Jan Hellriegel
Encyclopedia
Jan Hellriegel is a singer/songwriter based in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...

, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

.

Her first recorded appearances were in Dunedin band Working With Walt
Working With Walt
Working With Walt was a music group formed in the 1980s, and based in Dunedin, New Zealand.Working With Walt disbanded sometime by the late 1980s with Jan Hellriegel going on to a solo music career, and David Wood helping form Straitjacket Fits....

 in the mid-1980s when Jan studied at the University of Otago
University of Otago
The University of Otago in Dunedin is New Zealand's oldest university with over 22,000 students enrolled during 2010.The university has New Zealand's highest average research quality and in New Zealand is second only to the University of Auckland in the number of A rated academic researchers it...

 in Dunedin. She then formed all-woman band Cassandra's Ears
Cassandra's Ears
Cassandra’s Ears was an all-female music group formed in 1985 in Dunedin, New Zealand and later based in Auckland, New Zealand.Their first release was the song “Replacements” for the National Student Radio compilation, Weird Culture Weird Custom...

, moving back to Auckland and going solo in the early 90s.

Hellriegel has released three solo studio albums, "It's My Sin" in 1992, "Tremble" in 1995 and "All Grown Up" in 2009.

She has toured with and supported many international acts including The Cure
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...

, Jeff Buckley
Jeff Buckley
Jeffrey Scott "Jeff" Buckley , raised as Scotty Moorhead, was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He was the son of Tim Buckley, also a musician...

, David Byrne
David Byrne
David Byrne may refer to:*David Byrne , musician and former Talking Heads frontman**David Byrne , his eponymous album*David Byrne , Irish footballer*David Byrne , English footballer...

, Diesel, and Ron Sexsmith.

She has also performed as a guest vocalist for many bands such as Straitjacket Fits
Straitjacket Fits
Straitjacket Fits formed in Dunedin, New Zealand in 1986 and were a prominent band in the Flying Nun label's second wave of the Dunedin Sound.-Biography:...

, The Verlaines
The Verlaines
The Verlaines are a rock band from Dunedin, New Zealand. Formed in 1981 by Graeme Downes, Craig Easton, Anita Pillai, Phillip Higham and Greg Kerr, the band went through multiple line-ups before going on an extended hiatus after their 1997 album Over The Moon. In 2003 a career retrospective, You're...

 and The Muttonbirds, notably on the latter's hit single Nature.

Early

Jan Hellriegel was born and raised in West Auckland
Waitakere
Waitakere City was the name of a city which existed from 1989 until 2010 in the Auckland region. It was New Zealand's fifth largest city, with an annual growth of about 2%...

 with her three brothers and attended Henderson High School. She famously worked in her father's panel beating
Panel beater
A panel beater is a term used in some Commonwealth countries to describe a person who repairs vehicle bodies back to their factory state after having been damaged . In the USA the same job is done by an auto body mechanic...

 shop, though only in the office. Nonetheless, the combination of her birthplace and early employment led to her being branded a “Westie” by the New Zealand media.

Jan took vocal training in speech and singing at St. Mary’s College, Auckland under Sister Mary Leo
Sister Mary Leo
Dame Sister Mary Leo, DBE, RSM was a New Zealand nun who is best known for training some of the world's finest sopranos, including Dames Malvina Major, Kiri Te Kanawa and Heather Begg....

. She then moved to Dunedin
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...

 in the 1980s to attend the University of Otago
University of Otago
The University of Otago in Dunedin is New Zealand's oldest university with over 22,000 students enrolled during 2010.The university has New Zealand's highest average research quality and in New Zealand is second only to the University of Auckland in the number of A rated academic researchers it...

, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...

.

While in Dunedin, she joined her brother Rob Hellriegel's band, Working With Walt
Working With Walt
Working With Walt was a music group formed in the 1980s, and based in Dunedin, New Zealand.Working With Walt disbanded sometime by the late 1980s with Jan Hellriegel going on to a solo music career, and David Wood helping form Straitjacket Fits....

. She performed backing vocals, piano and guitar on their 1984 7” LP The Prophet and wrote and performed the song “Christina” on the band’s 1985 LP 4 Sides.

