rain Away" appear on these different versions.
, Motown, swinging '60s rock, trip hop
and contemporary soul
. While the songwriting in Heaven is uneven, Jai's voice is consistently thrilling, soaring to new soulful heights. That voice — along with songs that show how powerful his updated blue-eyed soul
can be, like "I Believe" and "Don't Give Me Away" — is what makes Heaven such a promising and successful debut."
Heatseekers Album Chart
during the week of January 31, 1998, where it ranked at number 49.
Neo soul
The term neo soul was originally coined by Kedar Massenburg of Motown Records in the late 1990s as a marketing category following the commercial breakthroughs of artists such as D'Angelo, Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, and Maxwell...
singer Jason Rowe
Jason Rowe
Jason Rowe, who formerly recorded under the name Jai, is a British pop and soul singer currently residing in Bristol, England.- Biography :...
, performing under the name Jai. The album was released on November 11, 1997. While well-reviewed, it would be Rowe's only album for nearly ten years, with Rowe later releasing his second album, Lovelife, under his full name in February 2007.
The album includes covers
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 the Arthur Hamilton
Arthur Hamilton
Arthur Hamilton is an American songwriter, who is best known for writing the song "Cry Me a River", first published in 1953 and most famously recorded by Julie London in 1955....
standard "Cry Me a River", as well as "Magnolia", an early song of J. J. Cale's. "I Believe", which was a moderate hit in the United States, was included in a special song collection compact disc sold around the same time by fashion retailer Banana Republic. A music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
directed by Paul Boyd for "I Believe" aired successively on The Box, VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
, and MuchMusic
MuchMusic
MuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:...
from August 1997 through February 1998.
There are two versions of the album, the alternate having been released in Europe. The cover art is virtually the same for both; in the European release, Jai's face is positioned at the center and occupies the entire frame, and his name and the album's title appear in the lower-left corner with the title both reduced in size and superimposed over his name. More significantly, alternate takes of the songs "Heaven" and "Wishing the Rain Away" appear on these different versions.
Critical reception
The Allmusic review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine awarded the album four out of five stars, describing it as "a stylish amalgam of jazzy sophisti-popSophisti-pop
Sophisti-pop was a sub-genre of pop that flourished in the UK between the mid-1980s and early 1990s, incorporating elements of soft rock, jazz, and blue-eyed soul. The genre made extensive use of electronic keyboards, synthesizers, and polished arrangements, particularly horn sections. Acts were...
, Motown, swinging '60s rock, trip hop
Trip hop
Trip hop is a music genre consisting of downtempo electronic music which originated in the early 1990s in England, especially Bristol. Deriving from "post"-acid house, the term was first used by the British music media and press as a way to describe the more experimental variant of breakbeat which...
and contemporary soul
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
. While the songwriting in Heaven is uneven, Jai's voice is consistently thrilling, soaring to new soulful heights. That voice — along with songs that show how powerful his updated blue-eyed soul
Blue-eyed soul
Blue-eyed soul is a media term that was used to describe rhythm and blues and soul music performed by white artists, with a strong pop music influence. The term was first used in the mid-1960s to describe white artists who performed soul and R&B that was similar to the music of the Motown and...
can be, like "I Believe" and "Don't Give Me Away" — is what makes Heaven such a promising and successful debut."
Track listing
Personnel
- Jai (Jason RoweJason RoweJason Rowe, who formerly recorded under the name Jai, is a British pop and soul singer currently residing in Bristol, England.- Biography :...
) – leadLead vocalistThe lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
and backingBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
vocals - Christopher Bemand – keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
- Joel BogenJoel BogenJoel Bogen is an English rock and punk guitarist. He worked with Toyah Willcox from the late 1970s to 1983 as the guitar player in her eponymous band and was the co-writer on nearly all of the material they recorded. Bogen also produced Heaven, the 1997 debut album of neo soul artist Jai, for M&G...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, keyboards - Andy Duncan – percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
("Heaven") - The Electra Strings – stringsString instrumentA string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones...
("Don't Give Me Away" and "Wishing the Rain Away") - Pete Giordino – Hammond organHammond organThe Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard...
("Heaven") - Preston HeymanPreston HeymanPreston Heyman is a British session drummer. His credits include playing with the Tom Robinson Band on the album TRB Two. He is the co-founder of London based production company Flipside Productions and plays live with Zohar and Avivit on the London circuit....
