Daniel Jones (musician)
Encyclopedia
Daniel Jones is a musician, songwriter
, and record producer
. He is best known for his part in the hugely popular Australian pop
duo Savage Garden
, whose international hit singles included the songs "I Want You
", "To the Moon and Back
", "Truly Madly Deeply
", "I Knew I Loved You
", and "Crash and Burn
". Since Savage Garden, Jones has launched his own production company Meridien Musik and recording studio
Level 7 Studios and now works with various new, young Australian artists.
in Britain
, but his family moved to Australia
when he was less than a year old. The Jones family settled down in Australia
at Brisbane
in Queensland
, where Daniel grew up as the youngest of three boys.Daniel's most used nicknames are Dan, Waggin, Danny, Jonesy, and Caniel. His mother gave him the nickname Caniel after a misspelling in a school paper after Daniel scored a goal in a game of football (soccer). Even as a child, music was a big part of Daniel's life, with his brothers, Oliver Jones and Jonathan Lee Jones, also possessing musical talents of their own. Jonathan is also an actor and acted in Stakeout, a Tropfest finalist film 2010, and the feature films the 5th Shadow and Short Beach. He has also worked on Australian TV - Fat Pizza, The Myles Barlow Review, The Suspects and on USA TV - Deadly Women, Behind Mansion Walls (Discovery Channel).
Daniel dropped out of Year 10 at Shailer Park State High School to pursue a musical career. Daniel suffers from gastroesophageal reflux disease
.
On 30 April 2000, when Jones was 26, he met his future wife Kathleen de Leon
, a member of successful children's group Hi-5
, at the 42nd Annual TV Week Logie Awards
. After more than three years together, Kathleen organized a 1970s-themed party for Daniel's 30th birthday. Kathleen got the biggest surprise when Jones professed his love for her and proposed
in front of more than a hundred people, including his parents, at the GPO Bar in Brisbane
.
On 9 October 2005, Jones married de Leon at Avica Weddings and Resort on the Gold Coast
in Queensland
. The big day turned out to be an Oriental
-meets-Bali
nese themed fairytale wedding filled with special touches. Jones also used his musical talents to write a song called "Love Is Enough" for his bride.
On 25 February 2006, after the couple returned home from their honeymoon, Kathleen confirmed that she was four months pregnant
. The couple's first child, daughter Mikayla de Leon Jones, was born on 26 July 2006. On 30 October 2010, Kathleen gave birth to the couple's second child, Keira.
The family has two Golden Retriever
s; Texas and Jackson.
with his brother and some friends but the band needed a singer. Daniel Jones put an advertisement in the local Brisbane music paper Time Off, looking for a suitable singer. Darren Hayes
was one of the people showing up at the audition and he got the job. After being in the band for some time, Hayes got tired of performing other people's songs and he was ready to quit Red Edge and since Daniel Jones wanted to create his own music, he made the difficult decision of leaving the band together with Darren Hayes. This marked the beginning of Savage Garden
.
, performed all of the vocals whilst Jones mostly provided instrumental backing. However, Jones' voice is heard in a few demo songs – such as "Aubergine Girl" – and in the countdown in "To the Moon and Back
". Hayes and Jones wrote and performed all of their own music and had a global hit with "Truly Madly Deeply
" in 1998 and "I Knew I Loved You
" in 2000. Originally, both men travelled the world to promote their first album as well as perform single
s. As travel strain and other issues began to take their toll on Daniel, he decided that he was not comfortable with the press junket circuits and the intense scrutiny from fans and media that came with them. When Darren agreed to take on the lion's share of the promotional duties for the band, Daniel took charge of rehearsals of the backing band that Savage Garden took with them on tour, as well as setting up the musical arrangements for the tour. The duo eventually split up in 2001.
, the group consisting of Jennifer Waite and Grant Wallis. They were the first band to be signed to the music label Daniel had started named Meridien Musik. Daniel knew Jennifer as one of the backing vocalists who had travelled with Savage Garden during the Future of Earthly Delites tour for the first, self-titled Savage Garden album. Daniel helped produce their first album Words in Place of Objects and co-wrote four album tracks with Jennifer; "Dearest", "She Says", "Saving Grace", "Feel This Fool", and the B-side "Sugarlust".
