Whispering your name...
- Nostra Dam
- 1 day ago
- 8 min read
Updated: 3 hours ago
Jules Shear is an American singer-songwriter who, in addition to being a talented artist, can also claim to have written hit songs like Cyndi Lauper's "All Through the Night," The Bangles' "If She Knew What She Wants," and "Whispering Your Name," a duet by Ignatius Jones and Allison Moyet, quite a feat !
He began his artistic career while still a student in the Pitt Glee Club at the University of Pittsburgh, an internationally renowned boys' choir. This choir allowed him to showcase his talent for playing acoustic instruments, foreshadowing his famous "Unplugged" concept.
His real career, however, began in 1976 with the group 'Funky Kings', a group that released only one album of the same name, an album that went largely unnoticed.
He later joined 'Jules and the Polar Bears', a group he formed in 1978 that would enjoy considerably more success. Indeed, the group managed to release two albums that year, "Got No Breeding" and "Fǝnĕtĭks," which garnered significant critical acclaim, although their commercial impact was considerably more limited. A third album, "Bad for Business," was slated for release in 1980, but it wasn't finally released until 1996, long after the group had disbanded.
His solo career, however, began in 1983 with the release of the album "Watch Dog." Paradoxically, this album produced more hit songs for other artists than for himself. Indeed, "Whispering Your Name" would later become a hit for Ignatius Jones and Alison Moyet, just as "All Through the Night" would become a favorite of Cyndi Lauper.
It would take two more years and the 1985 release of his next album, "The Eternal Return," for the artist to achieve his one and only solo success with the Single "Steady." This album also included the track "If She Knew What She Wants," a song that went somewhat unnoticed under his own name but not under the Bangles' name, who made it one of their biggest hits.
The artist would go on to produce numerous solo albums, but none would allow him to recapture the same level of success.
To discover or rediscover...
Discography (among others ...) :
70s Decade :
My old pals (Funky Kings) 1976
Nothing was exchanged (Funky Kings) 1976
Slow dancing (Funky Kings) 1976
You just don’t wanna know (Jules And The Polar Bears) 1978
Shadows break (Jules And The Polar Bears) 1978
Convict (Jules And The Polar Bears) 1978
The smell of home (Jules And The Polar Bears) 1978
Faded red (Jules And The Polar Bears) 1978
Real enough to love (Jules And The Polar Bears) 1978
80s Decade :
Only a motion (Jules And The Polar Bears) 1980
All day moods (Jules And The Polar Bears) 1980
Whispering your name 1983
All trough the night 1983
The longest drink 1983
Never fall 1983
When love surges 1984
Steady 1985
If she knew what she wants 1985
You’re not around 1985
If we ever meet again (Reckless Sleepers) 1988
This heart (Reckless Sleepers) 1988
She don’t understand you know 1989
And that was yesterday 1989
90s Decade :
If we never meet again 1991
Never again or forever 1991
The trap door 1992
The great puzzle 1992
We were only making love 1992
Listen to what she says 1994
Healing bones 1994
The sun ain’t gonna shine anymore 1994
Who’s dreaming who 1998
Windows and walls 1998
Restaurant scene 1998
2000s Decade :
Hard enough 2000
The soul of a child 2000
May the hard road 2000
Be nice to me 2004
Something you got 2004
Bad connection 2006
Nothing’s changed 2006
I’m coming back 2008
We said goodbye 2008
Her beauty 2008
2010s Decade :
Longer to get to yesterday 2013
The same rain 2013
Depending 2013
Painkiller 2017
Be with you 2017
A color that barely exists 2017
2020s Decade :
Sugar all day 2020
It’s love 2020
Until now 2020
Tracks :
1976...a first track recorded as a group, a way of discovering the musical world together. At least it had the merit of limiting the damage, as they say...
1976...a first experience that wouldn't bring young Jules much profit, but you have to start somewhere, whatever the case may be...
1976...and for a first attempt, the result isn't so bad. He simply needs to keep working and working to hope to compete with the best one day...
1978...he tries the experiment again with a new group to see if it will change anything or not...
1978...it started with good intentions and despite positive reviews from critics, sales did not live up to expectations...
1978...after this experience, it will at least have had the merit of bringing the artist to the forefront and making him even more well-known. It's always better than nothing...
1978...the second half of the 70s was a period of multiple experiments in an effort to find the best way to reach the top...
1978... he didn't succeed that time, but it was a formative experience nonetheless. Now all that remains is to try and fly on his own...
1978...for the solo debut, we'll have to wait a little longer, in any case. Everything doesn't seem quite ready yet at first glance...
1980...but we're getting closer. He tried to see the adventure through with several people, but it didn't end in the ideal way...
1980... this latest album should have been released in 1980 but wasn't officially released until 16 years later. Not ideal timing to generate buzz...
