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Issa (singer)
Encyclopedia
Jane Siberry born October 12, 1955 in Toronto
, Ontario
, is a Canadian
singer-songwriter
, known for such hits as "Mimi on the Beach", "I Muse Aloud", "One More Colour" and "Calling All Angels". She has also released material under the name Issa (icon ).
Her music has drawn from a wide variety of styles, ranging from new wave
rock on her earlier albums to a reflective pop style influenced by jazz
, folk
, gospel
, classical
and liturgical music
in her later work.
In May 2010, she made her entire back catalogue of music available as free downloads in MP3
and AIFF formats.
and microbiology
at the University of Guelph
when she released her debut album, Jane Siberry
, in 1981 (see 1981 in music
). The album was relatively successful for an independent release, but the follow-up, No Borders Here
, was critically acclaimed and included the underground hit "Mimi on the Beach".
The Speckless Sky
(1985, see 1985 in music
) was a commercial and critical success, and Siberry moved to a major label in time for The Walking
(1988, see 1988 in music
), which was a critical success but popular failure. The Walking was released on Reprise Records
internationally, but remained on Duke Street Records
in Canada. Reprise would become her Canadian record label as well with her next album, Bound by the Beauty
, in 1989.
In 1993 (see 1993 in music
), Siberry worked with Michael Brook
and Brian Eno
on When I Was a Boy
. That album's most famous song, the k.d. lang
duet "Calling All Angels", first appeared in Wim Wenders
' Until the End of the World
, and was later re-recorded for the Pay It Forward
soundtrack. The album was noted particularly for its introduction of the more spiritually
-oriented themes that have become a hallmark of her later work.
Following the release of Maria
(1995, see 1995 in music
), Siberry founded her own independent label, Sheeba Records
. She has released all of her subsequent material on that label. Her public profile has been lower since she became an independent artist; however, she retains a devoted cult following. All of her independent albums have presented material organized around a particular theme, such as Christmas
music, songs about communication, or traditional spiritual music.
Inspired by the dichotomy between frequent e-mails from devoted international fans asking her to play a concert in their city and her difficulty in finding a suitable concert promoter, Siberry launched a "microtour" through her fan mailing list in 2010, in which she offered to play small venues — ranging from intimate cafés to fans' own homes — in any location in Europe
where one or more fans could organize a space, an audience of about 20 to 30 people and a night of accommodation.
) and sold nearly all of her possessions — including her home and instruments. She presently retains one travelling guitar, but none of the other instruments featured on her albums and in her concerts. In 2006, she told The Globe and Mail that she had kept a very few precious possessions, including her Miles Davis
CDs, in storage.
On June 3, 2006, somewhere in northwestern Europe
, Siberry changed her name to Issa. She revealed her new name to the public on June 24, 2006. She indicated, however, that her older music would remain available for sale under the name Jane Siberry; only her new material would be released as Issa. She indicated to The Globe and Mail that she chose the name Issa as a feminine variant of Isaiah
.
On July 4, 2006, she gave a lecture at University of British Columbia
in Vancouver
on the topic of "Cracking the Egg: A Look from the Inside". She began with a poetic meditation on science and life, and then opened the floor up to questions from the audience. She talked about her recent adventures in decommodifying her life, her change in name, and her new conception of herself as an artist.
In 2006 and 2007, she documented the process of recording some thirty new songs in her journal, posted on her MySpace
page and on issalight.com. In autumn 2008 she finalized three albums. The first one is entitled Dragon Dreams
, and was released on December 12, 2008.
In 2009, she released With What Shall I Keep Warm?
, with both names, Issa and Jane Siberry listed on the cover. In December 2009, Siberry notified her fans that she had recently changed her name from Issa back to Jane Siberry. The album is the second of a trilogy to be released. In March 2011, the artist advised her fans through her mailing list that the third album of the trilogy has been near completion several times, and that she intends to actually release a fourth disc as part of the collection.
She is a vegetarian.
, Joni Mitchell
and Laurie Anderson. She has cited Van Morrison
and Miles Davis
as being strong creative influences.