In 2002, Daniel worked with another Australian duo called Bachelor Girl
to co-write a song called "Falling" for their second album Dysfunctional. In 2004, Daniel helped produce for Australian pop-rock musician Julie Strickland and the Australian act The Wish (Peter Freebairn and Bill Kio) for their respective debut albums. And in 2005, Daniel worked with yet more Australians: Tori Horgan (on her debut album) and Paul Black. Daniel continued to demonstrate his interest in discovering new talent, and producing that talent with his new state-of-the-art Meridien Musik Studio, which he built himself.
In late 2005, Jones produced a series of EPs for Quiksilver
's fledgling label, Pavilion Musik. Daniel recorded material with Sean Sennett, The Eighth Colour, Moonjuice and Josh Boots.
In May 2006, it was announced that Daniel had purchased the legendary recording complex located at 301 Castlereagh Street, Sydney
. This landmark recording studio was purchased from Tom Misner who owns the global SAE organisation and Studios 301. Throughout its long history, the studio was also owned by the EMI
Group. The studio was purchased to start Level 7 Studios and to continue Meridien Musik in a new location. Daniel was also rumoured to be participating in a season of Australian Idol
as resident producer.
Today, Daniel Jones is working on his record label and is living in Sydney
, Australia
. He has since made refusals on whether Savage Garden would ever reunite.
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, and record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
. He is best known for his part in the hugely popular Australian pop
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
duo Savage Garden
Savage Garden
Savage Garden were an Australian pop rock performance and songwriting duo. Darren Hayes and Daniel Jones formed the group in Brisbane, Queensland in 1994...
, whose international hit singles included the songs "I Want You
I Want You (Savage Garden song)
"I Want You" is the first single released by Australian pop group Savage Garden, released in Australia in 1996 and Europe and America in 1997. It later appeared on their eponymous debut album, Savage Garden. The single hit number one in Canada, and peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the ARIA...
", "To the Moon and Back
To the Moon and Back
"To the Moon and Back" is a single by Savage Garden from their debut album Savage Garden. One of the band's most popular songs, it deals with feelings of alienation from the modern world and the desire to find romantic love during adolescence...
", "Truly Madly Deeply
Truly Madly Deeply
"Truly Madly Deeply" is a song by Australian pop band Savage Garden, released as a single in March 1997. Written by band-mates Darren Hayes and Daniel Jones, the song is a reworking of a song called "Magical Kisses" that the pair wrote together long before recording began on their debut album....
", "I Knew I Loved You
I Knew I Loved You
"I Knew I Loved You" is a song by Australian pop duo Savage Garden, released as the second single from their second studio album, Affirmation. It was their second number one in the United States after "Truly Madly Deeply", peaking at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on January 29, 2000, and staying...
", and "Crash and Burn
Crash and Burn (Savage Garden song)
"Crash and Burn" is a song by Australian pop group Savage Garden from their second album Affirmation, released as the album's third single in early 2000. It hit number one in several countries including Finland and Norway, and it reached the top five in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Sweden and...
". Since Savage Garden, Jones has launched his own production company Meridien Musik and recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
Level 7 Studios and now works with various new, young Australian artists.
Personal life
Daniel was born at Southend-on-SeaSouthend-on-Sea
Southend-on-Sea is a unitary authority area, town, and seaside resort in Essex, England. The district has Borough status, and comprises the towns of Chalkwell, Eastwood, Leigh-on-Sea, North Shoebury, Prittlewell, Shoeburyness, Southchurch, Thorpe Bay, and Westcliff-on-Sea. The district is situated...
in Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, but his family moved to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
when he was less than a year old. The Jones family settled down in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
at Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, where Daniel grew up as the youngest of three boys.Daniel's most used nicknames are Dan, Waggin, Danny, Jonesy, and Caniel. His mother gave him the nickname Caniel after a misspelling in a school paper after Daniel scored a goal in a game of football (soccer). Even as a child, music was a big part of Daniel's life, with his brothers, Oliver Jones and Jonathan Lee Jones, also possessing musical talents of their own. Jonathan is also an actor and acted in Stakeout, a Tropfest finalist film 2010, and the feature films the 5th Shadow and Short Beach. He has also worked on Australian TV - Fat Pizza, The Myles Barlow Review, The Suspects and on USA TV - Deadly Women, Behind Mansion Walls (Discovery Channel).
