Marc Jordan
Encyclopedia
Marc Jordan is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer, session musician, and actor. Covering a wide variety of genre
s, he has written songs for a number of well-known artists, including Diana Ross, Rod Stewart, Cher, Bette Midler, and Josh Groban. He was named best producer with Steven MacKinnon at the Juno Awards
in 1994 for "Waiting For A Miracle" from Reckless Valentine.
, New York, the son of Canadian singer Charles Jordan
, Marc grew up in a musical household in Toronto after his father returned to Canada. He studied film at Brock University
, but soon turned to music, first coming to public attention as a guitarist for Bobby Vee
.
With the Canadian division of CBS Records
, Jordan released some singles
in 1974, which included titles including "It's a Fine Line", "New York Kids", "Original Sin"). They were not very successful themselves, but they impressed American music producer Gary Katz
, and in 1977 Jordan reached a U.S. deal with Warner Bros. Records
. This period with Warner spawned the Canadian hit songs "Marina del Rey" and "Survival" from the record Mannequin; a second record produced by Jay Graydon
and called Blue Desert was released 1980. This recording is a classic of the West Coast Sound of the period.
In the 1980s, Jordan was signed to RCA
for two records. Paul De Villiers produced the first, Talking Through Pictures, and Kim Bullard the second, called C.O.W.. In 1988 Jordan sang and co-wrote the theme song to the hit Australian movie Boulevard of Broken Dreams which was nominated for an AFI Award
for Best Film. In 1993, Jordan was signed to EMI
/Blue Note
. His albums Reckless Valentine, Cool Jam Black Earth, This Is How Men Cry, and Make Believe Ballroom were much more jazz
-oriented. Many of his older recordings have also been re-released.
In 1994, Jordan won a Juno Award
for "Producer of the Year
" (along with co-producer Steven MacKinnon) for "Waiting for a Miracle" from his Reckless Valentine album.
Currently, he performs with Murray McLauchlan
, Cindy Church
and Ian Thomas
in the group Lunch At Allen's
. He is married to fellow singer-songwriter Amy Sky
. They live in Toronto and have a cottage in Muskoka with their two children, Ezra and Zoe. Jordan and Sky are both national UNICEF
Goodwill Ambassadors for Canada.
He made his acting debut in Michael McGowan
's 2010 sports musical Score: A Hockey Musical
, where he plays Edgar Gordon, a pacifist father who along with his wife (Olivia Newton-John
) have a 17-year-old son who has a talent for hockey.
Genre
Genre , Greek: genos, γένος) is the term for any category of literature or other forms of art or culture, e.g. music, and in general, any type of discourse, whether written or spoken, audial or visual, based on some set of stylistic criteria. Genres are formed by conventions that change over time...
s, he has written songs for a number of well-known artists, including Diana Ross, Rod Stewart, Cher, Bette Midler, and Josh Groban. He was named best producer with Steven MacKinnon at the Juno Awards
Juno Awards of 1994
The Juno Awards of 1994, representing Canadian music industry achievements of the previous year, were awarded on 20 March 1994 in Toronto at a ceremony in the O'Keefe Centre. Roch Voisine was the host for the ceremonies, which were taped that afternoon for broadcast that evening on CBC...
in 1994 for "Waiting For A Miracle" from Reckless Valentine.
Biography
Born in BrooklynBrooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York, the son of Canadian singer Charles Jordan
Charles Jordan (baritone)
Charles Jordan was a Canadian baritone and voice teacher. He first studied singing with Adrienne Bourassa in Montreal during the 1930s, and later was a pupil of Albert Whitehead at the Toronto Conservatory of Music from 1941-1943...
, Marc grew up in a musical household in Toronto after his father returned to Canada. He studied film at Brock University
Brock University
Brock University is a comprehensive university located in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. Brock offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degree programs that include co-op and other experiential learning opportunities to an enrolment of over 17,000 full-time students.The enabling legislation is...
, but soon turned to music, first coming to public attention as a guitarist for Bobby Vee
Bobby Vee
Robert Thomas Velline , known as Bobby Vee, is an American pop music singer. According to Billboard magazine, Vee has had 38 Hot 100 chart hits, 10 of which hit the Top 20.-Career:...
