Happy Birthday, Janice

Artist: Janice Harper
Song: Moonlit Sea (a-side) (b-side is That's Why I Was Born)
Label: Prep F 123 (Capitol subsidiary)
Number: 45-21759
Songwriters: Murray-Solomon
Time: 2:12
Released: 1957

Regular readers will have seen how popular Janice Harper has been on Music For Every Mood blog, especially if they've kept up will all the recent comments that have been posted. Thanks everyone for posting these comments! One of the comments mentioned that Janice had celebrated a birthday recently, and turned 79 this past April 1st. This is a belated happy birthday greeting from me and all her fans. Happy Birthday, Janice!

In honor of her birthday, I'm posting the flipside to a song that has already been listed here on Music For Every Mood, namely Moonlit Sea. The a-side, That's Why I Was Born, seems to have been a popular choice here, so I figured, why not give her fans both sides of the 45 to enjoy? Well, here is Janice singing Moonlit Sea for all her loyal fans. If only she knew how much she is still fondly remembered.

Sad, Sad News - Final Janice Harper Update

Artist: Janice Harper
Song: That's Why I Was Born (a-side) (b-side is Moonlit Sea)
Label: Prep F 123 (Capitol subsidiary)
Number: 45-21768
Songwriters: Merritt-Roddie
Time: 2:07
Released: 1957

I have sad news to relate about my search for Janice Harper. She's still alive, but has been in a New York nursing home for 3 years with Alzheimer's. I don't know what else to say except to post an e-mail I received this morning, (August 22nd, 2009) from one of her relatives. Here is that message in it's entirety:

Update: The same relative which e-mailed said that I wasn't supposed to tell anybody else. Obviously, this person doesn't know what I'm doing here by posting facts about my favorite artists, and that I'm doing it for the fans of these same artists. But, she asked me take down her actual words and the things she had told me. I informed her that most of what she told me was already known by me and my readers through various fans telling me some of the information and me finding the rest on the internet. So, I will remove her e-mail, but you already knew Janice was in a home. Now, pretend you don't know that she has a relative in Florida and a son in England. I was told by this relative that the information she sent me was privileged information for my eyes only. That relative doesn't have to tell me or her fans that Janice was a beautiful person. We already knew that. And we already knew about all her belongings being auctioned off on the street, so that wasn't news. So, as I told the relative, the only thing I would be removing that wasn't already known by me and my readers here, by taking down her e-mail was that Janice had a relative in Florida and a son in England. Since I have removed the personal e-mail, pretend I didn't tell you that and that you don't know that I did. This relative wouldn't even tell me their name!

The relative's e-mail has now been removed, but we fans can still care about one of our idols. And now, back to the regularly scheduled post.

I don't know what else I can add but to say that her music will live on as long as her fans continue playing it. This probably won't be my last post featuring Janice Harper's music, but I don't know that I will be be able to update her life story any further. Please download this powerful song of hers that displays her amazing range and talent. Janice Harper singing That's Why I Was Born is a great way to get acquainted with this lady who possessed the remarkable voice. This is for you, Janice.

Janice Harper Update

If you can see this, that means I fixed Blogger myself.

This is a Janice Harper follow-up, or sorts. Somebody was nice enough to send me scans of a promotional picture Janice was using in the mid-1960's and I have included one of the three images that was on it, below. The party that sent it to me was a husband and wife musical team that used to work in the same Pocono Pennsylvania resort clubs as Janice. The husband led a band that used to back up Janice and other artists that came through such as Bob Hope, Robert Goulet and others. Buddy Hackett played there, as well as the other big stars of the mid- to late-'60's. This couple also told me that the promo photo of her had her booking agent contact information on the back of it - address and telephone number. I tried calling the telephone number, but it just keeps ringing and nobody picks up. I don't know what this means. Obviously somebody still has that number, but it could be a new person or the same person who's had it for years. But, by nobody picking it up, I can't tell for sure which it is. But, I'm still trying to see if she can be traced, so I haven't given up yet!

Didn't You Used To Be....?

