Jim Vallance

Infobox musical artist

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Name = Jim Vallance
Img_size =
Landscape = vv
Background = non_performing_personnel
Birth_name = James Douglas Vallance
Alias = Rodney Higgs
Born = birth date and age|1952|5|31
Died =
Origin = Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada flagicon|Canada
Instrument = Drums
Voice_type =
Genre = Rock
Occupation = Songwriter
Years_active = 1977 - Present
Label =
Associated_acts = Bryan Adams, Ozzy Osbourne, KISS, Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, Prism
URL = [http://www.jimvallance.com www.jimvallance.com]
Current_members =
Past_members =
Notable_instruments =

James Douglas Vallance, born May 31 1952 in Chilliwack, British Columbia, is a Canadian musician and songwriter who has co-written with Ozzy Osbourne, Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, Kiss, Europe and Bryan Adams. Some of the popular songs he has been involved with include Bryan Adams' "Summer of '69", Aerosmith's "The Other Side" and "Rag Doll" and Europe's "Halfway to Heaven".

Biography

Jim Vallance studied in music at the University of British Columbia, and began his pop music career in the mid-1970s, playing drums for bands such as Prism out of Vancouver. He also wrote several songs for Prism, under the pseudonym Rodney Higgs.

In 1978, Vallance began a long collaboration with Bryan Adams, co-writing with Adams on many of his hits. He has also written songs for many other musical acts, including Joe Cocker, Neil Diamond, Rod Stewart, and Tina Turner. He worked with hard rock band Scorpions on their most popular album "Crazy World".

Along with songwriting, Vallance has also worked as a producer, such as on the first two albums for Glass Tiger, as well as two albums in the late 70s of Bachman-Turner Overdrive, minus Randy Bachman.

He married singer Rachel Paiement in the early 1980s.

Works

* "War Machine" and "Rock and Roll Hell", 1982 (recorded by Kiss on Creatures of the Night. The latter song is a re-working of one Vallance wrote in 1979 for BTO. Both are co-written with Gene Simmons and Bryan Adams, however they never sat down with Gene, the songs were sent in and Gene re-worked them.)
* "Heaven", 1984 (co-written and recorded by Bryan Adams, reached #1 on U.S. and Canadian charts)
* "Summer of '69", 1985 (co-written and recorded by Bryan Adams)
* "Rag Doll," 1987 (recorded by Aerosmith, co-written with Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, and Holly Knight. Reached #17 on Billboard Hot 100, #12 on the U.S. Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.)
* "Young Lust", 1989 (a straight-forward rocker, it is the lead single off Aerosmith's "Pump" album. It was co-written with Steven Tyler and Joe Perry.)
* "The Other Side", 1989 (recorded by Aerosmith, co-written with Steven Tyler. Reached #22 on Billboard Hot 100, #1 on the U.S. Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.)
* "Eat the Rich", 1993 (recorded by Aerosmith, co-written with Steven Tyler and Joe Perry. Reached #5 on the U.S. Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.)
* "Get a Grip", 1993 (recorded by Aerosmith, co-written with Steven Tyler and Joe Perry. The title track from "Get a Grip".)
* "Head First", 1993 (recorded by Aerosmith, co-written with Steven Tyler and Joe Perry. Only available as the B-side for certain versions of the "Cryin'" and "Eat the Rich" singles. Also known as the first full length commercial product available for Internet download.)
* "Deuces Are Wild", 1994 (recorded by Aerosmith, co-written with Steven Tyler. Reached #1 on the U.S. Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. Featured on "The Beavis and Butt-Head Experience" and Aerosmith's compilation "Big Ones".)
* "Don't Say It's Over", 1994 (recorded by Gun, co-written with Mark Rankin, Dante & Jools Gizzi for the album Swagger )
* "Open Soul Surgery" by April Wine, a cover of the Prism song, from their 1986 album "Walking Through Fire".
* "Cilliwack, Who's Winning, from their 1984 album, "Look In, Look Out".
* "I Just Want You", recorded by Ozzy Osbourne, co-written with Osbourne on his 1995 album, "Ozzmosis"
* "Take It or Leave It," 1979 (recorded by Prism, co-written with Bryan Adams.)

Awards

* Composer of the Year, Juno Awards
** 1984, 1985 (with Bryan Adams)
** 1986, 1987 (solo)
* William Harold Moon Award for International Achievement, 1985 (with Bryan Adams)
* Work with Scorpions on album "Crazy World" 1990.
* Member of the Order of Canada [http://www.gg.ca/media/doc.asp?lang=e&DocID=5131]

See also

* Prism (band)

References

* [http://www.jimvallance.com Jim Vallance's Official site]
* [http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=U1ARTU0003555 "Canadian Encyclopedia" biography]
* [http://www.rockdetector.com/officialbio,7024.sm;jsessionid=D8D84913672AD953A8863C6D6C7D397B Prism biography]