Jim Klein

Jim Klein is a Los Angeles born, Philadelphia-based, Emmy Award-winning composer, music producer, recording engineer, and songwriter. Klein is best known as the producer and songwriter behind the influential freestyle group Pajama Party, whose albums produced several hit singles.[1] He is also a published author.

Jim Klein
OriginLos Angeles, California United States
GenresFilm and Television Scoring, pop rock
Occupation(s)Composer, Producer, Songwriter, Recording Engineer
InstrumentsGuitar, Keyboards, MIDI Programming
Years active1983-present
Associated actsPajama Party

Career

Engineering, Production, and Songwriting

After graduating from college, Klein moved to New York City and became a staff engineer at Noise NY recording studios. In the 1980s, Klein worked on numerous major and indie label projects, as well as recordings for film scores. His production and engineering credits during this period include work with Band of Susans, The Raunch Hands, Bernard Edwards, hip-hop pioneers Stetsasonic, TriStar Films, Mantronix, Uproar, Joyce Sims, Miramax Films, Sequal,[2] and other artists at Platinum Island, a multi-room recording studio in New York City. Later, he began to focus on production, songwriting and composition. He was signed to an exclusive songwriting deal with the Famous Music division of Paramount Pictures,[3] where he wrote more than two dozen songs for major label artists including Billy Squier, Brenda K. Starr, Alisha, and Sweet Sensation.[2]

Pajama Party

During the early 1980s, a new style of music developed in the Latino communities of New York City influenced by hip-hop, electro-funk, and a mix of electronic instruments and syncopated percussion. It was in this burgeoning creative scene that Klein made a particular impact. As a producer and songwriter, Klein is best known for his work with the influential freestyle band Pajama Party, which he created in 1987 with songwriting partner Peggy Sendars.[4] He served as producer, engineer, synth and MIDI programmer, instrumentalist, and songwriter on their two Atlantic Records releases. The first of these, Up All Night, produced three Billboard Hot 100 singles, "Yo No Se'," "Over and Over," and "Hide and Seek," as well as several Top 20 dance hits.[1] Today, "Yo No Se" is widely considered to be one of the best and most important songs in the genre[5][6] and it continues to be re-released on numerous freestyle compilations.

Television and Film Composition

In the 1990s Klein began composing for television and advertisements including major brands like Coca-Cola, Pillsbury, Bacardi, Canon, Glad, Secret, Bounty, AT&T, and McDonald's. He has written underscores featured on major television programs including the Beijing, Sydney, and Lake Placid Olympic Games, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Today Show, Behind the Music, Martha Stewart Living and more. Additionally, he worked as a television composer for The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss and Nickelodeon's cult-classic The Adventures of Pete & Pete.[7] In 2000, Klein became a composer for ABC's long-running series All My Children. His work on the show earned him eight Daytime Emmy nominations including two nominations for Best Original Song and two wins and four additional nominations for Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition[8] Klein continued as a composer for the show until its finale in 2011.[8]

At the same time, he composed several film scores including Miramax's English language release of City on Fire, and composed additional music for other studio feature films, including Paramount's The Weather Man, Millennium's Relative Strangers, Mozart and the Whale, and All I Want.

Solo CD

Klein currently works out of his personal recording space, The Blue Room, outside of Philadelphia and continues to compose for film and television. Klein released his first solo instrumental album in October 2012 entitled The Light at the End.[9]

Drexel University

In 2003, he accepted a faculty position in the Music Industry Program at Drexel University in Philadelphia where he teaches courses in music and audio freelancing, music production, and audio engineering. There, he worked with MAD Dragon Records, a student-run record label that is part of Drexel's Music Industry Entities and is distributed nationally by Ryko Distribution, to produce albums for Matt Duke (along with Stewart Lerman and Steuart Smith), Andrew Lipke, and the XYX compilation. Andrew Lipke's song "Untitled Song #1" went on to earn a nomination in the Independent Music Awards.[10]

Book

In 2012, he released a book entitled Welcome to the Jungle: A Success Manual for Music and Audio Freelancers, published by Hal Leonard, a leading publisher of music-related books.[11] According to the publisher, the book seeks to help readers learn about "setting goals, networking, building a portfolio, time management, personal and professional finances, and dealing with the ups and downs of the freelance career".[11]

Awards[8]
Daytime Emmy Awards
Year Category TV Show / Song Result
2003 Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition for a Drama Series All My Children Won
2004 Nominated
2005 Won
2008 Nominated
Outstanding Original Song All My Children: "Treasure of Love" Nominated
All My Children: "The Me Inside" Nominated
2009 Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition for a Drama Series All My Children Nominated
2012 Nominated

