James Ingram was an American singer-songwriter who could boast of having won 2 Grammy Awards and having placed no less than 8 titles in the first 40 places of the Billboard Hot 100 of which 2 finished No.1. And 13 in the top 40 spots on the Hot R & B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart, just that !
He started his artistic career with Revelation Funk, then played the pianists for Ray Charles. At the same time, his brother, Philip Ingram will become one of the main members of the Switch group.
It was in 1981 that his career suddenly took off when he lent his voice to the tracks "Just once" and "One hundred ways" featured on the album "The dude" by Quincy Jones. A remarkable performance that will earn him 3 Grammy nominations including that of Best New Artist. He ultimately won the Grammy for Best Male R&B Vocal Performer for “One Hundred Ways”.
And it was 1982 that saw him become a legend of the 80s when he performed in duet with Patti Austin the title "Baby, come to me". A sumptuous title which will make a huge planetary success and hoist him to the top of glory and success. Duo which reformed a year later in 1983 on the title "How do you keep the music playing ?".
Also in 1983 released his first solo album "It's your night", a notoriously successful album which produced no less than 5 top hits between 1983 and 1984. 5 top hits including 1 mega with the enormous hit Dance "Yah mo B there" which he interprets in duet with Michael McDonald. Title which will set fire to all the Dancefloors on the planet, bring him a new Grammy Award and definitively consecrate him as one of the major singers of the decade.
In 1984, the duets were over, this time he was in a trio. And not the least when you see the artists with whom he shares the bill : Kenny Rogers and Kim Carnes then at the height of their respective careers. The result is necessarily up to the mark and the title “What about me ?" will stay as one of the biggest hits of his entire discography.
Little air hole in 1985 and 1986 despite the release of the album "Never felt so good". The album will struggle to produce any major hits. Only a new duo will save the furniture, a duo with Linda Ronstadt on the track "Somewhere out there", soundtrack of the animated film An American Tail.
New air hole in 1987 and 1988. So we had to wait for 1989 to see the release of the album "It’s real", album which would be his last major. Despite the quality of the latter, the artist once again struggles to regain the level of excellence that was his years before.
It is still a history with several which will allow him in 1990 to come back to the surface when he interprets the title "The secret garden (Sweet seduction suite)" in the company of sizes such as Al B. Sure !, El Debarge and Barry White, just that. All orchestrated by Quincy Jones ! He also recorded a nice solo success with the track "I don’t have the heart" which will be the only notorious hit of the album "It’s real".
As much as the 1980s saw it explode, the 1990s unfortunately saw him stagnate, except in 1995 when it was a new duo that allowed him to land his last notorious hit with the title "When you love someone". Title he will perform with Anita Baker.
A great adventure that will unfortunately end for good on January 29, 2019, when he died at the age of 66 from a brain tumor.
To discover or rediscover...
Discography (among others ...) :
80s Decade :
Just once 1981
One hundred ways 1981
Baby, come to me 1982
How do you keep the music playing ? 1983
Party animal 1983
Yah-Mo be there 1983
There’s no easy way 1984
She loves me 1984
What about me ? 1984
It’s your night 1985
Always 1986
I just can't let go 1986
Never felt so good 1986
Somewhere out there 1986
Better way 1987
It’s real 1989
I wanna come back 1989
(You make me feel like) A natural man 1989
90s Decade :
The secret garden (Sweet seduction suite) 1990
I don’t have the heart 1990
When was the last time the music made you cry 1990
Where did my heart go 1991
Get ready 1991
Someone like you 1993
Let me love you this way 1993
The day I fall in love 1994
I don't want to be alone for Christmas 1994
When you love someone 1995
Wish you were here 1997
Give me forever (I do) 1998
Forever more (I'll be the one) 1999
2000s Decade :
Stand (In the light) 2008
Don't let go 2008
No place like home 2008
Tracks :
1981 ... very Intimist beginnings which show that this illustrious unknown man has real aptitudes in this field. And he will prove it brilliantly !
1981 ... two caviars offered by a certain Quincy Jones. What more could you dream of to start a career in the best possible way !
1982 ... then THIS title comes ! An absolutely amazing title which will remain as one of the most beautiful Ultimate Slows of the decade and of the end of the 20th century. A title that propels One Shot the singer into the musical legend of the 80s. MO-NU-MEN-TAL !
1983 ... we take the same ones and start over. Admittedly, there is also quality in this title but impossible to compete with the previous gem, it is clear
1983 ... sudden acceleration of the tempo. One would have thought that he would remain confined to the Intimist domain, but the opposite is true. And the next Dance side promises to be awesome too !
