Adult Contemporary Music in Japan

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Janey Clewer

Janey Clewer
Janey Clewer coming from Pittsburgh, is one of well-known songwriters in the West Coast Music Circuits. For example, You can find her name as one of the co-writers on the tracks such as "She Just Can't Make Up Her Mind" and "You're Not Alone" on Jay Graydon's greatest 90's AOR album "Airplay For The Planet" (1993). In 1995, Janey wrote two songs for Bill Champlin's album "He Started To Sing" with Bill Champlin and the great guitarist, Bruce Gaitsch , her husband. It should be remarked that Janey also co-wrote "The Last Words You Said" with Richard Marx for Sarah Brightman, which is on her CD "Eden" (1998) and also on "The Very Best Of 1990-2000". Lara Fabian also loves to sing Janey's tunes; "Je T'Appartiens" on the album "Pure" (1997) which Lara sang its jazz version when she toured Europe in 2000, and "Bambina" on the album "Nue" (2001).
Bambina, a song co-written with Lara Fabian for her CD "NUE" , was rerecorded and released for Lara's new live acoustic CD and DVD entitled "EN TOUTE INIMITE". Bambina was the first single for the CD released October 2003 in Canada on Disques Equinoxes and in France on Polydor (Universal). The album reached #6 on the Billboard France chart. In December of 2004, Janey and her husband, Bruce Gaitsch, started producing and writing for Holland Idol finalist, Ron Link, for his CD to be released in late 2005. Additionally, she continues to develop her Broadway show idea and compose songs for it, as well as write with and for a variety of artists, accomplished and new.
Janey is also well-known as a talented backing vocalist with a heartwarming and emotional voice. You can listen to her marvelous backing vocals with many big names such as Peter Cetera on "Restless Heart", "Wild Ways","Where There's No Tomorrow","The Last Place God Made" and "Dip Your Wings" from Cetera's smash hit album "World Falling Down" (1992). Janey's acclaimed career as a backing vocalist should be back to late 80's. You can find her name on George Benson's 1986 album "While The City Sleeps", or also "Too Many Woman" from the famous Julio Iglesias's 1988 all-English vocal album "Non-Stop". In Feb. of 2004, Janey had the honor of singing background vocals on "Heaven Help Us All", one of the last songs recorded by Ray Charles. It is a duet with Gladys Knight for his last CD called Genius "Loves Company" which was released on Concord Records/Hear Music in August of 2004.

 

 

  • JANEY
This is the first solo album of Janey Clewer. Janey writes all materials by herself except "Can't Let You Go With My Heart" with Linda Thompson. In addition to Janey's gentle vocals and keyboards/piano performance, you should focus Janey's sequencing and drum programming, which is really excellent. And please note that Richard Marx is singing background vocals on "Can't Let You Go With My Heart".
  • Label : Pioneer LDC, Japan (PICP-1074), Westcoast Records, Sweden
  • Release Date: September 21, 1995 (Japan)
  • Producers : Randy Waldman and herself
  • Musicians :
    • Guitars: Bruce Gaitsch
    • Saxophone: Dave Boruff
    • Piano: Randy Waldman
    • Backing Vocals: Bill Champlin, Richard Marx, Marc Jordan
    • Percussion: Michael Fisher
    • Violin: Juliann French
    • Viola: Simon Oswell
    • Celli: Armen Ksajikian, Sachi McHenry, Dane Little
    • Giggles: Samantha Taylor Gaitsch
  • Tracks:
    1. Tell Me It's Not Over
    2. Won't Go Back
    3. Fallin' In Love
    4. Can't Let You Go With My Heart
    5. Two Shooting Stars
    6. Love Like No Other I've Known
    7. Scent Of A Woman
    8. I'm Losin' You
    9. Catch And Kiss The Sun
    10. Even If You Walk Away
    11. There Is A Quiet Place

 

  • CALL ME ROMANTIC
Janey Clewer's second effort "Call Me Romantic" must be one of the best 90's adult contemporary female vocal album. This album is unfortunately underestimated in the U.S. pop music market, but really worth listening. Whenever I listen to the opener "Call Me Romantic", I cannot help being touched. In addition to Janey's wonderful voice, Jay Graydon plays his guitar almost perfect on this track. On "God's Perfect Plan", you can hear Peter Cetera 's beautiful harmony vocal, which might be a duet with Janey. And Eric Carmen is singing the duet with Janey called "Only Time Will Tell". Both of those duet tunes can be still frequently on-aired here in Japan, which means this tune is now becoming a new standard adult contemporary tunes. This CD is one of the must-have items!
Call Me Romantic