Siberry has often criticized the competitive power of commercial radio and the recording industry. In 2005, Siberry pioneered a self-determined pricing policy through her website on which the purchaser is given the choices of: standard price (about $0.99 USD/track); pay now, self-priced; pay later, self-priced; or "a gift from Jane". In an interview with The Globe and Mail
, Siberry confirmed that since she had instituted the self-determined pricing policy, the average income she receives per song from Sheeba customers is in fact slightly more than standard price.
in music by the Canada Council for the Arts
.
Two other tracks made RPM's Adult Contemporary charts:
s and compilation album
s:
on the soundtrack to The Sweet Hereafter
, and by the Rheostatics
on their Introducing Happiness
album. k.d. lang
covered "The Valley" and "Love Is Everything" on her album Hymns of the 49th Parallel
.
Rock Plaza Central
covered "You Don't Need"; and "Calling All Angels" was covered by The Wailin' Jennys
in 2009.
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, is a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
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...
, known for such hits as "Mimi on the Beach", "I Muse Aloud", "One More Colour" and "Calling All Angels". She has also released material under the name Issa (icon ).
Her music has drawn from a wide variety of styles, ranging from new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
rock on her earlier albums to a reflective pop style influenced by jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
, gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
, classical
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
and liturgical music
Liturgical music
Liturgical music originated as a part of religious ceremony, and includes a number of traditions, both ancient and modern. Liturgical music is well known as a part of Catholic Mass, the Anglican Holy Communion service , the Lutheran Divine Service, the Orthodox liturgy and other Christian services...
in her later work.
In May 2010, she made her entire back catalogue of music available as free downloads in MP3
MP3
MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
and AIFF formats.
Career history
Siberry was studying musicMusic
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
and microbiology
Microbiology
Microbiology is the study of microorganisms, which are defined as any microscopic organism that comprises either a single cell , cell clusters or no cell at all . This includes eukaryotes, such as fungi and protists, and prokaryotes...
at the University of Guelph
University of Guelph
The University of Guelph, also known as U of G, is a comprehensive public research university in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. It was established in 1964 after the amalgamation of Ontario Agricultural College, the Macdonald Institute, and the Ontario Veterinary College...
when she released her debut album, Jane Siberry
Jane Siberry (album)
Jane Siberry is the self-titled 1981 debut album by Jane Siberry. The original vinyl album is out of print and consequently has become something of a collector's item. The album was re-released on CD by East Side Records in 1988....
, in 1981 (see 1981 in music
1981 in music
See also:* Timeline of musical eventsThis is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1981.-January–April:*January 10 – A revival of the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta The Pirates of Penzance opens at Broadway's Uris Theatre, starring Linda Ronstadt and Rex Smith.*January 24 –...
). The album was relatively successful for an independent release, but the follow-up, No Borders Here
No Borders Here
No Borders Here is the second album by Jane Siberry.The album's single "Mimi on the Beach" was Siberry's breakthrough hit in her native Canada, and remains one of her most famous songs. Toronto's CFNY was the first radio station in Canada to recognize the song's hit potential...
, was critically acclaimed and included the underground hit "Mimi on the Beach".
The Speckless Sky
The Speckless Sky
The Speckless Sky is an album by Jane Siberry. It was Siberry's highest-charting album on the Canadian charts and contains her biggest Top 40 hit, "One More Colour"...
(1985, see 1985 in music
1985 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1985.-January–March:*January 1 - The newest music video channel, VH-1, debuts on American cable. It is aimed at an older demographic than its sister station, MTV...
) was a commercial and critical success, and Siberry moved to a major label in time for The Walking
The Walking
The Walking is an album by Jane Siberry. The album was released on Reprise Records internationally, but remained on the independent label Duke Street Records in Canada.The album was poorly received by critics...
(1988, see 1988 in music
1988 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1988.-January-March:* January 1 – André Rieu's Johann Strauss Orchestra plays its first concert....