1983... so we'll have to wait until the start of the 80s to finally see him go solo. With this first Single, which will go somewhat unnoticed, at least for him...
Top Bonus: 1984...what Ignatius Jones will do with it...
1983...the same misfortune would befall him with this new song. Once again, it would be someone else, and this time a woman, who would reap fame and fortune...
Top Bonus: 1984...what Cyndi Lauper will do with it...
1983...a first album of undeniable quality. But paradoxically, the artist personally reaped very little profit from it...
1983...after this first work, he will at least have shown that he has a certain talent for writing and that this will eventually pay off for him personally...
1984...it won't happen this time, but we're getting closer, that's clear. Everything is now in place for it to happen, in any case...
1985...and THE title of recognition, the real one, is finally here ! With a beautifully crafted song, he achieves what will remain the biggest success of his entire career. HU-GE !
1985... a new title that won't bring him much money, but will make others happy. And this time it will be for the greater good of the entire group...
Top Bonus: 1986...what the Bangles would do with it...
1985...an undeniable expertise in emotionally resonant songs, confirmed title after title. We inevitably want more...
1988...his versatility is total and he is capable of grasping almost all possible and imaginable musical fields...
1988...from the slowest tempo to the fastest tempo. It's a real shame it didn't bring him more success in the end...
1989...the big problem at the end of the 80s was that he decided to go down musical paths reserved for a very niche audience...
1989...as a result, he's going to lose a large part of the classical music audience who might potentially have been interested in what he had done up to that point...
1991... a rather surprising career strategy that ultimately did him more harm than good. Ultimately, everyone manages their career as they see fit...
1991...but in his case this choice will inevitably have negative repercussions on the level of success achieved in the Charts...
1992...we find him in a style already more in line with his time on this new album, but it's already too late, the public has gone elsewhere...
1992... but that doesn't mean the adventure is over. At least not for him, because he still seems to have things to offer...
1992...and then some. Not only will we see him again in the coming years, but in the decades to come as well...
1994...it's clear that only the core fans follow him more or less now, but that still represents a minimum audience that shouldn't be overlooked...
1994... he decided, in any case, to continue the adventure in his own way and without regard for the dictates of the star system. A choice that inevitably came at a price...
1994...after that, whatever his style at the time, if the quality is still there, it would still be a shame not to be interested in what he does...
1998... he thought it would be even better with two people, and so here he is in charming company on this track. It stems from good intentions, but unfortunately, it won't change much...
1998...after all, as long as he enjoys what he does, why change anything ? That's what he tells himself every morning when he gets up...
1998...the important thing for him is to avoid routine and explore all possible musical avenues. Why not, you might say...
2000... here he is, embarking on a new decade with the firm intention of never giving up, as usual. A determination to believe to the very end that commands respect, whatever happens...
2000...in any case, nothing and no one is able at this stage to influence him in any way regarding his musical choices, it must be noted...
2000... he hasn't tried to keep up with the times for a long time, and it doesn't bother him in the slightest. A fully conscious choice...
2004...it's hard to capture the younger generation with that kind of title, that's for sure. He now works exclusively for his core fanbase...
2004...it's really hard to understand how he could have radically changed his style so much between the beginning of his career and now...
2006...that's often the case for most long careers, but to this extent it's still a little concerning, that's for sure...
2006...and things only got worse as the years went by. A journey that became increasingly solitary...
2008...the art of going from one extreme to the other! It's really hard to understand his career strategy and especially these constant musical shifts...
2008...fortunately, he still manages to produce a minimum number of worthwhile titles. You have to sift through everything he produces, but there are some...
2008...we would have liked a bit more consistency in the effort and perhaps more quality rather than quantity. But we won't remake him again, as they say...
2013...he will have nevertheless survived the 70s, then the 80s, then the 90s, then the 2000s and here he is quietly entering the 2010s...
2013...a truly exceptional longevity for an artist of undeniable talent, but who has sometimes made risky musical choices...
2013...choices that hampered his career and prevented him from achieving far greater recognition than he deserved...
2017...once again he indulges himself musically, but without taking into account the public's expectations. What more can be said...
2017...a change of heart seems almost impossible at this stage of the adventure. He'll go on like this until the end, regardless of the consequences...
2017...while the first part of his career was most interesting, the second was clearly more focused on a very targeted clientele...
2020...and here he is, entering this decade of 2020 with the firm intention of not giving up, as always. But a healthy dose of self-awareness would be welcome at this stage...
2020...because continuing just for the sake of continuing isn't necessarily the best solution. Especially since many colleagues who started at the same time as him are also coming back, and they've adapted to the latest musical trends...
2020...it just goes to show that where there's a will, there's a way, it's simply a matter of determination. Because he definitely has the potential to...
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