Brett James

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 Please help improve this article by expanding it.
Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (March 2007)
This article needs additional citations for verification.
Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2007)
For the Australian football player of the same name, see Brett James (footballer).
Brett James

Background information
Born June 5, 1968 (1968-06-05) (age 40)
Origin Columbia, Missouri, USA
Genre(s) Country
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter
Record producer
Instrument(s) Vocals
Rhythm guitar
Years active 1995, 2002-present
Label(s) Career/Arista
Arista Nashville
Associated acts Carrie Underwood

Brett James (born June 5, 1968 in Columbia, Missouri[1]) is a Grammy Award-winning American country music singer-songwriter and record producer. Originally signed to Career Records (a division of Arista) as a solo artist in 1995, James charted three singles on the country music charts and released a self-titled debut album that year.[1] After taking time off to raise a family, he returned to Arista as a recording artist in 2002, with two additional singles being released that year.

In addition to his own material, James has written or co-written several Number One singles for other country music artists. Among his compositions is Carrie Underwood's "Jesus, Take the Wheel", which received Grammy Awards for Best Female Country Vocal Performance and Best Country Song.

Contents

[edit] Musical career

Brett James began his musical career as a recording artist on Career Records, a subsidiary of Arista Records, in 1995. That year, he charted three minor hit singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, in addition to releasing the album Brett James, before taking time off to raise a family. Also included on this album was "Wake Up and Smell the Whiskey", a song co-written by Dean Miller, who would later record it for his debut album on Capitol Records in 1997.

James returned to Arista in 2002, charting the singles "Chasin' Amy" and "After All", both of which entered Top 40 on the country music charts; both singles were recorded for an album which was never released. Although he never charted again after the release of "After All", James has written or co-written several singles for other country music acts, including the Number One hits "Who I Am" by Jessica Andrews; "Blessed" by Martina McBride; "When the Sun Goes Down" by Kenny Chesney and Uncle Kracker; and "Jesus, Take the Wheel" by Carrie Underwood. He has also co-written songs for Sara Evans, Josh Gracin, Leona Lewis, Lonestar, Tim McGraw, Rascal Flatts, Wynonna, and other artists. He has also produced Gracin's second album (2008's We Weren't Crazy) and a re-release of Taylor Swift's self-titled debut album.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Brett James (1995)

Brett James
Brett James cover
Studio album by Brett James
Released September 12, 1995 (1995-09-12)
Genre Country
Length 37:59
Label Career/Arista
Producer Steve Bogard, Mike Clute
Professional reviews

All Music Guide - 3/5 stars3/5 stars3/5 stars3/5 stars3/5 stars link

[edit] Track listing

All songs composed by Brett James unless noted otherwise.

  1. "Wake Up and Smell the Whiskey" (Brett James, Dean Miller) – 2:52
  2. "Many Tears Ago" (James, Hunter Armistead) – 3:53
  3. "Worth the Fall" - 3:00
  4. "She's Killin' Me" (James, Jennifer Kimball) – 4:04
  5. "If I Could See Love" (James, Steve Bogard) – 3:02
  6. "Female Bonding" – 3:18
  7. "Dark Side of the Moon" – 4:12
  8. "Just Like We Never Happened" – 3:28
  9. "Thrill of the Chase" – 2:43
  10. "The Way That You Love" – 3:50
  11. "Enjoy the Ride" – 3:37

[edit] Personnel

[edit] Singles

Year Title US Country Album
1995 "Female Bonding" 60 Brett James
"If I Could See Love" 68
"Worth the Fall" 73
2002 "Chasin' Amy" 34 unreleased Arista Nashville album
2003 "After All" 39

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Bush, John. Brett James biography. All Music Guide. Retrieved on 2008-01-01.

[edit] External links