), which was a critical success but popular failure. The Walking was released on Reprise Records
Reprise Records
Reprise Records is an American record label, founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra. It is owned by Warner Music Group, and operated through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:...
internationally, but remained on Duke Street Records
Duke Street Records
Duke Street Records was a Canadian independent record label. The label was established in 1984 by Andrew Hermant and ceased operations in 1994. The Universal Music Group took over the label when it disappeared....
in Canada. Reprise would become her Canadian record label as well with her next album, Bound by the Beauty
Bound by the Beauty
Bound By the Beauty is a 1989 album by Jane Siberry. It received better reviews than her previous album, The Walking, and the title track received more extensive radio airplay than Siberry had seen since "One More Colour" in 1985....
, in 1989.
In 1993 (see 1993 in music
1993 in music
This is a summary of significant events in music in 1993.-January–February:*January 8 – The U.S. Postal Service issues an Elvis Presley stamp. The design was voted on in February 1992....
), Siberry worked with Michael Brook
Michael Brook
Michael Brook is a Canadian guitarist, inventor, producer, and film music composer. He plays in many genres, including rock, electronica, world music, minimalism and film scores....
and Brian Eno
Brian Eno
Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno , commonly known as Brian Eno or simply as Eno , is an English musician, composer, record producer, singer and visual artist, known as one of the principal innovators of ambient music.Eno studied at Colchester Institute art school in Essex,...
on When I Was a Boy
When I Was a Boy
When I Was a Boy is a 1993 album by Jane Siberry. Internationally, it is her most famous album. In Siberry's native Canada, however, the album was commercially successful but not as big a hit as her 1985 album The Speckless Sky....
. That album's most famous song, the k.d. lang
K.D. Lang
Kathryn Dawn Lang, OC , known by her stage name k.d. lang, is a Canadian pop and country singer-songwriter and occasional actress...
duet "Calling All Angels", first appeared in Wim Wenders
Wim Wenders
Ernst Wilhelm "Wim" Wenders is a German film director, playwright, author, photographer and producer.-Early life:Wenders was born in Düsseldorf. He graduated from high school in Oberhausen in the Ruhr area. He then studied medicine and philosophy in Freiburg and Düsseldorf...
' Until the End of the World
Until the End of the World
Until the End of the World is a 1991 film by the German film director Wim Wenders; the screenplay was written by Wenders and Peter Carey, from a story by Wenders and Solveig Dommartin. An initial draft of the screenplay was written by American filmmaker Michael Almereyda...
, and was later re-recorded for the Pay It Forward
Pay It Forward
Pay It Forward is a 2000 American drama film based on the novel of the same name by Catherine Ryan Hyde. It was directed by Mimi Leder and written by Leslie Dixon...
soundtrack. The album was noted particularly for its introduction of the more spiritually
Spirituality
Spirituality can refer to an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality; an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.” Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop...
-oriented themes that have become a hallmark of her later work.
Following the release of Maria
Maria (Jane Siberry album)
Maria is a 1995 critically acclaimed album by Canadian singer and songwriter Jane Siberry. It was her first album not to include any musical contributions from longtime collaborators such as Ken Myhr, John Switzer and Rebecca Jenkins....
(1995, see 1995 in music
1995 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1995.- January–February :*January 18 – Jerry Garcia crashes his rented BMW into a guard rail near Mill Valley, California, USA, but is not injured in the accident....
), Siberry founded her own independent label, Sheeba Records
Sheeba Records
Sheeba Records is a Canadian independent record label, owned and operated by Jane Siberry.Siberry established Sheeba to release her albums following the end of her contract with Reprise Records in 1996...
. She has released all of her subsequent material on that label. Her public profile has been lower since she became an independent artist; however, she retains a devoted cult following. All of her independent albums have presented material organized around a particular theme, such as Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
music, songs about communication, or traditional spiritual music.
Inspired by the dichotomy between frequent e-mails from devoted international fans asking her to play a concert in their city and her difficulty in finding a suitable concert promoter, Siberry launched a "microtour" through her fan mailing list in 2010, in which she offered to play small venues — ranging from intimate cafés to fans' own homes — in any location in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
where one or more fans could organize a space, an audience of about 20 to 30 people and a night of accommodation.
