UB Soul Friday: Celebrating Jon B’s 30th Anniversary

This weeks “UB Soul Friday” spotlight’s a singer/songwriter who has a catalog of gems, Jon B.

Today is the 30th Anniversary of Jon B.‘s debut album “Bonafide.” Originally released May 23rd, 1995.

“UB Soul Friday,” spotlighting artists, albums, singles and videos that left a mark in R&B and Soul music!

The anniversary comes right on time, as we’ve been celebrating R&B male artists these last weeks; Johnny Gill, Carl Thomas, Freddie Jackson, Avant and our first UB Soul Friday Interview with RL.

Some people become artists because they seek fortune and fame. They believe that somehow, performing, writing and producing will bring them the accolades and acclaim they feel they’ve been missing.

And then there are the people who have no choice in the matter – artistry has chosen them.

They are compelled to write, perform and record the way the rest of us are compelled to breathe. Whether they sell five million records or just five, some folks will always create.

Jon B is one of these rare individuals. He is the consummate artist. Unlike many of the poseurs who have attempted to lay claim to his niche, he is an accomplished musician, (he plays bass, drums, guitar and piano), and he is a noted songwriter and producer.

His is a richly textured body of music, a testament to one man’s love for all things soul.

Born in Rhode Island, Jonathan Buck was raised primarily in Pasadena, Calif. During his childhood, he spent many an afternoon in the record store owned by his grandparents. “I literally listened to records all day long,” he once attested. “I had a very large collection, and I didn’t even understand the cultural impact of the music I was listening to; I just knew I liked certain records, everything by The Bee Gees, Earth, Wind & Fire, Diana Ross … I didn’t know anything about genre or style; I just knew good music..”

Good music quickly became an addiction – and a life path. “The summer after I graduated from high school, I told my dad I was going to pursue music and not go to college. He just looked at me and said, ‘Well, you better get a record deal!’” Jon recalled with a laugh.

But the young artist’s commitment was no laughing matter. That very summer he wrote, produced and recorded an incredible 40 songs and began making the rounds at major record labels.

Within a few months, he’d met Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds and his then wife, Tracy Edmonds, who were interested in signing Jon to their label imprint, Yab Yum. “At first, I was simply trying to secure a deal as a songwriter and producer. But Kenny was adamant about me releasing my own record.”

The relationship between Jon and Edmonds Record Group immediately bore fruit.

When Jon B signed to Yab Yum Records and its publishing arm, Yab Yum Music, he started writing and producing for other artists before sitting down to work on his own album. “Jon came to us seeking a publishing deal,” stated Tracey E. Edmonds. “We were so amazed by the depth of his music and his talents, we immediately wanted to sign him as an artist.”

Tracey wanted Jon B. to work with other artists in order to establish his credibility as a writer and producer.

She shopped his publishing catalog of 50 songs and quickly landed him work. “We knew we’d need this credibility as a marketing tool because he’s a white guy doing R&B music,” stated Tracey to Billboard. “We thought there would be some resistance from urban radio because he’s white.

That’s also one of the reasons we decided to release `Someone To Love’ first to help open the door for Jon at black radio. Putting it on the `Bad Boys’ soundtrack also helped.”

“The first single was a #1 record for us across the board,” Tracey stated. “You don’t see that happen a lot, when it’s a 100% mass -appeal record. ‘Pretty Girl’ is also solid and has really strong hooks, and that’s why we’re so early out there with it.”

Jon B. stated he looks to Babyface as a mentor. “I think we both take things from each other. I really listen when he talks, and the same goes for him,” stated Jon B., who cited such varied influences as Duran Duran, the Beatles, Marvin Gaye, and Stevie Wonder.

“Getting to do a duet with Babyface was like the height of everything. After we did it, it was like a dream – doors started opening. I thank him in many ways, and one is to keep my music real.”

“Someone to Love” went gold and was nominated for a Grammy for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.