In 1988, Jan performed backing vocals on the Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen
Leonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships...

 song “So Long Marianne”, performed by Straitjacket Fits
Straitjacket Fits
Straitjacket Fits formed in Dunedin, New Zealand in 1986 and were a prominent band in the Flying Nun label's second wave of the Dunedin Sound.-Biography:...

.

Cassandra’s Ears

In the late 1980s Jan formed the band Cassandra's Ears
Cassandra's Ears
Cassandra’s Ears was an all-female music group formed in 1985 in Dunedin, New Zealand and later based in Auckland, New Zealand.Their first release was the song “Replacements” for the National Student Radio compilation, Weird Culture Weird Custom...

 with Dunedin bandmates Flick Rhind (bass), Zan Wright (backing vocals), Vanessa Anich (drums) and Leanne Ibell (guitar). Jan wrote music and lyrics and performed vocals, guitar and keyboards.

Their first release was the song “Replacements” for the National Student Radio compilation, Weird Culture Weird Custom. The band played local gigs, toured New Zealand, wrote more material, and eventually released two LPs, Private Wasteland in 1988 and Your Estimation in 1990.

Solo career

By 1991, Jan had signed a deal with Warner Records New Zealand
Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group is the third largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the big four record companies...

 to record solo material. Her first album, It’s My Sin, was recorded between December 1991 and January 1992 at Mountain Studios (Tauranga), Airforce Studios (Auckland), Mandrill Studios, Helen Young Studios and Auckland Audio (Auckland). The album was released in 1992, along with singles for the songs “The Way I Feel”, “It’s My Sin” and “No Idea”. There was also a promotional EP for “All the Best Thoughts”, and the songs “Westy Gals” and “Wings of Steel” were released as radio-only singles.

In 1992, Jan also recorded backing vocals for the hit song “Nature” by The Mutton Birds
The Mutton Birds
The Mutton Birds was a band from New Zealand formed in 1991 by Don McGlashan, Ross Burge, and David Long.-History:All three members came into the band with experience: McGlashan came from Blam Blam Blam and The Front Lawn, guitarist Long had played in the Six Volts and Burge had played in the...

.

In 1995, Jan recorded a television advertisement for Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...

 before completing her second album, Tremble, at Sing Sing (Melbourne) and Studios 301 (Sydney) in 1995. The album was released the same year along with singles for the songs “Manic (is a state of mind) ”, “Geraldine” and “Pure Pleasure”. In 1996 Jan was awarded Most Promising Female Vocalist at the New Zealand Music Awards
New Zealand Music Awards
The New Zealand Music Awards show, is a major annual New Zealand music event where musical acts and singers are awarded each year. It has occurred every year since 1965 to outstanding New Zealand musicians and groups....

, and Top Female Vocalist and Single of the Year (for Manic) at the Music and Entertainer Awards of New Zealand.

In 1997, Jan recorded a television advertisement for Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...

, a cover version of the Gordon Mills
Gordon Mills
Gordon William Mills , was a successful London-based music industry manager and songwriter who was born in Madras, India and grew up in Trealaw in the Rhondda Valley, South Wales...

 song “10 Guitars” for a Television New Zealand
Television New Zealand
Television New Zealand, more commonly referred to, and stylized as TVNZ, is a government-owned corporation television network broadcasting in New Zealand and parts of the Pacific. It operates TV1, TV2, TVNZ7, TVNZ Heartland, TVNZ U and new media services....

 documentary of the same name, and the song “Unravelled” for the short film “My Geraldine” by former Cassandra's Ears
Cassandra's Ears
Cassandra’s Ears was an all-female music group formed in 1985 in Dunedin, New Zealand and later based in Auckland, New Zealand.Their first release was the song “Replacements” for the National Student Radio compilation, Weird Culture Weird Custom...

 band mate Flick Rhind. She also recorded a new single, “Sentimental Fool”, at York Street A&B Studios (Auckland) for release that year.

Jan subsequently parted ways with Warner Records, and her last single, “Melusine”, recorded at Beaver Studios (Auckland) was released by Universal Records
Universal Records
Universal Records was a record label owned by Universal Music Group, and it is now owned by Manny Patino and Michael Jackson, and operated as part of the Universal Motown Republic Group.-History:...

 in 1998. That year, Jan was nominated for the Fox of the Year award on the Mikey Havoc
Mikey Havoc
Mikey Havoc , also known colloquially as Havo is a New Zealand media personality.-Music:Roberts was the lead singer of the New Zealand glam metal group Push Push, best known for its 1991 number one singles "What My Baby Likes" and "Trippin'". He is now a house music DJ...

 show.