Issa
Early in 2006, Siberry closed her Sheeba office, then auctioned (via eBayEBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
) and sold nearly all of her possessions — including her home and instruments. She presently retains one travelling guitar, but none of the other instruments featured on her albums and in her concerts. In 2006, she told The Globe and Mail that she had kept a very few precious possessions, including her Miles Davis
Miles Davis
Miles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz,...
CDs, in storage.
On June 3, 2006, somewhere in northwestern Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Siberry changed her name to Issa. She revealed her new name to the public on June 24, 2006. She indicated, however, that her older music would remain available for sale under the name Jane Siberry; only her new material would be released as Issa. She indicated to The Globe and Mail that she chose the name Issa as a feminine variant of Isaiah
Isaiah
Isaiah ; Greek: ', Ēsaïās ; "Yahu is salvation") was a prophet in the 8th-century BC Kingdom of Judah.Jews and Christians consider the Book of Isaiah a part of their Biblical canon; he is the first listed of the neviim akharonim, the later prophets. Many of the New Testament teachings of Jesus...
.
On July 4, 2006, she gave a lecture at University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
on the topic of "Cracking the Egg: A Look from the Inside". She began with a poetic meditation on science and life, and then opened the floor up to questions from the audience. She talked about her recent adventures in decommodifying her life, her change in name, and her new conception of herself as an artist.
In 2006 and 2007, she documented the process of recording some thirty new songs in her journal, posted on her MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
page and on issalight.com. In autumn 2008 she finalized three albums. The first one is entitled Dragon Dreams
Dragon Dreams
Dragon Dreams is a studio album released in 2008 by Canadian singer-songwriter Jane Siberry under the name Issa. According to the album artwork, it is "the first of a story told in three parts." The music was written, produced, and arranged by Jane Siberry; all references to the artist in this...
, and was released on December 12, 2008.
In 2009, she released With What Shall I Keep Warm?
With What Shall I Keep Warm?
With What Shall I Keep Warm? is an album released in 2009 by Canadian singer-songwriter Jane Siberry. The album artwork features both the names Issa, and Jane Siberry...
, with both names, Issa and Jane Siberry listed on the cover. In December 2009, Siberry notified her fans that she had recently changed her name from Issa back to Jane Siberry. The album is the second of a trilogy to be released. In March 2011, the artist advised her fans through her mailing list that the third album of the trilogy has been near completion several times, and that she intends to actually release a fourth disc as part of the collection.
She is a vegetarian.
Musical style
Her music is most commonly compared to artists such as Kate BushKate Bush
Kate Bush is an English singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Her eclectic musical style and idiosyncratic vocal style have made her one of the United Kingdom's most successful solo female performers of the past 30 years.In 1978, at the age of 19, Bush topped the UK Singles Chart...
, Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell, CC is a Canadian musician, singer songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Saskatchewan and Western Canada and then busking in the streets and dives of Toronto...
and Laurie Anderson. She has cited Van Morrison
Van Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
and Miles Davis
Miles Davis
Miles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz,...
as being strong creative influences.
Siberry has often criticized the competitive power of commercial radio and the recording industry. In 2005, Siberry pioneered a self-determined pricing policy through her website on which the purchaser is given the choices of: standard price (about $0.99 USD/track); pay now, self-priced; pay later, self-priced; or "a gift from Jane". In an interview with The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail is a nationally distributed Canadian newspaper, based in Toronto and printed in six cities across the country. With a weekly readership of approximately 1 million, it is Canada's largest-circulation national newspaper and second-largest daily newspaper after the Toronto Star...
, Siberry confirmed that since she had instituted the self-determined pricing policy, the average income she receives per song from Sheeba customers is in fact slightly more than standard price.
Awards
On August 30, 2005, Jane Siberry was awarded the 2005 Victor Martyn Lynch-Staunton AwardVictor Martyn Lynch-Staunton Award
The Victor Martyn Lynch-Staunton Award is a monetary award given since 1971 by the Canada Council for the Arts to Canadian artists judged to be outstanding in their mid-careers....
in music by the Canada Council for the Arts
Canada Council
The Canada Council for the Arts, commonly called the Canada Council, is a Crown Corporation established in 1957 to act as an arts council of the government of Canada, created to foster and promote the study and enjoyment of, and the production of works in, the arts. It funds Canadian artists and...
