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Jane Siberry ( ; ; born 12 October 1955) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, known for such hits as " Mimi on the Beach", "I Muse Aloud", "
One More Colour "One More Colour" is a song by the Canadian singer-songwriter Jane Siberry. It is the first single released in support of her third album ''The Speckless Sky'', issued in 1985. Composer Mychael Danna later rearranged the song for the 1997 film ' ...
" and " Calling All Angels". She performed the theme song to the television series ''
Maniac Mansion ''Maniac Mansion'' is a 1987 graphic adventure video game developed and published by Lucasfilm Games. It follows teenage protagonist Dave Miller as he attempts to rescue his girlfriend Sandy Pantz from a mad scientist, whose mind has been ensl ...
''. She has released material under the name Issa ( ) – an identity (as opposed to a simple stagename) which she used formally between 2006 and 2009. On 30 August 2005, Siberry was awarded the 2005
Victor Martyn Lynch-Staunton Award The Victor Martyn Lynch-Staunton Award is a monetary award given since 1971 by the Canada Council for the Arts to Canadian artists judged to be outstanding in their mid-careers. Since 2005, the award is given to one recipient in each of the follow ...
in music by the
Canada Council The Canada Council for the Arts (), commonly called the Canada Council, is a Crown corporations of Canada, Crown corporation established in 1957 as an arts council of the Government of Canada. It is Canada's public arts funder, with a mandate to ...
for the Arts.


Career history


Childhood and early years

Jane Stewart was born in
Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
in 1955 and was raised in the suburb of
Etobicoke Etobicoke (, ) is an administrative district and former city within Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Comprising the city's west end, Etobicoke is bordered on the south by Lake Ontario, on the east by the Humber River (Ontario), Humber River, on the ...
. She would take her subsequent surname, "Siberry", from the family name of her maternal aunt and uncle. Many years later, she would explain this choice by stating "this woman and her husband were the first couple I met where I could feel the love between them and I held that in front of me as a reference point." Siberry learned piano from the age of four, predominantly teaching herselfBooklet essay by Jim Bessman in ''Love is Everything – The Jane Siberry Anthology'' double CD album, 2002 (Rhino Records, 8122-78277-2) and developing her own concepts of notation and structure. At school she learned conventional
music theory Music theory is the study of theoretical frameworks for understanding the practices and possibilities of music. ''The Oxford Companion to Music'' describes three interrelated uses of the term "music theory": The first is the "Elements of music, ...
(as well as French horn) and taught herself to play guitar by working through
Leonard Cohen Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian songwriter, singer, poet, and novelist. Themes commonly explored throughout his work include faith and mortality, isolation and depression, betrayal and redemption, soc ...
songs. Her first song was completed at the age of seventeen, although she had been developing song ideas since much earlier. Following high-school graduation from Richview Collegiate in Etobicoke, Ontario, and then the Canadian Junior College, Lausanne, Switzerland, Siberry moved on to study music at the
University of Guelph The University of Guelph (abbreviated U of G) is a comprehensive Public university, public research university in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. It was established in 1964 after the amalgamation of Ontario Agricultural College (1874), the MacDonald I ...
, later switching to
microbiology Microbiology () is the branches of science, scientific study of microorganisms, those being of unicellular organism, unicellular (single-celled), multicellular organism, multicellular (consisting of complex cells), or non-cellular life, acellula ...
(in which she gained a BSc degree) when she found freshman music courses to be stifling. She began performing in folk clubs in
Guelph Guelph ( ; 2021 Canadian Census population 143,740) is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Known as The Royal City, it is roughly east of Kitchener, Ontario, Kitchener and west of Downtown Toronto, at the intersection of Ontario Highway 6, ...
, linking up first with singer Wendy Davis and then with bass guitarist John Switzer in a group called Java Jive.


First three albums and Canadian success (1979–1986)

Following the split of Java Jive in 1979, Siberry maintained both a musical and a romantic relationship with John Switzer (who would work with her on her first four records). On leaving university, she supported her work as a solo performer by working as a waitress, earning enough to finance and tour her debut album, the folk-influenced ''
Jane Siberry Jane Siberry ( ; ; born 12 October 1955) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, known for such hits as "Mimi on the Beach", "I Muse Aloud", "One More Colour" and "Calling All Angels (Jane Siberry song), Calling All Angels". She performed the theme so ...
'', which was released in 1981 on
Duke Street Records Duke Street Records was a Canadian independent record label"Barren ground for Canada's gutsy record labels". ''Edmonton Journal'', May 10, 1990. established in 1984 by Andrew Hermant, but the record label ceased operating in 1994. The Universal M ...
. The album was relatively successful for an independent release, enabling Siberry to sign a three-album deal with
A&M Records A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group and functions as a branch of Interscope Geffen A&M Records, Interscope-Geffen-A&M. Established in 1962 by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss, the label initially operated independent ...
via the
Windham Hill Windham Hill Records was an independent record label that specialized in instrumental acoustic music. It was founded by guitarist William Ackerman and Anne Robinson (née McGilvray) in 1976 and was popular in the 1980s and 1990s. The label was ...
label. As part of the deal, Siberry was able to release her albums on
Duke Street Records Duke Street Records was a Canadian independent record label"Barren ground for Canada's gutsy record labels". ''Edmonton Journal'', May 10, 1990. established in 1984 by Andrew Hermant, but the record label ceased operating in 1994. The Universal M ...
in Canada while Windham Hill handled American release and distribution. Assembling a backing band of Switzer, guitarist
Ken Myhr Ken Myhr is a Canadian musician and composer. He is most noted for his work on the film '' The Accountant of Auschwitz'', for which he won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Music in a Non-Fiction Program or Series at the 8th Canadian Screen Awards ...
, keyboard players Doug Wilde and Jon Goldsmith, and drummer Al Cross, Siberry recorded her second album ''
No Borders Here ''No Borders Here'' is the second album (and first to be available outside Canada) by Jane Siberry. The album's single "Mimi on the Beach" was Siberry's breakthrough hit in her native Canada, and remains one of her most famous songs. Toronto's CF ...
'' (released in 1984) for which she mostly abandoned the folk approach in favour of electronic art-pop. This coincided with a growth in support of new wave and independent music within Canadian broadcast media, including the Toronto radio station
CFNY CFNY-FM (102.1 MHz, "102.1 The Edge") is a radio station licensed to Brampton, Ontario. Owned by Corus Entertainment, the station broadcasts a modern rock format serving the Greater Toronto Area. Its studios are in Downtown Toronto at Corus Quay ...
and the video channel
MuchMusic Much is a Canadian English language discretionary specialty channel owned by BCE Inc. through its Bell Media subsidiary that airs programming aimed at teenagers and young adults. It is headquartered at 299 Queen Street West in what was o ...
. Both of these became keen supporters of Siberry and put her onto high playlist rotation. Siberry's first hit was the ''No Borders Here'' track " Mimi on the Beach" – a seven-and-a-half-minute art-rock single which benefited from the art-friendly broadcast support at the time (and from its video made by Siberry and friends). Both factors earned it heavy MuchMusic and college radio play. Two further singles with videos – "You Don't Need" and "I Muse Aloud" – consolidated the success. ''No Borders Here'' sold 40,000 copies and won Siberry a
CASBY award The CASBY Awards were a Canadian awards ceremony for independent and alternative music, presented annually by Toronto, Ontario radio station CFNY, currently branded as 102.1 The Edge. CASBY is an acronym for Canadian Artists Selected By You. The ...
for Best Female Vocalist, as well as giving her first opportunity to play live in New York. Siberry's third album, ''
The Speckless Sky ''The Speckless Sky'' is an album by Jane Siberry. It was Siberry's highest-charting album on the Canadian charts and contains her biggest Top 40 hit, " One More Colour". The album's second single, " Map of the World (Part II)", was also a hit on ...
'' (1985), continued her art-pop approach. It was another commercial and critical success, going Gold in Canada by selling over 50,000 units and establishing Siberry as a Canadian pop star. The album provided another hit single, "
One More Colour "One More Colour" is a song by the Canadian singer-songwriter Jane Siberry. It is the first single released in support of her third album ''The Speckless Sky'', issued in 1985. Composer Mychael Danna later rearranged the song for the 1997 film ' ...
" (with a video featuring Siberry walking a cow) and won the 1985 CASBY for Best Album, with Siberry and Switzer also picking up the award for Best Producer. In 1986 Siberry signed with Warner Brothers subsidiary
Reprise Records Reprise Records is an American record label founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra. It is owned by Warner Music Group, and operates through Warner Records, one of its flagship labels. Artists currently signed to Reprise Records include Green Day, En ...
, which picked up her American contract from Windham Hill, while honouring the existing Canadian arrangement with Duke Street Records.


