Jimmie Spheeris
Encyclopedia
Jimmie Spheeris November 5, 1949 – July 4, 1984) was an American singer-songwriter
who released four albums in the 1970s on the Columbia Records
and Epic Records
labels.
He was of Greek descent. He was brother of film director and producer Penelope Spheeris
, and cousin of musician Chris Spheeris
and film director Costa Gavras.
, to Juanita 'Gypsy' and Andrew Spheeris, who owned and operated a traveling carnival called the Majick Empire. These childhood years of colorful transience were a major influence on later work, as evidenced in songs such as Lost in the Midway and Decatur Street, among others.
Spheeris had two sisters, Penelope
and Linda, and a brother, Andy. After his father was murdered by a "belligerent carnival-goer," Gypsy Spheeris moved the family to San Diego, California. The family eventually settled in Venice
, California. Gypsy Spheeris tended bar at an establishment on Main Street called The Circle.
Spheeris moved to New York City
in the late 1960s to pursue and develop his songwriting career. The liner notes
on his debut album credit friend and fellow songwriter Richie Havens
, who introduced Spheeris to Columbia Records
executive Clive Davis
. Davis signed Spheeris to a four album recording contract and his debut album was released on the Columbia label.
Spheeris' 1971 debut album, Isle of View, garnered a devoted following and FM radio airplay, most notably for the song I am the Mercury. His 1973 album, The Original Tap Dancing Kid, was followed by a period of extensive concert touring. Spheeris returned to the recording studio in 1975 with The Dragon is Dancing and released Ports of the Heart in 1976. After Ports of the Heart, Spheeris had no recording contract. Except for a 1980 single, Hold Tight, Spheeris released no new material through a major record label.
Spheeris died at the age of 34 in Santa Monica, California
, when his motorcycle collided with a van at 2 a.m. on the morning of July 4, 1984. The driver of the van, Bruce Burnside, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and felony vehicular manslaughter. Hours before his death, Spheeris finished the self-titled album, Spheeris. This final album was not publicly released for 16 years.
A track on Spheeris' final album entitled You Must Be Laughing Somewhere is based on the life of his friend, author John Kennedy Toole
(whose novel, A Confederacy of Dunces
, was posthumously awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
in 1981).
In 1998, independent record label Rain Records began re-releasing Spheeris' catalog on CD, but stopped production in 2001 following the cancellation of a music licensing contract with Sony Music Special Products
(owner of Spheeris’ catalog as of this entry).
Spheeris primarily composed on the guitar and piano. His musical genre was generally in the folk music
and singer-songwriter
traditions, although later work explored jazz
, rock music
, jazz-rock fusion and new wave music
.
With few exceptions, Spheeris’ guitar compositions employed the use of open tunings, also referred to as alternate tunings. Johnny Pierce (November 30, 1953 – December 12, 2005), worked with Spheeris as a recording session and touring artist from 1973 to 1980, and wrote extensive guitar tablature regarding the tunings Spheeris used throughout his career.
Spheeris’ vocal range was primarily baritone
and tenor
, with occasional falsetto
flourishes. His voice is most often described by music critics and fans as "soulful," "sultry," or "smoky."
contributed backing vocals on Spheeris' 1976 album, Ports of the Heart. Recording artist Laura Nyro
and Spheeris were also friends, sharing a New York City apartment for a time in the early 1970s.
