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Janet Jackson Lays Tracks For New LP
10.16.2002 12:15 PM EDT


Janet Jackson
Photo: Virgin


Janet Jackson and producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis are taking the singer's contribution to the "Chicago" soundtrack very seriously — and they're not the only ones.

"Harvey Weinstein actually flew into town the other night and we had a good meeting with him," Jam said of the Miramax chief who is producing the movie musical. "We're really trying to come up with something that is not only compatible with the movie — because obviously all the songs are already written in more of a 1920s style of music — but melding that in with something contemporary."

They don't have a title yet for the song, which will likely appear in the end credits of the ensemble film (see "Janet Jackson To Appear On LP With Mya ... And Richard Gere", but Jam said they are well into a tune that is "hot and danceable."

"If you think about some of the sounds and videos that she's done, like the 'Alright' video with the zoot suit thing, or any of that, she's a girl that grew up on musicals," Jam explained from his Minneapolis studio on Monday. "It's important that we try to marry those types of things."

Before being curtailed by the "Chicago" song, Jackson was working on tracks for her next album with Jam and Lewis and even completed one song, tentatively titled "Truly in Love."

"It's a very straightforward love song," Jam said. "The thing we said about it when we did it was that it could have been on any of her albums. There's nothing trendy about it. It's a very simple love song with few instruments and finger snaps and a lot of harmonies. It's very reminiscent of her style over the years."

Jam said not to read too much into the timeless tune, however, as the album could break out into any direction.

"In the case of Velvet Rope, that concept was a little pre-planned, but on Rhythm Nation, Control, Janet and All for You the general concept took shape after the album was being done. However, what she's feeling at the middle time of the album is usually what the album ends up being."

Jam and Lewis, who are celebrating 20 years of working together this year, have also been busy in the studio with other ladies. They produced two tracks for Deborah Cox's new album, including the single "Up and Down," and handled the first single from newcomer Heather Headley, called "He Is."

"She comes from Broadway, so her delivery is a whole different type of vibe," Jam said.

Jam and Lewis also have three tracks on Mariah Carey's upcoming album, including the first single, "Through the Rain," and a collaboration with Justin Timberlake (see "Jay-Z, Timberlake, Cam'ron Contribute To Mariah Carey LP".

Contrary to past reports, one album they have not worked on is Whitney Houston's. Jam says they are ready, though, if the call comes.

"We are 100 percent committed to doing something wonderful with her," Jam said. "If there's one thing I've learned over the years about [Arista Records chief] L.A. Reid, it's that he will not release anything before it is done. We learned from the Usher record, which was supposedly done. Then, next thing we know, we were in the studio with him doing five songs."

Jam and Lewis have one other big project in the can. They produced the music for the new holiday Gap commercials, which will hit TVs in mid-November. Jam wouldn't reveal what music they remixed, but said to expect something fun.

—Corey Moss

T doesnt like Jam n Lewis but I LOVE them...I dont care. Jimmy is a badass at keys..he writes beautiful melodies etc. Janet stole my heart with the All For You cd and tour..woke me the fuck up from my stupor. If folks would give it a chance they would see...All For You has a great song on it that was mine and an ex friends song of the summer. I think her 24Play song from Design Of A Decade is criminally underrated..man the second half of that song is bliss..for real. Yea! for everything Janet,Jam and Lewis does. Blind faith deserved.

rdhull said:

i agree, with you rd. all for you is one of my favorite albums along with the velvet rope. janet is a very underrated artist. people don't give her enough credit for her talent because they think it comes from her producers and not her.

i'm looking forward to her next one. i know it's going to be amazing. :wOOt:

there are some great killer tracks on All For You...some of the best of her career...but, the album as a whole (for me) was a bit dissapointing...way way too many fillers...


im not tired of the JJ, Jam& Lewis collaberation..I just hope the next album will be a complete masterpiece...and that there will only be 11 tracks on it...STOP THE FILLER INSANITY!!!

SkletonKee said:

Thats what I thought of All For You--full of fillers..but in time (and seeing her live helped) made me able to take the package as a whole and each song is now cool to my ears. At first the sequencing bothered me with the slow jams in the middle but now I can dig it especially China Love and WOULD U MIND (whoo boy!!).

SkletonKee said:

To me, Janet has pretty much recorded the same album over and over again...People bitch about Prince needing a new producer to spice him up a bit but damn the same thing could be said about Janet...All the Jacksons bug the shit out of me...not one in the entire lot that I like...

Ready for the flames...

TheResistor said:

Not true..all of Janets songs sound relatively different. That says a lot for having the same producers for 16 years etc.. Control barely sounds Like RN...Janet sounds warm on its own...Velvet Rope is different from All For You..If, Nasty, Thats The Way Love Goes, Rope Burn, Someone Call My Lover etc...none of her shits sound the same..you trippin. Only thing she has that trickles throh is her R Kelly slowam sound that even now shes got rid of..All For You changed things and made a new begining...