Reprise Records period


''The Walking'' and ''Bound By the Beauty'' (1987–1992)

For her fourth album (her first for Reprise) Siberry created ''
The Walking ''The Walking'' is the fourth studio album by Jane Siberry. The album was released on Reprise Records internationally, but remained on the independent label Duke Street Records in Canada. Critical reception The album was initially poorly receive ...
''. Released in 1988, it contained a set of intricately structured songs, many of which were lengthy and shifted between narrative viewpoints and characters. Many of the songs dealt with romantic collapse and miscommunication, partially inspired by Siberry's breakup with John Switzer (which happened during the writing and recording of the album). She was marketed as part of the "high art" end of rock music, alongside artists such as
Kate Bush Catherine Bush (born 30 July 1958) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, and dancer. Bush began writing songs at age 11. She was signed to EMI Records after David Gilmour of Pink Floyd helped produce a demo tape. In 1978, at the ...
or
Peter Gabriel Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950) is an English singer, songwriter, musician, and human rights activist. He came to prominence as the original frontman of the rock band Genesis. He left the band in 1975 and launched a solo career wit ...
. Siberry embarked on a tour of Europe and the United States to promote ''The Walking''. This included her first European performance, which took place at the ICA in London. In spite of the efforts of both label and artist, ''The Walking'' was ultimately less of a commercial success than ''The Speckless Sky'', with Siberry failing to make her mainstream breakthrough. Although the album met with the same critical interest and attention as its predecessor, reviews were noticeably harsher and less welcoming. As well, the album was considered unsuitable by broadcasters for radio airplay, despite the presence of several shorter and more accessible tracks on the album (both the title track and a shorter edit of "Ingrid and the Footman" were released as singles but failed to make an impact). Despite this setback, Reprise retained Siberry's contract, even taking over the Canadian side of the distribution for her next album, 1989's ''
Bound by the Beauty ''Bound By the Beauty'' is a 1989 album by Jane Siberry. It received better reviews than her previous album, ''The Walking'', and the title track received more extensive radio airplay than Siberry had seen since "One More Colour" in 1985. The tr ...
''. Siberry moved towards more simple and direct song forms, jettisoning electronic art-pop in favour of more acoustic styles drawing on
country and western A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, or d ...
and
Latin music Latin music (Portuguese language, Portuguese and ) is a term used by the music industry as a catch-all category for various styles of music from Ibero-America, which encompasses Music of Latin America, Latin America, Music of Spain, Spain, Mu ...
. While retaining her quirkier conceptual approach, the album's song themes were generally more lighthearted than those of ''The Walking''. Prior to the album's release, Siberry toured various folk festivals (in a duo format with Ken Mhyr on guitar) to reposition herself in the market; ''Bound by the Beauty'' had better record sales, and appeared on the RPM Top 100 Albums chart in 1989. In 1990, she embarked on a 50-date tour of Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Britain, the United States and Canada. By 1991, Siberry had completed demos for her next album: however, this was scrapped when neither Reprise nor Siberry herself were happy with the results, which were deemed too much like ''
Bound by the Beauty ''Bound By the Beauty'' is a 1989 album by Jane Siberry. It received better reviews than her previous album, ''The Walking'', and the title track received more extensive radio airplay than Siberry had seen since "One More Colour" in 1985. The tr ...
''. In 1992, during the wait for a new record, Reprise released a Siberry compilation album called '' Summer in the Yukon'' for the UK market. This focussed primarily on her more pop-oriented side and featured a remix of the ''
Bound by the Beauty ''Bound By the Beauty'' is a 1989 album by Jane Siberry. It received better reviews than her previous album, ''The Walking'', and the title track received more extensive radio airplay than Siberry had seen since "One More Colour" in 1985. The tr ...
'' track "The Life is the Red Wagon" with a new dance-friendly rhythm track.


''When I Was a Boy'' and ''Maria'' (1993–1996)

