Jennifer Warnes

Drawing of Jennifer Warnes on the cover of her 1990 collection The Best of Jennifer Warnes

Jennifer Jean Warnes (born March 3, 1947 in Seattle, Washington) is an American singer and songwriter.

Her desire and ability to sing came early and at age seven she was offered her first recording contract but her father turned it down. However, she did make a spectacular professional debut. Wrapped in the U.S. flag, and accompanied by 300 accordions, nine-year-old Jennifer sang "The Star Spangled Banner" at Los Angeles’ Shrine Auditorium.

After graduating from high school she was offered an opera scholarship but chose to sing folk songs, popular at the time. In 1968 she signed with Parrot Records (a Decca subsidiary) and recorded her first LP. That same year, she joined the cast of the television show, "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour".

In 1970 she met Canadian poet/songwriter Leonard Cohen who profoundly influenced her career. She eventually toured Europe with Cohen's band as a back-up singer as well as recording guest vocals for Cohen's "Live Songs" album and later guest vocals for his album, "Recent Songs," including a duet on "The Smokey Life" plus over the years on his albums "Various Positions, I'm Your Man," and "The Future." In January 1987, Jennifer Warnes released her album "Famous Blue Raincoat: Songs of Leonard Cohen."

Her 1977 single titled "Right Time of the Night" brought her wide acclaim with the song going to #1 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Singles chart. In 1980 she won the Academy Award for "Best Original Song" for "It Goes Like It Goes" from the motion picture "Norma Rae."

Jennifer Warnes 1981 song "One More Hour," recorded as part of the soundtrack album from the motion picture "Ragtime," was nominated for an Academy Award. The following year she teamed up with Joe Cocker to sing Will Jennings song "Up Where We Belong." Written for the motion picture, "An Officer and a Gentleman," the song would be released as a single and hit #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. In 1983 she and Cocker won the Grammy Award for "Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal" for "Up Where We Belong," followed by the Golden Globe Award and the Academy Award for "Best Original Song."

In 1987, at the Coconut Grove in Los Angeles, she sang female background vocals with k.d. lang and Bonnie Raitt for Roy Orbison’s acclaimed television special "A Black and White Night." That same year her duet with Bill Medley, "(I've Had) The Time of My Life," was included on the "Dirty Dancing" motion picture soundtrack album and reached #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 as a single. The song won the 1988 Grammy Award for "Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal" and the Academy Award for "Best Original Song."

Jennifer Warnes’ songwriting skills are admired by her peers and she is among the most sought-after session singers and vocal arrangers in the music industry.

JENNIFER WARNES’ U.S. SOLO ALBUMS:

  • I Can Remember Everything -- 1968
  • See Me, Feel Me, Touch Me, Heal Me -- 1969
  • Jennifer -- 1972
  • Jennifer Warnes -- 1977
  • Shot Through the Heart -- 1979
  • Best of Jennifer Warnes -- 1982
  • Famous Blue Raincoat -- 1987
  • Just Jennifer -- (England) 1992
  • The Hunter -- 1992
  • Best: First We Take Manhattan -- (Germany) 2000
  • The Well -- 2001

Some of her Important Singles:

  • Right Time of the Night -- 1977
  • Up Where We Belong (duet with Joe Cocker) -- 1982
  • Bird on a Wire -- 1987
  • (I've Had) The Time of My Life (duet with Bill Medley) 1987

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Some of her Important Singles:. One track, "The Good Things," attributed to Terry and the Lovemen, was actually XTC themselves, using yet another pseudonym. SOLO ALBUMS:. The XTC tribute album A Testimonial Dinner was released in 1995. JENNIFER WARNES’ U.S. Adam Ant," an ironic tribute by They Might Be Giants, but did not appear on the track. Jennifer Warnes’ songwriting skills are admired by her peers and she is among the most sought-after session singers and vocal arrangers in the music industry. They were mentioned in "XTC vs.