.
Studio Albums
- Jane SiberryJane Siberry (album)Jane Siberry is the self-titled 1981 debut album by Jane Siberry. The original vinyl album is out of print and consequently has become something of a collector's item. The album was re-released on CD by East Side Records in 1988....
(1981) - No Borders HereNo Borders HereNo Borders Here is the second album by Jane Siberry.The album's single "Mimi on the Beach" was Siberry's breakthrough hit in her native Canada, and remains one of her most famous songs. Toronto's CFNY was the first radio station in Canada to recognize the song's hit potential...
(1984) - The Speckless SkyThe Speckless SkyThe Speckless Sky is an album by Jane Siberry. It was Siberry's highest-charting album on the Canadian charts and contains her biggest Top 40 hit, "One More Colour"...
(1985) - The WalkingThe WalkingThe Walking is an album by Jane Siberry. The album was released on Reprise Records internationally, but remained on the independent label Duke Street Records in Canada.The album was poorly received by critics...
(1987) - Bound by the BeautyBound by the BeautyBound By the Beauty is a 1989 album by Jane Siberry. It received better reviews than her previous album, The Walking, and the title track received more extensive radio airplay than Siberry had seen since "One More Colour" in 1985....
(1989) - When I Was a BoyWhen I Was a BoyWhen I Was a Boy is a 1993 album by Jane Siberry. Internationally, it is her most famous album. In Siberry's native Canada, however, the album was commercially successful but not as big a hit as her 1985 album The Speckless Sky....
(1993) - MariaMaria (Jane Siberry album)Maria is a 1995 critically acclaimed album by Canadian singer and songwriter Jane Siberry. It was her first album not to include any musical contributions from longtime collaborators such as Ken Myhr, John Switzer and Rebecca Jenkins....
(1995) - Teenager (1996)
- A Day in the LifeA Day in the Life (Jane Siberry album)A Day in the Life is an album by Jane Siberry, released in 1997. It was the second release on her own Sheeba Records label after leaving Reprise....
(1997) - Hush (2000)
- Shushan the Palace: Hymns of EarthShushan the Palace: Hymns of EarthShushan the Palace: Hymns of Earth is a 2003 album by Jane Siberry.It is her third Christmas-themed album, following 1994's Count Your Blessings, a live concert she performed with Holly Cole, Rebecca Jenkins, Mary Margaret O'Hara and Victoria Williams, and 1997's Child: Music for the Christmas...
(2003) - Dragon DreamsDragon DreamsDragon Dreams is a studio album released in 2008 by Canadian singer-songwriter Jane Siberry under the name Issa. According to the album artwork, it is "the first of a story told in three parts." The music was written, produced, and arranged by Jane Siberry; all references to the artist in this...
(as Issa) (2008) - With What Shall I Keep Warm?With What Shall I Keep Warm?With What Shall I Keep Warm? is an album released in 2009 by Canadian singer-songwriter Jane Siberry. The album artwork features both the names Issa, and Jane Siberry...
(2009) - Meshach Dreams Back (2011)
Live albums
- Count Your Blessings (1994, live, performances by Jane Siberry, Holly ColeHolly ColeHolly Cole is a Canadian jazz singer, particularly popular in Canada and Japan for both her versatile and distinctive voice, along with her adventurous repertoire, which spans such divergent genres as show tunes, rock, and country music.-Holly Cole Trio:In 1983, Cole travelled to Toronto to seek a...
, Rebecca JenkinsRebecca Jenkins-Acting:She had starring roles in the 1990s CBC series Black Harbour, and the films Bye Bye Blues, Marion Bridge, Wilby Wonderful, Whole New Thing, South of Wawa and Supervolcano. She also had a supporting role in the 1992 film Bob Roberts, as Dolores Perrigrew...