His songwriting abilities also landed him an invitation from Peter Gabriel to a “recording week” in Bath, England, during which artists, writers, and producers from all over the world will write and record an album together for Gabriel‘s Real World label.

His debut album, “Bonafide” was released 30 years ago today on May 23rd, 1995 and was certified platinum.

Looking back, Jon ventured: “That first album was really experimental. It was a fun project, and it helped me figure out what type of artist I wanted to be. But it was on my second album that I think I really hit it. I had focus, and I was growing as an artist.”

Indeed, “Cool Relax” shot to the Top 5 on the Billboard R&B chart in 1998.

UBG founder Aries attended Jon B.‘s private listening party with Jon for the album, held in Minneapolis. At first listen, it was obvious to everyone at the event, the album was going to be a smash!

Fueled by the success of “They Don’t Know,” a platinum-certified single and a #1 R&B hit.

A highly melodic offering with an ultra-romantic vibe, “They Don’t Know” cemented Jon’s reputation as a balladeer with real heart.

“Are You Still Down,” the B-side to “They Don’t Know,” featuring the late great Tupac, peaked at #2 on the Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Singles chart.

The album was nominated for six Billboard Music Awards.

Jon B. continued his musical mission with “Pleasures U Like,” which rose to #3 on the R&B; charts in 2001. The first single, the hit love-at-first-club-sighting anthem “Don’t Talk” single-handedly pushed the album.

Working with Faith Evans on the late night slow jam “Overjoyed” was another highlight for Jon B. “I mean, she’s like the greatest, like the Gladys Knight of her time. The song is very retro, inspired by classic duets by legends like Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway. The vocals are gospel-flavored once we started singing together, we went there!”

2004‘s “Stronger Everyday,” was Jon‘s take on the music journey that had become his life.

It was cinematic, a real-life soundtrack based on one man’s travels, trials and tribulations. “I’ve been through a lot of emotional things that affected my music,” stated Jon in the bio. “I think people are going to feel that on this album and that’s important to me.”

From the recession, to the unemployment rate and the effects of war and terrorism on our psyche, Jon was a social historian, documenting the ills affecting our society, while at the same time, producing music to ease that pain. “We saw the Twin Towers come down. The world is just crazy right now. We want to find a place to just relax sometimes. Some place where we can all form a collective and communicate on another level. You try to find that vibe where you can finally be at one with the people around you. Sometimes, a club is that place. I can communicate with people, put my own struggles and perspective. This album tells the story of the collective.”

The narrative arc on “Stronger Everyday” began with the first club track “Everytime,” featuring the late great Dirt McGirt (Old Dirty Bastard).

“Through The Fire,” the album’s emotional centerpiece, the song is equal parts gospel, hip-hop and blues. Those accents rise and blend in a haunting production framework as the singer bares the struggles of his soul. “’Through The Fire’ recalls a very dark period in my life,” Jon confided. “It’s about facing my fears. A few years ago, I lost my entire recording studio in a fire, which was devastating. Then I went through a divorce, which was horribly painful. This song is about keeping my head up when it feels like I can’t make it. It’s based on piano. I sat down to listen to some old records, and the first one was “Precious Memories,” with Aretha Franklin singing the words, “In the stillness.” It was a perfect sample for ‘Through The Fire.’ It sent a chill up our spines.”

UB spoke to Jon for the release of “Stronger Everyday” and asked him then about the single “Through the Fire,” and if Jon found it difficult to capture all the emotion on the song? “Yeah I found it difficult. I mean the emotion and all of the pain I went through. You know to me the track is spooky like (laughs).” Jon went on to say; “Like a gray day, not a sunny day in the city at all. Like going into the city and seeing some drug feen and some kats with booze, that’s what I see on that record. But on the flip side, like the president of a company in a hotel suite depressed. With a prostitute on the bed (laughs). I needed Scarface on that track, he rips shit. His voice and energy just fitted perfectly for that joint.”

“Holiday Wishes From Me To You” came in 2006, followed by “Helpless Romantic” in 2008.

