10 For... HOWARD JONES (Pt. 1)
Welcome to Ten For, a feature where I take a look at the discographies of artists who tend to be known in the mainstream for only a few songs (if that), offering up a collection of tracks that will either serve as the start of an education or a squabble, depending on how you feel about the artist’s catalog.
Like most folks who grew up mainlining videos on MTV, I’ve had a soft spot for Howard Jones since the ‘80s, but in the early 2000s, he formally became a part of the story of my life. After my wife and I were married in October 2001, we took a honeymoon the following month to the UK, using a Britrail pass to travel all over England and Scotland, and when we stopped in Blackpool for a night, it just so happened that the aforementioned Mr. Jones was there as well.
No, it’s not a great photo, but give me a break: it was pretty much the pre-cellphone era, so I was limited to what my not-hugely-expensive camera could manage given the lighting conditions and my proximity to the stage.
If you’ve noted the other person in front of a microphone in the shot, then it’s probably also worth mentioning that Howard had a fantastic vocalist working with him that evening named Shaz Sparks, and my wife and I subsequently became Facebook friends with her. If you’ve never heard her cover of Howard’s “All I Want,” please remedy that situation immediately, because it’s amazing.
So, yes, having seen him in concert during our honeymoon, I went from being a Howard Jones fan to a really big Howard Jones fan, which makes it pretty easy to pull together 10 or 20 top-notch tracks from his back catalog that you may or may not have heard before…unless you’re from the UK, in which case you probably have heard a few of them. But trust me when I tell you that there’s only one song in the mix that was a top-40 hit here in the States, and I opted to include it because it always seems to be overshadowed by the more popular single on the album from which it originates.
Let’s get to the list, shall we?
1. “Hide and Seek” (1984—Human’s Lib)
I suppose it’s hard to call this a terribly underheard track when it was performed at Live Aid, but as a single, it never made the Billboard Hot 100, so it’s fair to say that it’s still a lesser-known HoJo song here in the U.S.
2. “Pearl in the Shell” (1984—Human’s Lib)
Sure, it was a top-10 hit in the UK, hitting #7, but in the States, it’s just another single that didn’t crack the Hot 100, although it did at least bubble under. That said, when the highest you’ve gotten is #108, you’re still flying pretty far under the radar.
3. “Look Mama” (1985—Dream Into Action)
4. “Elegy” (1985—Dream Into Action)
5. “All I Want” (1986—One to One)
Yeah, I know, I already spotlighted Shaz’s version, but it didn’t occur to me to share hers until after I’d already included Howard’s version on this list. Sorry-not-sorry that you have to hear two great versions of a stellar song...
6. “Step Into These Shoes” (1986—One to One)
7. “The Prisoner” (1989—Cross That Line)
As you probably guessed, this is the lone top-40 hit within the mix, a song which—at least by my perception—got short shrift compared to the bouncy romantic ditty known as “Everlasting Love.” But whereas I quickly tired of that track, “The Prisoner” remains one of my all-time favorite HoJo songs to this day.
8. “Out of Thin Air” (1989—Cross That Line)
9. “Fallin’ Away” (1992—In the Running)
This album was an unabashed shift to a more organic sound, with Howard favoring piano over synth. Your personal mileage may vary, but I’ve always enjoyed the shift.
10. “Two Souls” (1992—In the Running)
I would’ve sworn that this song received enough airplay to have at least been a minor hit, but it apparently never charted here…and barely charted anywhere, it turns out, although it was a minor hit in Germany, hitting #53.
That’s it for Pt. 1.
If you’re looking for the playlist that includes all 10 videos, here it is!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFNc2JHGZc4-s3k2QpUjLpLhLBbpbNumt