Siberry's sixth album, ''
When I Was a Boy ''When I Was a Boy'' is a 1993 album by Jane Siberry. Internationally, it is her most famous album. In Siberry's native Canada, however, the album was commercially successful but not as big a hit as her 1985 album '' The Speckless Sky''. The a ...
'', was completed in 1993 after a three-year writing and recording period during which she'd undergone changes in her personal life and in her musical approach. For the first time she chose to share album production responsibilities with other musicians – in this case
Michael Brook Michael Brook (born 1951) is a Canadian guitarist, inventor, music producer, and film music composer. He plays in many genres, including rock, electronica, world music, minimalism and film scores. His collaborations with musicians around the worl ...
and
Brian Eno Brian Peter George Jean-Baptiste de la Salle Eno (, born 15 May 1948), also mononymously known as Eno, is an English musician, songwriter, record producer, visual artist, and activist. He is best known for his pioneering contributions to ambien ...
, both of whom also contributed instrumental work to the album. During the recording period, she had also confronted and overcome a longstanding alcohol addiction. She would later consider the music on the record to be more liberated, featuring what she described as "more ''body'' in it, more sexual energy... it's about the sacred aspects of sexuality, and finally being able to embrace them and not, em, (just) be an observer anymore." In contrast to its predecessor, ''When I Was a Boy'' was influenced by funk, dance and gospel music and featured extensive use of layering and sampler technology, in line with developments in latterday pop music, trip-hop and R'n'B. It also featured what would become Siberry's best-known song, " Calling All Angels" (a duet with
k.d. lang Kathryn Dawn Lang (born November 2, 1961), known by her stage name k.d. lang (stylised in all lowercase), is a Canadian pop and country singer-songwriter and occasional actress. Lang has won Juno Awards and Grammy Awards for her musical pe ...
which had first appeared as part of the soundtrack to
Wim Wenders Ernst Wilhelm "Wim" Wenders (; born 14 August 1945) is a German filmmaker and photographer, who is a major figure in New German Cinema. Among the honors he has received are prizes from the Cannes Film Festival, Cannes, Venice International Film ...
' '' Until the end of the World'' and as a track on ''Summer in the Yukon''; it was later re-recorded for the ''
Pay It Forward Pay it forward is an expression for describing the beneficiary of a good deed repaying the kindness to others rather than paying it back to the original benefactor. It is also called serial reciprocity. The concept is old, but the particular ph ...
'' soundtrack). Other contributors on the album included Canadian singers
Holly Cole Holly Cole (born November 25, 1963) is a Canadian jazz singer and actress. For many years she performed with her group The Holly Cole Trio. Background Cole was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Halifax, Nova Scotia. Her father, Leon Cole, was a note ...
and
Rebecca Jenkins Rebecca Jenkins (born 1959) is a Canadian actress and singer. Acting She had starring roles in the 1990s CBC series '' Black Harbour'', and the films '' Bye Bye Blues'', '' Marion Bridge'', '' Wilby Wonderful'', '' Whole New Thing'', ''South of ...
and (for the last time) regular guitarist Ken Mhyr. The album introduced the more spiritually-oriented themes that became a hallmark of Siberry's later work and launched three singles – "Calling All Angels", " Sail Across the Water" and "Temple". Prior to the release of ''When I Was a Boy'', Siberry performed in
Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...
as the opening act for
Mike Oldfield Michael Gordon Oldfield (born 15 May 1953) is an English retired musician, songwriter and producer best known for his debut studio album ''Tubular Bells'' (1973), which became an unexpected critical and commercial success. Though primarily a gu ...
's premiere of '' Tubular Bells 2''. She met with a disastrous rejection by the audience. Initially, Siberry was devastated (later describing herself as having "cried for two weeks") and had to make a serious reassessment of her perspective on her work. From this point onwards, she chose to reclaim her art for herself and decided "I took back all the power back that I had put outside myself trying to please (others). The worst show of my life has become the best show because it's given me the ultimate freedom to care only about what I think is really good. How my career does is secondary." Siberry would subsequently reassert full control over all areas of her work, from songwriting to stage presentation and video direction. For her promotional tour for ''When I Was a Boy'' – which she called "The ''It Ain't a Concert'' Concert", she opted not to use a band and instead performed solo, encouraging audience interaction and including spoken-word material (to the puzzlement of critics). Later in 1993, Siberry collaborated with
Holly Cole Holly Cole (born November 25, 1963) is a Canadian jazz singer and actress. For many years she performed with her group The Holly Cole Trio. Background Cole was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Halifax, Nova Scotia. Her father, Leon Cole, was a note ...
,
Rebecca Jenkins Rebecca Jenkins (born 1959) is a Canadian actress and singer. Acting She had starring roles in the 1990s CBC series '' Black Harbour'', and the films '' Bye Bye Blues'', '' Marion Bridge'', '' Wilby Wonderful'', '' Whole New Thing'', ''South of ...
,
Mary Margaret O'Hara Mary Margaret O'Hara is a Canadian singer-songwriter, actress and composer. She is best known for the album ''Miss America'', released in 1988. She released two albums and an EP under her own name, and remains active as a live performer, as a con ...
and
Victoria Williams Victoria Williams (born December 23, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter and musician, originally from Shreveport, Louisiana, United States, although she has resided in Southern California throughout her musical career. Diagnosed with multi ...
on a live concert of Christmas music, which was broadcast on
CBC Radio CBC Radio is the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which (regardless of language) are outlined below ...
on Christmas Day that year before being released in 1994 as the album '' Count Your Blessings''. During 1994 Siberry recorded sporadically, without constructing a new album. She came to the attention of a new audience when her song "It Can't Rain All the Time" was included on the soundtrack for the movie ''The Crow''; time spent with Peter Gabriel at
Real World Studios Real World Studios is a residential recording studio complex founded by Peter Gabriel and situated in the old Box Mill building in the village of Box, Wiltshire, England, near to the city of Bath. It is closely associated with the Real World R ...
resulted in three more songs (not released for another seven years) and she sang on the
Indigo Girls Indigo Girls are an American folk rock music duet (music), duo from Atlanta, Georgia, United States, consisting of Amy Ray and Emily Saliers. The two met in Primary school, elementary school and began performing together as Secondary school, hig ...
album ''Swamp Ophelia''. Siberry's next release was another complete change of direction. In contrast to the intricate studio production of ''When I Was a Boy'', ''
Maria Maria may refer to: People * Mary, mother of Jesus * Maria (given name), a popular given name in many languages Place names Extraterrestrial * 170 Maria, a Main belt S-type asteroid discovered in 1877 * Lunar maria (plural of ''mare''), large, ...
'' (released in 1995) featured a more jazz-inspired direction with live acoustic instrumentation and approaches similar to
Van Morrison Sir George Ivan "Van" Morrison (born 31 August 1945) is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician whose recording career started in the 1960s. Morrison's albums have performed well in the UK and Ireland, with more than 40 reaching the UK ...
's ''
Astral Weeks ''Astral Weeks'' is the second studio album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison. It was recorded at Century Sound Studios in New York during September and October 1968, and released in November of the same year by Warner Bros. Re ...
''. The basic tracks to the album were recorded in three days flat by a group featuring Tim Ray (pianist for jazz band Orange then Blue),
Betty Carter Betty Carter (born Lillie Mae Jones; May 16, 1929 – September 26, 1998) was an American jazz singer known for her improvisational technique, scatting and other complex musical abilities that demonstrated her vocal talent and imaginative inter ...
's double bass player Christopher Thomas, top jazz session drummer
Brian Blade Brian Blade (born July 25, 1970) is an American jazz drummer, composer, and session musician. Early life Born and raised in Shreveport, Louisiana, Blade was exposed to gospel and praise music while attending Zion Baptist Church at which his ...
and trumpeter David Travers-Smith (with Siberry playing electric guitar and singing). She edited and reworked the recorded material into fully realized songs, most of which featured various perspectives on innocence. The album also featured a 20-minute extended conceptual work called "Oh My My". Siberry took this new band on tour across Canada and the United States and professed herself pleased with the results, but Reprise Records were less pleased with the album sales. After ''Maria'', Siberry parted company with Reprise Records, later stating "they wanted me to work with a producer and that severed any sense of loyalty. I realized they truly didn't understand what I was doing... so I took my leave.""Interview with the Pluralist: Jane Siberry"
– interview by Ian Gray at ''Perfect Sound Forever'' webzine, 1999


Sheeba Records period


New York period (1996–1997)