“I never stopped the writing process,” Jon said of his four-year hiatus between projects. “It’s part of my everyday life. I write something everyday. I have to do it now in between being a regular man and the family life I am expriencing right now… it’s all part of a natural progression. It’s great to be able to share this journey with the rest of the world. That last album was a searching record and this record reflects finding what I was looking for.”

Jon B used the time off to develop the business side of his music career, launching his own label Vibezelect.

He also moved into some key partnerships, one with Arsenal Records, distributed by Fontana/Universal Music Group.

Crediting his wife for inspiration for many of the tracks, Jon B. told BRE, “My wife inspires me with the way she writes beautiful words. The album relates to my family and my new life and how we are in love and how it’s all working out and how we are being blessed in such beautiful ways. When you fall in love, it is a feeling that nothing else matters… it’s like when I wake up and look into my daughters eyes, it makes me a whole new and better person.”

“Comfortable Swagg” was released in 2012, with the “B-Side Collections” in 2013.

This year Jon B. released his long awaited new album “Waiting on You.”

Our 2004 “Stronger Everyday” Interview:

UrbanBridgez.com: First off I want to say happy birthday Jon.
Jon B: Aww thanks man I really appreciate it. I’m getting older, I’m 30 now (laughs).

UrbanBridgez.com: How do you think your artistry has grown since your debut album Bonafide?
Jon B: Well as a human being you grow. As I go through life I apply my life to my music. It’s more comfortable. I’ve been in some relationships, the work it takes to keep a relationship & all those things make my artistry grow as I get older. Those things add to the music lyrically. Plus times are changing, I’m learning every year. I lost my studio in a fire and I lost everything, instruments I had since I was 12 years old. So it has taken me some time to get things back together. I lost instruments and things, but I didn’t lose my ideas, so I’m stronger.

UrbanBridgez.com: Through The Fire is very personal and my favorite track from the new album, did you find it difficult to capture all that emotion in one track?
Jon B: Thanks man. Yeah I found it difficult. I mean the emotion and all of the pain I went through. You know to me the track is spooky like (laughs). Like a gray day, not a sunny day in the city at all. Like going into the city and seeing some drug feen and some kats with booze, that’s what I see on that record. But on the flip side, like the president of a company in a hotel suite depressed. With a prostitute on the bed (laughs). I needed Scarface on that track, he rips shit. His voice and energy just fitted perfectly for that joint.

UrbanBridgez.com: When was Part 2 recorded? And was Tupac’s verse recorded specifically for that track?
Jon B: Tupac’s verse is actually from a song called “Happy Home,” it was released on his “R U Still Down” CD shortly after he passed. He recorded that song when he was 25 or 26 and it was produced by Johnny J who is a producer who never really got love like he should have. I actually first heard the song at Afeni’s house (Tupac’s Mother). I went to Tupac’s memorial down in Atlanta and Afeni asked me to stop by the house after. When I got there she played me some tracks by him that he had played for her and wanted her to listen to. She played me the song and told me a story about how he wouldn’t normally play tracks for her because of the content of his rhymes, but he played her this track and it made her happy. So I really felt honored to be able to use a verse from it for the track.

UrbanBridgez.com: Which artists/producers would you like to work with in the future?
Jon B: Alicia Keys, Usher, Beyoncé and Destiny’s Child. Some of the top names in the industry. Jadakiss and I just love Juvenile & I would like to work with him. I’m loving the music coming out of the south like the production of Jazze Pha and his work with Ciara. T.I. is also making some great music. “Are You Still Down” was really the first R&B;/Hip-Hop record that had a singer and a rapper sharing verses back to back. It wasn’t the regular formula of the singer doing the verses and then the rapper would come in later. It was a verse by the singer, then the rhyme by the rapper. I would love to do more songs like that. I love Hip-Hop.

UrbanBridgez.com: What is the most frustrating aspect of being a recording artist?
Jon B: The bullshit that goes along with it. Promoting yourself to the next level. Having the light you want to be shined on you instead of the light the media wants to shine on you. Basically not to be made to look like an idiot.