The following is a partial list of musicians who contributed to recordings by Jimmie Spheeris:
Jane Getz
, John Goodsall
, David Campbell, Geoff Levin, Lee Calvin Nicolai, David Harowitz, Emil Latimer, Buddy Salzman, Bill La Vorna, Felix Cavaliere
, Russ Kunkel
, Leland Sklar
, Bobbye Hall
, Sneaky Pete Kleinow
, Doreen Davis, Jane Getz, Vinnie Johnson, John Summers, Jim Cowger, Harvy Mason, Norma Trotter, Charlie Larky, Bart Hall, Johnny Pierce, Chick Corea
, Mike Mallen, Paul Lewinson, Dorothy Remsen, Henry Lewy, Morgan Ames, Chuck Findley, Robert Findley, Gary Barone, Jonathan Ellis, Stanley Clarke
, John Guerin, Jay Ellington Lee, Robin Williamson
, Dan Orbach, Emile Pandolfi, Richard Feves, Paul Delph
, Rick Parnell, Doug Lunn, Paul Lani, Richard Burmer
, Paul Marcus, Charlotte Crossley, Peter Udo, Vida Vierra, Fred Rehfeld, Terry Powers, Lavell Gibson, Michael Stewart, Arnold McUlla, Mike Anglin
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...
who released four albums in the 1970s on 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...
and Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
labels.
He was of Greek descent. He was brother of film director and producer Penelope Spheeris
Penelope Spheeris
Penelope Spheeris is an American director, producer and screenwriter. She is best known as a documentary film director whose works include the trilogy titled The Decline of Western Civilization...
, and cousin of musician Chris Spheeris
Chris Spheeris
Chris Spheeris is a Greek-American composer of instrumental music. He is a producer, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist. Chris is the cousin of Penelope Spheeris and her brother Jimmie Spheeris, and Costas Gavras...
and film director Costa Gavras.
Biography
Jimmie (James) Spheeris was born in Phenix City, AlabamaPhenix City, Alabama
Phenix City is a city and the county seat in Russell County in the U.S. state of Alabama. Portions of Lee County are addressed as Phenix City, 36870 ZIP code, for the sole purpose that Smiths Station does not have full incorporation to annex the area...
, to Juanita 'Gypsy' and Andrew Spheeris, who owned and operated a traveling carnival called the Majick Empire. These childhood years of colorful transience were a major influence on later work, as evidenced in songs such as Lost in the Midway and Decatur Street, among others.
Spheeris had two sisters, Penelope
Penelope Spheeris
Penelope Spheeris is an American director, producer and screenwriter. She is best known as a documentary film director whose works include the trilogy titled The Decline of Western Civilization...
and Linda, and a brother, Andy. After his father was murdered by a "belligerent carnival-goer," Gypsy Spheeris moved the family to San Diego, California. The family eventually settled in Venice
Venice, Los Angeles, California
Venice is a beachfront district on the Westside of Los Angeles, California, United States. It is known for its canals, beaches and circus-like Ocean Front Walk, a two-and-a-half mile pedestrian-only promenade that features performers, fortune-tellers, artists, and vendors...
, California. Gypsy Spheeris tended bar at an establishment on Main Street called The Circle.
Spheeris moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in the late 1960s to pursue and develop his songwriting career. The liner notes
Liner notes
Liner notes are the writings found in booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for vinyl records and cassettes.-Origin:...
on his debut album credit friend and fellow songwriter Richie Havens
Richie Havens
Richard P. "Richie" Havens is an African American folk singer and guitarist. He is best known for his intense, rhythmic guitar style , soulful covers of pop and folk songs, and his opening performance at the 1969 Woodstock Festival.-Career:Born in Brooklyn, Havens was the eldest of nine children...
, who introduced Spheeris to 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...
executive 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...
. Davis signed Spheeris to a four album recording contract and his debut album was released on the Columbia label.
Spheeris' 1971 debut album, Isle of View, garnered a devoted following and FM radio airplay, most notably for the song I am the Mercury. His 1973 album, The Original Tap Dancing Kid, was followed by a period of extensive concert touring. Spheeris returned to the recording studio in 1975 with The Dragon is Dancing and released Ports of the Heart in 1976. After Ports of the Heart, Spheeris had no recording contract. Except for a 1980 single, Hold Tight, Spheeris released no new material through a major record label.
