Ingram went from playing local bars with Revelation Funk to Los Angeles, where he landed the types of gigs that most aspiring musicians only dream about: singing background vocals and playing piano for Ray Charlesโ recording studio sessions; recording studio sessions and playing keyboards behind the Coasters for Dick Clark; and recording background vocals for his mentor, Marvin Gaye.
Then fate brought Ingram together with Quincy Jones and to a pivotal breakthrough in his career. Up to this point, Ingram had not yet surfaced as a solo artist, but after a chance listen to Ingramโs demo of โJust Onceโ โ which had been recorded for the sum of $50 โ Jones immediately recognized the man, the voice and the music as the musical triumvirate that would both captivate listeners and command the music industryโs attention.
Jones quickly chose Ingram to perform both โJust Onceโ and โOne Hundred Waysโ on Jonesโ upcoming album, The Dude. Released in 1980, The Dude was a multi-platinum international success and resulted in three Grammy nominations for Ingram: Best New Artist, Best Pop Male Vocal, and Best R&B Vocal for โOne Hundred Ways,โ for which he won his first Grammy. Ingram also made Grammy history when โ in his first live performance ever as a singer โ he performed โJust Onceโ as the telecastโs opening act and became the first artist to open a Grammy ceremony with a ballad and the only artist to win a Grammy without having his own album in release. The Dude remains the most Grammy-nominated album in history and marked the first of 15 nominations Ingram has received to date (see attached award list and discography for complete information).
After this stunning debut, Ingramโs much-anticipated 1983 solo album, Itโs Your Night, surpassed industry expectations. The album was the debut for the Michael McDonald collaboration โYah Mo Be There,โ (Ingramโs 2nd Grammy) which was honored with the Grammy for Best R&B Performance for a Group or Duo, and โThereโs No Easy Wayโ was considered one of the yearโs stand-out ballads. Itโs Your Night sold nearly one million copies; secured an unprecedented achievement by appearing simultaneously on both The Top 20 Pop and The Top 5 R&B Charts. Ultimately, โYah Mo Be Thereโ became the most-played song of the year.
Ingramโs talents as a songwriter and performer were tapped by some of the most celebrated artists of the era, most prominent was his โP.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)โ for Michael Jacksonโs Thriller (1982), which sold more than 50 million units,. He performed โBaby Come To Me,โ with Patti Austin (1984) on her debut album, which went on to become a No. 1 Pop record. Other chart-topping, Top 10 collaborations include โThe Secret Garden,โ the No.1 hit with Barry White, Al B. Sure and El Debarge on Quincy Jonesโ multi-platinum Back on the Block album, (1990). James, as a song writer is timeless he received Grammy recognition for his participation on the song entitled โGood Lifeโ, in the โBest Rap Songโ category, performed by Kanye West (featuring T-Pain) in 2007.
Hollywood soon called for Ingramโs wide-ranging songwriting and vocal abilities and several hit singles for blockbuster motion and animated pictures followed. โHow Do You Keep The Music Playingโ โ a songwriting collaboration between Michel Legrand and Marilyn and Alan Bergman, performed by Ingram and Patti Austin โ was featured in Best Friends (1982) and received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Duo/Group as well as an Academy Award nomination in the Original Song category.
Other important contributions to feature films include โDonโt Make Me No Never Mind,โ co-written with Quincy Jones and Roy Gaines for Steven Spielbergโs The Color Purple (1985), and Ingramโs duet with Anita Baker, โWhen You Love Someone,โ by Bryan Adams, for Forget Paris (1995). โSomewhere Out There,โ performed by Ingram and Linda Ronstadt for Steven Spielbergโs animated American Tail (1986) also received a Grammy for Song of the Year. Then 1993 and 1994 brought Ingram back-to-back Academy Award nominations. His duets with Dolly Parton, โThe Day I Fall in Love,โ featured in Beethoven 2 (1993), and Anita Baker, โLook What Love Has Done,โ the theme song from Junior (1994), were songwriting collaborations with Carole Bayer Sager and recognized in Oscarโs Original Song category.
The '90s were a fruitful decade for Ingram, who began it by co-producing โI Donโt Have the Heartโ with Thom Bell โ the first and only time Bell has co-produced on any project โ and taking it to No. 1 in 1990. In 1999, Ingram released Forever More: The Best of James Ingram, which included some of his biggest hits as well as new material
Worldwide acclaim has led to concert tours in the U.S. and abroad, where he continues to play before sold-out stadiums in The Philippines, Japan, Singapore, Dubai, Brunei, Indonesia and Hong Kong. Fans at home have been able to see Ingram perform live everywhere from Compton to The White House.
The blessings of success also have allowed Ingram to pursue two of his personal passions: humanitarian work and composition for live theater. In 1987, Ingram was hand-picked by Quincy Jones to perform in โWe are the World,โ the universal gift and legendary singing and fund-raising effort from the recording industry, which raised more than $100 million in aid for those suffering from famine in Africa. Ingram also continues to work with long-time collaborator, choreographer/ producer Debbie Allen on a number of musical projects. Most recently, they partnered on Stand (In the Light) and several musical theater works including "Brothers of the Night, โThe Legendโ and โAlex in Wonderland."
