JANICE-MARIE…IMPROVING ON A GOOD THING…A TASTE OF HONEY
Janice-Marie is unquestionably not the new kid on the block. Nor is she unfamiliar with the intricate machinations of the music industry. As founder and principal songwriter of the internationally acclaimed and Grammy award- winning group “A Taste of Honey,” Janice-Marie is back in the spotlight with the (Tastebuds Records) release of her first Native American / Pop CD effort, Until The Eagle Falls and it’s predecessor, Hiatus Of The Heart.
A brief glance at Janice-Marie’s musical accolades may seem daunting to both insiders and outsiders alike. A Taste of Honey’s self-titled debut release, rocked the record industry in more ways than one. It featured the multi-platinum smash hit “Boogie Oogie Oogie,” a Janice-Marie penned composition, which garnered the group a Grammy for “Best New Artist of the Year,” and nominations for “Best R&B Single” and “Best Vocal Performance by a Group or Duo.” While this was a phenomenal accomplishment, it was no fluke. Their second release, Another Taste earned international acclaim by walking away with the coveted Gold Prize at the “8th Annual Tokyo Music Festival,” with Janice-Marie also receiving the Gold Prize for songwriter. The Janice-Marie composition, “Do It Good,” as well as the Another Taste album were both certified Gold in Japan.
Some may say that success comes easy. Perhaps when speaking of Janice-Marie, it’s more correct to say that success comes naturally. Today, she resumes her rightful place in the forefront of the music arena. Not to be labeled with a specific genre, sound or style Janice-Marie confides, “I like a variety of music…classical music in the mornings… reggae in the afternoons. I like to get my boogie on in the evenings…but at night…I want my love songs. I’m a ballad, fireplace, take-a-walk-up-in-the-hills sort of person.” To this end, her music punctuates her diversity of spirit. Case in point, A Taste of Honey’s third release, Twice As Sweet. Her talented magic transformed Japan’s Kyu Sakamoto’s 1963 hit “Sukiyaki” into an international mega hit classic. Produced by George Duke, it was certified Gold in both the United States and Japan, along with “Rescue Me,” another single from the same album.
Through the years, Janice-Marie’s songs have been covered, sampled and borrowed many times. Her music of yesterday contributes greatly to the success of numerous ‘R&B,’ ‘Pop,’ ‘Rap’ and ‘Hip Hop’ hits of today. Janice-Marie’s song Boogie Oogie Oogie has been recorded by Fablolous, Brooke Valentine and Yo Yo and is the first single from the 2005 Roll Bounce movie. A second version of the same song has been recorded by Keyshia Cole and Fablolous and is also featured in the Roll Bounce movie. Her music has been featured by a host of other artists as well, including Ice Cube, Mary J. Blige, MC Lyte, Positive K, Pure Sugar and European artists Martin Carboo, Peter Andre and a multitude of other Japanese and European artist. Her music has also been showcased on television programs including “American Idol,” “King Of Queens,” “All My Children,” “Fairy Odd Parents,” “Monday Night Mayhem,” ”The Parkers.” “Rock and Roll Jeopardy,” “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” “The Martin Short Show,” “Touched By An Angel,” just to name a few. Movie credits include the 2005 films “Roll Bounce” and “Into The Blue”, as well as “Screwed,” “Cowboys & Angels,” “A Fate Worse Than Death,” “Step Mom,” “Mystery Man,” “Contact” and “54,” and many more. Commercial credits include Coca Cola, Frito Lay, The New York Lottery, Burger King and Old Navy. Janice-Marie’s music is also featured in variety of video games and slot machines including the Dick Clark’s American Bandstand slot machine.
After such a extended period working behind the scenes, Janice-Marie the record producer, musician, songwriter and entertainer has once again returned to the limelight with the release of her long-awaited CD Hiatus Of The Heart and Until The Eagle Falls.
Janice-Marie has decided to take her place center stage and she does so with a style and grace that is all her own. She has been performing to sold-out concerts from the east coast to the west coast, in casino, arenas, clubs, festivals and concert halls. Janice-Marie’s shows are not only exciting and uplifting, with her natural gift of wooing her audience, she commands your undivided attention and leaves you wanting more.
Her new CD contains songs of love and life. Alice O’Neil of Hollywood-Behind-the Scenes writes in her review of the “Hiatus of the Heart” CD… “she seduces listeners with her vocal art and guitar expertise. She gives a new meaning to the age-old longing to be free, in all its manifestations. “Until The Eagle Falls”, was written as a gesture of gratitude to all of the people who took part in that magical weekend in Gallup, New Mexico. That’s where, through the embracing of her people’s songs and dance, the spirit of this ancient ancestry impacted her heart, mind and soul. In celebration of her Stockbridge-Munsee-Mohican heritage, Janice-Marie weaves legendary Native American mythology about how the eagle NEVER falls (and a haunting melody) into a tranquil and precious ballad of devotion…eternal…a love song for the ages.
“Until The Eagle Falls” CD and Music video garnered Janice-Marie with the ‘Award of Excellence’ and the ‘Award of Distinction’ at the 2003 1st Indian Summer Festival Film and Video Image Awards, as well as the 2002 “Nammy Award for ‘Best Producer,’ not to mention the Silver Arrow Award for her contributions to Native American Music. In addition to all of the above, Janice-Marie is currently featured on the Felton Pilate (of Con Funk-Shun) www.feltonpilate.com, “Nothing But Love Spoken Here” CD, where she sings a duet with Felton on the song “Only For You”. She is also the featured love interest in Felton’s music video of his first single, “Nothing But Love Spoken Here” on the Escapi label. You can also catch Janice-Marie as she co-host along with Felton Pilate on the “Love Spoken Here” radio show.
www: www.janice-marie.com