In 1996, Siberry founded her own Toronto-based independent label,
Sheeba Records Sheeba Records is a Canadian independent record label, owned and operated by Jane Siberry. Siberry established Sheeba to release her albums following the end of her contract with Reprise Records in 1996. The first album she released on the label w ...
, on which she has released all of her subsequent material. Although her public profile became lower once she became an independent artist, she retained a devoted cult following. Her first Sheeba release was ''
Teenager Adolescence () is a transitional stage of human physical and psychological development that generally occurs during the period from puberty to adulthood (typically corresponding to the age of majority). Adolescence is usually associated wi ...
'' (1996), an album of songs which she had originally written during her teenage years and which she had recorded during the ''Maria'' sessions (taking advantage of the fact that the sessions had been completed with studio time left over). Leaving the Sheeba Records office to continue its work in Toronto, Siberry herself then relocated to New York City in search of new inspiration. In 1996, she performed four concerts at the city's famous
Bottom Line In business and accounting, net income (also total comprehensive income, net earnings, net profit, bottom line, sales profit, or credit sales) is an entity's income minus cost of goods sold, expenses, depreciation and amortization, interest, and ...
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
club – all of which were recorded and released on a set of live albums between 1997 and 1999, collectively known as the "New York City Trilogy". The first of these was 1997's '' Child: Music for the Christmas Season'', a double album which combined Christmas standards and carols (such as "
O Holy Night "O Holy Night" (original title: ) is a sacred song about the night of the birth of Jesus Christ, described in the first verse as "the dear Saviour", and frequently performed as a Christmas carol. Based on the French-language poem ''Minuit, ch ...
" and " In the Bleak Midwinter") and original Siberry songs containing religious imagery (such as "An Angel Stepped Down...") Siberry had also demonstrated the greater creative freedom she had as an independent recording artist via her other 1997 album, ''
A Day in the Life "A Day in the Life" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles that was released as the final track of their 1967 album '' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band''. Credited to Lennon–McCartney, the opening and closing sections of the s ...
''. This was her most unconventional release to date – although it did feature song excerpts, it was predominantly a sound collage representation of a typical day's experience by Siberry in New York. The album was filled with recordings of yoga classes, phone messages and street sounds; and featured conversations and exchanges with a wide variety of people – cab drivers, friends, fellow students and Siberry's then-current musical collaborators
Patty Larkin Patty Larkin (born June 19, 1951) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist based in Boston, Massachusetts. She is a founding member of Four Bitchin' Babes. Her music has been described as folk-urban pop music. Life and career Patty Lark ...
, Joe Jackson,
k.d. lang Kathryn Dawn Lang (born November 2, 1961), known by her stage name k.d. lang (stylised in all lowercase), is a Canadian pop and country singer-songwriter and occasional actress. Lang has won Juno Awards and Grammy Awards for her musical pe ...
and
Darol Anger Darol Robert Anger is an American violinist and founding member of The David Grisman Quintet. Career Darol Anger entered popular music at the age of 21 as a founding member of The David Grisman Quintet. Anger played fiddle to David Grisman' ...
. Also in 1997, Siberry's former label Reprise Records released a second compilation album of her work, '' A Collection 1984–1989'', aimed at the Canadian and American markets, and drew from the whole range of Siberry's output prior to ''When I Was a Boy''.


Toronto period (1997–2005)

With Sheeba running into financial problems, Siberry left New York, returned to Toronto and reestablished her label as a one-woman operation (handling everything from songwriting to envelope-stuffing). To finance Sheeba, she also began to experiment with what were then seen as unorthodox promotional ideas, such as the weekend-long "Siberry Salons" (a concert-cum-seminar featuring two performances plus a workshop and dinner, which were hosted at intimate and unusual venues such as art galleries and loft apartments). Sheeba now also sold soft toys and auctioned off collectible career-related items such as signed lyric sheets, her first guitar and even the pink bra which she had worn on the cover of ''Maria''. Siberry took two years to restore Sheeba's precarious fortunes, during which she kept busy. Her first book of prose-poems, ''S W A N'', was published by Sheeba in 1998, the same year that she toured as one of the acts on the female-oriented "Suffragette Sessions" tour, alongside
Indigo Girls Indigo Girls are an American folk rock music duet (music), duo from Atlanta, Georgia, United States, consisting of Amy Ray and Emily Saliers. The two met in Primary school, elementary school and began performing together as Secondary school, hig ...
,
Lisa Germano Lisa Ruth Germano (born June 27, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Indiana. Her album '' Geek the Girl'' (1994) was named one of the best albums of the 1990s by ''Spin'' magazine. She began her career as a viol ...
and members of
Luscious Jackson Luscious Jackson is an alternative rock/rap-rock group formed in 1991. The band's name is a reference to former American basketball player Lucious Jackson. The original band consisted of Jill Cunniff (lead vocals, bass), Gabby Glaser (vocals, ...
and
the Breeders The Breeders are an American alternative rock band based in Dayton, Ohio, consisting of members Kim Deal (rhythm guitar, lead vocals), her twin sister Kelley Deal (lead guitar, vocals), Josephine Wiggs (bass guitar, vocals) and Jim Macpherson ( ...
. A second book, ''One Room Schoolhouse'', followed in 1999. In the same year, Siberry released the second and third volumes of the New York concert recordings. '' Lips: Music for Saying It'' was based around themes of communication (and included a "Mimi"-sung riposte to 1984's "Mimi on the Beach"). '' Tree: Music for Films and Forests'' documented a concert in which Siberry had sung songs linked by the concept of trees, as well as adding a couple of songs she'd contributed to film scores. The complete trilogy was reissued as a three album box set the same year. Siberry's tenth studio album, ''
Hush Hush may refer to: Film and television Film * ''Hush'' (1921 film), starring Clara Kimball Young * ''Hush'' (1998 film), starring Gwyneth Paltrow * ''Hush!'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film directed by Ryosuke Hashiguchi *''Hush!'', a 2002 film dir ...
'' was released in 2000. This was a predominantly acoustic record consisting entirely of cover versions in which Siberry explored traditional American and Celtic folk and gospel songs such as " Jacobs Ladder", "
Ol' Man River "Ol' Man River" is a show tune from the 1927 musical '' Show Boat'' with music by Jerome Kern and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, who wrote the song in 1925. The song contrasts the struggles and hardships of African Americans with the endless, ...
" and " Streets of Laredo". She released a third book via Sheeba in 2000, ''New Year's Baby''. The following year's ''
City A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...
'' album compiled various non-album tracks, rarities and collaborations between Siberry and other musicians. As well as providing another home for "Calling All Angels", the album included work with
Nigel Kennedy Nigel Kennedy (born 28 December 1956) is an English violinist and viola, violist. His early career was primarily spent performing classical music, and has since expanded into jazz music, jazz, klezmer, and other music genres. Early life and ...
,
Peter Gabriel Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950) is an English singer, songwriter, musician, and human rights activist. He came to prominence as the original frontman of the rock band Genesis. He left the band in 1975 and launched a solo career wit ...
,
Hector Zazou Hector Zazou (11 July 1948 – 8 September 2008) was a prolific French composer and record producer who worked with, produced, and collaborated with an international array of recording artists. He worked on his own and other artists' albums, inclu ...
and Joe Jackson and featured "All the Pretty Ponies" (a children's song which Siberry had contributed to the ''Barney's Big Adventure'' soundtrack). In 2002, '' Love is Everything: The Jane Siberry Anthology'' was released on Rhino Records: a double-CD album combining material from her Duke Street, Reprise and Sheeba eras and summarizing the first twenty-one years of her career. This was followed in 2003 by '' Shushan the Palace: Hymns of Earth'' – another Christmas-themed album of cover versions. This time, Siberry performed her own interpretations of
liturgical Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and participation in the sacred through activities reflecting praise, thanksgiving, remembra ...
Christmas hymns by various classical and Romantic composers including
Mendelssohn Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions include symphonie ...
,
Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (German: joːhan zeˈbasti̯an baχ ( – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across a variety of instruments and forms, including the or ...
,
Holst Gustav Theodore Holst (born Gustavus Theodore von Holst; 21 September 1874 – 25 May 1934) was an English composer, arranger and teacher. Best known for his orchestral suite ''The Planets'', he composed many other works across a range ...
and
Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel ( ; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well-known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concerti. Born in Halle, Germany, H ...
. Despite her apparent productivity, Siberry was continuing to find her independent career and business efforts to be challenging and problematic. The live albums were in part an inexpensive tactic to enable her to gain resources to record her original work. She would later confess "I really thought it was going to be much, much easier. The whole label thing. It wasn't. Those records, ''Shushan'' and ''Hush'', were to pay for studio time."


