Mae Moore

Last updated

Mae Moore
Origin Brandon, Manitoba, Canada
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
Instrument(s)
  • Vocals
  • guitar
Years active1985–present
Labels

Mae Moore is a Canadian singer-songwriter. Her music is a blend of pop, folk and jazz. Her most successful album, 1992's Bohemia, was an international hit, although her other albums have been successful mainly in Canada. Over the course of her career, Moore achieved nine top 40 singles in Canada, as well as two JUNO nominations, two Canadian Folk Music Awards nominations, and won two SOCAN Awards. [1] Moore's second album, Bohemia, drew critical acclaim and was released internationally. [2] [3] Her biggest hit, "Genuine", became a top 10 hit in June 1995 and was one of Canada's ten most-performed compositions of the year. [4] [5]

Contents

Early life

Moore grew up in Brandon, Manitoba where she studied art before moving to British Columbia to pursue music. Her first hit came by co-writing the song "Heaven in Your Eyes" (with John Dexter), which would later be recorded by Loverboy for the Top Gun soundtrack in 1986. [6] She then worked with Barney Bentall and Colin Nairne from the band Barney Bentall and the Legendary Hearts, providing background vocals on their self-titled 1988 album Barney Bentall and the Legendary Hearts. She sang background vocals on and appeared in the music video for the Legendary Heart's "She's My Inspiration" song from that album. Her association with Bentall and Nairne paid off, as CBS Records in Canada soon awarded her a recording contract. [7]

Career

1990–1994: Early studio albums

Moore's debut album, Oceanview Motel, arrived in 1990. It was produced by Bentall and Nairne, and featured Vancouver-area musicians from both Barney Bentall & the Legendary Hearts and Spirit of the West. Three singles were released, including "I'll Watch Over You" and "Red Clay Hills", which ranked among the top Adult Contemporary hits of 1990 and 1991, respectively, in Canada. [8] [9] The following year, Moore was nominated for a Juno Award for "Most Promising Female Vocalist". [10]

In 1991, Moore traveled to Australia to write tracks for what would become her second album, Bohemia. She collaborated with Steve Kilbey, the lead singer from the Australian band The Church, and the resulting recordings featured a more atmospheric sound than her first album. Although Kilbey was the album's initial producer, his ongoing drug addiction resulted in producer Gavin MacKillop being asked to complete the record. [7] [11] Bohemia was released in Canada in October 1992 and met with critical acclaim. [12] The album, released as her United States debut in August 1993, experienced some success in that country as well. [2] [3] It was released internationally in Australia, New Zealand, Germany, the UK, and Asia in early 1994. [3]

The title track, which The Washington Post described as "a softly intoned rap song", [13] was released as a single and reached number 26 in Canada in November 1992. [14] The single gained popularity on US modern rock stations, peaking at number 25 on the Modern Rock chart in 1994. [15] The music video was nominated for a Juno award in 1993. [16] Further Bohemia singles "Because of Love" and "Coat of Shame" ranked at numbers 87 and 91, respectively, in the RPM year-end chart for 1993. [17]

1995–1996: Final CBS years and "Genuine"

Moore's third and final studio album for CBS was 1995's Dragonfly, again produced by MacKillop. [18] [19] The album adopted a less urban style than on Bohemia, which Moore explained to Billboard by commenting that "I tend to celebrate a bit more. I'm happier as a person than I was maybe a couple of years ago", although the album discussed topics including a near-death experience. [12] The album debuted on the RPM albums chart at number 89 on the chart dated May 29, 1995, reaching number 63 on the chart dated June 11. [20] [21]

