Mikel Japp
Encyclopedia
Mikel Japp is a musician
and songwriter
.
Japp joined May Fisher, a Llanelli
-based band, just before it was taken up by a London
rock and pop music agency - through a friend who went on to establish 3PR
- and sent on an extended and successful tour of Yugoslavia
under a new name: Thank You. On their return, Thank You supported Joe Brown
's Browns Home Brew and Marmalade
on UK tours, as well as playing leading university and college dates. His aggressive, abrupt rock guitar style was first captured on recordings made by Joe Brown at his Essex
recording studio. These were never released due to apparent difficulties in finding a vocal style from the band's two singers.
Japp had, however, made a strong impression on Marmalade
and was invited to join this successful group to replace Hugh Nicolson. He toured extensively with the band but no recordings made during his tenure achieved chart status.
He has also written/co-written songs for such artists as Paul Stanley
, Kiss
and The Babys
, and has worked with other musicians such as Matthew Fisher
and John Waite
.
As a solo artist, he released an album in 2000 titled Dreamer. Japp's style has moved from rock to blues guitar. A number of videos featuring the musician have been posted on the Internet.
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
and songwriter
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...
.
Japp joined May Fisher, a Llanelli
Llanelli
Llanelli , the largest town in both the county of Carmarthenshire and the preserved county of Dyfed , Wales, sits on the Loughor estuary on the West Wales coast, approximately west-north-west of Swansea and south-east of the county town, Carmarthen. The town is famous for its proud rugby...
-based band, just before it was taken up by a London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
rock and pop music agency - through a friend who went on to establish 3PR
3PR
3PR was a Norwich based public relations consultancy which was founded in 1987 by Peter Phillips and closed in 1998. He went on to invent Australia TradeCoast in co-operation with Queensland Premier Peter Beattie, and cross swords with Kevin Rudd, now Australia's Prime Minister, over proposed...
- and sent on an extended and successful tour of Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
under a new name: Thank You. On their return, Thank You supported Joe Brown
Joe Brown (singer)
Joe Brown, MBE is an English entertainer.He has worked as a rock and roll singer and guitarist for more than five decades. He was a stage and television performer in the late 1950s and a UK recording star in the early 1960s...
's Browns Home Brew and Marmalade
Marmalade (band)
Marmalade were a successful Scottish pop rock group, from the east end of Glasgow, originally formed in 1961 as "The Gaylords", later "Dean Ford and The Gaylords". In 1966, they changed the group name to 'The Marmalade'. The most successful period for the band, in terms of UK chart success, was...
on UK tours, as well as playing leading university and college dates. His aggressive, abrupt rock guitar style was first captured on recordings made by Joe Brown at his Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
recording studio. These were never released due to apparent difficulties in finding a vocal style from the band's two singers.
Japp had, however, made a strong impression on Marmalade
Marmalade (band)
Marmalade were a successful Scottish pop rock group, from the east end of Glasgow, originally formed in 1961 as "The Gaylords", later "Dean Ford and The Gaylords". In 1966, they changed the group name to 'The Marmalade'. The most successful period for the band, in terms of UK chart success, was...
and was invited to join this successful group to replace Hugh Nicolson. He toured extensively with the band but no recordings made during his tenure achieved chart status.
He has also written/co-written songs for such artists as Paul Stanley
Paul Stanley
Stanley Harvey Eisen , better known by his stage name Paul Stanley, is an American hard rock guitarist, singer, musician, painter and songwriter best known for being the rhythm guitarist and primary lead vocalist of the rock band Kiss. He is the writer or co-writer of many of the band's...
, Kiss
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
and The Babys
The Babys
The Babys were a British rock/pop group best known for their songs "Isn't It Time," and "Every Time I Think of You." Both songs were composed by Jack Conrad and Ray Kennedy, and reached #13 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in the late 1970s...
, and has worked with other musicians such as Matthew Fisher
Matthew Fisher
Matthew Fisher is an English organist and singer-songwriter, and was responsible for the organ sound on the 1967 single, "A Whiter Shade of Pale" by Procol Harum.-Biography:...
and John Waite
John Waite
John Charles Waite is an English rock singer and musician. He was lead vocalist for The Babys and Bad English. As a solo artist, he scored several international hits, including 1984's "Missing You", a top ten hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart, reaching #1 in the...
.
As a solo artist, he released an album in 2000 titled Dreamer. Japp's style has moved from rock to blues guitar. A number of videos featuring the musician have been posted on the Internet.
Albums featuring Mikel Japp's work
- Broken Heart (1977) - The BabysThe BabysThe Babys were a British rock/pop group best known for their songs "Isn't It Time," and "Every Time I Think of You." Both songs were composed by Jack Conrad and Ray Kennedy, and reached #13 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in the late 1970s...
- Head First (1978) - The Babys
- Paul StanleyPaul Stanley (album)Paul Stanley is a 1978 album from the rhythm guitarist and lead vocalist of American hard rock band Kiss. It was one of four solo albums released by the band members on September 18, 1978. The other albums were released by Gene Simmons, Peter Criss and Ace Frehley.The album reached #40 on the US...
(1978) - Paul StanleyPaul StanleyStanley Harvey Eisen , better known by his stage name Paul Stanley, is an American hard rock guitarist, singer, musician, painter and songwriter best known for being the rhythm guitarist and primary lead vocalist of the rock band Kiss. He is the writer or co-writer of many of the band's... - KillersKillers (KISS album)Killers is the second compilation album by American hard rock group Kiss. The album was released only outside the United States, but quickly became available as an import. Of the twelve songs on Killers, four were new compositions recorded specifically for the album...
(1982) - KissKISS (band)Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,... - Creatures of the NightCreatures of the NightCreatures of the Night is the tenth studio album by Kiss. It is the band's last album for Casablanca Records, the only label the group had ever recorded for up to that point...
(1982) - Kiss - Dreamer (2000) - Mike Japp