"Issa" period (2006–2009)

Early in 2006, Siberry closed her Sheeba office, then auctioned and sold nearly all of her possessions via
eBay eBay Inc. ( , often stylized as ebay) is an American multinational e-commerce company based in San Jose, California, that allows users to buy or view items via retail sales through online marketplaces and websites in 190 markets worldwide. ...
– including her Toronto home and her musical instruments. She retained one travelling guitar, but none of the other instruments featured on her albums and in her concerts. In 2006, she told ''The Globe and Mail'' that she had kept a very few precious possessions, including her
Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th century music, 20th-century music. Davis ado ...
CDs, in storage.Gill, Alexandra (30 September 2006).
"Just a Knapsack and Her Manolos"
,''The Globe and Mail''. Retrieved 3 April 2006.

On 3 June 2006, somewhere in northwestern Europe, Siberry changed her name to Issa: revealing this change of identity to the public a couple of weeks later on 24 June 2006. She told ''The Globe and Mail'' that she chose the name Issa as a feminine variant of
Isaiah Isaiah ( or ; , ''Yəšaʿyāhū'', "Yahweh is salvation"; also known as Isaias or Esaias from ) was the 8th-century BC Israelite prophet after whom the Book of Isaiah is named. The text of the Book of Isaiah refers to Isaiah as "the prophet" ...
. She stated that her older music would remain available for sale under the name "Jane Siberry", but her new material would be released as Issa. At the time she also stated, regarding the change of identity, "I had to do it right. I had to be serious about it and I had to convey that. When I put Jane away, I went silent for 24 hours. Not a word to anyone. And then Issa from that point on." Later she would describe the process of choosing a new identity in terms of changing her writing approach – "Moving into Issa, I didn't know if I'd be in the music business any more. I just started writing. I wanted to let go of any expectations and just try to get closer to what I heard in my head... I just tried to write as precisely as I could to what I heard in my head. I slowed everything down and took one note at a time, and just waited until I heard the next note." The process was evidently successful, resulting in thirty-three songs written in thirty-three days. On 4 July 2006, Issa gave a lecture at
University of British Columbia The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a Public university, public research university with campuses near University of British Columbia Vancouver, Vancouver and University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, in British Columbia, Canada ...
in Vancouver on the topic of "Cracking the Egg: A Look from the Inside". She began with a poetic meditation on science and life, and then opened the floor up to questions from the audience. She talked about her recent adventures in decommodifying her life, her change in name, and her new conception of herself as an artist. Over 2006 and 2007, she documented the process of recording some thirty new songs in her journal, posted on her MySpace page and on her new website. In autumn 2008 Issa finalized the ideas for a trilogy of albums to be called the "Three Queens" sequence. The first of these – '' Dragon Dreams'' – was the debut Issa release, on 12 December 2008. As with the previous Jane Siberry material, it was released on Sheeba: Issa had retained the label despite slimming down its operations. In 2009, Issa released the second album in the "Three Queens" trilogy, '' With What Shall I Keep Warm?'' However, it was plain that her identity was no longer fixed, as both of the names she'd used as a musician – "Issa" and "Jane Siberry" – were included on the cover. In December 2009, she notified her fans that she had recently changed her name from Issa back to Jane Siberry, feeling that the process of working under a different name had run its course.


Later work (2010–present)

Inspired by the dichotomy between frequent e-mails from devoted international fans asking her to play a concert in their city and her difficulty in finding a suitable concert promoter, Siberry launched a "microtour" through her fan mailing list in 2010, in which she offered to play small venues – ranging from intimate cafés to fans' own homes – in any location in Europe where one or more fans could organize a space, an audience of about 20 to 30 people and a night of accommodation. In May 2010, Siberry made her entire back catalogue of music available as free downloads in MP3 and
AIFF AIFF may refer to: * Audio Interchange File Format * All India Football Federation, the national governing body of Association football in India Film festivals * Addis International Film Festival, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia * Alexandria Internation ...
formats. She had previously employed a flexible pricing policy, stating "I started feeling weird about holding back anything people wanted because of the money. It just felt wrong to my stomach, so I made a flexible interface so people could take it with whatever reasoning they felt was right, and I didn't have to worry about it any more." In March 2011, Siberry advised her fans through her mailing list that the third album of the "Three Queens" trilogy was almost ready (having been "nearly completed" several times before), and that she intended to release a fourth disc as part of the collection. The album, ''Meshach Dreams Back'', was released later in 2011 and was the first album to be credited to "Jane Siberry" for eight years. In 2014 Siberry used crowdfunding to raise funds to produce ''Ulysses' Purse'', a limited edition CD. Siberry is featured in the Corey Hart single "10,000 Horses", which was released on 8 April 2014.