.
With the Canadian division of CBS Records
CBS Records
CBS Records is a record label founded by CBS Corporation in 2006 to take advantage of music from its entertainment properties owned by CBS Television Studios. The initial label roster consisted of only three artists; rock band Señor Happy and singer/songwriters Will Dailey and P.J...
, Jordan released some singles
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...
in 1974, which included titles including "It's a Fine Line", "New York Kids", "Original Sin"). They were not very successful themselves, but they impressed American music producer Gary Katz
Gary Katz
Gary Katz is an American music producer, best known for his work with Steely Dan.-Steely Dan:Katz is most famous for his work as a producer on every Steely Dan album recorded during the first run of their career, from Can't Buy A Thrill in 1972 to Gaucho in 1980, as well as the Donald Fagen solo...
, and in 1977 Jordan reached a U.S. deal with Warner Bros. Records
Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group is the third largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the big four record companies...
. This period with Warner spawned the Canadian hit songs "Marina del Rey" and "Survival" from the record Mannequin; a second record produced by Jay Graydon
Jay Graydon
Jay Graydon is a Los Angeles songwriter, recording artist, guitarist, singer, producer, arranger, and recording engineer. He is the winner of two Grammy Awards with twelve Grammy nominations, among them the title "Producer of the Year" and "Best Engineered Recording". Jay Graydon has mastered many...
and called Blue Desert was released 1980. This recording is a classic of the West Coast Sound of the period.
In the 1980s, Jordan was signed to RCA
RCA
RCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...
for two records. Paul De Villiers produced the first, Talking Through Pictures, and Kim Bullard the second, called C.O.W.. In 1988 Jordan sang and co-wrote the theme song to the hit Australian movie Boulevard of Broken Dreams which was nominated for an AFI Award
American Film Institute
The American Film Institute is an independent non-profit organization created by the National Endowment for the Arts, which was established in 1967 when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act...
for Best Film. In 1993, Jordan was signed to 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...
/Blue Note
Blue Note Records
Blue Note Records is a jazz record label, established in 1939 by Alfred Lion and Max Margulis. Francis Wolff became involved shortly afterwards. It derives its name from the characteristic "blue notes" of jazz and the blues. At the end of the 1950s, and in the early 1960s, Blue Note headquarters...
. His albums Reckless Valentine, Cool Jam Black Earth, This Is How Men Cry, and Make Believe Ballroom were much more jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
-oriented. Many of his older recordings have also been re-released.
In 1994, Jordan won a Juno Award
Juno Awards of 1994
The Juno Awards of 1994, representing Canadian music industry achievements of the previous year, were awarded on 20 March 1994 in Toronto at a ceremony in the O'Keefe Centre. Roch Voisine was the host for the ceremonies, which were taped that afternoon for broadcast that evening on CBC...
for "Producer of the Year
Jack Richardson Producer of the Year Award
The Juno Award for "Producer of the Year" has been awarded since 1975, as recognition each year for the best record producer in Canada. It was renamed the "Jack Richardson Producer of the Year" award in 2003, after Jack Richardson who is a noted Canadian record producer.-Producer of the Year...
" (along with co-producer Steven MacKinnon) for "Waiting for a Miracle" from his Reckless Valentine album.
Currently, he performs with Murray McLauchlan
Murray McLauchlan
Murray McLauchlan, CM is a Canadian singer, songwriter, guitarist, pianist, and harmonica player.-Biography:Born in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland, he emigrated to Canada with his family when he was five years old...
, Cindy Church
Cindy Church
Cindy Church is a Canadian country and folk artist. Church released three studio albums on Stony Plain Records and was nominated for Best Country Female Vocalist at the Juno Awards in 1995 and 1996. She is also a member of the award winning group Quartette....
and Ian Thomas
Ian Thomas (Canadian musician)
Ian Thomas is a singer, songwriter, actor and author. He is younger brother to famed comedian and actor Dave Thomas.-Career:...
in the group Lunch At Allen's
Lunch At Allen's
Lunch At Allen's is a band consisting of four Canadian artists of folk, country, and popular music. The band was formed as a result of meeting in Toronto for lunch at Allens restaurant after one of the members' heart bypass surgery.-Members:...