In 1999, Jan joined the Alan Duff
Alan Duff
Alan Duff is a New Zealand novelist and newspaper columnist, most well known as the author of Once Were Warriors.- Biography :...

 Charitable Foundation Duffy Books in Homes
Duffy Books in Homes
Duffy Books in Homes is the trading name of The Alan Duff Charitable Foundation. It is a New Zealand registered, literacy-focused charitable organization which has links to similar organisations in the USA and Australia.-History:...

 programme as a celebrity spokesperson. She co-wrote the theme song “Read About It” with Dave Dobbyn
Dave Dobbyn
Dave Dobbyn, ONZM is an award-winning New Zealand musician, singer-songwriter and record producer. In his early career he was a member of the rock group Th' Dudes and was the main creative force in pop band DD Smash...

 and Toi Iti, which is still performed by 100,000 children annually. During that year she played a non-musical acting role on Shortland Street
Shortland Street
Shortland Street is a New Zealand prime-time soap opera, first broadcast on Television New Zealand's TV2 on 25 May 1992. It is the country's longest-running drama and soap opera, being broadcast continuously for over 4500 episodes and 19 years, and is one of the most watched television programs in...

, playing Jackie, an abused wife.

In 2000, Jan appeared in the New Zealand television Street Legal
Street legal
Street legal or road legal refers to a vehicle such as an automobile, motorcycle, or light truck that is equipped and licensed for use on public roads...

 and in 2001 she became involved in a collaboration with Tom Blaxland called Project Runway. In 2002, she wrote and recorded the song “Star Baby” for children’s clothing label Pumpkin Patch.

In early 2009 Jan went into Roundhead Studios
Roundhead Studios
Roundhead Studios is an Auckland-based sound recording studio owned by singer-songwriter Neil Finn. It was officially opened in June 2007, however by the time of its opening, several international artists had already used it whilst the studio was either in construction or receiving finishing...

 in Auckland to record a third album with a line-up of musicians including producer Wayne Bell, Nick Gaffaney on drums, Brett Adams and Ben Fulton on guitars, Eddie Rayner and Michael Larsen on piano/keyboards, and Mark Hughes on bass. Special guests included Kiri Eriwata, Callie Blood and Jackie Clarke on backing vocals. The album was engineered and mixed by Neil Baldock and was mastered by Greg Calbi at Stirling Sound in New York.

Jan released the new album "All Grown Up" on her own record label, Blind Date Records, in October 2009 to critical acclaim from New Zealand music reviewers.

In May 2010 Jan joined Native Tongue Music Publishing as their New Zealand General Manager.

In June 2010 "Melusine" was re-released by Blind Date Records.

In October 2010 Jan announced she had finally signed an agreement with Warner Music Australia that would allow her to re-release her earlier albums, "It's My Sin" and "Tremble" through Blind Date Records. She said this would happen early 2011.

By the beginning of 2011, "Tremble" and "It's My Sin" had been re-released for digital download on amplifier.co.nz and iTunes.

Studio albums

  • 1992 It’s My Sin
  • 1995 Tremble
  • 2009 All Grown Up

  • 2010 "Tremble" ( re-release for download on Blind Date Records through iTunes etc)
  • 2010 "It's My Sin" ( re-release for download on Blind Date Records through iTunes etc)

Singles

  • 1992 “The Way I Feel” (2 tracks)
  • 1992 “All The Best Thoughts” (6 track promo EP)
  • 1992 “It’s My Sin” (2 tracks)
  • 1993 “No Idea” (3 tracks)
  • 1993 “Westy Gals” (radio release only)
  • 1994 “Wings Of Steel (Radio Edit) ” (radio release only)
  • 1995 “Manic (Is A State Of Mind) ” (2 tracks)
  • 1995 “Geraldine” (2 tracks)
  • 1996 “Pure Pleasure” (2 track and 5 track editions)
  • 1997 “Sentimental Fool” (3 tracks)
  • 1998 “Melusine” (5 tracks)
  • 2010 "Melusine" ( re-release on Blind Date Records )
  • 2010 "Sentimental Fool" ( re-release for download on Blind Date Records through iTunes etc)