Dragonfly featured her most successful single to date, "Genuine", a song which Billboard writer Craig Rosen deemed "funkier" than her work on Bohemia, and which features an MC break near the end. [12] [22] The single debuted on the RPM100 on May 8, 1995, [23] It reached number 8 on the RPM "Top 100" singles chart in Canada dated July 3, 1995. [4] It further peaked within the top 5 of the RPM Adult Contemporary chart. [24] In the issue of Radio & Record dated August 11, Genuine was ranked number 3 on Canada's airplay chart. [25] The accompanying music video, which was filmed in Toronto in April 1995, received play on MuchMusic beginning in May 1995. [12] [26] The single was planned to be sent to adult alternative and modern rock radio in the United States during the first week of April 1995. [12]

Three songs on Dragonfly ranked among the biggest hits in Canada of 1995 and 1996. On the RPM "Top 100 Hit Tracks of 1995" chart, "Genuine" placed at number 68, while follow-up single "Watermark" placed at number 74. [27] In that issue, both tracks also appeared on the year-end Adult Contemporary Tracks chart, with "Genuine" at number 42 and "Watermark" at number 79. [28] In the year-end 1996 issue of RPM, Moore's "Love Won't Find Us Here" placed at number 92 on the Top 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks ranking. [29] In November 1996, Moore received a SOCAN award for "Genuine", recognizing it as one of the previous year's ten most popular Canadian pop songs. [30] [5] Prior to her receiving the award, Moore was dropped by her label. [7]

1996–present: Independent recordings

After being dropped from CBS, Moore's friend, fellow Canadian singer Jann Arden, invited her to record for Arden's newly founded record label, Big Hip Records. [7] Moore released her self-titled fourth studio album on the label in 1999. [7] In 2002, she released her fifth studio album, It's a Funny World, which she recorded in her home studio. The album is a mix of new compositions and re-recordings of her old songs, including "Bohemia" and "Red Clay Hills". [31]

In 2011, Moore released Folklore, an album accompanied by a coffee table book of her paintings. [32] Produced by Joby Baker, it was nominated for two Canadian Folk Music Awards. [1] [32] Folklore is an ode to Canada, an exploration of friendship and for the first time features Moore on the Appalachian mountain dulcimer, an instrument that she has played since the mid-'70s. In fact, "Rain Song" was written in 1979 but never previously recorded. The record features Joby Baker (Cowboy Junkies, Alex Cuba), Rick May, Marc Atkinson, Daniel Lapp and Scott Sheerin.

Personal life

In 2002, Moore launched an occasional performing collaboration with folk musician Lester Quitzau. Moore and Quitzau subsequently married. Together they released an album in 2004 entitled Oh My!. In 2005, they appeared in their own Bravo TV documentary, Mae Moore and Lester Quitzau: In Their Own Backyard. [33] [34]

Discography

Albums

List of albums, with selected peak chart positions
Release dateTitleChart positions
Canada
RPM Albums Chart
September 1990Oceanview Motel—
October 1992Bohemia66
May 1995Dragonfly [21] 63
June 1999Mae Moore—
2000Collected Works 1989–1999
(greatest hits compilation)		—
April 2000It's a Funny World—
January 2004Oh My!
(with Lester Quitzau)		—
February 2011Folklore—

Singles

List of singles, with selected peak chart positions
Release dateTitleChart positionsAlbum
Canada
RPM Top 100
August 1990"I'll Watch Over You"16Oceanview Motel
November 1990"Where Loneliness Lives"30
March 1991"Red Clay Hills"23
October 1992"Bohemia" [14] 26Bohemia
January 1993"Because of Love"12
May 1993"Coat of Shame"11
September 1993"The Wish"50
May 1995"Genuine" [4] 8Dragonfly
September 1995"Watermark"29
February 1996"Love Won't Find Us Here"18
May 1999"Free to Love Me (Warm Song)"—Mae Moore

Related Research Articles

<i>Surfacing</i> (album) 1997 studio album by Sarah McLachlan

Surfacing is the fourth studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan. Released in 1997, it was produced by McLachlan's frequent collaborator, Pierre Marchand. It was released in July 1997, coinciding with the start of McLachlan's Lilith Fair tour. The album reached the top position on the Canadian RPM 100 Albums chart, number two on the US Billboard 200 and became her first album to reach the top 50 outside of North America, achieving that in the UK, Australia and the Netherlands. It was certified as Diamond in sales in Canada and as 8× Platinum in sales in the US. Critical reviews were mixed; some of the more positive reviews praised the songwriting, while the album's detractors criticized it as banal and slow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kim Stockwood</span> Canadian pop musician

Kim Stockwood is a Canadian pop musician, singer and composer originally from St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. She has recorded as a solo artist and also as a member of Atlantic Canadian music group Shaye with Damhnait Doyle and Tara MacLean.