Spheeris died at the age of 34 in Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
, when his motorcycle collided with a van at 2 a.m. on the morning of July 4, 1984. The driver of the van, Bruce Burnside, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and felony vehicular manslaughter. Hours before his death, Spheeris finished the self-titled album, Spheeris. This final album was not publicly released for 16 years.
A track on Spheeris' final album entitled You Must Be Laughing Somewhere is based on the life of his friend, author John Kennedy Toole
John Kennedy Toole
John Kennedy Toole was an American novelist from New Orleans, Louisiana, best-known for his posthumously published novel A Confederacy of Dunces. He also wrote The Neon Bible. Although several people in the literary world felt his writing skills were praiseworthy, Toole's novels were rejected...
(whose novel, A Confederacy of Dunces
A Confederacy of Dunces
A Confederacy of Dunces is a picaresque novel written by John Kennedy Toole, published by LSU Press in 1980, 11 years after the author's suicide. The book was published through the efforts of writer Walker Percy and Toole's mother Thelma Toole, quickly becoming a cult classic, and later a...
, was posthumously awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
The Pulitzer Prize for Fiction has been awarded for distinguished fiction by an American author, preferably dealing with American life. It originated as the Pulitzer Prize for the Novel, which was awarded between 1918 and 1947.-1910s:...
in 1981).
In 1998, independent record label Rain Records began re-releasing Spheeris' catalog on CD, but stopped production in 2001 following the cancellation of a music licensing contract with Sony Music Special Products
Sony Music Special Products
Sony Music Special Products is record label of Sony Music Custom Marketing Group. It is headed by Richard Chechilo. Its primary products are premium and special offer CDs, digital downloads and ringtones....
(owner of Spheeris’ catalog as of this entry).
Style
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and 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...
traditions, although later work explored 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...
, rock music
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, jazz-rock fusion and new wave music
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
.
With few exceptions, Spheeris’ guitar compositions employed the use of open tunings, also referred to as alternate tunings. Johnny Pierce (November 30, 1953 – December 12, 2005), worked with Spheeris as a recording session and touring artist from 1973 to 1980, and wrote extensive guitar tablature regarding the tunings Spheeris used throughout his career.
Spheeris’ vocal range was primarily baritone
Baritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
and tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
, with occasional falsetto
Falsetto
Falsetto is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous edges of the vocal folds, in whole or in part...
flourishes. His voice is most often described by music critics and fans as "soulful," "sultry," or "smoky."
Musicians
Longtime friend Jackson BrowneJackson Browne
Jackson Browne is an American singer-songwriter and musician who has sold over 17 million albums in the United States alone....
contributed backing vocals on Spheeris' 1976 album, Ports of the Heart. Recording artist 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...
and Spheeris were also friends, sharing a New York City apartment for a time in the early 1970s.
The following is a partial list of musicians who contributed to recordings by Jimmie Spheeris:
Jane Getz
Jane Getz
Jane Getz is an American jazz pianist and session musician.Getz learned classical piano as a child and began playing jazz at the age of nine. She lived in California early in life but when she was sixteen moved to New York City...
, John Goodsall
John Goodsall
John Goodsall is a progressive rock & jazz fusion guitarist most noted for his work with Brand X, Atomic Rooster and Fire Merchants.Goodsall was born in Pennsylvania and has lived in Los Angeles, England, Milan and Minnesota. He began playing guitar at age 7...
, David Campbell, Geoff Levin, Lee Calvin Nicolai, David Harowitz, Emil Latimer, Buddy Salzman, Bill La Vorna, Felix Cavaliere
Felix Cavaliere
Felix Cavaliere is an American songwriter, singer, music producer, and musician.Although he was a member of Joey Dee and His Starlighters best known for their hit "Peppermint Twist", he is best known for his association with The Young Rascals during the 1960s. The other members of The Rascals...