Discography[12]
Year Artist Album Song Credit Record Label
1985 Stetsasonic Just Say Stet "Rock De La Stet" Co-Producer, Engineer Tommy Boy Music
1986 The Raunch Hands El Rauncho Grande Album Mixer Relativity
1986 Various The Uproar Tapes Volume 1 Album Engineer Island/Antilles
1986 The Raunch Hands Learn To Whap-A-Dang Album Producer Relativity
1986 Downes & Price Downes & Price "Where Does Love Go" Songwriter Atlantic Records
1987 Joyce Sims Come Into My Life Single Engineer London Records
1987 Ichabod Stowe The Legendary Ichabod Stowe (LP, Album) Album Producer Gadfly Records
1987 Brenda K. Starr Brenda K. Starr "Over and Over" Writer MCA Records
1987 Pajama Party Yo No Sé Single Producer, Songwriter, Engineer, Performer 23 West Records, Atlantic
1987 Bipo Crack is Wack Album Producer, Engineer, Songwriter Jump Street Records
1988 Mantronix In Full Effect "Love Letter (Dear Tracy)" Engineer Capitol Records
1988 Sequal Sequal Album Engineer Capitol Records
1988 Band of Susans Hope Against Hope Album Engineer Blast First
1989 Band of Susans Love Agenda Album Engineer Blast First
1989 Billy Squier Hear & Now "Mine Tonite" Songwriter Capitol Records
1989 Pajama Party Over and Over Single Producer, Songwriter, Engineer, Performer Atlantic
1989 Pajama Party Hide and Seek Single Producer, Songwriter, Engineer, Performer Atlantic
1989 Band of Susans Hard Light Album Engineer Blast First
1989 Pajama Party Up All Night Album Producer, Songwriter, Engineer, Performer Atlantic
1990 Sweet Sensation Love Child "Destiny" Performer, Songwriter ATCO Records
1990 Natasha's Brother Always Come Back to You "(Shoot) The Look Of Love" Songwriter Atlantic Records
1990 Natasha's Brother Always Come Back to You "(You Keep Me) Running Back To You" Songwriter Atlantic Records
1990 Alisha Bounce Back "I Need Forever" Writer MCA Records
1991 Pajama Party Can't Live Without It Album Producer, Songwriter, Engineer, Performer Atlantic
1991 Pajama Party Got My Eye on You Single Producer, Songwriter, Engineer, Performer Atlantic
1992 Pajama Party Best Of Freestyle- Various Artists "Yo No Sé" Producer, Songwriter, Engineer, Performer Atlantic
1994 Pajama Party Freestyle Greatest Beats: The Complete Collection Volume 05 "Yo No Sé" Producer, Songwriter, Engineer, Performer Tommy Boy Records
1994 Pajama Party Freestyle's Greatest Hits "Yo No Sé" Producer, Songwriter, Engineer, Performer Turnstyle Music
1994 Beat Commandos Featuring Rochelle Feel the Vibe Single Producer, Engineer, Songwriter Dana Records
1997 Pajama Party The Best Freestyle Album In The Universe Vol. 3 "Yo No Se" Producer, Songwriter, Engineer, Performer Essex Entertainment, Inc.
1997 Pajama Party Freestyle Greatest Beats: The Complete Collection Volume 09 "Over and Over" Producer, Songwriter, Engineer, Performer Tommy Boy Records
1997 Pajama Party Disco Queens: The 80's "Yo No Sé" Producer, Songwriter, Engineer, Performer Rhino
1997 Pajama Party Best Freestyle Album in the Universe Vol. 2 "Yo No Sé" Producer, Songwriter, Engineer, Performer Essex
2003 Trisha O'Keefe All The Honest Liars Album Producer, Engineer, Performer Independent
2006 Matt Duke Winter Child Album Producer MAD Dragon Records
2006 Andrew Lipke The Way Home Album Producer MAD Dragon Records
2008 Joyce Sims FFRR Black - The Platinum Collection "Come Into My Life" Engineer Warner Platinum
2010 Pajama Party Legends of Freestyle Vol. 2 "Yo No Sé" Producer, Songwriter, Engineer, Performer Breaknite Records

References
  1. https://www.billboard.com/music/pajama-party/chart-history/
  2. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/jim-klein-mn0000348032
  3. https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F07EFD71530F931A35757C0A9609C8B63
  4. http://musicrareobscure.blogspot.com/2008/06/pajama-party.html
  5. http://blog.metrowax.com/2011/05/top-15-freestyle-tracks-ever.html
  6. http://www.stylusmagazine.com/articles/weekly_article/the-bluffers-guide-to-freestyle.htm
  7. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1635659/
  8. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1635659/awards
  9. https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-light-at-the-end/id576493125
  10. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-01-03. Retrieved 2013-01-05.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  11. http://www.halleonardbooks.com/product/viewproduct.do?itemid=333848&subsiteid=184
  12. http://www.discogs.com/artist/Jim+Klein
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