Scott Dibble is a Canadian singer-songwriter, recording artist and producer, who has recorded and performed with the bands Watertown and Hemingway Corner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Will Remember You (Sarah McLachlan song)</span> 1995 single by Sarah McLachlan

"I Will Remember You" is a song written by Sarah McLachlan, Séamus Egan and Dave Merenda. The original inspiration came from Seamus Egan's instrumental song, "Weep Not for the Memories", which appeared on his album A Week in January (1990). McLachlan and Merenda added lyrics and modified the melody for her version. The song first appeared on the soundtrack for the movie The Brothers McMullen in 1995 and was released the same year, when it peaked at number 65 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 10 in Canada. It was also featured on McLachlan's 1996 remix album, Rarities, B-Sides and Other Stuff. The Rarities version of the song has three verses, the first of which is omitted during live performances, as heard on her 1999 album Mirrorball.

Edward Sydney Schwartz C.M. is a Canadian musician who had moderate success as a recording artist in the early 1980s before becoming a successful songwriter and record producer in the late 1980s and the 1990s. Songs he has written or co-written include the top-10 Billboard hits "Hit Me With Your Best Shot", "Don't Shed a Tear" and "The Doctor".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">50 Ways to Leave Your Lover</span> 1975 single by Paul Simon

"50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Paul Simon. It was the second single from his fourth studio album, Still Crazy After All These Years (1975), released on Columbia Records. Backing vocals on the single were performed by Patti Austin, Valerie Simpson, and Phoebe Snow. The song features a recognizable repeated drum riff performed by drummer Steve Gadd.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The First Cut Is the Deepest</span> 1965 song written by Cat Stevens

"The First Cut Is the Deepest" is a 1967 song written by British singer-songwriter Cat Stevens, originally released by P. P. Arnold in April 1967. Stevens's own version originally appeared on his album New Masters in December 1967.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Name (song)</span> 1995 single by Goo Goo Dolls

"Name" is a song by American rock band Goo Goo Dolls. It was released in September 1995 as the third single from their fifth studio album, A Boy Named Goo (1995). "Name" became the band's first major hit, topping both the US Modern Rock Tracks chart and the Album Rock Tracks chart. It also reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100. In Canada, "Name" peaked at number two on the RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart and number one on the RPM Alternative 30.

"Could I Be Your Girl" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Jann Arden, released as a single in 1994 from her second album, Living Under June (1994). The song reached number three in Canada and topped the country's RPM Adult Contemporary chart for one week. In the United States, the song was Arden's first single to chart, reaching number 33 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. The song won the 1995 Juno Award for Single of the Year.

Hemingway Corner was a Canadian-American folk pop group, active in the 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Something to Talk About (Bonnie Raitt song)</span> 1991 single by Bonnie Raitt

"Something to Talk About" is a song written by Canadian singer-songwriter Shirley Eikhard and recorded by American singer Bonnie Raitt for her 1991 album Luck of the Draw. It was serviced to US radio on June 3, 1991. Two single versions were released: a 7-inch single with the B-side "One Part Be My Lover" and a 12-inch single with these two songs and "I Ain't Gonna Let You Break My Heart Again". In turn, this song was included on the EP version of Raitt’s 2000 single of "The Fundamental Things" taken from her 1998 album Fundamental. It was also included in 2003’s greatest hits compilation The Best of Bonnie Raitt. Live versions appear on 1995's Road Tested and 2006's Bonnie Raitt and Friends.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Where Does My Heart Beat Now</span> 1990 single by Celine Dion

