James Messina is an American musician, songwriter, singer, guitarist, recording engineer and record producer. He was a member of the folk rock group Buffalo Springfield, a founding member of the pioneering country rock band Poco, and half of the soft rock duo Loggins and Messina with Kenny Loggins.
Loggins and Messina is an American rock-pop duo consisting of Kenny Loggins and Jim Messina, who achieved their success in the early to mid-1970s. Among their well-known songs are "Danny's Song", "House at Pooh Corner", and "Your Mama Don't Dance". After selling more than 16 million records and becoming one of the leading musical duos of the 1970s, Loggins and Messina broke up in 1976. Although Messina would find only limited popularity following the breakup, Loggins went on to further success in the 1980s. In 2005 and again in 2009, Loggins and Messina reformed for tours in the United States.
Sittin' In is the first album by singer-songwriters Loggins and Messina, released in 1971.
Loggins and Messina is the second album by singer/songwriters Loggins and Messina, released in 1972.
Full Sail is the third album by singer/songwriter duo Loggins and Messina, released in 1973. It showed the versatility of the duo, with everything from 1950s retro to island-style to soft ballads. The single "My Music" charted at No. 16, and the follow-up, "Watching the River Run", made it to No. 71. The album as a whole did better, reaching No. 10 on the Pop Charts.
On Stage is the fourth album by singer/songwriter duo Loggins and Messina, released in 1974. As their first live album, it was released as a double album and featured a side-long version of their hit song "Vahevala".
Mother Lode is the fourth studio album by singer/songwriter duo Loggins and Messina, released in late 1974. It was their final album with their original backing band, because multireedist and violinist Al Garth would soon leave the band, but multireedist Jon Clarke, bassist Larry Sims and drummer Merel Bregante remained, and saxophonist Don Roberts made his debut on this record. Future Toto keyboardist David Paich plays keyboards on this album while percussionist Milt Holland is augmented by Victor Feldman and the album was recorded on location at Jim Messina's California ranch. The Jim Messina composition "Keep Me in Mind" was sung by bassist Sims, whom Messina praised for having a phenomenal voice in a 2009 interview with Loggins for KCTS-TV.
So Fine is the fifth studio album by singer/songwriter duo Loggins and Messina, released in 1975. It consists of a collection of covers of 1950s and 1960s rock, country and rockabilly songs.
Native Sons is the sixth and final studio album by singer/songwriter duo Loggins and Messina, released in January 1976. It was a departure from previous recordings owing to the presence of string sections, stronger emphasis on flute, minimized use of saxophone, downplayed country influences and Jim Messina's signature guitar work was barely in evidence. After a final concert in Hawaii, the duo quietly went their separate ways. The Messina-penned rock and roll song "Boogie Man" was later covered by Australian rock band The Blue Echoes.
Finale is the second live double album by singer/songwriter duo Loggins and Messina, released in early 1977. Tracks on the album are from performances while touring in 1975 and 1976.
The Best of Friends is a compilation album by singer/songwriter duo Loggins and Messina, released in late 1976.
The Best of Loggins & Messina is a compilation album by singer/songwriter duo Loggins and Messina, released in late 1980. This album was released by their new label, Embassy Records.
The Best: Sittin' In Again is the 10th release by singer/songwriter duo Loggins and Messina, a compilation album released in mid-2005. This release was timed to preview the duo's subsequent reunion tour. It contains most of their hits and provides a retrospective view of their music from 1971 to 1974. The 18 tracks appearing on the collection were personally selected by Loggins and Messina. Six of the tracks are from their debut album Sittin' In, six are from their 2nd release Loggins and Messina, four are off the 3rd album Full Sail, and two are featured on their 4th LP Mother Lode. No tracks from either of their last two studio albums are included.
Live: Sittin' in Again at Santa Barbara Bowl is a live compilation album by singer/songwriter duo Loggins and Messina, released in late 2005. It was recorded in Santa Barbara at one of the first performances of their reunion tour. The physical CD features thirteen tracks, however an online download-only version includes five additional tracks: "Sailin' the Wind", "Long Tail Cat", "Thinking of You", "Be Free", and "You Need a Man" which can also be heard on the DVD release of the concert.
The Essential Kenny Loggins is a compilation of songs by the soft rock singer Kenny Loggins, released on November 19, 2002. It is part of Sony BMG's Essential series of compilation albums and includes tracks from Loggins' solo output, as well as tracks from his Loggins and Messina days. A limited edition was released with seven additional tracks.
"A Love Song" is a song written by Kenny Loggins and Dona Lyn George, first released by the folk-rock duo Loggins and Messina in 1973 on their album Full Sail. Country artist Anne Murray covered the song later that year for her album of the same name.
"Your Mama Don't Dance" is a hit 1972 song by the rock duo Loggins and Messina. Released on their self-titled album Loggins and Messina, it reached number four on the Billboard pop chart and number 19 on the Billboard Easy Listening Chart as a single in early 1973.
"House at Pooh Corner" is a song written by Kenny Loggins, based on the popular children's book of the same name. It was first performed by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band on their 1970 album Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy and then recorded by Loggins and Messina on their 1971 album Sittin' In. It is told from the perspective of both Winnie-the-Pooh and Christopher Robin, and serves as an allegory for loss of innocence and nostalgia for childhood. Loggins was a 17-year-old senior in high school when he wrote the song. It has since become one of Loggins' most popular and beloved compositions, and it remains a staple of his live performances.
"Danny's Song" is a song written by American singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins, as a gift for his brother Danny for the birth of his son, Colin. It first appeared on an album by Gator Creek and a year later on the album Sittin' In, the debut album by Loggins and Messina. The song is well remembered for both the Loggins and Messina original, as well as for Anne Murray's 1972 top-ten-charting cover.
"Thinking of You" is a song by American duo Loggins and Messina. It was released in 1973 as the second single from their second album, Loggins and Messina. The uptempo rendition released on the single is different from the somewhat more mellow LP mix.