, Russ Kunkel
Russ Kunkel
Russell Kunkel , also known as Russ Kunkel, is an American drummer and producer who has worked as a session musician with a number of well-known artists.Kunkel was born in Pittsburgh, PA...
, Leland Sklar
Leland Sklar
Leland "Lee" Bruce Sklar is an American musician, singer-songwriter and film score composer. A prominent bass guitarist, Sklar has contributed to thousands of albums as a session musician...
, Bobbye Hall
Bobbye Hall
Bobbye Jean Hall Porter is an American percussionist who has recorded with a variety of rock, soul, blues and jazz artists, and has appeared on 22 songs that reached the top ten in the Billboard Hot 100, six of those reaching #1.-Early career:...
, Sneaky Pete Kleinow
Sneaky Pete Kleinow
Peter E. "Sneaky Pete" Kleinow was an American country-rock musician, songwriter, and a motion picture special effects artist...
, Doreen Davis, Jane Getz, Vinnie Johnson, John Summers, Jim Cowger, Harvy Mason, Norma Trotter, Charlie Larky, Bart Hall, Johnny Pierce, Chick Corea
Chick Corea
Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, and composer.Many of his compositions are considered jazz standards. As a member of Miles Davis' band in the 1960s, he participated in the birth of the electric jazz fusion movement. In the 1970s he formed Return to Forever...
, Mike Mallen, Paul Lewinson, Dorothy Remsen, Henry Lewy, Morgan Ames, Chuck Findley, Robert Findley, Gary Barone, Jonathan Ellis, Stanley Clarke
Stanley Clarke
Stanley Clarke is an American jazz musician and composer known for his innovative and influential work on double bass and electric bass guitar as well as for his numerous film and television scores...
, John Guerin, Jay Ellington Lee, Robin Williamson
Robin Williamson
Robin Williamson is a Scottish multi-instrumentalist musician, singer, songwriter and storyteller, who first made his name as a founder member of The Incredible String Band.-Career:...
, Dan Orbach, Emile Pandolfi, Richard Feves, Paul Delph
Paul Delph
Paul Delph was a Los Angeles-based singer, songwriter, producer, engineer, and studio musician whose catalog includes work with many well-known recording artists from the late 1970s through the mid-1990s. Delph died from complications of HIV/AIDS at his parents home in Cincinnati, Ohio. His ashes...
, Rick Parnell, Doug Lunn, Paul Lani, Richard Burmer
Richard Burmer
Richard Steven Burmer was an American composer, engineer, sound designer and musician. His work with electronic music combined with musical styles and instruments from around the world has formed his own unique and distinct sound.-Personal life:Richard was born September 19, 1955 in Owosso,...
, Paul Marcus, Charlotte Crossley, Peter Udo, Vida Vierra, Fred Rehfeld, Terry Powers, Lavell Gibson, Michael Stewart, Arnold McUlla, Mike Anglin
Discography
- Isle of View, 1971, Columbia 30988. Produced by Paul Leka.
- The Original Tap Dancing Kid, 1973, Columbia 32157. Produced by Felix CavaliereFelix CavaliereFelix Cavaliere is an American songwriter, singer, music producer, and musician.Although he was a member of Joey Dee and His Starlighters best known for their hit "Peppermint Twist", he is best known for his association with The Young Rascals during the 1960s. The other members of The Rascals...
. - The Dragon is Dancing, 1975, Epic 33565. Produced by Henry Lewy.
- Ports of the Heart, 1976, Epic 34276. Produced by David Campbell.
- An Evening with Jimmie Spheeris (live), 1999, Rain Records RR005. Produced by Johnny Pierce.
- Spheeris, 2000, Rain Records RR006. Produced by Paul DelphPaul DelphPaul Delph was a Los Angeles-based singer, songwriter, producer, engineer, and studio musician whose catalog includes work with many well-known recording artists from the late 1970s through the mid-1990s. Delph died from complications of HIV/AIDS at his parents home in Cincinnati, Ohio. His ashes...
.