Genre: rock
Rating: 3 stars ***
Title: Jane Aire and the Belvederes
Company: Virgin
Catalog: V2134
Year: 1979
Country/State: Akron, Ohio
Grade (cover/record): VG / VG
Comments: small bullet hole lower left corner
Available: 1
GEMM catalog ID: 5535
Price: $20.00
Funny how fate works ... lots of times it simply doesn't make a great deal of sense. Witness ... Three woman from Arkon, Ohio. All three jump into the mid-1970s punk scene and eventually end up in London.
- Chrissie Hynde goes on to enjoy mega fame
- Rachel Sweet goes on to enjoy modest success
- Jane Ashely (aka Jane Aire) goes on to enjoy ... near total anonymity
Beats me how it turns out that way ....
If you believe the hype, Aire was spotted singing along to a jukebox by talent scout Liam Sternberg. Aire's recording debut came when she was featured on a pair of Liam Sternberg compositions included in Stiff's 1978 "Arkon Compilation" (the LP with the infamous scratch and sniff tire image) - 'When I Was Young' and 'I'm An Actress'.
i "Akron Compilation" inner sleeve
Relocating to London, Sternberg got her signed by Stiff Records which quickly teamed her with the band The Edge. Showcasing guitarist Robert Lu Edmonds, bassist Glyn Havard, drummer Jon Moss, and keyboard player Gavin Povey, they rechristianed themselves The Belevderes for the project.
(Edmonds and Moss had been early members of The Damned, while Havard had previously played with Jade Warrior and The Yachts.) Aire made her true solo debut with the 1978 single 'Yankee Wheels' b/w 'Nasty' (Stiff catalog number BUY 26). Stiff apparently also financed an LP, but the collection was shelved.
Within a couple of months Aire and company had signed with Richard Branson's Virgin label, where they quickly released a pair of singles:
- 1979's 'Call Me Every Night' b/w 'Lazy Boy' (Virgin catalog number VS 273).
- 1979's 'Breaking Down' b/w 'Life After You' (Virgin catalog number VS 296).
Even though the group's sales had been marginal, Virgin elected to finance an album. Produced by Liam Sternberg, 1979's cleverly-titled "Jane Aire and the Belvederes" showcased Aire's surprisingly impressive and adaptable voice. Her earlier 45s attempted to attract a punk/new wave audience and featuring fairly stark and new-wavish performances tracks like Pearl Harbor's 'Driving', 'Take It To the Next Wave', and the reggaefied 'Wind Up' aimed for the same demographic. 'Breaking Down the Walls of Heartache' and 'Come See About Me' sported a nifty quasi-Motown soul feel, while 'No More Cherry Icing' and 'Life After You' found Aire effortlessly showing off her power pop credentials. In fact it was the latter that showed her off in the most positive light. Aire's true niche was as a power pop singer. Anyone doubting the woman's chops, or her ability to handle a conventional pop song need only check out 'When You Can't Be Loved', or 'Duke of Love'. Neither was a great Sternberg composition, but she sang the hell out of them. Bet neither Hynde, nor Sweet could have turned in such impressive performances.
"Jane Aire
and the Belvederes" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Breaking Down the Walls of Heartache (Sandy Linzer - Denny Randell) - 2:53
2.) No More Cherry Icing (Liam Sternberg) - 2:50
3.) Driving (Stench - Gates - Blitt - Stench) - 3:26
4.) When You Can't Be Loved (Liam Sternberg) - 3:17
5.) Take It To the Next Wave (Liam Sternberg) - 2:25
(side
2)
1.) Duke of Love (Liam Sternberg) - 3:16
2.) Come See About Me (Brian Holland - Lamont Dozier - Eddie Holland) - 3:33
3.) Life After You (Liam Sternberg) - 2:32
4.) Wind Up (Liam Sternberg) - 3:12
5.) Love Is a Fire (Johnny Vastans - Vinnie Poncia) - 3:19
She toured the UK opening for Lene Lovich, but as far as I know, her only other release was a 1982 single for Stiff:
- 'I Close My Eyes and Count To Ten' b/w 'Heart of the City' (Stiff catalog number 147)
I believe she married Boomtown Rat member Pete Briquette, but ended up back in Akron where her efforts to score a recording contract went nowhere. One online reference said she ended up working in Akron as a waitress. Not that being a waitress isn't an honorable profession, but hopefully fate was kind to her ...