Jane Olivor
Encyclopedia
Jane Olivor is an American
cabaret
singer. She was initially compared, often favorably, to Barbra Streisand
and Édith Piaf
.
and Gene Pitney
. Pitney would appear on her album, Love Decides. She eased her way into the burgeoning New York City cabaret scene in the early 1970s. She appeared at the Reno Sweeney cabaret, which Lewis Friedman and Eliot Hubbard owned and operated, and which Vito Russo
described as "the center of the universe during the now-legendary cabaret revival of the early '70s." It was there that she was discovered by Clive Davis
, then President of the Columbia Records
label, who was in the audience at her first appearance on its stage. Although she appeared to be living out any performer's dream, she knew she was by no means fully prepared for the fame—one factor was that she did not really know the capabilities of her own voice. Her intimidation turned to debilitating stage fright.
community, for her interpretations of famous songs such as "Some Enchanted Evening
" from the Broadway musical South Pacific
and "Come Softly to Me
", the 1959 chart selection by The Fleetwoods
.
Credited as "Janie Olivor, stage performer", an early performance is captured in the film Saturday Night at the Baths, an independent film shot at the infamous Continental Baths
where (among others) Bette Midler
got her start. In the film, historically important for its footage both of the bathhouse and of Olivor herself, Olivor sings an early version of "Pretty Girl." Written by Olivor with Kathy Wakefield, "Pretty Girl" would later appear on Olivor's In Concert and Safe Return recordings.
She became noticeable enough for the Columbia Records
label and the William Morris Agency
to sign her. Her debut album, First Night, released in 1976, was named Stereo Review
's Album of the Year.
In September 1977, her second album, Chasing Rainbows, was released to coincide with Olivor's debut at Carnegie Hall. The first pressing of the album contained a one-sided insert 45 RPM single of "Some Enchanted Evening
", re-recorded by Olivor and produced by Charles Calello (the noted producer of Laura Nyro
's Eli and the Thirteenth Confession
album). Chasing Rainbows
was produced by Tom Catalano
. This album reached the Top 100 bestsellers, remaining in the charts for three months, and peaked at number 87 on the Billboard charts
.
Susan Casazza and Norman Dolph wrote and composed "Stay the Night" specifically for Olivor. As the title track of the 1978 Stay the Night album, the song was Olivor's best-selling recording for Columbia Records. Olivor's slowed-down version from this release of The Chiffons
' "He's So Fine
", with its sinewy saxophone and multi-tracked Olivor vocals, became the biggest-selling single of her career and charted into Billboard's Top 100, peaking at number 77.
In between Stay the Night and the release of The Best Side of Goodbye, Olivor found herself busy with concerts and also toured as a special guest of Johnny Mathis
. Their duet, "The Last Time I Felt Like This," was the theme for the 1978 film Same Time, Next Year
. The song, with music by Marvin Hamlisch
and lyrics by Alan Bergman
and Marilyn Bergman
, was nominated for a Golden Globe Award
and an Academy Award.
The 51st Academy Awards ceremony in April 1979 (the "Oscar" telecast) marked the first time that all five of the nominated songs were performed by the artists who recorded them for the films themselves; Olivor and Mathis performed their duet live at the televised event. Olivor's fourth album, The Best Side Of Goodbye, produced by Louie Shelton, Michael Masser, and Jason Darrow, was released in 1980 and climbed to number 58 on the Billboard charts. Inexplicably, Columbia released the song "Don't Let Go Of Me" as the album's only single, rather than the title track which many felt could have propelled Olivor into the Top 100 again.
Jane Olivor in Concert, her first live album, was released in 1982 and included "Race to the End", a vocal version of the Vangelis
theme from the film Chariots of Fire
and, again, "Stay the Night" as its singles.
On November 11, 2003, Olivor appeared at the Berklee Performance Center at Berklee College of Music
in Boston, Massachusetts, where she taped Safe Return, a live album of music spanning her entire career. She had recorded her first live album, Jane Olivor in Concert, in the same venue in 1982, but except for a Christmas concert in 1999 had not performed there since. The concert was recorded as both an album and a DVD, and both were released in 2004.
In June 2004, Columbia Records released her greatest-hits collection, titled The Best Of Jane Olivor. It is a compilation of her best-known songs, including the Academy Award–nominated song The Last Time I Felt Like This with Johnny Mathis
. This is the first time that the duet has been issued on a Jane Olivor album.