The song won the 1988 Grammy Award for "Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal" and the Academy Award for "Best Original Song.". A boxed CD compilation, Coat of Many Cupboards, was released in 2002. lang and Bonnie Raitt for Roy Orbison’s acclaimed television special "A Black and White Night." That same year her duet with Bill Medley, "(I've Had) The Time of My Life," was included on the "Dirty Dancing" motion picture soundtrack album and reached #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 as a single. Colin Moulding declined to contribute his demos to the series. In 1987, at the Coconut Grove in Los Angeles, she sang female background vocals with k.d. Having left Virgin, relations have improved and Andy Partridge is releasing a series of albums of "demos" of his songs (mainly from the Virgin years) under the title of Fuzzy Warbles, on a new label imprint APE (Andy Partridge Experiments). In 1983 she and Cocker won the Grammy Award for "Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal" for "Up Where We Belong," followed by the Golden Globe Award and the Academy Award for "Best Original Song.". Now in control of their own work and with their own small studio, they have released instrumental and demo versions of their first two albums on Idea, Apple Venus and Wasp Star (Apple Venus Volume 2).

The following year she teamed up with Joe Cocker to sing Will Jennings song "Up Where We Belong." Written for the motion picture, "An Officer and a Gentleman," the song would be released as a single and hit #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. Finally released from Virgin, they formed their own label, Idea Records. Dave Gregory left the band during the recording of the 1999 album Apple Venus Volume 1 after contributing to a few tracks, leaving just Partridge and Moulding in the group. Jennifer Warnes 1981 song "One More Hour," recorded as part of the soundtrack album from the motion picture "Ragtime," was nominated for an Academy Award. The settlement of the accounts provided the group with much-needed cash flow, allowing Partridge and Moulding to install fully-equipped studios and work comfortably at home; they are now able to record the majority of their work themselves, although they have used major commercial studios (including Abbey Road Studios in London) for some sessions. In 1980 she won the Academy Award for "Best Original Song" for "It Goes Like It Goes" from the motion picture "Norma Rae.". After leaving Virgin, Partridge had their accounts audited and it was discovered that the company had withheld substantial royalty payments from them. Her 1977 single titled "Right Time of the Night" brought her wide acclaim with the song going to #1 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Singles chart. The band asked that Virgin either allow them to re-negotiate their contract or release them, but the label stalled for years until finally agreeing to released them after a change of management at the company.

She eventually toured Europe with Cohen's band as a back-up singer as well as recording guest vocals for Cohen's "Live Songs" album and later guest vocals for his album, "Recent Songs," including a duet on "The Smokey Life" plus over the years on his albums "Various Positions, I'm Your Man," and "The Future." In January 1987, Jennifer Warnes released her album "Famous Blue Raincoat: Songs of Leonard Cohen.". The final straw for the band was Virgin's scuttling of their 1992 single "Wrapped in Grey", which was pressed up in the tens of thousands, and then recalled and destroyed by the label. In 1970 she met Canadian poet/songwriter Leonard Cohen who profoundly influenced her career. Management and contractual problems had dogged the band throughout their career, and around the time of the recording of Nonsuch they had to make a legal settlement with their former manager; although most fans assume that there was some financial impropriety involved, the terms of the settlement imposed a "gag" on the band and have prevented them from speaking publicly about the matter. That same year, she joined the cast of the television show, "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour". They issued no new material during this time, although two compilations were released: Upsy Daisy Assortment and the 2-CD set Fossil Fuel: The XTC Singles Collection, which featured remastered versions of their singles, including many tracks not issued on CD before. In 1968 she signed with Parrot Records (a Decca subsidiary) and recorded her first LP. Their 1992 album, Nonsuch, (named after Henry VIII's fabled palace) united them with famed UK producer Gus Dudgeon and drummer Dave Mattacks, but soon after its release a contractual dispute with their label, Virgin Records, saw XTC go "on strike" from 1992 through 1998, finally resulting in the termination of their contract.