Call Me Romantic US Version
  • Label: Pioneer LDC (PICP-1125) (Japan), Border Music (Sweden), Thoughtscape Sounds(TSS-0002) (USA)
  • Release Date: Oct. 23, 1996 (Japan), July 8, 1997 (USA)
  • Producers: Randy Waldman and herself
  • Musicians:
    • Drums: Billy Ward
    • Guitars: Bruce Gaitsch. Jay Graydon
    • Keyboards: Randy Waldman
    • Bass: John Patitucci, George Hawkins
    • Sax: Marc Russo, David Boruff
    • Fiddle: Randy Howard
    • Cello: Sachi Patitucci
    • Strings: The Vaughn's Gap Strings (Christian Teal, Juliann French, David Davidson, Mary Kathryn Vanosdale, Pamela Sixfin, Kristin Wilkinson, Jim Grosjean, Robert Mason, Anthony La Marchina)
    • Lead Vocal: Eric Carmen (duet on "Only Time Will Tell")
    • Backing Vocals: Peter Cetera, Kathy Ciavola, Teri Serletic, Dalia Garcia, Tommy Funderburk, George Hawkins
  • Tracks:
    1. Call Me Romantic
    2. God's Perfect Plan
    3. Kiss By Kiss
    4. I Married An Angel
    5. Other Side Of Blue
    6. Nina
    7. The Willow Weeps
    8. Feels Like The Second Time Around
    9. Ignorance Breeds Prejudice
    10. Only Time Will Tell
    11. Kiss His Heart Goodbye

 

 

 
  • WHEN STARS COLLIDE
On the 3rd album "When Stars Collide" Janey has a duet with Bill Champlin "Forever Valentines". And it features great musicians; Dave Boruff, Randy Waldman, George Hawkins, Tamara Champlin and Ronna Reeves, John Patitucci, Billy Ward, Jim Beard, Randy Howard and his great husband Bruce Gaitsch. This is an album with plenty of good melodies and gentle female vocals. On her 2nd album "Call Me Romantic", Janey established her status as a talented singer -songwriter by showing various type of tunes; beautiful ballads, excellent pop music with highly sophisticated melody-lines. On this album, you must feel very comfortable through every tunes of this album because the total quality of this album is really great.
When Stars Collide
  • Label: Pioneer LDC, Japan (PICP-1151)
  • Release Schedule : October 22, 1997
  • Producer: herself
  • Musicians:
    • Guitars: Bruce Gaitsch
    • Bass: John Patitucci, George Hawkins
    • Drums: Billy Ward
    • Pianos: Randy Waldman, Jim Beard
    • Fiddle: Randy Howard
    • Sax: Dave Boruff
    • Background Vocals: Tamara Champlin, George Hawkins, Ronna Reeves, Kathy Chiavola, Teri Serletic, Randy Howard, Samantha Gaitsch, Bruce Gaitsch
    • Strings: The Vaughns Gap Strings
      • Concertmaster: Christian Teal
      • Violin: David Davidson, Connie Heard, Pamela Sixfin, Mary Kathryn Vanosdale,
      • Viola: Kathryn Plummer, Kristin Wilkinson
      • Cello: John Catchings, Bob Mason
  • Tracks:
    1. Without You I'd Be Lost
    2. When Stars Collide
    3. You Still Haunt Me
    4. Heaven Knows
    5. Forever Valentines (Duet with Bill Champlin)
    6. Someone Else's Life
    7. Wishing You Were Here
    8. I'll Always Remember You
    9. For Miya
    10. Make It Last Forever
    11. God Save The Children
    12. Senza Te (Duet with Timothy Noble)

 

 