, and she has taken an interest in the efforts of the Marin Humane Society.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
cabaret
Cabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
singer. She was initially compared, often favorably, to Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand
Barbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,...
and Édith Piaf
Édith Piaf
Édith Piaf , born Édith Giovanna Gassion, was a French singer and cultural icon who became widely regarded as France's greatest popular singer. Her singing reflected her life, with her specialty being ballads...
.
Background
Olivor was born as Jane Cohen in Brooklyn, New York and reportedly grew up with a background in folk music, although her particular influences, she has claimed, were Johnny MathisJohnny Mathis
John Royce "Johnny" Mathis is an American singer of popular music. Starting his career with singles of standards, he became highly popular as an album artist, with several dozen of his albums achieving gold or platinum status, and 73 making the Billboard charts...
and Gene Pitney
Gene Pitney
Eugene Francis Alan Pitney, known as Gene Pitney , was an American singer-songwriter, musician and sound engineer. Through the mid-1960s, he enjoyed success as a recording artist on both sides of the Atlantic and was among the group of early 1960s American acts who continued to enjoy hits after the...
. Pitney would appear on her album, Love Decides. She eased her way into the burgeoning New York City cabaret scene in the early 1970s. She appeared at the Reno Sweeney cabaret, which Lewis Friedman and Eliot Hubbard owned and operated, and which Vito Russo
Vito Russo
Vito Russo was an American LGBT activist, film historian and author who is best remembered as the author of the book The Celluloid Closet ....
described as "the center of the universe during the now-legendary cabaret revival of the early '70s." It was there that she was discovered by Clive Davis
Clive Davis
Clive Davis is an American record producer and music industry executive. He has won five Grammy Awards and is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a non-performer. From 1967 to 1973 he was the President of Columbia Records. He was the founder and president of Arista Records from 1975...
, then President of the Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
label, who was in the audience at her first appearance on its stage. Although she appeared to be living out any performer's dream, she knew she was by no means fully prepared for the fame—one factor was that she did not really know the capabilities of her own voice. Her intimidation turned to debilitating stage fright.
Early career
Olivor quickly caught on, playing such venues as Brothers & Sisters and The Ballroom. She became known, notably among the gayGay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
community, for her interpretations of famous songs such as "Some Enchanted Evening
Some Enchanted Evening (song)
"Some Enchanted Evening" is a show tune from the 1949 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific.In the musical, it is sung as a solo by Emile de Becque, the French plantation owner, who falls in love with the American navy nurse Nellie Forbush. In this song he sings of seizing the moment so...
" from the Broadway musical South Pacific
South Pacific (musical)
South Pacific is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and book by Hammerstein and Joshua Logan. The story draws from James A. Michener's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1947 book Tales of the South Pacific, weaving together characters and elements from several of its...
and "Come Softly to Me
Come Softly to Me
"Come Softly to Me" is a popular song written by Gretchen Christopher that was published in 1959 and was performed by The Fleetwoods, composed of Christopher, Gary Troxel, and Barbara Ellis. It was the first release for the new Dolphin Records label....
", the 1959 chart selection by The Fleetwoods
The Fleetwoods
The Fleetwoods were a singing trio from Olympia, Washington, United States; formed in the late 1950s. They were responsible for eleven hit songs, beginning with "Come Softly to Me"...
.
Credited as "Janie Olivor, stage performer", an early performance is captured in the film Saturday Night at the Baths, an independent film shot at the infamous Continental Baths
Continental Baths
In 1968, Steve Ostrow opened the Continental Baths in the basement of the Ansonia Hotel in New York City. Continental Baths was advertised as reminiscent of "the glory of ancient Rome."-Facilities:...
where (among others) Bette Midler
Bette Midler
Bette Midler is an American singer, actress, and comedian, also known by her informal stage name, The Divine Miss M. She became famous as a cabaret and concert headliner, and went on to star in successful and acclaimed films such as The Rose, Ruthless People, Beaches, and For The Boys...
got her start. In the film, historically important for its footage both of the bathhouse and of Olivor herself, Olivor sings an early version of "Pretty Girl." Written by Olivor with Kathy Wakefield, "Pretty Girl" would later appear on Olivor's In Concert and Safe Return recordings.