Musical style and commercial approach

Siberry's music is most commonly compared to artists such as
Laura Nyro Laura Nyro ( ; born Laura Nigro; October 18, 1947 – April 8, 1997) was an American songwriter and singer. She achieved critical acclaim with her own recordings, particularly the albums ''Eli and the Thirteenth Confession'' (1968) and ''Ne ...
,
Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan Mitchell (née Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian and American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and painter. As one of the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitch ...
,
Kate Bush Catherine Bush (born 30 July 1958) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, and dancer. Bush began writing songs at age 11. She was signed to EMI Records after David Gilmour of Pink Floyd helped produce a demo tape. In 1978, at the ...
,
Toyah Willcox Toyah Ann Willcox (born 18 May 1958) is an English singer-songwriter, actress, and television presenter. In a career spanning more than 40 years, she has had eight top 40 singles, released over 20 albums, written two books, appeared in over 40 ...
,
Anna Domino Anna Domino (born 1955, Anna Virginia Taylor) is an American indie rock artist based in New York and Los Angeles who released several albums for Les Disques du Crepuscule and Factory Records in the 1980s and 1990s. Domino has collaborated with ...
,
Suzanne Vega Suzanne Nadine Vega ( Peck; born July 11, 1959) is an American singer-songwriter of Folk music, folk-inspired music. Vega's music career spans 40 years. In the mid-1980s and 1990s she released four singles that entered the Top 40 charts in the ...
and
Laurie Anderson Laura Phillips "Laurie" Anderson (born June 5, 1947) is an American avant-garde artist, musician and filmmaker whose work encompasses performance art, pop music, and multimedia projects. Initially trained in violin and sculpting,Amirkhanian, Cha ...
. She has drawn from a wide variety of styles, ranging from new wave rock on her earlier albums to a reflective pop style influenced by
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
,
folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk horror ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Fo ...
,
gospel Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...
, classical and
liturgical music Liturgical music originated as a part of religious ceremony, and includes a number of traditions, both ancient and modern. Liturgical music is well known as a part of Catholic Mass, the Anglican Holy Communion service (or Eucharist) and Evensong, ...
in her later work. She has cited
Van Morrison Sir George Ivan "Van" Morrison (born 31 August 1945) is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician whose recording career started in the 1960s. Morrison's albums have performed well in the UK and Ireland, with more than 40 reaching the UK ...
and
Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th century music, 20th-century music. Davis ado ...
as being strong creative influences. Siberry has often criticized the competitive power of commercial radio and the recording industry. In 2005, she pioneered a self-determined pricing policy through her website on which the purchaser is given the choices of: standard price (about US$0.99/track); pay now, self-priced; pay later, self-priced; or "a gift from Jane". In an interview with ''
The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Newspapers in Canada, Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in Western Canada, western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of more than 6 million in 2024, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on week ...
'', Siberry confirmed that since she had instituted the self-determined pricing policy, the average income she receives per song from Sheeba customers is in fact slightly ''more'' than standard price.


Television performances

Siberry performed "Map of the World, Pt.1" from her second album ''No Borders Here'' at the
Juno Awards The Juno Awards (stylized as JUNOS), or simply known as the Junos, are awards presented by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to recognize outstanding achievements in Canada's music industry. The Grammy Awards are the United S ...
broadcast live on
CBC Television CBC Television (also known as CBC TV, or simply CBC) is a Television in Canada, Canadian English-language terrestrial television, broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcasting, p ...
on December 5, 1984. She was nominated as Best Promising Female Vocalist of the Year. Siberry was the subject of two award-winning documentaries directed by Don Allan and produced by Bruce Glawson and Arnie Zipursky of Cambium Productions. The half-hour special, ''Jane Siberry, One More Colour'' premiered on
CBC Television CBC Television (also known as CBC TV, or simply CBC) is a Television in Canada, Canadian English-language terrestrial television, broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcasting, p ...
on March 27, 1987. It featured a concert taped at Montreal’s Le Spectrum club, with behind-the-scenes footage of the filming of the second version of her "One More Colour" music video directed by
DEVO Devo is an American new wave band from Akron, Ohio, formed in 1973. Their classic line-up consisted of two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs ( Mark and Bob) and the Casales (Gerald and Bob), along with Alan Myers. The band had a No. 14 ...
's
Gerald Casale Gerald Vincent Casale ( ) ( ''né'' Pizzute; born July 28, 1948) is an American musician. He came to prominence in the late 1970s as co-founder, co-lead vocalist and bass player of the new wave band Devo, which released a top 20 hit in 1980 wi ...
. It also included Siberry touring in Los Angeles and San Francisco with singer
Rebecca Jenkins Rebecca Jenkins (born 1959) is a Canadian actress and singer. Acting She had starring roles in the 1990s CBC series '' Black Harbour'', and the films '' Bye Bye Blues'', '' Marion Bridge'', '' Wilby Wonderful'', '' Whole New Thing'', ''South of ...
, drummer Al Cross, guitarist
Ken Myhr Ken Myhr is a Canadian musician and composer. He is most noted for his work on the film '' The Accountant of Auschwitz'', for which he won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Music in a Non-Fiction Program or Series at the 8th Canadian Screen Awards ...
, singer Gina Stepaniuk, keyboardist Anne Bourne, bassist John Switzer, and manager Bob Blumer. The animated portrait of Siberry in the opening title sequence was designed by artist Donald Roberston. The half-hour special won the Gold Medal, Music Video Longform, at the '' International Film & TV Festival of New York'' and the Silver Award for Music Promotion Tapes – Female Vocalist at the ''Houston International Film & Festival'', both in 1987. ''Jane Siberry, I Muse Aloud,'' a one-hour special, premiered on
TVO TVO (stylized in all lowercase as tvo), formerly known as TVOntario, is a Canadian publicly funded English-language educational television network and media organization serving the Canadian province of Ontario. It operates flagship station CI ...
ntario on October 19, 1987. The longer documentary had additional material directed by Michael McNamara, including Siberry recording her album ''
The Walking ''The Walking'' is the fourth studio album by Jane Siberry. The album was released on Reprise Records internationally, but remained on the independent label Duke Street Records in Canada. Critical reception The album was initially poorly receive ...
'' in studio. The hour special won the Silver Medal for Popular Music & Variety Entertainment Special at the ''International Film & TV Festival of New York'' in 1987, the Gold Hugo Award for Variety/Entertainment – Television Production at the ''
Chicago International Film Festival The Chicago International Film Festival is an annual film festival held every fall. Founded in 1964 by Michael Kutza, it is the longest-running competitive film festival in North America. Its logo is a stark, black and white close up of the comp ...
'' in 1988, and the ''Gemini Award'' for ''Best Editing in a Comedy, Variety or Performing Arts Program or Series'' in 1988. Siberry was a featured artist in the one-hour special ''Standards'' produced by
Jeremy Podeswa Jeremy Podeswa (born 1962) is a Canadian film and television director. He is best known for directing the films '' The Five Senses'' (1999) and '' Fugitive Pieces'' (2007). He has also worked as director on the television shows '' Six Feet Unde ...
and
Ingrid Veninger Ingrid Veninger (born August 21, 1968) is a Canadian actress, writer, director, producer, and film professor at York University. Veninger began her career in show business as a child actor in commercials and on television; as a teen, she was fea ...
and directed by Podeswa. It premiered on Sunday Arts Entertainment on CBC Television in 1992. The special, which was inspired by David Ramsden’s ''Quiet Please! There’s a Lady on Stage'' also featured Cherie Camp,
Holly Cole Holly Cole (born November 25, 1963) is a Canadian jazz singer and actress. For many years she performed with her group The Holly Cole Trio. Background Cole was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Halifax, Nova Scotia. Her father, Leon Cole, was a note ...
, Laura Hubert,
Molly Johnson Margaret Leslie "Molly" Johnson, Order of Canada, OC is a Canadian singer of pop and jazz. Biography Johnson began as a child performer, receiving formal training from the National Ballet School and the Banff School of Fine Arts. Johnson's b ...
,
Sarah McLachlan Sarah Ann McLachlan (born January 28, 1968) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. As of 2015, she had sold over 40 million albums worldwide. McLachlan's best-selling album to date is ''Surfacing (album), Surfacing'' (1997), for which she won two G ...
, Maggie Moore, and David Ramsden. Siberry performed
Alberta Hunter Alberta Hunter (April 1, 1895 – October 17, 1984) was an American jazz and blues singer and songwriter from the early 1920s to the late 1950s. After twenty years of working as a nurse, Hunter resumed her singing career in 1977. Early life Hu ...
’s "The Love I Have For You''.''" Siberry appeared in the 1993 and 1994 Kumbaya Festivals, an HIV and AIDS benefit organized by Molly Johnson and telecast live on
MuchMusic Much is a Canadian English language discretionary specialty channel owned by BCE Inc. through its Bell Media subsidiary that airs programming aimed at teenagers and young adults. It is headquartered at 299 Queen Street West in what was o ...
. In 1994, Siberry sang to a live orchestral arrangement of "Love is Everything" in honour of
Robert Lepage Robert Lepage (born December 12, 1957) is a Canadian playwright, actor, film director, and stage director. Early life Lepage was raised in Quebec City. At age five, he was diagnosed with a rare form of alopecia, which caused complete hair lo ...
, the recipient of the National Arts Centre Award at the third annual Governor-General’s Performing Arts Awards. The television special of the Gala premiered on CBC Television on January 1, 1995.