. He is married to fellow singer-songwriter Amy Sky
Amy Sky
Amy Sky is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer, theatre actress, and television host. Sky started classical music lessons at the age of five , and plays piano, guitar, cello and recorder....
. They live in Toronto and have a cottage in Muskoka with their two children, Ezra and Zoe. Jordan and Sky are both national UNICEF
United Nations Children's Fund
United Nations Children's Fund was created by the United Nations General Assembly on December 11, 1946, to provide emergency food and healthcare to children in countries that had been devastated by World War II...
Goodwill Ambassadors for Canada.
He made his acting debut in Michael McGowan
Michael McGowan (director)
Michael McGowan is a Canadian filmmaker who wrote directed the feature films One Week and Saint Ralph...
's 2010 sports musical Score: A Hockey Musical
Score: A Hockey Musical
Score: A Hockey Musical is a 2010 Canadian musical film, written and directed by Michael McGowan.-Synopsis:Seventeen-year old Farley Gordon has led a sheltered life, home-schooled and isolated by his parents. His closest friend is Eve, their next door neighbour. When his skill at hockey is...
, where he plays Edgar Gordon, a pacifist father who along with his wife (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...
) have a 17-year-old son who has a talent for hockey.
This is How Men Cry
First released in Canada by EMI on October 25, 1999, This is How Men Cry contains six tracks written by Jordan—"This Is How Men Cry," "Charlie Parker Loves Me" (covered by Rod Stewart on his album Human, released February 6, 2001), "Slow Bombing the World," I Must Have Left My Heart," "Let's Get Lost," and "London in the Rain". There are an additional three covers—Willie Nelson's '"Crazy," Elvis Costello's "Almost Blue," and Mann Curtis's "Let it be me." The lead track, "This is How Men Cry," is a poem about how men communicate, or more often how they don't.Albums
| Year | Album | CAN |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Mannequin | 83 |
| 1979 | Blue Desert | 74 |
| 1980 | Live at El Mocambo | — |
| 1983 | A Hole in the Wall | — |
| 1987 | Talking Through Pictures | — |
| 1990 | C.O.W. (Conserve Our World) | 76 |
| 1993 | Reckless Valentine | — |
| 1996 | Cool Jam Black Earth | — |
| 1999 | Marc Jordan Live Now and Then | — |
| This Is How Men Cry | — | |
| 2002 | Living in Marina del Ray and Other Stories | — |
| 2004 | Make Believe Ballroom | — |
| 2009 | Norm Amadio and Friends | — |
| 2010 | Crucifix In Dreamland | — |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN AC | CAN | CAN Country | |||
| 1974 | "New York Kids" | — | — | — | singles only |
| "Original Sin" | — | — | — | ||
| "It's a Fine Line" | — | — | 47 | ||
| 1978 | "Survival" | — | 83 | — | Mannequin |
| "Marina del Rey" | 23 | — | — | ||
| "One Step Ahead of the Blues" | — | — | — | ||
| 1979 | "I'm a Camera" | 30 | 80 | — | Blue Desert |
| "Generalities" | — | — | — | ||
| 1980 | "Secrets" | — | — | — | Live at El Mocambo |
| "New York, New York" | 13 | 81 | — | ||
| "Potential and Air" | — | — | — | ||
| 1981 | "You Found Out" | 25 | — | — | single only |
| 1987 | "I Was Your Fool" | — | — | — | Talking Through Pictures |
| "The Independence" | 27 | — | — | ||
| 1988 | "Catch the Moon" | — | — | — | |
| 1989 | "Shadow Dance" | — | — | — | single only |
| "Burning Down the Amazon" | — | — | — | C.O.W. (Conserve Our World) | |
| 1990 | "Edge of the World" | — | — | — | |
| 1992 | "Her Body Makes Vows" (with Exchange) | — | — | — | Exchange (Exchange album) |
| "'Til the Last Teardrop Falls" (with Exchange and Amy Sky Amy Sky Amy Sky is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer, theatre actress, and television host. Sky started classical music lessons at the age of five , and plays piano, guitar, cello and recorder.... ) |
13 | 44 | — | ||
| 1994 | "Rhythm of My Heart" | — | — | — | Reckless Valentine |
| "Waiting for a Miracle" | — | — | — | ||
| "Back Street Boy" | — | — | — | ||
| 1996 | "Beautiful Disguise" | — | — | — | Cool Jam Black Earth |
| 1997 | "I Will Be Your Priest" | — | — | — | |
| 1999 | "Charlie Parker Loves Me" | — | — | — | This Is How Men Cry |
| 2003 | "Everything Love Is" (with Amy Sky) | — | — | — | With This Kiss (Amy Sky album) |
| 2008 | "Every Time It Snows" | — | — | — | single only |
Writing credits
Artists who have performed songs Jordan has written include:- Alfie ZappacostaZappacostaZappacosta also known as Alfie Zappacosta is a Canadian singer/songwriter.-Career:...
