Jeffrey Gaines
Encyclopedia
Jeffrey Gaines is an American singer-songwriter
and guitarist
. Born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
, he was signed to the Chrysalis Records
label in 1990 and released his debut album, Jeffrey Gaines, in 1992 (see 1992 in music
).
The first single off the critically acclaimed Jeffrey Gaines was "Hero In Me". Gaines performed that song live on Good Morning America
and the song received some radio and MTV
airplay, but it would be the b-side to his second single that would eventually give him his biggest hit. "Scares Me More" featured an acoustic live version of Peter Gabriel
's "In Your Eyes
", which Gabriel had taken to #26 on the Hot 100 in 1986. Re-released by Gabriel in 1989 after a resurgence in popularity due to the song's inclusion in a key scene in the film Say Anything..., Gabriel's single recharted but failed to hit the Top 40. Gaines' acoustic version received some radio attention but neither side of the single managed to chart nationally in 1992.
A fan favorite, Gaines re-recorded both live and studio versions of "In Your Eyes" in 2001 for his fourth album, the independent release Always Be, and the song was released to radio. This time Gaines hit #22 on the U.S. Adult Top 40 chart and the slow-burning hit remained on the 40-place chart for 22 weeks. Gabriel's own version of the ballad also continued to smolder, being certified as Gabriel's first U.S. Gold single to date in 2005, 19 years after its release.
Gaines was one of the artists invited to contribute vocals to the benefit CD "We are Family", produced by Nile Rodgers
after the September 11, 2001 attacks
with profits going to the families affected by the tragedy and "dedicated to the vision of a global family" and respect and understanding of cultural diversity. The single peaked at #9 on Billboard's Hot Singles Sales chart in late 2001 and #32 on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play
chart in early 2002.
Gaines has performed his original compositions live on Late Night with Conan O'Brien
, VH-1, Friday Night Videos
and A&E
's Breakfast with the Arts
.
Gaines has toured with artists including Paula Cole
, Tori Amos
, Tracy Chapman
,Melissa Etheridge, Sting, Shawn Colvin
, Edwin McCain
, The Bacon Brothers
, Joe Jackson
and Stevie Nicks
. In addition to the Gabriel song Gaines' sets of original material occasionally include covers of songs by other artists as diverse as Elvis Costello
, The Monkees
, Traffic
and Roberta Flack
, and he continues to perform live, with several dates announced throughout 2010.
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...
and guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
. Born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
, he was signed to the Chrysalis Records
Chrysalis Records
Chrysalis Records was a British record label that was created in 1969. The name was both a reference to the pupal stage of a butterfly and a combination of its founders names, Chris Wright and Terry Ellis...
label in 1990 and released his debut album, Jeffrey Gaines, in 1992 (see 1992 in music
1992 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1992.-January–February:*January 11**Nirvana's Nevermind album goes to #1 in the US Billboard 200 chart, establishing the widespread popularity of the Grunge movement of the 1990s....
).
The first single off the critically acclaimed Jeffrey Gaines was "Hero In Me". Gaines performed that song live on Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
and the song received some radio and MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
airplay, but it would be the b-side to his second single that would eventually give him his biggest hit. "Scares Me More" featured an acoustic live version of Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
's "In Your Eyes
In Your Eyes (Peter Gabriel song)
"In Your Eyes" is a song by British musician Peter Gabriel from his 1986 album So. It reached #1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks and #26 on the Billboard Hot 100 in November, 1986. It was not released as a single in the UK...
", which Gabriel had taken to #26 on the Hot 100 in 1986. Re-released by Gabriel in 1989 after a resurgence in popularity due to the song's inclusion in a key scene in the film Say Anything..., Gabriel's single recharted but failed to hit the Top 40. Gaines' acoustic version received some radio attention but neither side of the single managed to chart nationally in 1992.
A fan favorite, Gaines re-recorded both live and studio versions of "In Your Eyes" in 2001 for his fourth album, the independent release Always Be, and the song was released to radio. This time Gaines hit #22 on the U.S. Adult Top 40 chart and the slow-burning hit remained on the 40-place chart for 22 weeks. Gabriel's own version of the ballad also continued to smolder, being certified as Gabriel's first U.S. Gold single to date in 2005, 19 years after its release.
Gaines was one of the artists invited to contribute vocals to the benefit CD "We are Family", produced by Nile Rodgers
Nile Rodgers
Nile Gregory Rodgers is an American musician, producer, composer, arranger, and guitarist.-Biography:...
after the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
with profits going to the families affected by the tragedy and "dedicated to the vision of a global family" and respect and understanding of cultural diversity. The single peaked at #9 on Billboard's Hot Singles Sales chart in late 2001 and #32 on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play
Hot Dance Club Play
The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs...
chart in early 2002.