, Mary Margaret O'HaraMary Margaret O'HaraMary Margaret O'Hara is a Canadian singer-songwriter and actress, who has been hailed as one of the greatest cult heroines in rock music despite having released very few of her own recordings. She is best known for the critically acclaimed album Miss America, released in 1988.-Early stages:O'Hara...
and Victoria WilliamsVictoria WilliamsVictoria Williams is an American singer-songwriter and musician, originally from Shreveport, Louisiana, although she has resided in Southern California throughout her musical career. She is noted for her descriptive songwriting talent, which she has used to immerse the listener of her songs into a...
) - Child: Music for the Christmas SeasonChild: Music for the Christmas SeasonChild: Music for the Christmas Season is a 1997 live double album by Jane Siberry.It presents material she recorded at two 1996 concerts at the famed New York City jazz club The Bottom Line. The material includes both original songs by Siberry and covers of Christmas standards.The concerts were two...
(1997, live) - Lips: Music for Saying ItLips: Music for Saying ItLips: Music for Saying It is a 1999 live album by Jane Siberry.It presents material she recorded at a 1996 concert at the famed New York City jazz club The Bottom Line...
(1999, live) - Tree: Music for Films and ForestsTree: Music for Films and ForestsTree: Music for Films and Forests is a 1999 live album by Jane Siberry.It presents a concert she recorded at New York City's famed Bottom Line jazz club in 1996. The concert predominantly presents songs that Siberry wrote which were in some way about trees and forests; however, she also includes...
(1999, live)
Compilations
- A Collection 1984-1989 (1995) - North American "best-of"
- Summer in the YukonSummer in the YukonSummer in the Yukon is a 1992 compilation album by Jane Siberry. It was released only in the United Kingdom.In Canada, the compilation A Collection 1984-1989 was released instead...
(1995) - UK-only "best of" - New York City TrilogyNew York City TrilogyThe New York City Trilogy is a four-CD box set, compiling the concert albums that Jane Siberry recorded at New York City's Bottom Line nightclub in autumn 1996...
(1999) - 4-CD box set of live albums '"Tree'", '"Child'" and '"Lips"' - CityCity (Jane Siberry album)City is a 2001 album by Jane Siberry.It is a collection of songs which mostly had not previously appeared on a regular Siberry album, comprising tracks that she recorded for movie soundtracks or in collaboration with other artists. -Track listing:...
(2001) - Collaborations, non-album tracks and rarities - Love is Everything: The Jane Siberry AnthologyLove is Everything: The Jane Siberry AnthologyLove Is Everything: The Jane Siberry Anthology is a two-disc compilation of songs by the Canadian singer-songwriter Jane Siberry. It was released in 2002 and contains material dating back to her debut release in 1981....
(2002) - 2-CD "best of", 1981 - 2002
Chart singles
Siberry has placed three singles in the Canadian RPM Hot 100:- "Mimi On The Beach" (1984) - #68
- "One More Colour" (1985) - #27
- "Sail Across The Water" (1993) - #66
Two other tracks made RPM's Adult Contemporary charts:
- "Map Of The World (Part II)" (1986) - #17
- "Calling All Angels" (1992) - #9
Compilation albums
Siberry has also contributed tracks to a number of movie soundtrackSoundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
s and compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
s:
- Until the End of the WorldUntil the End of the World (soundtrack)Until the End of the World is a soundtrack album to the film of the same name, released in 1991 on Warner Bros. Records. One song on the album—U2's "Until the End of the World", had been previously released on that band's 1991 album Achtung Baby—all of the other songs were original contributions,...
, 1991 ("Calling All Angels") - Kick at the DarknessKick at the DarknessKick at the Darkness is a tribute album to Canadian singer-songwriter Bruce Cockburn, released in 1991. The title comes from a line in the song "Lovers in a Dangerous Time", gotta kick at the darkness 'til it bleeds daylight....
, 1991 ("A Long Time Love Song", duet with Martin TielliMartin TielliMartin Tielli is a Canadian singer-songwriter. He was a member of the Rheostatics, and has also released material as a solo artist and with the side project Nick Buzz. As well, he has appeared as a guest musician on albums by Barenaked Ladies, Kevin Hearn, The Waltons, Jane Siberry, Ashley...