"Where Does My Heart Beat Now" is a song performed by Canadian recording artist Celine Dion for her ninth studio album and debut English-language album, Unison (1990). It was released by Columbia Records as the third single from Unison in Canada on 1 October 1990. It was also issued as the lead single in the United States in late 1990, and in other parts of the world in early 1991. "Where Does My Heart Beat Now" was written by Robert White Johnson and Taylor Rhodes in 1988, and recorded by Dion one year later. The song was produced by Christopher Neil. Dion premiered the song at the Eurovision Song Contest 1989 in Switzerland, where she performed it along with her 1988 winning song, "Ne partez pas sans moi".

"Just Have a Heart" is a song by American R&B singer Angela Clemmons from her second studio album, This Is Love (1987). It was written by Aldo Nova, Billy Steinberg and Ralph McCarthy, and produced by Nova. Canadian singer Celine Dion recorded a French-language version of the song, "Partout je te vois" for her 1987 album, Incognito. In 1990, Dion covered the English version for her first English-language album, Unison, and titled it "Have a Heart".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Insensitive (song)</span> 1994 single by Jann Arden

"Insensitive" is the second single released from Canadian singer-songwriter Jann Arden's second studio album, Living Under June (1994). Written by Anne Loree and produced by Ed Cherney, the song became Arden's most successful single, reaching number one in Canada and Australia and number 12 in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">House of Love (Amy Grant song)</span> 1994 single by Amy Grant

"House of Love" is a song by American Christian music singer Amy Grant, recorded as a duet with country singer Vince Gill. It was released in November 1994 as the second single from her House of Love album in the United States and the fourth and final single from the album in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Late in the Evening</span> 1980 single by Paul Simon

"Late in the Evening" is a song by American singer-songwriter Paul Simon. It was the lead single from his fifth studio album, One-Trick Pony (1980), released on Warner Bros. Records.

"I Surrender" is a song recorded by Canadian country music artist Michelle Wright. It was released in 2000 as the second single from her first greatest hits album, The Greatest Hits Collection. It peaked at number 10 on the RPM Country Tracks chart in April 2000. In 2001, it was named by SOCAN as one of the most performed Canadian country songs.

Chester was a Canadian bubblegum pop band, active primarily from 1972 to 1975. Although they released only two singles in their original form before breaking up, the single "Make My Life a Little Bit Brighter" was a Top 10 hit on the Canadian pop charts in 1973 and the band garnered a Juno Award nomination for Most Promising Group at the Juno Awards of 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martin Stevens (musician)</span> Canadian singer (1953–2023)

Roger Prud'homme, better known by the stage name of Martin Stevens, was a Canadian pop singer prominent in the disco era. He was most noted as a two-time Juno Award nominee for Best Selling Single, receiving nominations at the Juno Awards of 1979 for "Love Is in the Air" and at the Juno Awards of 1980 for "Midnight Music".

<i>Cocks Crow</i> 1995 studio album by Waltons

Cock's Crow is the second full-length studio album by Waltons, released in 1995 on Warner Music Canada. Produced by Michael Phillip Wojewoda, the album features contributions from Geoffrey Kelly, John Mann and Linda McRae of Spirit of the West. It was also the band's first album to add the keyboards of Todd Lumley to the band's traditionally folk rock sound.

