Jason Rowe
Encyclopedia
Jason Rowe, who formerly recorded under the name Jai, is a British
pop
and soul
singer currently residing in Bristol
, England
.
, England
, in December 1969. He moved to London
in the mid-1990s and began working with producer Joel Bogen
. A single
, "Don't Give Me Away", was recorded under the name "Jai" and released on independent record label
M&G Records
in February 1997. The success of the single in the UK and across Europe attracted the attention of RCA Records
, who released Rowe's debut album, Heaven
, later that same year. The album featured mostly original works co-written by Rowe with Bogen, Christopher Bemand, and Rob Watson
, as well as contemporary covers
of the Arthur Hamilton
standard "Cry Me a River" and J. J. Cale's "Magnolia". The single "I Believe" was a minor hit in the United States
, and the album itself made a brief appearance at #49 on the Billboard
Heatseekers Album Chart
.
In a February 1998 interview with Rolling Stone
, Rowe discussed his vocal influences and overall style, likening the content of his first album to a mix of Portishead and Prince
.
After residing for a couple of years in New York City
, Rowe returned to Europe, eventually settling in Berlin
. He began writing new songs and also penned songs for the German hip hop
band Die Fantastischen Vier
. On February 23, 2007, Lovelife, his first solo album under his full name, was released on German record label Four Music
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
and soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
singer currently residing in Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Biography
Jason Rowe was born in YeovilYeovil
Yeovil is a town and civil parish in south Somerset, England. The parish had a population of 27,949 at the 2001 census, although the wider urban area had a population of 42,140...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, in December 1969. He moved to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in the mid-1990s and began working with producer Joel Bogen
Joel Bogen
Joel 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...
. A single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, "Don't Give Me Away", was recorded under the name "Jai" and released on independent record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
M&G Records
M&G Records
M&G Records was a record label founded by Michael Levy after he sold his previous label Magnet Records in 1988 to WEA for an estimated £10 million.- History :...
in February 1997. The success of the single in the UK and across Europe attracted the attention of RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
, who released Rowe's debut album, Heaven
Heaven (Jai album)
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...
, later that same year. The album featured mostly original works co-written by Rowe with Bogen, Christopher Bemand, and Rob Watson
Rob Watson
Robert D. Watson is a keyboard player, producer and composer best known for his work with the rock bands Daniel Amos and The Swirling Eddies...
, as well as contemporary 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" and J. J. Cale's "Magnolia". The single "I Believe" was a minor hit in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and the album itself made a brief appearance at #49 on the Billboard
Billboard (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...
.
In a February 1998 interview with Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
, Rowe discussed his vocal influences and overall style, likening the content of his first album to a mix of Portishead and Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
.
After residing for a couple of years in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Rowe returned to Europe, eventually settling in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. He began writing new songs and also penned songs for the German hip hop
German hip hop
German Hip Hop refers to hip hop music produced in Germany. Elements of American hip hop culture, such as graffiti art and breakdancing, diffused into Western Europe in the early 1980s.-1980–1990:...
band Die Fantastischen Vier
Die Fantastischen Vier
Die Fantastischen Vier , also known as Fanta 4, is a German hip hop group from Stuttgart, Germany. The members are Michael Bernd Schmidt alias Smudo, Andreas Rieke alias And.Ypsilon, Thomas Dürr alias Hausmeister Thomas D and Michael 'Michi' Beck alias Dee Jot Hausmarke...
. On February 23, 2007, Lovelife, his first solo album under his full name, was released on German record label Four Music
Four Music
Four Music is a German record label founded by Die Fantastischen Vier in 1996.It was originally located in Stuttgart, but has moved to Kreuzberg, Berlin.The most popular musicians and groups signed on Four Music are...
.