) - Toys, 1992 ("Happy Workers (reprise)")
- The CrowThe Crow (album)The soundtrack to the movie The Crow was released in 1994. Its biggest hit song was "Big Empty" by the Stone Temple Pilots, which was also on their album Purple.-Album information:...
, 1994 ("It Can't Rain All the Time") - Faraway, So Close, 1994 ("Slow Tango")
- Time and Love: The Music of Laura NyroTime and Love: The Music of Laura NyroTime and Love: The Music of Laura Nyro is a 1997 tribute album to Laura Nyro, recorded shortly after the singer-songwriter's death of ovarian cancer.Almost all of the artists recorded Nyro's songs...
, 1997 ("When I Think of Laura Nyro") - Women Like Us: Lesbian Favorites, 1997 ("Temple")
- Pay It ForwardPay It ForwardPay It Forward is a 2000 American drama film based on the novel of the same name by Catherine Ryan Hyde. It was directed by Mimi Leder and written by Leslie Dixon...
, 1998 ("Calling All Angels") - Care Bears: Journey to Joke-a-lotCare Bears: Journey to Joke-a-lotCare Bears: Journey to Joke-a-lot is a 2004 children's animated feature, produced by Nelvana Limited and released by Lions Gate Home Entertainment. Directed by Mike Fallows and written by Jeffrey Alan Schecter, this was the fourth film to star the Care Bears, and their first in over 15 years...
, 2004 ("With All Your Heart") - Whatever: The 90s Pop and Culture Box, 2005 ("Calling All Angels")
Covers
Her song "One More Colour" was covered by Sarah PolleySarah Polley
Sarah Polley is a Canadian actress, singer, film director, and screenwriter. Polley first attained notice in her role as Sara Stanley in the Canadian television series, Road to Avonlea...
on the soundtrack to The Sweet Hereafter
The Sweet Hereafter
The Sweet Hereafter is a 1991 novel by American author Russell Banks. It is set in a small town in the aftermath of a deadly school bus accident that has killed most of the town's children...
, and by the Rheostatics
Rheostatics
Rheostatics was a Genie Award-winning Canadian indie rock band, active from 1980 to 2007.Although they had only one Top 40 hit, "Claire" in 1995, they were simultaneously one of Canada's most influential and unconventional rock bands, a band whose eclectic take on pop and rock music has been...
on their Introducing Happiness
Introducing Happiness
Introducing Happiness is a 1994 album by Rheostatics.The album includes "Claire", the band's only Top 40 hit. That song is also featured on the Whale Music soundtrack album....
album. k.d. lang
K.D. Lang
Kathryn Dawn Lang, OC , known by her stage name k.d. lang, is a Canadian pop and country singer-songwriter and occasional actress...
covered "The Valley" and "Love Is Everything" on her album Hymns of the 49th Parallel
Hymns of the 49th Parallel
Hymns of the 49th Parallel is the ninth studio album by Canadian singer and songwriter k.d. lang, released in 2004. It is an album of songs by Lang's favourite Canadian songwriters, and includes remake version of her original composition initially appeared on 2000 album Invincible Summer.-Title:The...
.
Rock Plaza Central
Rock Plaza Central
Rock Plaza Central is a Canadian indie rock band. After a pair of glowing reviews from the influential music website Pitchfork Media, they have come to prominence as a major indie rock band...
covered "You Don't Need"; and "Calling All Angels" was covered by The Wailin' Jennys
The Wailin' Jennys
The Wailin' Jennys are a Juno Award-winning Canadian folk trio from Winnipeg, Manitoba, and New York, and they consist of soprano Ruth Moody, mezzo Nicky Mehta and alto Heather Masse. In previous years, the Jennys have also toured with fiddler and mandolinist Jeremy Penner, who is from Ruth's...
in 2009.
External links
- Jane Siberry on Sheeba RecordsSheeba RecordsSheeba Records is a Canadian independent record label, owned and operated by Jane Siberry.Siberry established Sheeba to release her albums following the end of her contract with Reprise Records in 1996...