References

  1. 1 2 "Mae Moore - Dennie Ellsworth - on Atlantic Airwaves Saturday November 17, 2012". CBC. November 13, 2012. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
  2. 1 2 Locey, Bill (March 3, 1994). "Mae Moore Scores With 'Power of Love, Not the Love of Power' : Lyrics from Canadian singer's new album are thought-provoking. She makes her Ventura County debut tonight". LA Times. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 LeBlanc, Larry (February 5, 1994). "The Importance of Being Exported". Billboard. Vol. 106, no. 6. pp. 48, 52. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 "RPM100: Hit Tracks and Where to Find Them" (PDF). RPM. 61 (22): 6. July 3, 1995. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
  5. 1 2 LeBlanc, Larry (December 7, 1996). "SOCAN Awards Canada's Songwriters". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 49. p. 50. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Mae Moore biography". Canoe.ca. Archived from the original on July 10, 2012. Retrieved April 14, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Wilson, MacKenzie. "Mae Moore Biography". AllMusic. RhythmOne. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
  8. ↑ "Top 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks of 1990" (PDF). RPM. 53 (6): 17. December 22, 1990. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  9. ↑ "RPM100: Adult Contemporary Tracks of 1991" (PDF). RPM. 55 (3): 10. December 21, 1991. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  10. ↑ "1991 Nominee: Most Promising Female Vocalist of the Year 1991". Junos. Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Mae Moore & Steve Kilbey". Archived from the original on April 9, 2009. Retrieved April 14, 2009.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 Rosen, Craig (April 8, 1995). "TriStar Thinks Moore's 'Dragonfly' Has Wings". Billboard. Vol. 107, no. 14. pp. 8, 124. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
  13. ↑ Joyce, Mike (August 29, 1993). "Pop Recordings". The Washington Post.
  14. 1 2 "RPM100: Hit Tracks & Where to Find Them - November 28, 1992" (PDF). RPM. 56 (22): 6. November 28, 1992. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  15. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Rock Tracks 1981-2008. Menomonee Falls, WI: Record Research. p. 296. ISBN   9780898201741 . Retrieved October 12, 2023.
  16. ↑ "1993 Award Nominee: Best Video 1993". Juno. Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
  17. ↑ "RPM Top 100 Tracks of 1993" (PDF). RPM. 58 (23): 8. December 18, 1993. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  18. ↑ "Upbeat Moore a whole new alternative". Winnipeg Free Press via Newspaper Archives. May 18, 1995 – Page 35
  19. ↑ Rogers, Ron (May 15, 1995). "Album Pick: Mae Moore - Dragonfly" (PDF). RPM. 61 (15): 8. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
  20. ↑ "RPM100: Albums" (PDF). RPM. 61 (17): 28. May 29, 1995. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
  21. 1 2 "RPM100: Albums" (PDF). RPM. 61 (19): 17. June 11, 1995. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
  22. ↑ Raggett, Ned. "Overview: Mae Moore - Dragonfly". AllMusic. RhythmOne. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
  23. ↑ "RPM100: Hit Tracks and Where to Find Them" (PDF). RPM. 61 (14): 6. May 8, 1995. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
  24. ↑ "RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks" (PDF). RPM. 61 (23): 18. July 10, 1995. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
  25. ↑ "Music: Canada" (PDF). Radio & Records (1107): 21. August 11, 1995. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
  26. ↑ "Billboard Video Monitor for the week ending May 14, 1995". Billboard. Vol. 107, no. 21. May 27, 1995. p. 43. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
  27. ↑ "RPM Top 100 Hit Tracks of 1995" (PDF). RPM. 62 (20): 36. December 18, 1995. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  28. ↑ "RPM Top 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks of 1995" (PDF). RPM. 62 (20): 48. December 18, 1995. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  29. ↑ "RPM Year-End: Top 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks" (PDF). RPM. 64 (18): 50. December 16, 1996. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  30. ↑ "SOCAN Red Carpets" (PDF). RPM. 64 (15): 14. November 25, 1996. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
  31. ↑ "Mae Moore – It's A Funny World". No Depression. July 1, 2002. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
  32. 1 2 Greene, Sarah (March 17, 2011). "Mae Moore – Folklore". NOW Toronto. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
  33. ↑ "Mae Moore and Lester Quitzau: In Their Own Backyard". TV Guide. 2005. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
  34. ↑ "Mae Moore and Lester Quitzau: In their own backyard". The A.V. Club. G/O Media. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.