Jon St. James is an American guitarist, songwriter–composer, producer and recording engineer. His

Casbah Recording Studio The Casbah Recording Studio or simply Casbah is a recording studio in the Orange County suburb of Fullerton, California that helped to spawn several highly successful acts, including Berlin, Stacey Q, and Social Distortion. Founding of Casbah Cas ...

was a part of

Orange County Orange County most commonly refers to: *Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area Orange County may also refer to: U.S. counties *Orange County, Florida, containing Orlando *Orange County, Indiana *Orange County, New ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

's new music scene in the late 1970s and early to mid-1980s. St. James' first album was as leader–frontman–songwriter of the progressive rock group French Lick. St James was a pioneer of techno pop and dance music, using

Moog synthesizer The Moog synthesizer is a modular synthesizer developed by the American engineer Robert Moog. Moog debuted it in 1964, and Moog's company R. A. Moog Co. (later known as Moog Music) produced numerous models from 1965 to 1981, and again from 20 ...

s, electronic effects, and tape loops. St. James lived in France for two years, studying

Musique concrète Musique concrète (; ): " problem for any translator of an academic work in French is that the language is relatively abstract and theoretical compared to English; one might even say that the mode of thinking itself tends to be more schematic, ...

with French composers. There he first used

Revox ReVox (on-logo styling REVOX) is a brand name, registered by Studer on 27 March 1951 for Swiss audio equipment. History The first Studer-designed tape recorders were branded Dynavox. After the first production series of Dynavox recorders, a new m ...

A77 tape machines to create ambient electronic textures. Upon returning from France, St. James started the electronic pop group Q with Stacey Swain (

Stacey Q Stacey Lynn Swain (born November 30, 1958), known by her stage name Stacey Q, is an American pop singer, songwriter, dancer and actress. Her best-known single, John Mitchell's " Two of Hearts", released in 1986, reached number one in Canada, n ...

), Dan Van Patten from Berlin and John Van Tongeren. Q released one single, "Playback", on Cocteau Records, which was co-owned by

Bill Nelson Clarence William Nelson II (born September 29, 1942) is an American politician and attorney serving as the administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Nelson previously served as a United States Senator from Flor ...

of Bebop Deluxe fame. Q also released a self-titled EP on red vinyl in the US on M.A.O. Records in 1982. Q later became

SSQ SSQ may refer to: * La Sarre Airport, the IATA code for the Canadian airport * Shell Lake Municipal Airport, the FAA code for the United States airport * '' Social Science Quarterly'', a peer-reviewed social science journal * Society for Software ...

and signed with

EMI America Records EMI America Records was started in 1978 by EMI as a second United States, US label next to Capitol Records. It absorbed Liberty Records in 1984. In the late 1980s, EMI America was consolidated with Manhattan Records to form EMI Manhattan Records ...

on the heels of St. James' recording the first Berlin album ''

Pleasure Victim ''Pleasure Victim'' is the second studio album by American new wave band Berlin. It was originally recorded in 1982 and released in October of that year by M.A.O. Records and Enigma Records. After the second single, " Sex (I'm A...)", received c ...

''. EMI signed St. James to a six-record solo deal. The first single off St. James' solo album "Trans-Atlantic" was to be "The Girl Who Seduced the World", which

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

wanted for his album ''Let's Dance''. However, EMI America closed its doors almost immediately after the release of the SSQ and Jon St. James albums. St. James continued to do TV and movie work. He and Swain regrouped as Stacey Q in 1984 and released " Two of Hearts", which became a worldwide pop hit on

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...

Career

As a producer and engineer, St. James led several influential recording projects beginning in the 1980s, including records by punk bands

The Vandals The Vandals are an American punk rock band, established in 1980 in Orange County, California. They have released ten full-length studio albums, two live albums, and have toured the world extensively, including performances on the Vans Warped ...

and

Social Distortion Social Distortion is an American punk rock band formed in 1978 in Fullerton, California. The band currently consists of Mike Ness (lead vocals, lead guitar), Jonny Wickersham (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), Brent Harding (bass, backing voca ...

, as well as the new wave band

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

."John St. James Bio,"
L.A. Songwriter's Network website. Accessed Jan. 3, 2015. As a songwriter, guitarist, and producer, St. James helped to bring the talents of techno-pop diva Stacey Q, the dance-pop duo

Bardeux Bardeux is an American dance duo from the 1980s. The group was formed in 1986 and consisted of Stacy "Acacia" Smith and Tairrie B. History Their first single, "Three Time Lover", went to No. 10 on ''Billboards Hot Dance Singles Sales char ...