TheResistor said:

I won't flame you, you're entitled to your opinion, all i'll say is The Jackson 5ive were the shit in the 70's.Nobody can say Michael hasn't always been a supremely gifted singer.Check out 'who's lovin you' that's a damn 11 year old kid singing that! it's incredible, and so soulfull.I liked them as The Jacksons too. I still say 'Shake your Body (down to the ground)' is one of the Funkiest cuts ever, infact the whole 'Destiny' album probably makes my top 10 albums.

i think they kind of imploded as a group after 'Victory' in '84.Michael felt he was carrying them (true).Janet's first couple of albums stunk IMO, but she got lucky with Jam and Lewis, but if i'm honest it's been 9 years since i really enjoyed a Janet album fully.Too many ballads for such a weak voice.

Destiny and Triumph are perfect albums...even The Jacksons ( Good Times, Show You The Way To Go)

Triumph is a great album.

As for Janet, I enjoy all her Jam and Lewis produced albums, and I've been listening to Rhythm Nation all this past week, and it is definitely one of the greatest albums of all time. The only slightly weak track on it is "Alright." The rest is flawless. "Love will Never Do Without You" and "Escapade" are two of the most perfect pop songs ever.

In a way, I feel nothing Janet does could top that, but at the same time I've enjoyed her "adult" music of the last ten years as well.

jtgillia said:

Love Will Never...makes me feel sexy when I hear it

Janet with "Control"&Rhythm Nation was on time&She has had some decent Songs.but overall Her Voice is Flat&Jam&Lewis are just Milking Music Tits at this stage of the Game.they have no Shame or Standards.Janet needs another direction.anybody who Knows me knows Michael Jackson is One of My All-Time Favorite Artists Ever Period.He got His Issues&I haven't dug a Record All the way through Since "Dangerous" but He still has It if He wants it.dug the Jacksons Albums&Songs from 76-81.the Jackson 5 what can I say.the fact these Kids Played there Own Instruments&Michael Jackson could handle the Vocal Changes with the Heavy Arranged Material that the Motown house Band were laying down on top of Berry Gordy&The Corporation's Words&structure Speaks Volumes IMHO.Mike IMHO at 11 was the closes thing too James Brown I've seen IMHO.Mike was Scary as a Kid.

mistermaxxx said:

mistermaxx I totally agree with your analogy. MJ at his musical zenith is better than anything janet has ever done! Even some of the songs on Invincible (in particular the underrated Butterflies) is better than any of the sampled filled cuts on All 4 U. That IS the problem with janet's music these days...she has fallen into that Puff/Pi Diddy mentally that is fucking up hip hop, cause noone is being inovative these (its all about bling bling and bitches). I prefer to listen to RN and Control.

JANFAN4L said:

who is "tracks"? the rapper du jour who'll be appearing on the radio remix for her next single?

Thecherryloon said:

I used to be a big Janet fan, but I find her to be quite arrogant and fake in some interviews and her music has slipped in quality a great deal. If she had a voice to carry it off some cruddy songs might appear to be interesting, but the whole All For You album had about 3 listenable tracks.

Then there's the whole quote slagging Madonna off for using sex to sell her records. Well at least Madonna had great music on the Erotica album which is more than you can say for all the moaning and grunting that Janet does nowadays. How hypocritical.

Janet also ruined Scream. She was great in the video, but the song should have been solo Michael. I know the HIStory toured was a piece of crap, but if you've heard him sing Scream by himself it sounds so much better, not so whiney.

Janet peaked muscially in the 80s with Control and Rhythm Nation. They were brilliant albums (even if they were Five Star rip-offs). I also love the Janet album, but that and The Velvet Rope, although generally great, sort of drifted off towards the end. It's like she sticks all the great tracks together at the beginning and then halfway through it's this downward lull that she almost never recovers from.

I'd really like to see her step away from Jam & Lewis. And NOT the freakin' Neptunes. That Beenie Man song is beyond shite. SHe's only written 2 songs completely alone - Black Cat and What'll I Do. Both songs good, both standout tracks on their albums in terms of sound and production.

TheResistor said:

I agree,Janet keeps recording the same album over and over (sorry,Moonbeam).She has done,what,5 or 6 albums using the same producers (the same guys who also work with almost everybody else in pop/R&B these days).In my opinion,Jam and Lewis ran out of "steam" about ten years ago.Which probably explains why most of their recent productions have to rely heavily on samples.

Janet did NOT write What I'll Do. The song has been around since 1967 written by Steve Cropper and Joe Shamwell...the reason she has a credit on that song is because she changed some of the words and arrangements! I also agree with David's assertion that Jam and Lewis have hit a plateu...either their songs are starting to sound the same or they heavily replie on samples.
[This message was edited Sat Oct 19 18:23:56 PDT 2002 by fonkywonder]