Paul Janz
Encyclopedia
Paul Janz in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
) is a Canadian theologian, and formerly a prominent 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...
of pop rock
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
music in the mainstream and contemporary Christian
Contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith...
markets. He is known for such hits as "Every Little Tear", "I Go To Pieces", Rocket to My Heart", "Close My Eyes," "Stand" and "I Won't Cry".
He began his music career in the 1970s with his brothers in a band called Deliverance
Deliverance (pop band)
Deliverance was a Canadian Christian pop music band that was active in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Danny Janz, Ken Janz, and Paul Janz formed Deliverance in Lorrach, Germany though the three were from Alberta, Canada. All three were raised in Basel, Switzerland and attended Black Forest Academy...
. Brought up in a Mennonite family, he first learned the trumpet and by age 13 was engaged with his local chapter of The Salvation Army. Gospel music and rock, combined with a broad interest in music made him record with the band three albums within 10 years, successful in Germany and moving to #56 on Billboard with 1979's "Leaving LA". In 1984, he launched his solo career, which culminated in four projects with a string of chart-topping hits from each album. The success of his projects led to his nomination for the Juno Award
Juno Award
The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
s, Canada's most prominent music award. Despite achieving great success in Canada
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...
, his record label's restructuring of its roster of artists led to the end of A & R promotion in the American market. Janz's final project, Trust, which was recorded under the Attic Records
Attic Records
Attic Records may refer to:* Attic Records , Canadian rock label* ATIC Records, Manchester, United Kingdom electronic / Hip Hop label, founded by Aim in 2005...
label, continued the same ground-breaking tradition with Janz's trademark lyrical compositions and driving melodic rhythms. Since that time, Janz hasn't released any new material.
In 1981 he took part in the German selection for the Eurovision Song Contest
Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest
Germany has participated in every Eurovision Song Contest since its beginning in 1956, although its entry in 1996 did not qualify past the pre‐selection round, and therefore was not seen in the broadcast final. No other country has been represented as often. France and the United Kingdom come in a...
with the song "Steine (Stones)". He finished tenth behind musicians like Taco and Peter Cornelius
Peter Cornelius (musician)
Peter Cornelius is an Austrian pop-singer, guitarist and a former member of Enigma.- Albums :* 1974 Hampelmann* 1974 Fleckerlteppich* 1976 Eine Rose aus Papier* 1980 Der Kaffee ist fertig...
. Instead, Lena Valaitis
Lena Valaitis
Lena Valaitis is a Lithuanian-German Schlager singer. She had her greatest success during the 1970s and 1980s and competed in three Eurovision Song Contests.- Personal life:...
was selected to represent Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
at the Eurovision Song Contest 1981
Eurovision Song Contest 1981
The Eurovision Song Contest 1981 was the 26th Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 4 April 1981 at the Simmonscourt Pavilion of the Royal Dublin Society in Dublin. The presenter was Doireann Ní Bhriain...
with the song "Johnny Blue
Johnny Blue
Johnny Blue was the German entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1981, performed in German by Lena Valaitis.The song was performed third on the night...
".
Presently a Senior Lecturer in Systematic Theology
Systematic theology
In the context of Christianity, systematic theology is a discipline of Christian theology that attempts to formulate an orderly, rational, and coherent account of the Christian faith and beliefs...
and Head of the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at King's College London
King's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
, he formerly taught philosophy at Trinity Western University
Trinity Western University
Trinity Western University is a private, Christian liberal arts university located in Langley, British Columbia, Canada.The school was founded in 1962 as Trinity Junior College, and now enrolls approximately 4000 students and sits on a campus....
in Langley
Langley, British Columbia (district municipality)
The Township of Langley is a district municipality immediately east of the City of Surrey in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. It extends south from the Fraser River to the U.S. border, and west of the City of Abbotsford...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
and has written a book entitled God, the Mind's Desire: Reference, Reason and Christian Thinking published by Cambridge University Press. In 2004, Janz's first album High Strung was re-released on CD for the first time by Escape Music in the UK. More recently, he has launched a new brand, Transformation Theology, a re-make of Bonhoeffer's grass-root theology.
His son Chris Janz is a recording artist and GMA Canada
GMA Canada
GMA Canada is the Gospel Music Association of Canada . Created in 1974, the organization is a not for profit association whose mission is to promote the growth and ministry of Christian music arts in Canada...
Covenant Award winning songwriter and Covenant Award nominated producer.
Albums
- High Strung (1985)
- Electricity (1987)
- Songwriter (1989) - demo album, not commercially released
- Renegade Romantic (1990)
- Presence: A Collection of Hit Singles (1992)
- Trust (1992)
Deliverance
| Year | Single | CAN Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... |
US |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Leaving LA | #57 | #71 |
Solo
| Year | Single | CAN Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Go to Pieces | #29 |
| 1985 | Don't Cry Tonight | -- |
| 1985 | High Strung | #85 |
| 1985 | Close My Eyes | #94 |
| 1987 | One Night (is All it Takes) | #67 |
| 1988 | Believe in Me | #26 |
| 1988 | I Won't Cry | #63 |
| 1988 | Send Me A Miracle | #74 |
| 1990 | Every Little Tear | #5 |
| 1990 | Rocket to My Heart | #12 |
| 1990 | Stand | #13 |
| 1991 | Hold Me Tender | #41 |
| 1992 | This Love Forever | #44 |
| 1992 | Wind Me Up | #30 |
| 1993 | Amazon Rain | #28 |
| 1993 | Calling My Personal Angel | #65 |