She became noticeable enough for the Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
label and the William Morris Agency
William Morris Agency
WME is the largest talent agency in the world, with offices in Beverly Hills, New York City, Nashville, London, and Miami. WME represents elite artists from all facets of the entertainment industry, including motion pictures, television, music, theatre, publishing, and physical production...
to sign her. Her debut album, First Night, released in 1976, was named Stereo Review
Stereo Review
Stereo Review was an American magazine first published in 1958 by Ziff-Davis with the title HiFi and Music Review. It was one of a handful of magazines then available for the individual interested in high fidelity. Throughout its life it published a blend of record and equipment reviews, articles...
's Album of the Year.
In September 1977, her second album, Chasing Rainbows, was released to coincide with Olivor's debut at Carnegie Hall. The first pressing of the album contained a one-sided insert 45 RPM single of "Some Enchanted Evening
Some Enchanted Evening (song)
"Some Enchanted Evening" is a show tune from the 1949 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific.In the musical, it is sung as a solo by Emile de Becque, the French plantation owner, who falls in love with the American navy nurse Nellie Forbush. In this song he sings of seizing the moment so...
", re-recorded by Olivor and produced by Charles Calello (the noted producer of Laura Nyro
Laura Nyro
Laura Nyro was an American songwriter, singer, and pianist. She achieved considerable critical acclaim with her own recordings, particularly the albums Eli and the Thirteenth Confession and New York Tendaberry, and had commercial success with artists such as Barbra Streisand and The 5th...
's Eli and the Thirteenth Confession
Eli and the Thirteenth Confession
-References:*Michele Kort's biography Soul Picnic: The Music and Passion of Laura Nyro -External links:*[ Allmusic Laura Nyro biography entry.]**...
album). Chasing Rainbows
Chasing Rainbows
Chasing Rainbows is a 1930 American romantic musical film directed by Charles Reisner, starring Bessie Love and Charles King, and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.- Film preservation :...
was produced by Tom Catalano
Tom Catalano
Tom Catalano is an American producer, most notable for his long-time collaboration with Neil Diamond.-References:...
. This album reached the Top 100 bestsellers, remaining in the charts for three months, and peaked at number 87 on the Billboard charts
Billboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
.
Susan Casazza and Norman Dolph wrote and composed "Stay the Night" specifically for Olivor. As the title track of the 1978 Stay the Night album, the song was Olivor's best-selling recording for Columbia Records. Olivor's slowed-down version from this release of The Chiffons
The Chiffons
The Chiffons was an all girl group originating from the Bronx area of New York in 1960.-Biography:The Chiffons were one of the top girl groups of the early 1960s...
' "He's So Fine
He's So Fine
"He's So Fine" is a recording by The Chiffons which topped the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks in the spring of 1963. One of the most instantly recognizable Golden Oldies with its doo-lang doo-lang doo-lang background vocal, "He's So Fine" is also renowned as the plaintiff song in the now-infamous...
", with its sinewy saxophone and multi-tracked Olivor vocals, became the biggest-selling single of her career and charted into Billboard's Top 100, peaking at number 77.
In between Stay the Night and the release of The Best Side of Goodbye, Olivor found herself busy with concerts and also toured as a special guest of Johnny Mathis
Johnny Mathis
John Royce "Johnny" Mathis is an American singer of popular music. Starting his career with singles of standards, he became highly popular as an album artist, with several dozen of his albums achieving gold or platinum status, and 73 making the Billboard charts...
. Their duet, "The Last Time I Felt Like This," was the theme for the 1978 film Same Time, Next Year
Same Time, Next Year (film)
Same Time, Next Year is a 1978 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Robert Mulligan. The screenplay by Bernard Slade is based on his 1975 play of the same title.-Plot synopsis:...
. The song, with music by Marvin Hamlisch
Marvin Hamlisch
Marvin Frederick Hamlisch is an American composer. He is one of only thirteen people to have been awarded Emmys, Grammys, Oscars, and a Tony . He is also one of only two people to EGOT and also win a Pulitzer Prize...
and lyrics by Alan Bergman
Alan Bergman
Alan Bergman is an American lyricist and songwriter.-Life & career:Born in Brooklyn, New York, he studied at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and UCLA. His involvement in the entertainment industry began in the early 1950s as a director of children's television shows...
and Marilyn Bergman
Marilyn Bergman
Marilyn Bergman is a composer, songwriter and author.She was born Marilyn Keith in Brooklyn, New York and studied psychology and English at New York University...
, was nominated for a Golden Globe Award
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
and an Academy Award.