Faith and family are Ingramโs main sources of inspiration, driving his industry achievements; legendary collaborations with revered mentors and peers; humanitarian work; and celebrated performances at some of the most-high-profile events of our time, including The Oscars, The Grammy Awards and The Super Bowl. The son of a Deacon, Ingram is one of six children and a self-taught musician, adept at piano, guitar, bass, drums and synthesizer. He made his home in Los Angeles with Debbie, his wife of 36 years, and their six children.
Come to me
James Ingram Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When love was only in the mind
I realize,
Ain't no second chance
You got to hold on to romance
Don't let it slide
There's a special kind of magic in the air
When you find another heart that needs to share
Baby, come to me
Let me put my arms around you
This was meant to be
And I'm oh so glad I found you
Need you everyday
Got to have your love around me
Baby always stay
'Cause I can't go back to livin' without you
Spendin' every dime
To keep you talkin' on the line
That's how it was
And all those walks together
Out in any kind of weather
Just because
There's a brand new way of looking at your life
When you know that love is standing by your side
The night can be cold
There's a chill to every evening when you're all alone
Don't talk anymore
'Cause you know that I'll be here to keep you warm
Baby come to me
Let me put my arms around you
This was meant to be
And I'm so glad I found you
Need you everyday
Got to have your love around me
Baby always stay
'Cause I can't go back to livin' without you.
Baby come to me
Let me put my arms around you
This was meant to be
And I'm so glad I found you
Need you everyday
Got to have your love around me
Baby always stay
'Cause I can't go back to livin' without you.
Baby come to me
Let me put my arms around you
This was meant to be
And I'm so glad I found you
Need you everyday
Got to have your love around me
Baby always stay
'Cause I can't go back to livin' without you.
The lyrics to James Ingram's song "Baby Come To Me" speak about the importance of holding onto romance and not letting it slip away. The song reminisces about a time when love was only in the mind and how there is no second chance in love. The lyrics suggest that when you find another heart that needs to share, you need to hold onto it tightly. The lyrics are a plea to a loved one, expressing the desire for physical closeness and warmth. The singer asks their loved one to come to them and allow them to hold them in their arms, expressing how this was meant to be and that they are glad they have found each other.
The lyrics further suggest that love is a special magic, and when you have it, it changes the way you look at life. You can spend every dime to keep the communication lines open with your significant other and go on long walks in all kinds of weather. The night can be cold, but if you have love, you will never feel alone. The chorus repeats the importance of having their loved one around every day, never losing them because they cannot go back to living without them.
Line by Line Meaning
Thinkin' back in time
Reflecting on the past
When love was only in the mind
When love was just an idea
I realize,
I understand now
Ain't no second chance
There are no do-overs
You got to hold on to romance
You have to cherish love
Don't let it slide
Don't take it for granted
There's a special kind of magic in the air
There's a unique feeling of love
When you find another heart that needs to share
When you meet someone who wants to love and be loved
Baby, come to me
Come to me, my love
Let me put my arms around you
Let me hold you tight
This was meant to be
Our love was destined
And I'm oh so glad I found you
I'm happy I met you
Need you everyday
I need you everyday
Got to have your love around me
I want your love with me
Baby always stay
Please stay with me
'Cause I can't go back to livin' without you
I can't imagine living without you
Spendin' every dime
Spending all my money
To keep you talkin' on the line
To keep talking to you on the phone
That's how it was
That's how we communicated
And all those walks together
All the times we walked hand in hand
Out in any kind of weather
No matter the weather, we were together
Just because
For no specific reason
There's a brand new way of looking at your life
A new perspective when in love
When you know that love is standing by your side
When you know you have someone to love and support you
The night can be cold
Nights can be lonely
There's a chill to every evening when you're all alone
A feeling of coldness when alone
Don't talk anymore
No need to speak
'Cause you know that I'll be here to keep you warm
I'm always here to keep you comforted
Lyrics ยฉ BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Rodney Lynn Temperton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@TheBlaccGod7
It brings a tear to your eyes when you hear these old songs, and realize music will never be like this again.
@JamesBond-zd5jx
Preach!
@user-mj3tm8gj9k
Ikr๐ข
@dawnravenel2473
So true, that's why I have old school days where oldies but goodies are the order of the day......
@kevin15776
They sure don't make them like they used to
@magicallyme96
Itโs almost like Iโm surviving off these old songs. ๐ขโค
@jerrywestermann4435
Well,I'm a 64 yr old musician,& I'm finding that young people are hipper to old school music than I used to think.Had lunch recently with a friend at a nice bar/restaurant,they have pool tables,a young black couple were shooting pool,this song came on,& the young lady was ecstatic, dancing & singing along.Did my heart good.
@robinpelletstovesuk9194
Thank God some have good taste in Music.... The thing they cannot do is understand how it was in the 80s..the vibe...the times... this digital age is terrible it is distorting peoples minds and they rely on computers
@BobbyDigital562
Back when grown folks topped the charts. What a masterpiece.
@damianbrink5081
It really is. It's beautiful