- Tears of Hercules - Susan AglukarkSusan AglukarkSusan Aglukark, OC , is an Inuk musician whose blend of Inuit folk music traditions with country and pop songwriting has made her a major recording star in Canada. Her most successful single is "O Siem", which reached #1 on the Canadian country and adult contemporary charts in 1995...
- Jim BrickmanJim BrickmanJim Brickman is an American songwriter and pianist. He has been named the most charted male Adult Contemporary artist to date, with six of his albums receiving Gold and Platinum status. He is known for his solo piano compositions, pop-style instrumentals, and vocal collaborations with artists...
- CherCherCher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in...
- ChicagoChicago (band)Chicago is an American rock band formed in 1967 in Chicago, Illinois. The self-described "rock and roll band with horns" began as a politically charged, sometimes experimental, rock band and later moved to a predominantly softer sound, becoming famous for producing a number of hit ballads. They had...
- Joe CockerJoe CockerJohn Robert "Joe" Cocker, OBE is an English rock and blues musician, composer and actor, who came to popularity in the 1960s, and is most known for his gritty voice, his idiosyncratic arm movements while performing, and his cover versions of popular songs, particularly those of The Beatles...
- Holly ColeHolly ColeHolly Cole is a Canadian jazz singer, particularly popular in Canada and Japan for both her versatile and distinctive voice, along with her adventurous repertoire, which spans such divergent genres as show tunes, rock, and country music.-Holly Cole Trio:In 1983, Cole travelled to Toronto to seek a...
- Natalie ColeNatalie ColeNatalie Maria Cole , is an American singer, songwriter and performer. The daughter of jazz legend Nat King Cole, Cole rode to musical success in the mid-1970s as an R&B artist with the hits "This Will Be ", "Inseparable" and "Our Love"...
- Shawn ColvinShawn ColvinShawn Colvin is an American singer-songwriter and musician.-Childhood and early career:Colvin was born in Vermillion, South Dakota. Her formative years were spent in the town of Carbondale, Illinois, where she attended Southern Illinois University Carbondale. She learned to play guitar at the age...
- Renée GeyerRenée GeyerRenée Rebecca Geyer is an Australian singer who has long been regarded as one of the finest exponents of jazz, soul and R&B idioms. She had commercial success as a solo artist in Australia, with "It's a Man's Man's World", "Heading in the Right Direction" and "Stares and Whispers" in the 1970s and...
- Josh GrobanJosh GrobanJoshua Winslow "Josh" Groban is an American singer-songwriter, musician, actor, and record producer. His four solo albums have been certified at least multi-platinum, and in 2007, he was charted as the number-one best selling artist in the United States with over 21 million records in that country...
- David HasselhoffDavid HasselhoffDavid Michael Hasselhoff is an American actor, singer, producer and businessman. He is best known for his lead roles as Michael Knight in the popular 1980s US series Knight Rider and as L.A. County Lifeguard Mitch Buchannon in the series Baywatch...