Discography


Albums


Studio albums

*''
Jane Siberry Jane Siberry ( ; ; born 12 October 1955) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, known for such hits as "Mimi on the Beach", "I Muse Aloud", "One More Colour" and "Calling All Angels (Jane Siberry song), Calling All Angels". She performed the theme so ...
'' (1981) *''
No Borders Here ''No Borders Here'' is the second album (and first to be available outside Canada) by Jane Siberry. The album's single "Mimi on the Beach" was Siberry's breakthrough hit in her native Canada, and remains one of her most famous songs. Toronto's CF ...
'' (1984) *''
The Speckless Sky ''The Speckless Sky'' is an album by Jane Siberry. It was Siberry's highest-charting album on the Canadian charts and contains her biggest Top 40 hit, " One More Colour". The album's second single, " Map of the World (Part II)", was also a hit on ...
'' (1985) *''
The Walking ''The Walking'' is the fourth studio album by Jane Siberry. The album was released on Reprise Records internationally, but remained on the independent label Duke Street Records in Canada. Critical reception The album was initially poorly receive ...
'' (1987) *''
Bound by the Beauty ''Bound By the Beauty'' is a 1989 album by Jane Siberry. It received better reviews than her previous album, ''The Walking'', and the title track received more extensive radio airplay than Siberry had seen since "One More Colour" in 1985. The tr ...
'' (1989) *''
When I Was a Boy ''When I Was a Boy'' is a 1993 album by Jane Siberry. Internationally, it is her most famous album. In Siberry's native Canada, however, the album was commercially successful but not as big a hit as her 1985 album '' The Speckless Sky''. The a ...
'' (1993) *''
Maria Maria may refer to: People * Mary, mother of Jesus * Maria (given name), a popular given name in many languages Place names Extraterrestrial * 170 Maria, a Main belt S-type asteroid discovered in 1877 * Lunar maria (plural of ''mare''), large, ...
'' (1995) *''
Teenager Adolescence () is a transitional stage of human physical and psychological development that generally occurs during the period from puberty to adulthood (typically corresponding to the age of majority). Adolescence is usually associated wi ...
'' (1996) *''
A Day in the Life "A Day in the Life" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles that was released as the final track of their 1967 album '' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band''. Credited to Lennon–McCartney, the opening and closing sections of the s ...
'' (1997) *''
Hush Hush may refer to: Film and television Film * ''Hush'' (1921 film), starring Clara Kimball Young * ''Hush'' (1998 film), starring Gwyneth Paltrow * ''Hush!'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film directed by Ryosuke Hashiguchi *''Hush!'', a 2002 film dir ...
'' (2000) *'' Shushan the Palace: Hymns of Earth'' (2003) *'' Dragon Dreams'' (as Issa) (2008) *'' With What Shall I Keep Warm?'' (as Issa/Jane Siberry) (2009) *'' Meshach Dreams Back'' (2011) *''Ulysses' Purse'' (2016) *''Angels Bend Closer'' (2016)


Live albums

*'' Count Your Blessings'' (1994, live, performances by Jane Siberry,
Holly Cole Holly Cole (born November 25, 1963) is a Canadian jazz singer and actress. For many years she performed with her group The Holly Cole Trio. Background Cole was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Halifax, Nova Scotia. Her father, Leon Cole, was a note ...
,
Rebecca Jenkins Rebecca Jenkins (born 1959) is a Canadian actress and singer. Acting She had starring roles in the 1990s CBC series '' Black Harbour'', and the films '' Bye Bye Blues'', '' Marion Bridge'', '' Wilby Wonderful'', '' Whole New Thing'', ''South of ...
,
Mary Margaret O'Hara Mary Margaret O'Hara is a Canadian singer-songwriter, actress and composer. She is best known for the album ''Miss America'', released in 1988. She released two albums and an EP under her own name, and remains active as a live performer, as a con ...
and
Victoria Williams Victoria Williams (born December 23, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter and musician, originally from Shreveport, Louisiana, United States, although she has resided in Southern California throughout her musical career. Diagnosed with multi ...
) *'' Child: Music for the Christmas Season'' (1997, live) *'' Lips: Music for Saying It'' (1999, live) *'' Tree: Music for Films and Forests'' (1999, live) *''A World Without Music'' (2020, digital purchase via website only)


Compilations

*'' Summer in the Yukon'' (1992) – ''UK-only "best of"'' *'' A Collection 1984-1989'' (1995) – ''North American "best-of"'' *''New York City Trilogy'' (1999) – ''4-CD
box set A boxed set or (its US name) box set is a set of items (for example, a compilation of books, musical recordings, films or television programs) traditionally packaged in a box, hence 'boxed', and offered for sale as a single unit. Music Artists ...
of live albums '"Tree'", '"Child'" and '"Lips"' ''
*''
City A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...
'' (2001) – ''Collaborations, non-album tracks and rarities'' *'' Love is Everything: The Jane Siberry Anthology'' (2002) – ''2-CD "best of", 1981–2002''


Chart singles

Siberry has placed three singles in the Canadian RPM Hot 100: *" Mimi on the Beach" (1984) – No. 68 *"
One More Colour "One More Colour" is a song by the Canadian singer-songwriter Jane Siberry. It is the first single released in support of her third album ''The Speckless Sky'', issued in 1985. Composer Mychael Danna later rearranged the song for the 1997 film ' ...
" (1985) – No. 27 *" Sail Across the Water" (1993) – No. 66 Two other tracks made RPM's
Adult Contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul ...
charts: *"
Map of the World (Part II) "Map of the World (Part II)" is a song by the Canadian singer-songwriter Jane Siberry. It is the second single released in support of her third album ''The Speckless Sky'', issued in 1985. Formats and track listing All songs written by Jane Sib ...
" (1986) – No. 17 *" Calling All Angels" (1992) – No. 9