, and the dance-pop artist

Katalina Kara Wethington, known by the stage name Katalina, is a pop/dance artist who was signed to Thump Records. She is mostly known for her hit single "D.J. Girl" from her sole album ''Sonic Groove'' (1996). The album also spawned two more singles, "S ...

to a wide audience. In addition, St. James has provided musical soundtracks for television and radio, including projects for TV's '' St. Elsewhere'', ''

Hill Street Blues ''Hill Street Blues'' is an American serial police procedural television series that aired on NBC in prime-time from January 15, 1981, to May 12, 1987, for 146 episodes. The show chronicles the lives of the staff of a single police station loca ...

'', ''

Malcolm in the Middle ''Malcolm in the Middle'' is an American family television sitcom created by Linwood Boomer for Fox. The series premiered on January 9, 2000, and ended on May 14, 2006, after seven seasons and 151 episodes. The series follows a dysfunctional ...

'' and ''

Dawson's Creek ''Dawson's Creek'' is an American teen drama television series about the lives of a close-knit group of friends in the fictional town of Capeside, Massachusetts, beginning in high school and continuing into college that ran from 1998 to 2003. T ...

'', among others. St. James moved into artist management and had his first double platinum hit with Candyman's "Knockin' Boots" on Epic Records. St. James produced and managed the careers of several more Epic acts including the synthpop acts

Anything Box Anything Box is an electronic/synthpop musical group originally from Paterson, New Jersey, and now based in Long Beach, California. Formed in 1986, they are best known for their 1989 single "Living in Oblivion". They also garnered some attention ...

and Red Flag. St. James often played guitar, synth, and programming for new talent. He also produced for Enigma/Restless Records and for a time had his own label Synthecide, named after the

song. Early projects included sound-alike promos for Los Angeles radio station KMET, an album of electronic music with a space navigation theme, and a four-song EP featuring Stacey Swain. The Casbah attracted a variety of talent, including

The Righteous Brothers The Righteous Brothers are an American musical duo originally formed by Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield but now comprising Medley and Bucky Heard. Medley formed the group with Hatfield in 1963. They had first performed together in 1962 in the Los ...

keyboardist and session musician

John Van Tongeren John Warrington Van Tongeren is an American keyboardist and composer for films and television. Biography Van Tongeren's career in the entertainment business began as a keyboardist, with one of his earliest projects being the band Q, featuring ...

, Berlin drummer, synthesist and producer Dan Van Patten,

Agent Orange Agent Orange is a chemical herbicide and defoliant, one of the "tactical use" Rainbow Herbicides. It was used by the U.S. military as part of its herbicidal warfare program, Operation Ranch Hand, during the Vietnam War from 1961 to 1971. It ...

Minutemen Minutemen were members of the organized New England colonial militia companies trained in weaponry, tactics, and military strategies during the American Revolutionary War. They were known for being ready at a minute's notice, hence the name. Mi ...

The Adolescents The Adolescents are an American punk rock band formed in Fullerton, California in 1980. Part of the hardcore punk movement in southern California in the early 1980s, they were one of the main punk acts to emerge from Orange County, along with ...

, rockabilly artists

Rocky Burnette Rocky Burnette (born Jonathan Burnette, June 12, 1953) is an American singer and musician and the son to the rockabilly and pop singer Johnny Burnette. Rocky is best known for his 1980 hit single "Tired of Toein' the Line" which he co-wrote with ...

, Rip Masters, and Christian glam rockers

Stryper Stryper is an American Christian metal band from Orange County, California. The group's lineup consists of Michael Sweet (lead vocals, guitar), Oz Fox (guitar), Perry Richardson (bass guitar), and Robert Sweet (drums). Formed in 1983 as Roxx ...

. After the success of Stacey Q's ''

Better Than Heaven ''Better Than Heaven'' is the debut studio album by American singer Stacey Q, released on October 17, 1986 by Atlantic Records. Produced by Jon St. James, ''Better Than Heaven'' is predominantly a dance-pop album with elements of Hi-NRG, free ...

'' album, St. James sold the Casbah to members of Social Distortion and opened the new Formula 1 studio in

La Habra La Habra (archaic spelling of ''La Abra'', ) is a city in the northwestern corner of Orange County, California, United States. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 60,239. A related city, La Habra Heights, is located to the north of ...

. F1, as the studio is known, has hosted a wide variety of acts, including

Allan Holdsworth Allan Holdsworth (6 August 1946 – 15 April 2017) was a British jazz fusion and progressive rock guitarist and composer. Holdsworth was known for his esoteric and idiosyncratic usage of advanced music theory concepts, especially with respe ...

