Gyan Evans
Encyclopedia
Gyan Evans is an ARIA Award
-winning singer-songwriter
from Australia
who performs professionally as Gyan . Originally from Geelong, Gyan began her musical career in the Sydney band Haiku before winning the Grand Final in the Australian version of the TV show
Star Search
. This led to a recording contract with Warner.
and Geoffrey Stapleton of GANGgajang
. 'Gyan
' contained twelve songs written or co-written by Gyan and produced by Charles Fisher
(Midnight Oil
, Hoodoo Gurus
, Olivia Newton-John
, Radio Birdman
). The album was a critical and commercial success (remaining in the charts for over six months) and Gyan was awarded the ARIA Award for Best New Talent in 1989. A second single, 'It's Alright' was a minor hit in 1989 (#49); a third single; 'Black Wedding Ring' (#93) was released the following year. Gyan toured Australia to promote the album, assembling a backing band christened 'The Dearly Beloved'.
, which was again produced by Charles Fisher
. The lead single, 'Something's Gotta Give' was a minor hit in 1992 (peaking at #80 but charting for nine weeks). A second single, 'Visualize' was later released in Australia. Music from 'Reddest Red' also appeared in the Russell Crowe
film The Sum of Us
.
. Gyan signed to Universal Records and worked as a songwriter for LeAnn Rimes
and Ricky Martin
; even contributing vocals on the latter's Sound Loaded
album; performing a duet on the track 'Come To Me'. The album sold over five million copies worldwide.
Leann covered Gyan's song 'Love is An Army' and mentioned at the time that this was her favourite of all the songs she had recorded:
Rimes' version of 'Love Is An Army' was included on her Gold-album Twisted Angel
and she performed the song at the CMA Awards in 2003 to an audience of millions.
'Suburban Opera' was never released in its entirety; a promo-only single was released in 'Don't Hide Your Wild Away' and Gyan later released the record independently as "The Invisible Bird
" via her website.
In 2002; Gyan also contributed the song 'Life's Great If You Don't Weaken' to the soundtrack of the Australian film The Nugget
and co-wrote Paul Kelly
's 'Nobody She Knows'. She also appears on the album 'Hymn For Her' from James Cruickshank of The Cruel Sea
.
2008 saw the publication of Gyan's children's book, 'How Weird Is That?' which features illustrations by Michelle Dawson. The book was shortlisted for the Crichton Award for Children's Book Illustration
by the Children's Book Council of Australia
.
" which was based on the poetry of Michael Leunig
. According to Gyan:
The album contained a duet with Paul Kelly
on the track 'The Path To Your Door'. Released to glowing reviews; Gyan and Leuing launched the album at the Melbourne Writers Festival
where Gyan sang and Leunig accompanied her whilst illustrating. The two artists' also performed together at the Byron Bay Writers Festival and performed four shows at the Sydney Opera House
in March 2007. The performance won the Sydney Theatre Award for Best Cabaret of 2007. The album of "Billy The Rabbit" was produced by Gyan and Simon Greaves.
Gyan launched her MySpace
site in 2006.
ARIA Music Awards
The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Australian Recording Industry Association...
-winning singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
from 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...
who performs professionally as Gyan . Originally from Geelong, Gyan began her musical career in the Sydney band Haiku before winning the Grand Final in the Australian version of the TV show
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
Star Search
Star Search
Star Search is a television show that was produced from 1983-95, hosted by Ed McMahon, and created by Alfred Masini. A relaunch was produced in 2003-04. The show was originally filmed at the old Earl Carroll Theatre at 6230 Sunset Blvd...
. This led to a recording contract with Warner.
Gyan
Her debut, self-titled album was released in 1989 and featured the hit single 'Wait' which remained on the ARIA Charts for over four months, peaking at #14 and being certified Platinum. The single was co-written by Gary Frost of 19271927 (band)
1927 are an Australian pop/rock band formed in Melbourne in 1987 with James Barton on drums, Bill Frost on bass guitar, his brother Garry Frost on guitar and keyboards, and Erik Weideman on vocals, guitar and keyboards...
and Geoffrey Stapleton of GANGgajang
GANGgajang
Gang Gajang are an Australian rock band who formed in 1984. The three principal figures in the original lineup were former Riptides frontman Mark "Cal" Callaghan and two former members of popular Australian hard rock band The Angels, bassist Chris Bailey and drummer Graham "Buzz"...