After graduating from high school she was offered an opera scholarship but chose to sing folk songs, popular at the time. During their long career, XTC have also released material under a variety of pseudonyms, including two albums of psychedelic parodies as "The Dukes of Stratosphear" (released on a single CD, Chips from the Chocolate Fireball, simultaneous with the second album's vinyl release), a Viz comics promotional single as "Johnny Japes and his Jesticles," a Christmas-themed single as "The Three Wise Men" and a guest appearance on their own tribute album Testimonial Dinner as "Terry and the Lovemen." In 1979 Partridge also released a solo album of radical dub-oriented remixes of material from the Drums + Wires LP, credited to "Mr Partridge" and titled Takeaway: The Lure Of Salvage. flag, and accompanied by 300 accordions, nine-year-old Jennifer sang "The Star Spangled Banner" at Los Angeles’ Shrine Auditorium. The band's followup, Oranges & Lemons, was their biggest seller yet, with "Mayor of Simpleton" and "King for a Day" getting heavy airplay on MTV. Wrapped in the U.S. ("Dear God" replaced "Mermaid Smiled", which was absent from the album until it was finally reinstated for the remastered "Skylarking" CD in 2000.). However, she did make a spectacular professional debut. Skylarking revived the band's commercial fortunes, earning critical accolades and spawning the controversial hit "Dear God", which was originally issued as the B-side of the album's first single, "Grass." Interest in the song saw the album re-pressed with "Dear God" included and the new version of the LP sold 250,000 copies in the USA.

Her desire and ability to sing came early and at age seven she was offered her first recording contract but her father turned it down. Partridge has since softened his view, describing the album as "a summer's day baked into one cake.". Jennifer Jean Warnes (born March 3, 1947 in Seattle, Washington) is an American singer and songwriter. The two egos of Rundgren and Partridge clashed frequently during the recording of Skylarking and when it was finished Partridge said that he was not at all happy with the resulting product. (I've Had) The Time of My Life (duet with Bill Medley) 1987. This did not sit well with the band, Partridge in particular. Bird on a Wire -- 1987. True to his "hands-on" studio production style, Rundgren insisted that everyone adhere to his scheme.

Up Where We Belong (duet with Joe Cocker) -- 1982. When the band got to Woodstock, Rundgren had already worked out a running order for both the recording and sequence of the album itself. Right Time of the Night -- 1977. Rundgren had insisted that the band send him, in advance, demos of all the songs that they thought they might tackle for the record. The Well -- 2001. Although the pairing of XTC and Rundgren was highly anticipated by fans, the sessions were less than enjoyable for the band. Best: First We Take Manhattan -- (Germany) 2000. In 1986, the band travelled to Todd Rundgren's studio-in-the-woods in Woodstock, New York to record what many consider to be the best album of their career, Skylarking.

The Hunter -- 1992. Owen"). Just Jennifer -- (England) 1992. Rather than finding a replacement, XTC has used a series of session drummers over the years, including Peter Phipps, Prairie Prince, Dave Mattacks, Pat Mastelotto, Chuck Sabo, and Dave Gregory's brother, Ian Gregory (as "E.I.E.I. Famous Blue Raincoat -- 1987. Another major factor was his burgeoning relationship with his Australian girlfriend--they subsequently married and Chambers migrated to Australia and settled in Newcastle, New South Wales. Best of Jennifer Warnes -- 1982. Chambers left the band shortly thereafter, unhappy with the confines of the studio, and also feeling the loss of income that resulted from their withdrawal from touring--he did not write, and so received no publishing royalties.

Shot Through the Heart -- 1979. Since then, XTC has been almost exclusively a studio band, although they have given occasional live-to-air performances from radio stations. Jennifer Warnes -- 1977. The European and British dates were cancelled and after one show in San Diego the whole US leg was also abandoned. Jennifer -- 1972. Concerned about her husband's dependence on the drug, his wife ill-advisedly threw his tablets away just before the concert without seeking medical advice -- the result was, not surprisingly, anxiety attacks of such severity that it soon forced Partridge to withdraw from touring permanently. See Me, Feel Me, Touch Me, Heal Me -- 1969. The breakdown, accompanied by uncontrollable stage fright, was reportedly precipitated by Partridge's wife throwing away his supply of Valium. According to the band's biography, Andy had become dependent upon the drug after it was prescribed to him as a teenager during his parents' divorce, but it had never been withdrawn.