– percussion - Paul Hirsch – Hammond organ
- Honey – barking ("Open")
- Larry Fifield – additional backing vocals
- Claudia FontaineClaudia FontaineClaudia Fontaine is a backing vocalist from Bethnal Green, London, England. She has sung with Betty Boo, Dusty Springfield, Claudia Brücken, Julia Fordham and the bands Pink Floyd and The Beatmasters...
– backing vocals - Tony Ford – backing vocals
- John Miller – additional drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
("Magnolia") - Olivia – small childChildBiologically, a child is generally a human between the stages of birth and puberty. Some vernacular definitions of a child include the fetus, as being an unborn child. The legal definition of "child" generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger than the age of majority...
("Don't Give Me Away") - Chuck Sabo – drums
- Jason Silver – pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and Rhodes pianoRhodes pianoThe Rhodes piano is an electro-mechanical piano, invented by Harold Rhodes during the fifties and later manufactured in a number of models, first in collaboration with Fender and after 1965 by CBS....
("Magnolia"); additional backing vocals - Phil SpaldingPhil SpaldingPhilip Spalding also known as Phil Spalding, is an English bass player. He is best known as a session musician and player of Fender Precision Bass guitars...
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
Production
- Christopher Bemand – programming
- Joel Bogen – producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, programming - Paul Boswell – agentTalent agentA talent agent, or booking agent, is a person who finds jobs for actors, authors, film directors, musicians, models, producers, professional athletes, writers and other people in various entertainment businesses. Having an agent is not required, but does help the artist in getting jobs...
- Andy Duncan – additional programming ("Heaven")
- Steve FitzmauriceSteve FitzmauriceSteven Fitzmaurice is a Grammy Award-winning mixer and producer based in London, UK. His credits include albums for Craig David, Depeche Mode, Kate Nash, Seal, and U2.Born in Ireland, Fitzmaurice moved to London in 1987 to carve out a career in music...
– mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may... - Dave Novik – A&R
- Dick O'Dell – managementTalent managerA talent manager, also known as an artist manager or band manager, is an individual or company who guides the professional career of artists in the entertainment industry...
- Chris Porter – additional production and mixing ("Heaven")
- StylorougeStylorougeStylorouge is a graphic design studio currently based in Shoreditch, London. Formed by creative director Rob O'Connor in 1981, it is notable for creating record sleeve designs for bands such as Blur, Siouxsie & the Banshees, Stereophonics, Killing Joke, Sandie Shaw, Adam Ant, Catatonia, Jesus...
– designGraphic designGraphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience... - Norman Watson – coverAlbum coverAn album cover is the front of the packaging of a commercially released audio recording product, or album. The term can refer to either the printed cardboard covers typically used to package sets of 10" and 12" 78 rpm records, single and sets of 12" LPs, sets of 45 rpm records , or the front-facing...
photographPhotographA photograph is an image created by light falling on a light-sensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic imager such as a CCD or a CMOS chip. Most photographs are created using a camera, which uses a lens to focus the scene's visible wavelengths of light into a reproduction of... - Rob WatsonRob WatsonRobert D. Watson is a keyboard player, producer and composer best known for his work with the rock bands Daniel Amos and The Swirling Eddies...
– additional programming ("Don't Give Me Away" and "You Split Me") - Tim Young – masteringMastering engineerA mastering engineer is one skilled in the practice of taking audio that has been previously mixed in either the analog or digital domain as mono, stereo, or multichannel formats and preparing it for use in distribution, whether by physical media such as a CD, vinyl record, or as some method of...
(Metropolis, UK) - Leon Zervos – mastering (Absolute Audio, USA)
Charts
A couple of months following its release, Heaven made a brief appearance on the BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Heatseekers Album Chart
Top Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical...
during the week of January 31, 1998, where it ranked at number 49.
| Single | Chart | Peak Position | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Don't Give Me Away" | UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
200 | March 1, 1997 |
| "I Believe" | UK Singles Chart | 148 | May 5, 1997 |
| "Heaven" | UK Singles Chart | 184 | August 30, 1997 |
| "Wishing the Rain Away" | Tokio Hot 100 | 15 | September 21, 1997 |
External links
- "I Believe" music video at Yahoo! Music