. 'Gyan
Gyan
GYAN or Gyan may refer to:* Gyan , a Sanskrit word that roughly translates to 'knowledge' in English.* Global Youth Action Network, a youth empowerment organization* Gyan , the debut album by Gyan EvansPeople named Gyan:...
' contained twelve songs written or co-written by Gyan and produced by Charles Fisher
Charles Fisher (producer)
Charles Fisher is an Australian record producer. Often referred to as the song doctor. He is widely known as the producer of Savage Garden's eponymous album which yielded 10 ARIAs in 1997. "I Want You", a single from the aforementioned album also won a Channel V award in India...
(Midnight Oil
Midnight Oil
Midnight Oil , were an Australian rock band from Sydney originally performing as Farm from 1972 with drummer Rob Hirst, bass guitarist Andrew James and keyboard player/lead guitarist Jim Moginie...
, Hoodoo Gurus
Hoodoo Gurus
Hoodoo Gurus are an Australian rock band, formed in Sydney in 1981, by the mainstay Dave Faulkner and later joined by Richard Grossman , Mark Kingsmill , and Brad Shepherd...
, Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John AO, OBE is a singer and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who has amassed five No. 1 and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles and two No. 1 Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singles and 14 of her albums have been certified gold by the RIAA...
, Radio Birdman
Radio Birdman
Radio Birdman was one of the first punk bands in Australia along with The Saints. Deniz Tek and Rob Younger formed the group in Sydney, Australia in 1974...
). The album was a critical and commercial success (remaining in the charts for over six months) and Gyan was awarded the ARIA Award for Best New Talent in 1989. A second single, 'It's Alright' was a minor hit in 1989 (#49); a third single; 'Black Wedding Ring' (#93) was released the following year. Gyan toured Australia to promote the album, assembling a backing band christened 'The Dearly Beloved'.
Reddest Red
Gyan took two years to re-appear with her second album, Reddest RedReddest Red
Released in 1992, "Reddest Red" is the second album released by Australian singer-songwriter; Gyan. The album is currently out of print; but is available to purchase via Gyan's website. Like her debut album; the record was produced by Charles Fisher....
, which was again produced by Charles Fisher
Charles Fisher (producer)
Charles Fisher is an Australian record producer. Often referred to as the song doctor. He is widely known as the producer of Savage Garden's eponymous album which yielded 10 ARIAs in 1997. "I Want You", a single from the aforementioned album also won a Channel V award in India...
. The lead single, 'Something's Gotta Give' was a minor hit in 1992 (peaking at #80 but charting for nine weeks). A second single, 'Visualize' was later released in Australia. Music from 'Reddest Red' also appeared in the Russell Crowe
Russell Crowe
Russell Ira Crowe is a New Zealander Australian actor , film producer and musician. He came to international attention for his role as Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 historical epic film Gladiator, directed by Ridley Scott, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor, a...
film The Sum of Us
The Sum of Us
The Sum of Us is a play by David Stevens.The plot revolves around the comfortable relationship between widower Harry and his gay son Jeff and their individual searches for the right mate. Harry unconditionally loves his Rugby-playing son, and even takes an active part in Jeff's search for Mr. Right...
.
Superfragilistically
Superfragilistically is the fifth album by Australian singer-songwriter Gyan that was released as a vinyl LP and CD by Museagency/Vitamin in 2010. It was runner-up Best Adult Themed Album of 2010 in the Sydney Morning Herald which previously gave the album a four-star review, calling it "intensely beautiful, emotionally honest, sensitive and seductive" [1]. The Brisbane Courier called it a "staggeringly beautiful record". It was Album of the Week on ABC Radio National's Daily Planet and featured on ABC Triple J's Sunday Night Safran.Other work
After solid touring throughout Australia; Gyan traveled to the UK and US working on her third album, 'Suburban Opera' with producer Desmond ChildDesmond Child
Desmond Child is an American musician, songwriter, and producer. He is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame.-Career:...