I Can Remember Everything -- 1968. Just after its release and at the peak of their popularity, the band embarked on a major tour, but Partridge suffered a breakdown on stage during one of the first concerts of the tour in Paris on March 18, 1982. XTC's last major hit in the touring phase of their career was "Senses Working Overtime," the first single from their brilliant double album English Settlement and a Top 20 hit in the UK in 1982. Other hits from this era include the non-LP single "Life Begins at the Hop" and singles lifted from Black Sea--"Sgt. Rock (Is Going to Help Me)" and "Generals & Majors." The promotional clip for the latter single (written by Colin Moulding) features an cameo appearance by the then owner of Virgin Records, Richard Branson. The album showcased a flawless set of classic power-pop that included enduring XTC favourites including "Rocket From A Bottle," "No Language In Our Lungs," and "Towers Of London"; the strong material was greatly enhanced by more superb production and engineering by Lillywhite and Padgham.

Their 1980 LP, Black Sea, saw the band's new sound and style come together with superb results. The studio was at the time much sought after for its highly reverberant "live" drum room, and it was greatly favoured by their producer of the time, Steve Lillywhite and his engineer Hugh Padgham, who also recorded successful albums there with Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush. It also saw them finding the basis of a new sound for the group and marked their first sessions at London's celebrated Townhouse Studios. The resulting album, Drums and Wires, produced the band's first big hit, "Making Plans for Nigel", which caused a minor controversy because of its lyrical reference to British Steel.

The loss of Andrews' keyboard madness started the band on a path towards more traditional guitar power-pop, although Gregory also contributed occasional keyboards (and later, string arrangements). Andrews went on to form Shriekback and he also worked with Robert Fripp's League of Gentlemen. After their second effort, Go2, Andrews left and was replaced by guitarist Dave Gregory. By the time of the punk explosion in 1977, the group's lineup had been filled out by Barry Andrews (keyboards) and Terry Chambers (drums), and the band got picked up by Virgin Records. They recorded the 3D EP later that year, and followed it up with White Music in January 1978.

First coming together in 1972, the core duo of Andy Partridge (guitars, vocals) and Colin Moulding (bass, vocals) went through various band names and personnel changes over the next five years as they built up their unique brand of hyperactive pop spiked with funk, punk, ska, reggae, and art rock. (The name of the band predates the use of "XTC" as a drug term.). They are considered the forefathers of the Britpop movement of the 1980s and are one of the most influential bands still working today. XTC is an innovative new wave band from Swindon, UK.

For the energy drink, see XTC (drink).. For the drug, see Ecstasy. Voice of the Beehive. The Woodentops.

The Residents. The Lilac Time. L'Affaire Louis Trio. The following bands have worked with members of XTC:

    .

    David Yazbek. Jennifer Trynin. Saeko Suzuki. Ryuichi Sakamoto.

    Hugh Padgham. Todd Rundgren. Martin Newell. Aimee Mann.

    Steve Lillywhite. Peter Gabriel. Thomas Dolby. Captain Sensible.

    Harold Budd. Peter Blegvad. Joan Armatrading. The following artists have worked with members of XTC:

      .

      both of the above compiled as: Chips from the Chocolate Fireball (CD only, 1987). Psonic Psunspot (vinyl only, 1987). 25 O'Clock (vinyl only 12" EP, 1985). 3D (1977).

      Tunes to Help You Breathe More Easily (Recording rumoured to be in progress. Scheduled release date unknown). Coat of Many Cupboards (2002). Homegrown (2001). Wasp Star (Apple Venus Volume 2) (2000).

      Homespun (1999). Apple Venus Volume 1 (1999). Fossil Fuel: The Singles (1992). Nonsuch (1992).

      Rag and Bone Buffet (1991). Oranges and Lemons (album) (1989). Skylarking (1986). The Big Express (1984).

      Mummer (1983). English Settlement (1982). Black Sea (1980). Drums And Wires (1979).

      Go 2 (1978). White Music (1978).