 
  • KISS BY KISS
This is the selected collection album taken from the above-reviewed 3 original solo albums. You can enjoy Janey's magical music journey whenever you started to play this CD. If you have not any Janey albums unfortunately as yet, why don't you start to buy this collection album?
Janey Clewer
  • Label : Angelynn Music, USA (ANG-001)
  • Official Release Date: February 23, 1999
  • Producer: Randy Waldman and herself
  • Additional Musicians:
    • Lead Vocal: Bill Champlin, Eric Carmen
    • Piano: Randy Waldman
    • Guitar: Bruce Gaitsch, Jay Graydon
    • Bass: George Hawkins Jr., John Patitucci
    • Drums; Billy Ward
    • Percussion: Michael Fisher
    • Background Vocals: Peter Cetera, Richard Marx, Kathy Chiavola
    • Sax: David Boruff, Marc Russo
    • Celli: John Catchings and Bob Mason
    • Cello solo: Robert Mason & The Vaughn's Gap Strings
    • Giggles: Samantha Taylor Gaitsch
  • Tracks:
    1. Tell Me It's Not Over
    2. Call Me Romantic
    3. God's Perfect Plan
    4. Without You I'd Be Lost
    5. Catch And Kiss The Sun
    6. Kiss By Kiss
    7. Forever Valentines
    8. Feel Like The 2nd Times Around
    9. Can't Let You Go With My Heart
    10. Only Time Will Tell
    11. Kiss His Heart Goodbye

 

 

  • Janey Clewer& Bruce Gaitsch / One On One
This is the collaboration album with Bruce Gaitsch (Guitar). Bruce explains this album as follows: "This record is a labor of love... my love for Janey and her music. I've never met anyone half as talented as my wife. She not only writes amazing music, but here is the proof that she can play it too. All of her piano performances are one takes, no punching in. Not so for the guitar... Some of these songs have been sitting in her piano bench for years... Now we can share them with you... Enjoy."
One On One
  • Label: Angelynn Music, USA (ANG-005)
  • Release Date : September 4, 2001
  • Producer: herself
  • Strings arranged and conducted by Randy Waldman
  • Guest Musicians:
    • Solo Cello on track 13: Sachi Patitucci
    • Strings for track 3:
      • Concertmaster: Ralph Morrison
      • Violin: Juliann French
      • Viola: Simon Oswell
      • Cello: Armen Ksajikian, Sachi McHenry, Dane Little
    • Strings for track 7:
      • Concertmaster: Christian Teal
      • Violins: David Davidson, Pamela Sixfin, Mary Kathryn Vanosdale, Juliann French
      • Violas: Kristin Wilkinson, Jim Grosjean
      • Cello: John Catchings
    • Strings for track 10:
      • Concertmaster: Christian Teal
      • Violins: David Davidson, Connie Heard, Pamela Sixfin, Mary Kathryn Vanosdale
      • Violas: Kristin Wilkinson, Jim Grosjean
  • Tracks:
    1. Dawn
    2. Cafe L'Amour (based on Paganinni's Caprice #20 for solo violin)
    3. Love Like No Other I've Known
    4. Reflection
    5. Janey's Theme
    6. Promenade
    7. The Longing
    8. Blue Mountain
    9. Beginning Ballet (based on Paganinni's Caprice #3 for violin)
    10. For Miya
    11. A Little Prayer
    12. Dusk
    13. There Is A Quiet Place

 

 

  • Janey Clewer & Randy Waldman / Your Favorite Christmas CD
For your holiday pleasure, Janey Clewer, invited us to indulge in "Your Favorite Christmas CD" with the acclaimedRandy Waldman done very simply, some just piano vocal, which includes all of original Christmas songs written by them, to be enjoyed for all your Christmases to come. You may know that Janey participated in 1991 MCA special project album entitled "Starlight Christmas" with Patti LaBelle, Kenny G. and others, and she has revisited and self-covered the beautiful songs on the album. This 12 songs CD is still available and worth listening even after holiday season and it is not too early to buy this CD for your next Christmas.
Janey Clewer
  • Label: Whirlybird Records, USA (WBR 001)
  • Release Date : Date: December 11, 2003
  • Janey Clewer : Vocals
  • Randy Waldman: All instruments except Guitar
  • Musicians:
  • Tracks:
    1. I Cannot Forget
    2. Christmas In The Air
    3. Christmas In Jamaica
    4. Message In The Music
    5. Ain't No Time For Diets
    6. 'Twas Love
    7. I'm Christmasing With You
    8. I'm All Lit Up Like A Christmas Tree
    9. What A Christmas Feeling
    10. It Doesn't Feel Like Christmas
    11. Let's Build A Snowman
    12. Christmas From The Heart

 

 

  • Perfume
4th solo effort "Perfume" features 11 intoxicating songs plus 2 bonus tracks. This album is more jazzy than her former 3 solo albums.You will reconfirm her versatile songwriting talent and her beuatiful voice once you listen. If you like her sophistcated pop melodies, you will also satsify with "I Concentrate On You" and the bonus track "Lovers Are Never Lost". A sophistcated beautiful ballad "I Don't Feel Beautiful", another bonus track, is really splendid.
 