. Gyan signed to Universal Records and worked as a songwriter for LeAnn Rimes
LeAnn Rimes
LeAnn Rimes is an American country/pop singer. She is known for her rich vocals and her rise to fame as an eight-year-old champion on the original Ed McMahon version of Star Search, followed by the release of the Patsy Cline-intended single "Blue" when Rimes was only age 13, resulting in her...
and Ricky Martin
Ricky Martin
Enrique "Ricky" Martín Morales , better known as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican and Spanish pop singer and actor who achieved prominence, first as a member of the Latin boy band Menudo, then as a solo artist since 1991.During his career he has sold more than 60 million album copies worldwide...
; even contributing vocals on the latter's Sound Loaded
Sound Loaded
Sound Loaded is the sixth album by the Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin, released by Columbia Records on November 14, 2000. The album has been credited with worldwide sales of over eight million copies and went Multi-Platinum in the United States and several other territories. This album is...
album; performing a duet on the track 'Come To Me'. The album sold over five million copies worldwide.
Leann covered Gyan's song 'Love is An Army' and mentioned at the time that this was her favourite of all the songs she had recorded:
- "Of all the songs I have recorded in my career, this is my favorite. It's so beautiful and emotional that you really have to feel it to sing it; you can't just go through the motions. I think the meaning of this song is open for everyone's interpretation, but for me it's about the fighting she's done for love and how in the end, love conquers all. The song is so natural, so simple. Basically, it's just my voice and strings. This song has some country elements in it, like my yodel at the end, but I wouldn't consider it a country song."
Rimes' version of 'Love Is An Army' was included on her Gold-album Twisted Angel
Twisted Angel
Twisted Angel is the seventh album by American country pop singer LeAnn Rimes, released in the United States on October 1, 2002 by Curb Records. The album was critically panned....
and she performed the song at the CMA Awards in 2003 to an audience of millions.
'Suburban Opera' was never released in its entirety; a promo-only single was released in 'Don't Hide Your Wild Away' and Gyan later released the record independently as "The Invisible Bird
The Invisible Bird
The Invisible Bird is the third album released by Australian singer-songwriter, Gyan. The album contains tracks from a project entitled Suburban Opera that Gyan recorded with U.S. producer Desmond Child in 2000/2001...
" via her website.
In 2002; Gyan also contributed the song 'Life's Great If You Don't Weaken' to the soundtrack of the Australian film The Nugget
The Nugget
The Nugget is a 2002 comedy film about three friends who find the world's largest nugget of gold.-Storyline:The story concerns a group of three road workers who stumble upon the world's biggest nugget of gold, and become instant millionaires — or so they think...
and co-wrote Paul Kelly
Paul Kelly (musician)
Paul Maurice Kelly is an Australian rock music singer-songwriter, guitarist, and harmonica player. He has performed solo, and has led numerous groups, including the Dots, the Coloured Girls, and the Messengers. He has worked with other artists and groups, including associated projects Professor...
's 'Nobody She Knows'. She also appears on the album 'Hymn For Her' from James Cruickshank of The Cruel Sea
The Cruel Sea (band)
The Cruel Sea are an Australian indie rock band from Sydney formed in late 1987. Originally an instrumental-only band, they became more popular when fronted by vocalist Tex Perkins in addition to Jim Elliott on drums, Ken Gormly on bass guitar, Dan Rumour on guitar and James Cruickshank on guitar...
.
2008 saw the publication of Gyan's children's book, 'How Weird Is That?' which features illustrations by Michelle Dawson. The book was shortlisted for the Crichton Award for Children's Book Illustration
Crichton Award for Children's Book Illustration
The Crichton Award for Children's Book Illustration is one of several awards presented annually by the Children's Book Council of Australia ....
by the Children's Book Council of Australia
Children's Book Council of Australia
The Children's Book Council of Australia is a not for profit organisation which aims to engage the community with literature for young Australians. The CBCA presents annual awards for books of literary merit, for outstanding contribution to Australian children's literature.-Awards:The first...