- Jeff HealeyJeff HealeyNorman Jeffrey "Jeff" Healey was a blind Canadian jazz and blues-rock vocalist and guitarist who attained musical and personal popularity, particularly in the 1980s and 1990s.-Early life:...
- Don JohnsonDon JohnsonDonnie Wayne "Don" Johnson is an American actor known for his work in television and film. He played the lead role of James "Sonny" Crockett in the 1980s TV cop series, Miami Vice, which led him to huge success. He also played the lead role in the 1990s cop series, Nash Bridges...
- Molly JohnsonMolly JohnsonMolly Johnson, OC is a Canadian Juno Award-winning singer-songwriter of pop and jazz.-Biography:Johnson began as a child performer, receiving formal training from the National Ballet School and the Banff School of Fine Arts...
- KansasKansas (band)Kansas is an American rock band that became popular in the 1970s initially on Album-Oriented Rock charts, and later with hit singles such as "Carry On Wayward Son" and "Dust in the Wind"...
- Kenny LogginsKenny LogginsDuring the next decade, Loggins recorded so many successful songs for film soundtracks that he was referred to as, King of the Movie Soundtrack.He began with "I'm Alright" , "Mr. Night", and "Lead the Way" from Caddyshack...
- The Manhattan TransferThe Manhattan TransferThe Manhattan Transfer is an American vocal music group. There have been two manifestations of the group, with Tim Hauser being the only person to be part of both...
- Amanda MarshallAmanda MarshallAmanda Meta Marshall is a Canadian pop-rock singer.She grew up in Toronto in a biracial family to a White Canadian father and a Black Trinidadian mother...
- Olivia Newton-JohnOlivia Newton-JohnOlivia 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...
- The NylonsThe NylonsThe Nylons are an a cappella group founded in 1978 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Best known for their covers of The Turtles' "Happy Together", Steam's "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye", and The Tokens' version of the traditional "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"....
- Robert PriestRobert PriestRobert Priest is a British born Canadian poet and children's author. He has written numerous books of poetry, several children's novels, and has often appeared on CBC radio's hit spoken word show "Wordbeat" under the alias "Dr Poetry". He is well known for his aphorisms and performance poetry...
- Bonnie RaittBonnie RaittBonnie Lynn Raitt is an American blues singer-songwriter and a renowned slide guitar player. During the 1970s, Raitt released a series of acclaimed roots-influenced albums which incorporated elements of blues, rock, folk and country, but she is perhaps best known for her more commercially...
- Diana RossDiana RossDiana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...
- RunrigRunrigRunrig are a Scottish Celtic rock group formed in Skye, in 1973 under the name 'The Run Rig Dance Band'. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included songwriters Rory Macdonald and Calum Macdonald. The current line-up also includes longtime members Malcolm Jones, Iain Bayne, and more...
- Sawyer BrownSawyer BrownSawyer Brown is an American country music band founded in 1981 in Apopka, Florida, by five members of country pop singer Don King's road band: Bobby Randall and Jim Scholten , both from Midland, Michigan; Joe Smyth , Gregg "Hobie" Hubbard , and Mark Miller...
- Amy SkyAmy SkyAmy Sky is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer, theatre actress, and television host. Sky started classical music lessons at the age of five , and plays piano, guitar, cello and recorder....
- Rod StewartRod StewartRoderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
- TiffanyTiffany (singer)Tiffany Renee Darwish , known popularly as Tiffany, is an American singer and former teen icon. She is most notable for her 1987 cover version of "I Think We're Alone Now", originally recorded by Tommy James and the Shondells in 1967. Released as the second single from her eponymous album, Tiffany,...
- IncubusIncubus (band)Incubus is an American rock band from Calabasas, California. The band was formed in 1991 by vocalist Brandon Boyd, lead guitarist Mike Einziger, and drummer Jose Pasillas while enrolled in high school and later expanded to include bassist Alex "Dirk Lance" Katunich, and Gavin "DJ Lyfe" Koppell;...
External links
- Official site
- Lunch at Allen's Official Site
- Marc Jordan - JAM! Pop Encyclopedia bio
- Featured Member page (SOCAN)