The 51st Academy Awards ceremony in April 1979 (the "Oscar" telecast) marked the first time that all five of the nominated songs were performed by the artists who recorded them for the films themselves; Olivor and Mathis performed their duet live at the televised event. Olivor's fourth album, The Best Side Of Goodbye, produced by Louie Shelton, Michael Masser, and Jason Darrow, was released in 1980 and climbed to number 58 on the Billboard charts. Inexplicably, Columbia released the song "Don't Let Go Of Me" as the album's only single, rather than the title track which many felt could have propelled Olivor into the Top 100 again.
Jane Olivor in Concert, her first live album, was released in 1982 and included "Race to the End", a vocal version of the Vangelis
Vangelis
Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou is a Greek composer of electronic, progressive, ambient, jazz, pop rock and orchestral music, under the artist name Vangelis...
theme from the film Chariots of Fire
Chariots of Fire
Chariots of Fire is a 1981 British film. It tells the fact-based story of two athletes in the 1924 Olympics: Eric Liddell, a devout Scottish Christian who runs for the glory of God, and Harold Abrahams, an English Jew who runs to overcome prejudice....
and, again, "Stay the Night" as its singles.
Performing hiatus
In 1983, her own stage fright, nervousness at the sudden onrush of fame, and numerous unfavorable experiences with the music industry led Olivor to schedule a one-year hiatus from both performing and the heavy pressures of her too-fast fame. That hiatus would stretch to seven years when, in addition to her other challenges, her husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer six months after they married. Olivor put her career on hold to care for him until his death in 1986. In the meantime, she had disputes with Columbia Records over money.Return to performing
After having sought and received treatment for depression in 1989, Olivor returned to performing in 1990 and discovered that her fan base had remained loyal to her throughout her absence. Gradually, she became more active, and in 2000 her first album in eighteen years, Love Decides, was released, followed in 2001 by Songs Of The Season.On November 11, 2003, Olivor appeared at the Berklee Performance Center at Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known primarily as a school for jazz, rock and popular music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including hip...
in Boston, Massachusetts, where she taped Safe Return, a live album of music spanning her entire career. She had recorded her first live album, Jane Olivor in Concert, in the same venue in 1982, but except for a Christmas concert in 1999 had not performed there since. The concert was recorded as both an album and a DVD, and both were released in 2004.
In June 2004, Columbia Records released her greatest-hits collection, titled The Best Of Jane Olivor. It is a compilation of her best-known songs, including the Academy Award–nominated song The Last Time I Felt Like This with Johnny Mathis
Johnny Mathis
John Royce "Johnny" Mathis is an American singer of popular music. Starting his career with singles of standards, he became highly popular as an album artist, with several dozen of his albums achieving gold or platinum status, and 73 making the Billboard charts...
. This is the first time that the duet has been issued on a Jane Olivor album.
Charities and public services
Jane Olivor is a staunch supporter of animal rightsAnimal rights
Animal rights, also known as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of non-human animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings...
, and she has taken an interest in the efforts of the Marin Humane Society.
Discography
- First Night, Columbia (USA)Columbia RecordsColumbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
, 1976 - Chasing Rainbows, Columbia (USA), 1977
- Stay The Night, Columbia (USA), 1978
- The Best Side Of Goodbye, Columbia (USA), 1980
- Jane Olivor in Concert, 1982
- So Fine, Sony Special Products, 1995
- Love Decides, Varèse Sarabande (USA)Varèse SarabandeVarèse Sarabande is an American record label, distributed by Universal Music Group, which specializes in film scores and original cast recordings. It aims to reissue rare or unavailable albums as well as newer releases by artists no longer under a contract...
, 2000 - Songs Of The Season, Varèse Sarabande (USA), 2001
- Safe Return (live), PS ClassicsPS ClassicsPS Classics is a record label that specializes in musical theatre and standard vocals. Founded in 2000 by Grammy-nominated freelance producer Tommy Krasker and singer/actor Philip Chaffin, their releases have been critically acclaimed for their meticulous sonic detail and high-quality packaging and...
, 2004 - The Best Of Jane Olivor, Legacy RecordingsLegacy RecordingsLegacy Recordings is Sony Music Entertainment's catalog division. It was founded in 1990 by CBS Records under the leadership of Jerry Shulman, Richard Bauer, Gary Pacheco and Amy Herot to handle reissues of recordings from the vast catalogues of Columbia Records, Epic Records and associated...
, 2004
External links
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