Artist: Janice Harper
Song: Love Me Now, Love Me Never (b-side) (a-side is Only Once)
Label: Capitol 4401
Number: 45-22844
Songwriters: Barry Sanford - Sanny Barkan
Time: 2:15
Released: 1960

Today's artist is another one I couldn't find out much about on the internet. I was thankful that I could at least find a couple images and a few references to Janice Harper. I wasn't able to find much biographical information about her, so I'm not certain if she's living or deceased. If anybody out there can fill in some facts about her, it would be greatly appreciated. She had such a fine voice!

Originally, Janice had her heart set on an operatic career, but she switched to popular music and had no regrets. A native New Yorker, she would sing for her high school buddies who insisted that she study voice and making singing her career.

Janice Harper first broke onto the Pop charts in 1957. Seeing as how Rock and Roll had begun to dominate the music scene by then, it's not surprising that there isn't much known about her. But, don't think that's because she didn't try. Even though teenagers were buying most of the music in the late 1950's, there were still fans of the Popular singers. Singers such as you may have heard on Music For Every Mood before. Patti Page, Peggy Lee, Julie London, Dean Martin, all these singers were still beloved by their fans and continued to have hits into the Rock and Roll era. One specific reason why Janice Harper isn't a huge star like she deserved to be was that, during her most popular period, when she was signed to Capitol Records, they had a stable of artists such as the aforementioned Peggy Lee, June Christy and others. Janice preferred a direct approach to her singing over the cool-school aesthetic of her rivals. Her finest LP, Embers Of Love, remains a potent evocation of perseverance in the face of romantic dissolution, celebrating the dawn rather than the darkness. Paired with arranger Stan Applebaum, Harper infuses melancholy ballads like Cry Me A River, The Thrill Is Gone and For All We Know with a warmth and sincerity bordering on naïvete. For all their smoky, late-night ambience, the songs possess an undercurrent of optimism that softens their impact, divining solace from the sorrow.

Some of her songs included Bon Voyage (1957), Devotion (Number 179 of WMGM's top 200 songs of 1958), I'm Making Love To You and I Was Hoping You'd Ask Me (both January 1959), Let Me Call You Sweetheart (May 1959), Just Whistle (May 1959), Forever, Forever (1960), Just Say I Love Him (1960), Cry Me A River (1960) and Where Shall I Find Him and 'Til Tomorrow (both from 1962). For other labels, she recorded Moonlit Sea and That's Why I Was Born (recorded for the Prep label in 1957), and He Just Checked In and Take Me In Your Arms (for RCA). Evidently, she recorded a handful of albums, with the previously mentioned Embers Of Love being her biggest. Because of that album's success, she secured a guest appearance on Dick Clark's American Bandstand program on February 2nd, 1960, where she sang the song Cry Me A River, which had been included on that album. She also appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show and The Steve Allen Show, and worked with a diverse group of performers such as Eddie Albert and Buddy Hackett.

Other than that, I couldn't locate any clues or biographical information about this fine singer. So, despite the meager facts about her life and history, just enjoy the big voice she had and the easy delivery she used. Today's song Love Me Now, Love Me Never, is one of those big band arrangements with an orchestra directed by Stan Applebaum. It has the full compliment of instruments, string section and background vocalists, something uncommon for the songs typically being released in 1960. If you like moving themes, strong vocalists and really good arrangements, please download Love Me Now, Love Me Never by Janice Harper. Like me, you'll wonder why her name isn't a household word and why she didn't become a huge star. Listening to this record proves she had everything it took to be famous, for some unknown reason things just didn't work out for her.

I'm reminded of the line Lucy Van Pelt used when Schroeder always talked about Beethoven in the Peanuts cartoons. She said, "Beethoven wasn't so great. He never got his picture on a bubblegum card, did he?" Well, Janice Harper was great because she got her picture on a bubblegum card! That's her card below:

I just thought I'd throw this out there, but have you noticed how much Janice Harper looks like the woman in my banner? There's an amazing resemblance between the two, don't you think!?