It was in 1983 that Howard Jones first burst onto the contemporary music scene with his very English songwriting, pioneering synthesizers, and thought-provoking lyrics.
He set out his manifesto in his very first single, “New Song.” The lyrics called on the listener to challenge their preconceived ideas, to see both sides, and “throw off your mental chains.”
“New Song” was used in a pivotal scene in the AMC hit series “Breaking Bad,” where Aaron Paul’s character Jessie Pinkman questions if he wants to “play by the rules.” The song peaked at No. 3 in the UK singles charts.
Along with “New Song,” Jones’ first two albums, Humans Lib and Dream Into Action, brought him a host of hits, including “Things Can Only Get Better,” “What Is Love?,” “Pearl in the Shell,” “Like to Get to Know You Well,” “Hide and Seek” (performed by Live Aid), “Look Mama” and “No One Is to Blame,” which reached No. 1 in the U.S.
Jones has sold more than eight million albums across the globe and is one of a select group of British artists who have comprehensively “broken America.”
Jones’ synthesizer-driven debut influenced a new generation of electronic and dance musicians. Widely regarded as a pioneer of synths such as the Roland Juno 60, Jupiter 8 and Moog Prodigy, he has worked with contemporary electronic artists such as Ferry Corsten, Eric Prydz and, most recently, Cedric Gervais. Jones enjoyed 14 weeks in the Billboard dance chart top 40 in 2013 for his collaboration with Gervais on a new version of “Things Can Only Get Better.”
Jones continues to operate at the forefront of music technology in both his live shows and productions.
Jones has earned a reputation within the music industry for pioneering the “independent artist DIY” approach, developing the essential connection between artist and fans. He was the first artist to make a recording of that night’s gig available on CD to purchase.
The CD would even feature digital artwork of photos taken during the concert. His latest project, “Engage,” is entirely music fan funded with money raised via student visits, the creation of personalized “Piano Solos” composed specifically for fans, and a unique “arthouse” interactive book.
Jones continues to tour across the world every year, performing to hundreds of thousands of music fans. His current high-tech band features Jonathan Atkinson on electric drums and Robbie Bronnimann on sequencing and additional keyboards. Recent highlights include more than 80 shows in 2015 alone, including his performance of “Engage” at Indigo at The O2 in London, the Saban Theatre in Los Angeles, and at the Gramercy in New York City.
This year also found Jones performing numerous solo shows entitled “The Songs — The Piano — The Stories,” which takes the audience on a personal trip through his 30-year music career. Many of his best-known songs were composed on his favorite instrument, the piano. At his shows, Jones also shares behind-the-scenes stories and reveals the inspiration behind his songs.
Howard Jones will perform locally at The Paramount on Saturday, Oct. 28 at 8 p.m.
The Paramount is located at 370 New York Ave. in Huntington.
For tickets and more information about the show, go to www.paramountny.com.
