Jay Ferguson (American musician)
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Jay Ferguson | |
---|---|
Birth name | John Arden Ferguson |
Born | Burbank, California, U.S. | May 10, 1947
Genres | Rock, pop rock, soft rock |
Instrument(s) | Vocals, keyboards, guitar, percussion |
Years active | 1968–present |
Labels | Asylum Records |
John Arden "Jay" Ferguson (born May 10, 1947)[1] is an American rock and pop musician known for his work with the bands Spirit and Jo Jo Gunne, and his 1978 solo hit "Thunder Island". His later career has been as a composer of music for television programs and films. Many people know Ferguson for composing the theme song for the American version of The Office on NBC.[2]
Childhood and early musical career
Ferguson was born on May 10, 1947, in
He also held part-time jobs at different points as a theater usher and an architect's assistant for his father John Ferguson, and taught piano in a music store and studied at
The band Spirit
Spirit was founded in the mid-1960s. Many musicians of the time cited
Ferguson shared singing and songwriting duties with California, writing most of the songs on their first album. Spirit began playing at various nightclubs and concerts in the
Jo Jo Gunne
Ferguson and Mark Andes decided to leave Spirit in 1971 and form their own band.
Ferguson was Jo Jo Gunne's main songwriter (writing virtually all the material) and only lead vocalist.[1] Jo Jo Gunne became the second act signed to the new Asylum Records label. The band scored a moderate hit with the single "Run, Run, Run" from their debut album (1972).
With the first record and some touring already completed, Mark Andes decided to leave and join a band that would later become Firefall, with his brother Matt staying behind with Jo Jo Gunne. Jimmie Randall, an Austin, Texas, bassist was recruited in Mark's place.
Jo Jo Gunne toured all over the US and Europe for the next three years, and recorded three more albums, Bite Down Hard (1973), Jumpin' The Gunne (1974) and Where's The Show (1975). Matt Andes left the band after the third album and was temporarily replaced with Star Donaldson on lead guitar, and then, later, John Staehely. After a four-year existence, the group split up in the mid-1970s. Jo Jo Gunne reformed in 2005, and recorded a new album, Big Chain, which included both new material and new versions of several old Gunne songs.
Solo career
Ferguson took a year and a half off to rest, until record producer
Soundtrack composer
In 1982, after his sixth and last solo album, White Noise, Ferguson decided to become a
Discography
Albums
- 1976: All Alone in the End Zone (Asylum Records)
- 1977: Jay Ferguson Live (Asylum) (promotional issue only)
- 1977: Thunder Island (Asylum) U.S. No.72
- 1979: Real Life Ain't This Way (Asylum) U.S. No.86
- 1980: Terms and Conditions (Capitol Records)
- 1982: White Noise (Capitol) U.S. No.178
- 1989: A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (soundtrack) (Varèse Sarabande)
Singles
- 1976: "Medicated Goo"
- 1977: "Thunder Island" - U.S. No.9, Canada No.8[5]
- 1978: "Losing Control"
- 1979: "Shakedown Cruise" - U.S. No.31, Canada No.48
- 1979: "Paying Time"
- 1980: "Terms and Conditions"
- 1982: "Tonite (Fallin' for Ya)"
References
- ^ ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
- IMDb
- ^ Steve Huey. "Music Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
- ^ Jay Ferguson. In Contemporary Theatre, Film and Television. Vol. 97. Gale. 2010.
- ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. April 8, 1979. Retrieved July 1, 2019.