Biography of Howard Jones

Howard Jones was one of the defining figures of mid-'80s synth-pop. Jones' music merged the technology-intensive sound of new wave with the cheery optimism of hippies and late '60s pop. Jones racked up an impressive string of hits in the mid- and late '80s before he retreated into being a cult figure in the '90s. Born in Southampton, Hampshire, England, Jones was raised in different areas of the world, since his parents frequently travelled. At the age of seven, Jones learned how to play the piano. By the time he was a teenager, his family had relocated to Canada and that's where he joined his first band, a progressive-rock group called Warrior. Eventually, Jones moved back to England, where he played in a number of different groups, including the Bicycle Thieves and Skin Tight. In the mid-'70s, he enrolled in the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. Jones only attended the school briefly -- he dropped out of the college because he disagreed with the institution's disdain of pop music. After he dropped out of college, Jones began running a produce business and taught piano lessons. At night, he played with a variety of local Shouthampton jazz and funk bands. Eventually, Jones began performing as a solo artist. At these solo shows, Jones performed only with synthesizers, drum machines and sequencers. For these one-man concerts, Jones had a mime called Jed Hoile perform and act out his interpretations of Jones' music. After a few years of solo performing, Jones attracted the attention of John Peel, who offered the keyboardist a BBC session. Soon, Jones was opening for new wave synth-pop acts like Orchestral Manuevers in the Dark. By 1983, he had signed with WEA in England and Europe; in America, he signed to Elektra.Howard Jones released his first single, "New Song," in England in the fall of 1983. "New Song" became a huge hit, going gold and peaking at number three. His second single, "What Is Love," was released a few months later and did equally as well -- it peaked at number two and also went gold. Humans Lib, Jones' debut album, was released in the spring of 1984 and quickly rose to number one in England. Thanks to repeated exposure on MTV, the album became a moderate hit in the US, reaching number 56. Later in 1984, "New Song" and "What Is Love" became American Top 40 hits, while "Pearl in the Shell" became his third British gold single. At the end of the year, he released a collection of remixes called The 12 Inch Album.In 1985, phased Hoile out of his live show, formed a touring band and released his second album, Dream Into Action. The record became his most successful album, reaching number 10 and going platinum in the US and spawning the hit singles "Things Can Only Get Better" (number six UK, number five US), "Like to Get to Know You Well" (number four UK, number 49 US), "Life in One Day" (number 14 UK, number 19 US), and "Look Mama" (number 10, UK). In the spring of 1986, he released Action Replay, an EP of remixes that featured a new version of "No One is to Blame" from Dream Into Action. The new mix of "No One is to Blame" -- which featured percussion from Phil Collins -- became Jones' biggest US hit, peaking at number four; in the UK, the single reached number 16. The relatively weaker chart placement in the UK was indicative of his future in England -- his next single, "You Know I Love You ... Don't You?," taken from his third album One to One, became his last British Top 40 hit. In America, his fortunes were slightly better. "You Know I Love You ... Don't You" reached number 17 while One to One, released in the fall of 1986, was a moderate hit, peaking at number 56. Jones released his fourth album, Cross That Line, in the spring of 1989. The first single from the album, "Everlasting Love," became a number one adult contemporary hit in America, reaching number 13 on the pop charts. However, that didn't make the album a success -- it stalled at number 65. Jones returned three years later with In the Running, a set that saw him abandoning synthesizers for piano. While the album got good reviews, it didn't make the charts. Following the release of The Best of Howard Jones in 1993, Elektra dropped him from their roster.Instead of seeking a new record contract with another major label, Jones hit the road in 1994, performing acoustic shows with a percussionist named Carol Steele. At the 1994 shows, he sold Working in the Backroom, an album he recorded at his home studio and released on his own label, Dtox Records; during the tour, he sold over 10,000 copies of the album. For the next two years, Jones continually toured America and Europe. He also began a production career, producing the debut by the British band, January Land, with Gary Langan; the album was recorded in Jones' home studio. In 1996, he released Live Acoustic America on PLM Records. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine