Howard Jones (musician)

John Howard Jones ( born February 23, 1955 in Southampton, England ) is a British musician.

Life

Howard Jones is the oldest of four children of a Welsh family. From the age of seven he began playing the piano. Later he enrolled at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester for the study of classical piano's. In order to pay his tuition, he earned with night shifts at the radio station Radio Picadilly money. He played every 20 minutes between midnight and six clock in the morning a piece of music of their choice on the synthesizer. Although all sessions should be exclusively instrumental, but Jones also sang now and again.

After he had stopped his studies at the Music College, Jones founded with his future wife Ian Smith a small mobile vegetable trade in High Wycombe. During this time they had with their stand an accident in which another car drove into her. Although Smith is injured only slightly, Jones persuaded her to ask for pain and suffering. Of this money, Jones bought a synthesizer. Instead of a Moog Prodigy mistakenly two were delivered. The second device he paid out of pocket and got used to it quickly, to combine the two. Howard Jones began in the early 1980s to play in small bars and pubs, and used it the technical possibilities to produce and perform his music regardless of a band. His three brothers operated at that time by the way in London a band called Red Beat.

1983 Jones played a 24- track demo and sent it to various record companies. WEA Records took him for Europe under contract. In October 1983, his first play, and New Song in January 1984 What Is Love appeared? .

The first album Human's Lib sold very well (No. 1 in the UK). It was followed by hits such as Hide and Seek, Pearl In The Shell and Like To Get To Know You Well.

Jones presents itself at the Human's -Lib - world tour with a one -man show, consisting of himself and a whole bastion of synthesizers, sequencers and drum machines. He is assisted by the mime Jed Hoile, which provides for visual presentation.

One year after Human's Lib was released in spring 1985, the second studio album, Dream into action. This album has been as Human's Lib, produced by Rupert Hine. It could connect in the UK on the success of the first album. In the U.S., he creates with the album the big breakthrough. This was achieved with the support of Phil Collins, the newly recorded with him No one is to blame and place 4 peaked in the U.S. Billboard charts. Other singles were Things can only get better, Look Mama and Life in one Day. On July 13, 1985 Jones performed at the Live Aid concert on.

His next album " One To One " Howard Jones published in autumn 1986. It was produced by Arif Mardin and was aimed at the U.S. market. It did not quite match the great success of the first two albums. The video for the first single You Know I Love You ... Do not you? recalled the a-ha video " Take On Me ", but the drawings were here in color. The video received a Grammy nomination. " One To One " even reached # 10 in the album charts in the UK.

After another world tour, Jones took a break and came forward only in April 1989 with " Cross That Line" back, the already announced his departure from the electronics and contains many more classic instrumented title. In Europe the album was relatively unnoticed in the U.S. reached " Everlasting Love," a high chart position.

In 1992 the album "In The Running". In almost all the songs, the piano is in the foreground. Although it contained not with " Lift Me Up" another top 10 hit in the U.S., nevertheless extended WEA Records the contract with the musicians. 1993 appears then logically a "Best Of" as the last release on the major label.

That same year, Jones founded his own record label DTOX and published in August 1993 " Working in the Back Room ". Sold the album to date, only at concerts and via the online store its website. 1993 Howard Jones presented the album with a return to his old one-man -show idea, which surrounded on stage only himself shows of computers and synthesizers.

After the band excursions Jones returns in 2002 back to its beginnings, and thus to his roots in electronics. Together with guitarist Robin Boult and the dance Producer Robbie Bronniman he is touring with the "Peaceful Tour 'across the UK. Viewers can take "their" concert hall at the output is equal to CD. The best recordings are recorded on the album " The Peaceful Tour Live" which includes primarily retread versions of the Jones classic.

For the first time published the British in 2003 an album that contains only piano solos, he wrote for friends. "Piano Solos for Friends and Loved Ones " is available only at concerts, on the DTOX webshop and on iTunes. In 2007, a second album with acoustic piano pieces is available.

Warner published in 2003 " The Very Best of ".

The year 2003 marks the twenty-year stage anniversary of Howard Jones, which he celebrates in London with a sold-out concert at the Shepards Bush Empire. The concert is now available on a double DVD.

In September 2005, the long awaited album " Revolution Of The Heart ", which in turn shows Jones in his electronic environment appears. With " Just Look at You Now " it contains a song that already in Sweden could achieve high chart positions. Jones is touring in 2005, primarily in the United Kingdom and the United States.

In 2006, his hit "Things Can Only Get Better " by the group The Disco Boys gecovered. Style of "Things Can Only Get Better 2006" House. The 80 - hit takes Howard also for the video game series The Sims again on.

In his career, Howard Jones has collaborated with many other musicians such as Nick Beggs, Midge Ure, Robin Boult, Kevin Wilkinson, Ringo Starr, Nena, Juliane Werding or Phil Collins.

In June 2006, a Germany - tour with Howard Jones took place. The tour started on June 16 in Cologne and ends on 23 June in Mainz. In between, he visited the cities of Dortmund, Bochum, Berlin, Magdeburg and Halle an der Saale.

2007 it came to the publication of a surround version of the Electronic album " Revolution Of The Heart ", and the second piano album of the artist. Jones is touring with acoustic performances by the United States, Britain and Australia and represents new pieces before that will appear on an album.

In January 2008, a musical collaboration with Ferry Corsten will be published: " Into The Dark " is presented in the electronic robe, the text and the vocals come from Howard.

In November 2009 the new album "Ordinary Heroes " was released. For fans, there was a limited edition version in advance, which included two CDs. Every single song was re- recorded as an orchestral version. This limited edition came in a special package, signed by Howard.

Howard Jones now lives with his wife Jan and their three children in Somerset England. He is committed to Buddhism and is an active member of the Buddhist organization Soka Gakkai.

Single Discography

LP / CD Discography

Live LP / CD / DVD

Compilations & Remixed

Awards

• 2000: RSH Gold