Daniel dropped out of Year 10 at Shailer Park State High School to pursue a musical career. Daniel suffers from gastroesophageal reflux disease
Gastroesophageal reflux disease
Gastroesophageal reflux disease , gastro-oesophageal reflux disease , gastric reflux disease, or acid reflux disease is chronic symptoms or mucosal damage caused by stomach acid coming up from the stomach into the esophagus...
.
On 30 April 2000, when Jones was 26, he met his future wife Kathleen de Leon
Kathleen de Leon Jones
Kathleen de Leon Jones is an Australian actress, dancer, and singer of Filipino descent. She was an original cast member of the ARIA Award winning Australian children's television program, Hi-5.-Personal life:Born in Manila in 1977, Kathleen moved to Australia with her family in 1978...
, a member of successful children's group Hi-5
Hi-5 (Australian Kids' Band)
Hi-5 is an Australian children's musical group formed in 1998 which is associated with the children's television series of the same name.-Origins of the group:...
, at the 42nd Annual TV Week Logie Awards
Logie Awards of 2000
The 42nd Annual TV Week Logie Awards were presented on Sunday 30 April 2000 at Crown Casino in Melbourne and broadcast on the Nine Network. Andrew Denton from the ABC was the Master of Ceremonies...
. After more than three years together, Kathleen organized a 1970s-themed party for Daniel's 30th birthday. Kathleen got the biggest surprise when Jones professed his love for her and proposed
Proposal of marriage
A marriage proposal is an event where one person in a relationship asks for the other's hand in marriage. If accepted, it marks the initiation of engagement. It often has a ritual quality, sometimes involving the presentation of an engagement ring and a formalized asking of a question such as "Will...
in front of more than a hundred people, including his parents, at the GPO Bar in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
.
On 9 October 2005, Jones married de Leon at Avica Weddings and Resort on the Gold Coast
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
. The big day turned out to be an Oriental
The Orient
The Orient means "the East." It is a traditional designation for anything that belongs to the Eastern world or the Far East, in relation to Europe. In English it is a metonym that means various parts of Asia.- Derivation :...
-meets-Bali
Bali
Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...
nese themed fairytale wedding filled with special touches. Jones also used his musical talents to write a song called "Love Is Enough" for his bride.
On 25 February 2006, after the couple returned home from their honeymoon, Kathleen confirmed that she was four months pregnant
Pregnancy
Pregnancy refers to the fertilization and development of one or more offspring, known as a fetus or embryo, in a woman's uterus. In a pregnancy, there can be multiple gestations, as in the case of twins or triplets...
. The couple's first child, daughter Mikayla de Leon Jones, was born on 26 July 2006. On 30 October 2010, Kathleen gave birth to the couple's second child, Keira.
The family has two Golden Retriever
Golden Retriever
The Golden Retriever is a medium-sized breed of dog. They were historically developed as gundogs to retrieve shot waterfowl such as ducks and upland game birds during hunting and shooting parties. As such, they were bred to have a soft mouth to retrieve game undamaged and have an instinctive love...
s; Texas and Jackson.
Early career
When Jones was about 18 years old he was in a band called Red EdgeRed edge
Red edge refers to the region of rapid change in reflectance of chlorophyll in the near infrared range. Vegetation absorbs most of the light in the visible part of the spectrum but is strongly reflective at wavelengths greater than 700 nm. The change can be from 5% to 50% reflectance between 680 nm...
with his brother and some friends but the band needed a singer. Daniel Jones put an advertisement in the local Brisbane music paper Time Off, looking for a suitable singer. Darren Hayes
Darren Hayes
Darren Stanley Hayes is a UK-based Australian singer-songwriter. Hayes was the front man and singer of the pop duo Savage Garden, whose 1997 album Savage Garden peaked at No. 1 in Australia, No. 2 in United Kingdom and No. 3 in United States...
was one of the people showing up at the audition and he got the job. After being in the band for some time, Hayes got tired of performing other people's songs and he was ready to quit Red Edge and since Daniel Jones wanted to create his own music, he made the difficult decision of leaving the band together with Darren Hayes. This marked the beginning of Savage Garden
Savage Garden
Savage Garden were an Australian pop rock performance and songwriting duo. Darren Hayes and Daniel Jones formed the group in Brisbane, Queensland in 1994...
.
Savage Garden
The other half of the pair, Darren HayesDarren Hayes
Darren Stanley Hayes is a UK-based Australian singer-songwriter. Hayes was the front man and singer of the pop duo Savage Garden, whose 1997 album Savage Garden peaked at No. 1 in Australia, No. 2 in United Kingdom and No. 3 in United States...