Compilations

  • 1992 Fresh Air Compilation No 2 (video compilation featuring “The Way I Feel”)
  • 1993 New Zealand Music Awards (video compilation featuring “The Way I Feel”)
  • 1993 Kiwi Hit Disc 2 (featuring “It’s My Sin”)
  • 1993 Kiwi Hit Disc 3 (featuring “Westy Gals”)
  • 1994 Kiwi Hit Disc 6 (featuring “Wings Of Steel (Radio Edit) ”)
  • 1994 More: Music For Your Mouth (featuring “The Way I Feel”)
  • 1995 The Trip 5 (featuring “Manic (Is A State Of Mind) ”)
  • 1995 NZ On Air (video compilation featuring “Geraldine”)
  • 1995 Kiwi Hit Disc 14 (featuring “Geraldine”)
  • 1995 Kiwi Talk Disc
  • 1996 Clear 1996 Music And Entertainer Awards Of New Zealand (featuring “Manic (Is A State Of Mind) ”)
  • 1997 Kiwi Hit Disc 25 (featuring “Sentimental Fool”)
  • 1998 Kiwi Hit Disc 28 (featuring “Melusine”)
  • 1999 When Love Comes (movie soundtrack featuring “Melusine”)
  • 1999 Algorhythm (featuring “Melusine (Beaver Remix) ”)
  • 2000 Kiwi Hit Disc (Gold Collection) 1990 - 1995 (featuring “The Way I Feel”)
  • 2010 "Kiwi Hit Disc" ( NZ On Air ) May release ( featuring 2 x 2 )

Other

  • 1984 The Prophet Working With Walt
    Working With Walt
    Working With Walt was a music group formed in the 1980s, and based in Dunedin, New Zealand.Working With Walt disbanded sometime by the late 1980s with Jan Hellriegel going on to a solo music career, and David Wood helping form Straitjacket Fits....

  • 1985 5 Sides Working With Walt
    Working With Walt
    Working With Walt was a music group formed in the 1980s, and based in Dunedin, New Zealand.Working With Walt disbanded sometime by the late 1980s with Jan Hellriegel going on to a solo music career, and David Wood helping form Straitjacket Fits....

  • 1988 Hail Straitjacket Fits
    Straitjacket Fits
    Straitjacket Fits formed in Dunedin, New Zealand in 1986 and were a prominent band in the Flying Nun label's second wave of the Dunedin Sound.-Biography:...

     (album)
  • 1988 Hail Straitjacket Fits
    Straitjacket Fits
    Straitjacket Fits formed in Dunedin, New Zealand in 1986 and were a prominent band in the Flying Nun label's second wave of the Dunedin Sound.-Biography:...

     (single)
  • 1990 Rough Trade US Sampler Straitjacket Fits
    Straitjacket Fits
    Straitjacket Fits formed in Dunedin, New Zealand in 1986 and were a prominent band in the Flying Nun label's second wave of the Dunedin Sound.-Biography:...

     (compilation)
  • 1990 Hail Straitjacket Fits
    Straitjacket Fits
    Straitjacket Fits formed in Dunedin, New Zealand in 1986 and were a prominent band in the Flying Nun label's second wave of the Dunedin Sound.-Biography:...

     (album reissue)
  • 1992 The Mutton Birds The Mutton Birds
    The Mutton Birds
    The Mutton Birds was a band from New Zealand formed in 1991 by Don McGlashan, Ross Burge, and David Long.-History:All three members came into the band with experience: McGlashan came from Blam Blam Blam and The Front Lawn, guitarist Long had played in the Six Volts and Burge had played in the...

     (album)
  • 1992 The Mutton Birds The Mutton Birds
    The Mutton Birds
    The Mutton Birds was a band from New Zealand formed in 1991 by Don McGlashan, Ross Burge, and David Long.-History:All three members came into the band with experience: McGlashan came from Blam Blam Blam and The Front Lawn, guitarist Long had played in the Six Volts and Burge had played in the...