UrbanBridgez.com: What are your five favorite songs that you have recorded from you catalogue?
Jon B: This is coming off the top of my head, let’s see. Through The Fire, Burning 4 You from the Bonafide album. Cool/Relax, Can’t Help it and What in the world. I have a lot of favorites that I recorded with rappers that a lot of people don’t know about. Like with Jay-Z and Snoop Dogg. A lot of soundtrack songs that didn’t really jump off. That’s some of my best work to me. It’s amazing for me to work with people that I look up to and are such big fans of like Jay-Z. One of the best songs I’ve done was with Jay & CoKo for the Hav Plenty soundtrack.

UrbanBridgez.com: If you could form an R&B; male group with 2 other artists, who would you pick?
Jon B: I’m really feeling Carl Thomas and I would also pick Mario Winans. I would want to be in one with other male artists who play instruments as well. Like Brian McKnight, D’Angelo, Donell Jones, and Raphael Saadiq. I would love to open up for Alicia Keys on tour, I think that would be hot!

UrbanBridgez.com: Any ideas of what the next single is or may be?
Jon B: The next single is What I Like About U with Babyface. It’s going to be interesting to revisit that again. Hopefully we can get Babyface to be in the video (laughs). It’s looking like we’re going to do the remix with Jadakiss. I just saw him in NY and he said when are we going to make history JB (laughs). So hopefully we pull that together and get that out.

UrbanBridgez.com: What are your thoughts on the current promotion and marketing of your new album, by your new label?
Jon B: Well see I’m doing the work, with the interviews and things of that nature. So I’m just hoping for the best. I mean there could be more posters or ads and things like that, so people know about the album. But at the same time things that are thrown in your face too much can hurt you also. If it’s banged over your head too much. People come up to me all the time and ask what is going on with the promotion for my album. I mean I’m not going to be dropped by my label for them saying I’m egotistic or hard to work with or things like that. The thing people need to understand is the hardest part is getting the album in the stores and actually released. My album is in the stores, I’ve been to record stores and seen it on the shelves, so now all I can do is sit back & hope for the best and hope the music speaks for itself.

UrbanBridgez.com: How was it producing tracks for Arissa Hill from the Real World Las Vegas?
Jon B: (laughs) Wow, how did you know about that?

UrbanBridgez.com: (Laughs), we at T M H have our ways.
Jon B: (laughs) Man she is super cool and a dope MC. We hooked up in Vegas and she promoted a party for me. She flowed at the party and I was like, wow. She came up to me and was like she didn’t know much about the industry or anything like that but she really respected my music & wanted to work with me. We went to my studio and started working on some music and recorded some records that are hot!

UrbanBridgez.com: Any plans to work with Faith Evans again in the near future, “Overjoyed” was such a beautiful song?
Jon B: Oh man thank you so much. It was such an honor to work with Faith. She is without a doubt one of my favorite vocalist. She is such a joy and she knows what’s up, anytime she wants to work together again. Her last album Faithfully is still in my CD player. It’s an honor to say we even worked together. I mean she did like 13 takes for the song and it was so hard for me to pick the one to put on the track, her voice is just amazing.

UrbanBridgez.com: What other things do you see yourself doing in the next 5 years?
Jon B: I want my own label. I want to be like people like P. Diddy. When I first came out I had a different opinion of P. Diddy. I was like he is not a producer he is more of a DJ than producer. I can’t lie I was not a P. Diddy fan (laughs). We tried to work together before and that didn’t work. Now he has grown and he is really making big moves and doing some great things.

UrbanBridgez.com: Any last words for your fans?
Jon B: Just stay with me, this is just the beginning. This generation is so great. I mean we all grew up on the same shit and like the same shit. Pop, soul, rock, rap, country, jazz, you name it. I plan to do it all. I’m going to do some rock and jazz in the near future. Just keep supporting Jon B.