, performed all of the vocals whilst Jones mostly provided instrumental backing. However, Jones' voice is heard in a few demo songs – such as "Aubergine Girl" – and in the countdown in "To the Moon and Back
To the Moon and Back
"To the Moon and Back" is a single by Savage Garden from their debut album Savage Garden. One of the band's most popular songs, it deals with feelings of alienation from the modern world and the desire to find romantic love during adolescence...
". Hayes and Jones wrote and performed all of their own music and had a global hit with "Truly Madly Deeply
Truly Madly Deeply
"Truly Madly Deeply" is a song by Australian pop band Savage Garden, released as a single in March 1997. Written by band-mates Darren Hayes and Daniel Jones, the song is a reworking of a song called "Magical Kisses" that the pair wrote together long before recording began on their debut album....
" in 1998 and "I Knew I Loved You
I Knew I Loved You
"I Knew I Loved You" is a song by Australian pop duo Savage Garden, released as the second single from their second studio album, Affirmation. It was their second number one in the United States after "Truly Madly Deeply", peaking at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on January 29, 2000, and staying...
" in 2000. Originally, both men travelled the world to promote their first album as well as perform single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
s. As travel strain and other issues began to take their toll on Daniel, he decided that he was not comfortable with the press junket circuits and the intense scrutiny from fans and media that came with them. When Darren agreed to take on the lion's share of the promotional duties for the band, Daniel took charge of rehearsals of the backing band that Savage Garden took with them on tour, as well as setting up the musical arrangements for the tour. The duo eventually split up in 2001.
After Savage Garden
In 2001, Daniel began assisting an Australian band named AneikiAneiki
Aneiki is a Brisbane pop duo made up of Jennifer Waite and Grant Wallis. They worked with songwriter Daniels Jones and were signed to his label, Meridienmusik. Their debut single, "Pleased To Meet You", reached #26 on the ARIA singles chart, spending 18 weeks in the top 100 and was #13 on 2001's...
, the group consisting of Jennifer Waite and Grant Wallis. They were the first band to be signed to the music label Daniel had started named Meridien Musik. Daniel knew Jennifer as one of the backing vocalists who had travelled with Savage Garden during the Future of Earthly Delites tour for the first, self-titled Savage Garden album. Daniel helped produce their first album Words in Place of Objects and co-wrote four album tracks with Jennifer; "Dearest", "She Says", "Saving Grace", "Feel This Fool", and the B-side "Sugarlust".
In 2002, Daniel worked with another Australian duo called Bachelor Girl
Bachelor Girl
-Albums:-Singles:-Awards:...
to co-write a song called "Falling" for their second album Dysfunctional. In 2004, Daniel helped produce for Australian pop-rock musician Julie Strickland and the Australian act The Wish (Peter Freebairn and Bill Kio) for their respective debut albums. And in 2005, Daniel worked with yet more Australians: Tori Horgan (on her debut album) and Paul Black. Daniel continued to demonstrate his interest in discovering new talent, and producing that talent with his new state-of-the-art Meridien Musik Studio, which he built himself.
In late 2005, Jones produced a series of EPs for Quiksilver
Quiksilver
Quiksilver, Inc. , is an American company based in Huntington Beach, California, one of the world's largest manufacturers of surfwear and other boardsport-related equipment...
's fledgling label, Pavilion Musik. Daniel recorded material with Sean Sennett, The Eighth Colour, Moonjuice and Josh Boots.
In May 2006, it was announced that Daniel had purchased the legendary recording complex located at 301 Castlereagh Street, Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. This landmark recording studio was purchased from Tom Misner who owns the global SAE organisation and Studios 301. Throughout its long history, the studio was also owned by the EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
Group. The studio was purchased to start Level 7 Studios and to continue Meridien Musik in a new location. Daniel was also rumoured to be participating in a season of Australian Idol
Australian Idol
Australian Idol is a Logie Award-winning Australian singing competition, which began its first season on July 2003 and ended its run in November 2009. As part of the Idol franchise, Australian Idol originated from the reality program Pop Idol, which was created by British entertainment executive...
as resident producer.
Today, Daniel Jones is working on his record label and is living in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. He has since made refusals on whether Savage Garden would ever reunite.