Compilation albums

Siberry has also contributed tracks to a number of movie soundtracks and
compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one Performing arts#Performers, performer or by several performers. If the recordings are from ...
s: *'' Until the end of the World'', 1991 ("Calling All Angels") *''
Kick at the Darkness ''Kick at the Darkness'' is a tribute album to Canadian singer-songwriter Bruce Cockburn, released in 1991. The title comes from a line in the song " Lovers in a Dangerous Time": "gotta kick at the darkness 'til it bleeds daylight". The album w ...
'', 1991 ("A Long Time Love Song", duet with
Martin Tielli Martin Tielli is a Canadian singer-songwriter. He was a member of the Rheostatics, and has also released material as a solo artist and with the side project Nick Buzz. As well, he has appeared as a guest musician on albums by Barenaked Ladies, K ...
) *''
Toys A toy or plaything is an object that is used primarily to provide entertainment. Simple examples include toy blocks, board games, and dolls. Toys are often designed for use by children, although many are designed specifically for adults and ...
'', 1992 ("Happy Workers (reprise)") *''
The Crow ''The Crow'' is a supernatural superhero comic book series created by James O'Barr revolving around the titular character of the same name. The series, which was originally created by O'Barr as a means of dealing with the death of his fianc ...
'', 1994 ("It Can't Rain All the Time") *'' Faraway, So Close'', 1994 ("Slow Tango") *''
Chansons des mers froides ''Chansons des mers froides'' ( French: Songs from the Cold Seas) is a 1994 album by French musician Hector Zazou. Zazou enlisted several singers for the recording, such as Siouxsie Sioux, Björk, John Cale, Suzanne Vega and Jane Siberry among ot ...
'', 1994 ("She's Like A Swallow") *'' Time and Love: The Music of Laura Nyro'', 1997 ("When I Think of Laura Nyro") *''Women Like Us: Lesbian Favorites'', 1997 ("Temple") *''
Pay It Forward Pay it forward is an expression for describing the beneficiary of a good deed repaying the kindness to others rather than paying it back to the original benefactor. It is also called serial reciprocity. The concept is old, but the particular ph ...
'', 1998 ("Calling All Angels") *
Ghostland: Interview with the Angel
'' 2001 (
Judee Sill Judith Lynne Sill (October 7, 1944 – November 23, 1979) was an American singer-songwriter and composer. She was influenced by Bach, and wrote lyrics drawing on Christian themes of rapture and redemption. Sill was the first artist signed to Da ...
's "The Kiss") *'' Care Bears: Journey to Joke-a-lot'', 2004 ("With All Your Heart") *'' Whatever: The '90s Pop & Culture Box'', 2005 ("Calling All Angels")


Covers

Two Nice Girls recorded a country/folk cover of "Follow Me" on their 1989 debut album ''2 Nice Girls''. Her song "One More Colour" was covered by
Sarah Polley Sarah Ellen Polley (born January 8, 1979) is a Canadian filmmaker, writer, political activist and actress.Howell, Peter (September 24, 199"Nobody's Starlet: Toronto's Sarah Polley is Only 20 but already a veteran actor so secure in her craft s ...
on the 1997 soundtrack to '' The Sweet Hereafter'', and by the
Rheostatics Rheostatics are a Canadian indie rock band. They were formed in 1978, and actively performed from 1980 until disbanding in 2007. After a number of reunion performances at special events, Rheostatics reformed in late 2016, introducing new songs a ...
on their ''
Introducing Happiness ''Introducing Happiness'' is the fifth studio album by Rheostatics, released in 1994 on Sire Records. Produced by Michael Phillip Wojewoda, the album was recorded at Compass Point Studios in the Bahamas.Tom Harrison, "A musical banquet moves on t ...
'' album.
K.D. Lang Kathryn Dawn Lang (born November 2, 1961), known by her stage name k.d. lang (stylised in all lowercase), is a Canadian pop and country singer-songwriter and occasional actress. Lang has won Juno Awards and Grammy Awards for her musical pe ...
covered "The Valley" and "Love Is Everything" on her album '' Hymns of the 49th Parallel''.
Alice Alice may refer to: * Alice (name), most often a feminine given name, but also used as a surname Literature * Alice (''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland''), a character in books by Lewis Carroll * ''Alice'' series, children's and teen books by ...
covered " Calling All Angels" on her album ''
God Is My DJ ''God Is My DJ'' is the fifteenth studio album by Italian singer-songwriter Alice, released in 1999 on WEA/Warner Music. After the release of two pop albums, ''Charade'' in 1996 and ''Exit'' in 1998, Alice again changed musical direction and se ...
'' in 1999. Rock Plaza Central covered "You Don't Need"; and " Calling All Angels" was covered by The Wailin' Jennys in 2009. Kevin Gilbert recorded a piano version of her song "The Taxi Ride" on the album '' Bolts''.
Steven Page Steven Jay Page (born June 22, 1970) is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He was a founding member, lead singer, guitarist, and primary songwriter of the music group Barenaked Ladies. Page left the band in February ...
with the Art of Time Ensemble recorded The Taxi Ride on the 2009 release A Singer Must Die.


Guest performances

She sings on
Bob Wiseman Robert Neil Wiseman (born 1962) is a film composer, songwriter, author and music teacher. Wiseman discovered or produced many artists including Ron Sexsmith, The Lowest of the Low, Bruce McCulloch of Kids in the Hall, Anhai, and former Canadia ...
's 1991 ''Presented By Lake Michigan Soda''. She sings "The Bridge" on the Joe Jackson album ''Heaven & Hell''. Jane sang backing vocals on the 1994
Indigo Girls Indigo Girls are an American folk rock music duet (music), duo from Atlanta, Georgia, United States, consisting of Amy Ray and Emily Saliers. The two met in Primary school, elementary school and began performing together as Secondary school, hig ...
album Swamp Ophelia and on the 2003
Emmylou Harris Emmylou Harris (born April 2, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, bandleader, and activist. She is considered one of the leading music artists behind the country rock genre in the 1970s and the Americana (music), Americana genre ...
album
Stumble into Grace ''Stumble into Grace'' is the twentieth studio album by American singer/songwriter Emmylou Harris, released on September 23, 2003, by Nonesuch Records. It peaked at No. 6 on the ''Billboard'' country albums chart. Like its immediate predecessor, ...
. In 2014 she duetted with Corey Hart on his EP and the song ''Ten Thousand Horses''.


Notes


References


External links


Jane Siberry
on
Sheeba Records Sheeba Records is a Canadian independent record label, owned and operated by Jane Siberry. Siberry established Sheeba to release her albums following the end of her contract with Reprise Records in 1996. The first album she released on the label w ...
*
Issalight.com
Siberry's website ca. 2006–2007. {{DEFAULTSORT:Siberry, Jane 1955 births Living people Reprise Records artists Canadian women singer-songwriters Musicians from Guelph Singers from Toronto University of Guelph alumni Canadian feminist musicians Women new wave singers Canadian women pop singers 20th-century Canadian women singers 21st-century Canadian women singers 20th-century Canadian singer-songwriters 21st-century Canadian singer-songwriters