Rusty Anderson Rusty Anderson is an American guitarist and singer-songwriter who is best known for his work as the lead guitarist for Paul McCartney's touring band though he has worked with an extensive list of artists in addition to his own solo career. Car ...

, Los Angeles guitarist Dale Hauskins of the Swiss progressive rock band Flame Dream,

Blink-182 Blink-182 (stylized as blink-182) is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Poway, California in 1992. Their current lineup consists of bassist/vocalist Mark Hoppus, guitarist/vocalist Tom DeLonge, and drummer Travis Barker. Though their ...

Warren Fitzgerald Warren Fitzgerald (born September 15, 1968) is an American punk rock guitarist, songwriter, and record label owner. He is best known for being the guitarist of The Vandals and Oingo Boingo. He is also co-founder of Kung Fu Records, along with ...

Josh Freese Joshua Ryan Freese (born December 25, 1972) is an American session drummer. He is the son of tuba soloist Stan Freese and the older brother of musician Jason Freese. He is a member of the Vandals (since 1989) and Devo (since 1996), having forme ...

Bleeding Through Bleeding Through is an American metalcore band from Orange County, California, formed in 1999. In 2004, ''Revolver'' magazine hailed Bleeding Through as one of eight bands ushering in the "Future of Metal" cover story, and '' Spin'' called Ble ...

Jon Anderson John Roy Anderson (born 25 October 1944) is an English singer, songwriter and musician, best known as the lead singer of the progressive rock band Yes, which he formed in 1968 with bassist Chris Squire. He was a member of the band across thre ...

Yes Yes or YES may refer to: * An affirmative particle in the English language; see yes and no Education * YES Prep Public Schools, Houston, Texas, US * YES (Your Extraordinary Saturday), a learning program from the Minnesota Institute for Talente ...

No Doubt No Doubt is an American rock band from Anaheim, California, formed in 1986. For most of their career, the band has consisted of vocalist Gwen Stefani, guitarist Tom Dumont, bassist Tony Kanal, and drummer Adrian Young. Since the mid-1990s, they ...

, and

Tenacious D Tenacious D is an American comedy rock duo formed in Los Angeles, California in 1994. It was founded by actors Jack Black and Kyle Gass, who were members of The Actors' Gang theater company at the time. The duo's name is derived from "tenacio ...

. St. James sold his F1 studio to

Thump Records Thump Records is a record label specialized in various genres of music. Founded by Bill Walker and Al Lopez for $10,000. In 1997 Bill Walker became its sole C.E.O. and President. History Thump's success was ignited by the popularity of its Old S ...

, a ''

Lowrider A lowrider or low rider is a customized car with a lowered body. These customized vehicles are generally individually painted with intricate, colorful designs, rolling on wire-spoke wheels with whitewall tires. Lowrider rims are generally smalle ...

'' magazine-financed record label, for which St. James produced many artists. Since then he built a new personal studio where he has continued to record, write, and produce. Recent clients include

Kung Fu Records Kung Fu Records is an American independent record label founded in 1996 by Joe Escalante and Warren Fitzgerald of the punk rock band The Vandals. Founded in order to release a record by the Riverside, California band Assorted Jelly Beans, the ...

, The Warped Tour,

The Used The Used is an American rock band from Orem, Utah, that formed in 2001. The group consists of vocalist Bert McCracken, bassist Jeph Howard, drummer Dan Whitesides, and guitarist Joey Bradford. Former members include Quinn Allman, Branden Stei ...

Mike Ness Michael Daniel Ness (born April 3, 1962) is an American musician who is the lead guitarist, vocalist and songwriter for the punk rock band Social Distortion, which was formed in 1978. Early life Ness was born in Lynn, Massachusetts on April ...

, and

Jason Freese Jason Freese is an American musician and multi-instrumentalist. As a professional studio musician he has performed on over 50 albums, including for artists Green Day, Dr. Dre, Pitbull, Avenged Sevenfold, Goo Goo Dolls, and Jewel. He is the son ...

Green Day Green Day is an American rock band formed in the East Bay of California in 1987 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, together with bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt. For most of the band's career, they have been a powe ...

. St. James continues to develop young talent, such as the singer, songwriter and producer Andy Carpenter. As of 2022, Jon has most recently produced an EP titled "Berserker of None" by upcoming hardcore/metalcore band from Southern California by the name of Atrocitvs.

Discography

* ''Trans-Atlantic'' (EMI America; 1984) * ''Fast Impressions'' (Enigma; 1986)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:St. James, Jon Year of birth missing (living people) Living people American male composers American male songwriters American audio engineers American male guitarists Record producers from California Guitarists from California