Gaines has performed his original compositions live on Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
, VH-1, Friday Night Videos
Friday Night Videos
Friday Night Videos is an American music video show broadcast on the NBC television network from July 29, 1983 to December 30, 2000, and was the network's attempt to capitalize on the emerging popularity of music videos as seen on MTV...
and A&E
A&E Network
The A&E Network is a United States-based cable and satellite television network with headquarters in New York City and offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, London, Los Angeles and Stamford. A&E also airs in Canada and Latin America. Initially named the Arts & Entertainment Network, A&E launched...
's Breakfast with the Arts
Breakfast with the Arts
Breakfast with the Arts is a television program that aired on A&E from 1991 until 2007.Over the years, the show featured performances and interviews from all facets of the performing arts including rock, jazz, and classical, music, Broadway, film, dance, and books...
.
Gaines has toured with artists including Paula Cole
Paula Cole
Paula Cole is an American singer/songwriter. Her single "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone" reached the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 in 1997, and the following year she won a Grammy Award for Best New Artist.-Early life:...
, Tori Amos
Tori Amos
Tori Amos is an American pianist, singer-songwriter and composer. She was at the forefront of a number of female singer-songwriters in the early 1990s and was noteworthy early in her career as one of the few alternative rock performers to use a piano as her primary instrument...
, Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her singles "Fast Car", "Talkin' 'bout a Revolution", "Baby Can I Hold You", "Give Me One Reason" and "Telling Stories". She is a multi-platinum and four-time Grammy Award-winning artist.-Biography:Tracy Chapman was born in Cleveland,...
,Melissa Etheridge, Sting, Shawn Colvin
Shawn Colvin
Shawn Colvin is an American singer-songwriter and musician.-Childhood and early career:Colvin was born in Vermillion, South Dakota. Her formative years were spent in the town of Carbondale, Illinois, where she attended Southern Illinois University Carbondale. She learned to play guitar at the age...
, Edwin McCain
Edwin McCain
Edwin McCain is an American singer-songwriter and musician.-Career:While his albums are released under his name, he does have a permanent band, referred to as the Edwin McCain Band...
, The Bacon Brothers
The Bacon Brothers
The Bacon Brothers is the American musical duo of Michael Bacon and Kevin Bacon. Although they have played music together since they were boys, the brothers have only been a working band since 1995....
, Joe Jackson
Joe Jackson (musician)
Joe Jackson is an English musician and singer-songwriter now living in Berlin, whose five Grammy Award nominations span from 1979 to 2001...
and Stevie Nicks
Stevie Nicks
Stephanie Lynn "Stevie" Nicks is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her work with Fleetwood Mac and an extensive solo career, which collectively have produced over forty Top 50 hits and sold over 140 million albums...
. In addition to the Gabriel song Gaines' sets of original material occasionally include covers of songs by other artists as diverse as Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader...
, The Monkees
The Monkees
The Monkees are an American pop rock group. Assembled in Los Angeles in 1966 by Robert "Bob" Rafelson and Bert Schneider for the American television series The Monkees, which aired from 1966 to 1968, the musical acting quartet was composed of Americans Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork,...
, Traffic
Traffic (band)
Traffic were an English rock band whose members came from the West Midlands. The group formed in April 1967 by Steve Winwood, Jim Capaldi, Chris Wood and Dave Mason...
and Roberta Flack
Roberta Flack
Roberta Flack is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who is notable for jazz, soul, R&B, and folk music...
, and he continues to perform live, with several dates announced throughout 2010.
Album Discography
- Jeffrey Gaines (1992, Chrysalis RecordsChrysalis RecordsChrysalis Records was a British record label that was created in 1969. The name was both a reference to the pupal stage of a butterfly and a combination of its founders names, Chris Wright and Terry Ellis...
) - Somewhat Slightly Dazed (1994, Chrysalis Records)
- Galore (1998, RykodiscRykodiscRykodisc Records is an American record label. It is owned by Warner Music Group, operates as a unit of WMG's Independent Label Group and is distributed through Alternative Distribution Alliance.-Company history:...
) - Always Be (2001, Artemis Records)
- Toward the Sun (2003, Artemis Records)
- Jeffrey Gaines Live (2004, Artemis Records)
Singles Discography (official commercial releases)
- "Hero In Me" (1992, Chrysalis Records)
- "Scares Me More" (1992, Chrysalis Records)
- "Headmasters of Mine" (1993, Chrysalis Records)
- "I Like You" (1994, Chrysalis/EMI RecordsEMI RecordsEMI Records is the flagship record label founded by the EMI company in 1972 and launched in January 1973 as the successor to its Columbia label. The EMI label was launched worldwide...
) - "I Know a Man" (1994, Chrysalis/EMI)
- "Right My Wrongs" (1998 Rykodisc)
- "We Are Family" (with Various Artists, 2001 Tommy Boy Entertainment)