 
 
 
 
I would like to quote several artists' words regarding this album from the liner notes of this album:-
Robert Lamm: "Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous...the songs, the singing, the arrangements. Janey, you should be very proud of this work!"
Beth Neilson Chapman: "Janry's voice as a writer and artist is very fresh, innovative and original. Perfumeis a rich landscape for Janey's crystal vocals."
Janey Clewer / Perfume
  • Label: Cool Sound,Inc., Japan (COOL-120)
  • Release Date: December 25, 2004
  • Producer: Randy Waldman, Bruce Gaitsch, and herself
  • Janey Clewer: Vocals, Keyboards, Programming
  • Musicians:
  • Tracks:
    1. Fool In Love
    2. Perfume
    3. She's In The Room
    4. Cancel April
    5. I Have A Thing For Sting
    6. All's Not In Fair In Love And War
    7. Exposed
    8. I Concetrate On You
    9. I Had A Bad Dream
    10. He Was With Me
    11. It Does My Heart Good
    12. Lovers Are Never Lost <bonus track>
    13. I Don't Fell Beautiful <bonus track>

 

 

 

 

 

  • What A Christmas Feeling
  • I'm All Lit Up Like A Christmas Tree
  • Love Will Keep Us Warm This Year For Christmas (duet with Glenn Mediros)
  • Chrsitmas In The Air
  • Ain't No Time For Diets (with Gene Moreford and Don Shelton)
  • Remember Christmas
  • Christmas Lullaby

  • From the album; "A Starlight Christmas" (MCA Records, USA MCAD-10066)
  • Release Year: 1990
  • Musicians:
    • Acoustic Piano, Trumpet and Synthesizers: Randy Waldman
    • Guitars: Dennis Budmir, Kevin Clark
    • Drums: Vinnie Colaiuta
    • Percussion; Michael Fisher
    • French Horn: Marry Jo Scharf
    • Sax: Kenny G. 

 

 

  • Julian

  • From the album; "TV CM Best Hits 1 " (King Records, Japan KICS-260)
  • Release Date: January 9, 1993
  • Musicians:

 

 

  • Lovin' You

  • From the album; "Love In The Twilight " (Bai-le-la Tree Music, Japan PRONTO-001)
  • Release Date: July 4, 2008
  • Musicians:
  • Remarks: perfromes under the name of "The Bossa Nova Hotel featuring Janey"

 

In addition to the duet with Eric Carmen, Janey sings many tunes on Bruce Gaitsch's solo albums as below, some of which might not be defined as a lead vocal track. Anyway, here is the list.

Song Title

Artist / Album Title

Release Year / Label

Remarks

That's When I Fell

Bruce Gaitsch / A Lyle In A Windstorm
1995 / Toshiba EMI, Japan

On The Way
Bruce Gaitsch / A Lyle In A Windstorm
1995 / Toshiba EMI, Japan

The African Prince
Bruce Gaitsch / Aphasia
1997 / Thoughtscape Sounds, USA

Almost Paradise

Eric Carmen / I Was Born To Love You
1998 / Pioneer LDC, Japan

Duet with Eric Carmen

Almost Paradise (TV mix version for male)

Eric Carmen / - (CD single only)
1997 / Pioneer LDC, Japan

Eric Carmen's vocal are erased.

Magic Man
Bruce Gaitsch / Nightingale
1998 / Angelynn Music, USA

Gave Love A Try
Bruce Gaitsch / Nightingale
1998 / Angelynn Music, USA

with George Hawkins Jr.

Villa Lobotomies
Bruce Gaitsch / Nightingale
1998 / Angelynn Music, USA

with George Hawkins Jr.

 

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