1983 ... he signs here quite simply one of the biggest dance hits of the decade, just that. An incredible versatility which allows him to have produced in 2 years two of the biggest hits of the decade and in 2 different categories. PHE -NO-ME-NAL !
1984 ... after the effort, the comfort. Back in Intimist mode in this new year and once again, he demonstrates particularly formidable efficiency in this category !
1984 ... as much 1983 was a dance year, as 1984 will be a year of 'emotions'. Quality as always but unfortunately he cannot repeat the feat of 1982, impossible to find the stroke of genius that made the difference ...
1984 ... when 3 of the biggest names of the moment make a beef together, we suspect that the result will be sumptuous. And indeed on this one, we are not disappointed, necessarily !
1985 ... a mid-decade that will see him slow down somewhat. He remains in the leading pack without too much difficulty but beware of poor performances ...
1986 ... and even if the inspiration runs out of steam, he hangs on and continues to produce quality tracks. But it is clear that a recovery in hand is proving more and more necessary ...
1986 ... the duets and the trios are particularly successful for him, once again the proof with this magnificent title. A title full of finesse and softness that literally floats in the air. MA-GIC !
1986...the level of success no longer has anything to do with what it was at the start of the decade, but that does not mean the end of the adventure, far from it. The following will prove it in an obvious way !
1986 ... a new proof of the formidable effectiveness of the artist as soon as he wants to associate himself with other artists. He signs with this sumptuous duo one of the most beautiful titles of the soundtrack of the film An American Tail. Once again MA-GIC !
1987...the soundtracks follow one after the other and here he is now in that of the film 'Beverly Hills Cop II'. Good job once again !
1989...after an empty year in 1988, he is back in what we would call certain form. He delivers here a boosted title and which shows that we must always count on him at the end of the decade !
1989...he didn't let go at the very end of the decade, a decade that saw him hatch, then explode at the highest level, then somewhat come down from his pedestal. But nothing is ever finished in music as they say...
1989...he decides to revisit here the title of Aretha Franklin dating from 1967 and gives a version of it, my faith, of very good quality. What talent !
1990 ... a crazy quartet to start the new decade. A hallucinating skewer of 4 of the biggest names of the moment who will inevitably produce a title at the height of their talent. MAG-NI-FI-CENT !
1990 ... a decidedly exceptional 1990 with a plethora of titles and above all a plethora of top hits. A shattering return to form to say the least and which allows the artist to prove once again that he still has some under the pedal !
1990... we were afraid at the very end of the 80s that the artist would gradually disappear from the radar and this in an irreversible way. It was very bad to know him !
1991 ... difficult to have two Grand Cru years in a row. Certainly, this title has a certain charm, it is clear. But we feel that the best is now behind ...
1991... the production of titles will seriously weaken from this year 1991 and this in an irremediable way. Fortunately, the quality, it, remains constant...
1993 ... year 1992 empty and back, once again, in Intimist mode. An area in which he certainly excels, but which he over-uses. Too much Intimist kills Intimist ....
1993...but we won't remake him again as they say. He prefers to stay in his comfort zone well sheltered and unwind as he sees fit. After as long as it unrolls like that, we take !
1994 ... come on, to raise the bar, what better than a little duo of hell to ensure the soundtrack of one of the trendy films of the moment, namely Beethoven 2. And inevitably, it works !
1994...a magnificent Christmas title that really deserved to be talked about much more. Unfortunately, the title will pass under the radar in a way that is incomprehensible to say the least…
1995 ... since the previous duo worked particularly well, he puts the cover back in the process. And this one will be even stronger than the previous one. A new soundtrack, this time for the film Forget Paris, which works perfectly and which allows him to obtain his last mega hit. MA-GIC !
1997 ... like a feeling of déjà vu ... Since the previous duo worked particularly well, he puts the cover back in the same way. And he would be wrong to embarrass himself since, once again, he takes us on board with him with disconcerting ease ...
1998 ... the 90s will have been that of the duo. It is true that we are always stronger at 2. One last proof with this title, a title which allows to end the adventure in the best possible way...
1999...an adventure that ends in the Charts but isn't quite over anyway because he still has things to offer and above all to sing. The proof !
2008...we will lose sight of him for almost 8 years but here he is again in a form that we will qualify as certain once again. The opposite would have been surprising knowing him...
2008...this new opus will not produce any classified title but it is far from devoid of interest, that's clear. In any case, we will be satisfied with it !
2008...this time the story won't go any further. But what a great adventure it was for one of the most gifted artists of his generation !
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