.
Collaboration with Leunig
In 2006; Gyan released the album "Billy The RabbitBilly The Rabbit
Billy The Rabbit is an album released by Gyan and Michael Leunig in 2006. The project involves Gyan adapting several of Leunig's poems to music; with some additional lyrics contributed by Gyan...
" which was based on the poetry of Michael Leunig
Michael Leunig
Michael Leunig , typically referred to as Leunig, is an Australian poet, cartoonist and cultural commentator. His best known works include The Adventures of Vasco Pyjama and the Curly Flats series...
. According to Gyan:
- "It came about through a complete labour of love. I set a lot of his poetry to music over the space of a year without really knowing what I was doing. I had no motive, no plan. A friend of mine knew him and I contacted him at The Age and sent it to him, he fell madly in love with it." http://www.echo.net.au/archives/19_10/pdf/p22.pdf#search=%22gyan%20leunig%22
The album contained a duet with Paul Kelly
Paul Kelly (musician)
Paul Maurice Kelly is an Australian rock music singer-songwriter, guitarist, and harmonica player. He has performed solo, and has led numerous groups, including the Dots, the Coloured Girls, and the Messengers. He has worked with other artists and groups, including associated projects Professor...
on the track 'The Path To Your Door'. Released to glowing reviews; Gyan and Leuing launched the album at the Melbourne Writers Festival
Melbourne Writers Festival
The Melbourne Writers Festival is an annual literary festival held in the Australian city of Melbourne.- History :The festival was founded in 1986 as a joint initiative between the Melbourne International Festival of the Arts and the City of Melbourne...
where Gyan sang and Leunig accompanied her whilst illustrating. The two artists' also performed together at the Byron Bay Writers Festival and performed four shows at the Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957...
in March 2007. The performance won the Sydney Theatre Award for Best Cabaret of 2007. The album of "Billy The Rabbit" was produced by Gyan and Simon Greaves.
Gyan launched her MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
site in 2006.
Singles
- 1989 - "Wait" (B-side: "Love in Question") AUS #14
- 1989 - "It's Alright" (B-side: "Don't Touch (What You Can't Afford)") AUS #49
- 1990 - "Black Wedding Ring" (B-side: "Head Over Heels") AUS #93
- 1992 - "Something's Gotta Give" (B-sides: "Rooms by the Sea" and "Wait") AUS #80
- 1992 - "Visualize" (B-sides: "Shortest Day" and "Take from Me")
- 2001 - "Don't Hide Your Wild Away" (Promo-only single; no B-side)
Albums
- 1989 - GyanGyan (album)Gyan is the debut album by Australian singer-songwriter Gyan that was released by Warner music in 1989. The album is currently out of print; but is available to purchase via Gyan's website...
AUS #27 (gold) - 1992 - Reddest RedReddest RedReleased in 1992, "Reddest Red" is the second album released by Australian singer-songwriter; Gyan. The album is currently out of print; but is available to purchase via Gyan's website. Like her debut album; the record was produced by Charles Fisher....
- 2003 - The Invisible BirdThe Invisible BirdThe Invisible Bird is the third album released by Australian singer-songwriter, Gyan. The album contains tracks from a project entitled Suburban Opera that Gyan recorded with U.S. producer Desmond Child in 2000/2001...
(aka Suburban Opera) - 2006 - Billy The RabbitBilly The RabbitBilly The Rabbit is an album released by Gyan and Michael Leunig in 2006. The project involves Gyan adapting several of Leunig's poems to music; with some additional lyrics contributed by Gyan...
- 2010 - SuperfragilisticallySuperfragilisticallySuperfragilistically is the fifth album by Australian singer-songwriter Gyan that was released by Muse Agency/Vitamin in 2010. The CD was Album of the Week on ABC Radio National's Daily Planet. The Sydney Morning Herald gave the album a four-star review, calling it "intensely beautiful, emotionally...