     (album)
  • 1992 Nature The Mutton Birds
    The Mutton Birds
    The Mutton Birds was a band from New Zealand formed in 1991 by Don McGlashan, Ross Burge, and David Long.-History:All three members came into the band with experience: McGlashan came from Blam Blam Blam and The Front Lawn, guitarist Long had played in the Six Volts and Burge had played in the...

     (New Zealand single)
  • 1994 Nature The Mutton Birds
    The Mutton Birds
    The Mutton Birds was a band from New Zealand formed in 1991 by Don McGlashan, Ross Burge, and David Long.-History:All three members came into the band with experience: McGlashan came from Blam Blam Blam and The Front Lawn, guitarist Long had played in the Six Volts and Burge had played in the...

     (Australian single)
  • 1995 Box Of Birds The Mutton Birds
    The Mutton Birds
    The Mutton Birds was a band from New Zealand formed in 1991 by Don McGlashan, Ross Burge, and David Long.-History:All three members came into the band with experience: McGlashan came from Blam Blam Blam and The Front Lawn, guitarist Long had played in the Six Volts and Burge had played in the...

     (compilation)
  • 1995 Box Of Birds The Mutton Birds
    The Mutton Birds
    The Mutton Birds was a band from New Zealand formed in 1991 by Don McGlashan, Ross Burge, and David Long.-History:All three members came into the band with experience: McGlashan came from Blam Blam Blam and The Front Lawn, guitarist Long had played in the Six Volts and Burge had played in the...

     (video compilation)
  • 1996 Nature The Mutton Birds
    The Mutton Birds
    The Mutton Birds was a band from New Zealand formed in 1991 by Don McGlashan, Ross Burge, and David Long.-History:All three members came into the band with experience: McGlashan came from Blam Blam Blam and The Front Lawn, guitarist Long had played in the Six Volts and Burge had played in the...

     (French single)
  • 2010 "The Cassandra's Ears Story" Cassandra's Ears
    Cassandra's Ears
    Cassandra’s Ears was an all-female music group formed in 1985 in Dunedin, New Zealand and later based in Auckland, New Zealand.Their first release was the song “Replacements” for the National Student Radio compilation, Weird Culture Weird Custom...

     (Re-release of combined Cassandra's Ears EPs)

Television

Other than interview or performance appearances, Jan Hellriegel has occasionally dabbled in acting.
  • 1997 – Xena
    Xena
    Xena is a fictional character from Robert Tapert's Xena: Warrior Princess franchise. She first appeared in the 1995–1999 television series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, before going on to appear in Xena: Warrior Princess TV show and subsequent comic book of the same name...

     character: NemoSyne, Goddess of Memory.
  • 1997 – Television New Zealand
    Television New Zealand
    Television New Zealand, more commonly referred to, and stylized as TVNZ, is a government-owned corporation television network broadcasting in New Zealand and parts of the Pacific. It operates TV1, TV2, TVNZ7, TVNZ Heartland, TVNZ U and new media services....

     documentary “10 Guitars”: herself.
  • 1997 – Television New Zealand
    Television New Zealand
    Television New Zealand, more commonly referred to, and stylized as TVNZ, is a government-owned corporation television network broadcasting in New Zealand and parts of the Pacific. It operates TV1, TV2, TVNZ7, TVNZ Heartland, TVNZ U and new media services....

     August 7 edition of “Assignment”: herself.
  • 1998 – MTV New Zealand “Closedown Show”: herself.
  • 1999 – Xena
    Xena
    Xena is a fictional character from Robert Tapert's Xena: Warrior Princess franchise. She first appeared in the 1995–1999 television series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, before going on to appear in Xena: Warrior Princess TV show and subsequent comic book of the same name...

     character: Hestia, Virgin Goddess.
  • 1999 – Shortland Street
    Shortland Street
    Shortland Street is a New Zealand prime-time soap opera, first broadcast on Television New Zealand's TV2 on 25 May 1992. It is the country's longest-running drama and soap opera, being broadcast continuously for over 4500 episodes and 19 years, and is one of the most watched television programs in...

     character: Jackie, an abused wife.
  • 2000 – Street Legal
    Street legal
    Street legal or road legal refers to a vehicle such as an automobile, motorcycle, or light truck that is equipped and licensed for use on public roads...

    character: unknown.

External links

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