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 Charles’ 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 Ingram’s demo of “Just Once” — which had been recorded for the sum of $50 — Jones immediately recognized the man, the voice and the music as the musical triumvirate that would both captivate listeners and command the music industry’s attention.
Jones quickly chose Ingram to perform both “Just Once” and “One Hundred Ways” on Jones’ 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 “One Hundred Ways,” for which he won his first Grammy. Ingram also made Grammy history when — in his first live performance ever as a singer — he performed “Just Once” as the telecast’s 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, Ingram’s much-anticipated 1983 solo album, It’s Your Night, surpassed industry expectations. The album was the debut for the Michael McDonald collaboration “Yah Mo Be There,” (Ingram’s 2nd Grammy) which was honored with the Grammy for Best R&B Performance for a Group or Duo, and “There’s No Easy Way” was considered one of the year’s stand-out ballads. It’s 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, “Yah Mo Be There” became the most-played song of the year.
Ingram’s talents as a songwriter and performer were tapped by some of the most celebrated artists of the era, most prominent was his “P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)” for Michael Jackson’s Thriller (1982), which sold more than 50 million units,. He performed “Baby Come To Me,” 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 “The Secret Garden,” the No.1 hit with Barry White, Al B. Sure and El Debarge on Quincy Jones’ 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 “Good Life”, in the “Best Rap Song” category, performed by Kanye West (featuring T-Pain) in 2007.
Hollywood soon called for Ingram’s wide-ranging songwriting and vocal abilities and several hit singles for blockbuster motion and animated pictures followed. “How Do You Keep The Music Playing” — a songwriting collaboration between Michel Legrand and Marilyn and Alan Bergman, performed by Ingram and Patti Austin — 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 “Don’t Make Me No Never Mind,” co-written with Quincy Jones and Roy Gaines for Steven Spielberg’s The Color Purple (1985), and Ingram’s duet with Anita Baker, “When You Love Someone,” by Bryan Adams, for Forget Paris (1995). “Somewhere Out There,” performed by Ingram and Linda Ronstadt for Steven Spielberg’s 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, “The Day I Fall in Love,” featured in Beethoven 2 (1993), and Anita Baker, “Look What Love Has Done,” the theme song from Junior (1994), were songwriting collaborations with Carole Bayer Sager and recognized in Oscar’s Original Song category.
The '90s were a fruitful decade for Ingram, who began it by co-producing “I Don’t Have the Heart” with Thom Bell — the first and only time Bell has co-produced on any project — 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 “We are the World,” 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, “The Legend” and “Alex in Wonderland."
Faith and family are Ingram’s 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.
Just once
James Ingram Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I guess my best wasn't good enough
Cause here we are
Back where we were before
Seems nothin' ever changes
We're back to being strangers
Wondering if we ought to stay
Or head on out the door
Just once
Can't we figure out what we keep doin' wrong
Why we never last for very long
What are we doin' wrong
Just once
Can't we find a way to finally make it right
To make the magic last for more than just one night
If we could just get to it
I know we could break through it
(Hmm hmm)
I gave my all
But I think my all may have been too much
Cause Lord knows we're not gettin' anywhere
Seems we're always blowin'
Whatever we've got goin'
And it seems at times with all we've got
We haven't got a prayer
Just once
Can't we figure out what we keep doin' wrong
Why the good times never last for long
Where are we goin' wrong
Just once
Can't we find a way to finally make it right
To make the magic last for more than just one night
I know we could break through it
If we could just get to it
Just once
I want to understand
Why it always comes back to goodbye
Why
Can't we get ourselves in hand
And admit to one another
We're no good without each other
Take the best and make it better
Find a way to stay together
Just once
Can't we find a way to finally make it right
Make the magic last for more than just one night
I know we could break through it
If we could just get to it
Just once
Whoa oh, we can get to it
Just once
The song "Just Once" by James Ingram talks about a couple who has been going through a constant cycle of breaking up and getting back together. The song reveals the frustration and disappointment of the singer who has put so much effort in the relationship but still ends up back to where they started. He tells his partner that they need to figure out what they keep doing wrong, what is not working, and get it right so that they could make the magic last for more than just one night. The song also highlights the pain of having to constantly say goodbye to each other and the longing to find a way to make things work and stay together.
The lyrics of the song depict the universal theme of failed relationships, where the couple keeps making the same mistakes and finds it hard to break free from the vicious cycle. The song conveys a strong message about the need for self-reflection, communication, and working together to make a relationship work. It emphasizes the importance of taking responsibility for one's actions and the willingness to make compromises for the sake of love.
Line by Line Meaning
I did my best
I tried as hard as I could
But I guess my best wasn't good enough
But it looks like my effort fell short
Cause here we are
So we find ourselves in this situation
Back where we were before
In the same predicament we were in previously
Seems nothin' ever changes
It appears that nothing ever improves
We're back to being strangers
Despite our history, we're once again unfamiliar to each other
Wondering if we ought to stay
Questioning if it is worth it to continue
Or head on out the door
Or if it would be better just to leave
Can't we figure out what we keep doin' wrong
Can't we understand the mistakes we keep making
Why we never last for very long
Why our relationship never endures for very much time
What are we doin' wrong
What are the things we're doing incorrectly
Can't we find a way to finally make it right
Can't we locate a solution to correct our problems
To make the magic last for more than just one night
To create a lasting, significant, and magical experience
If we could just get to it
If we could only achieve it
I gave my all
I exerted myself completely
But I think my all may have been too much
I suspect that the level of my engagement was likely excessive
Cause Lord knows we're not gettin' anywhere
Because it seems that we're not making any progress
Seems we're always blowin'
It appears that we always ruin
Whatever we've got goin'
Whatever we think we have happening
And it seems at times with all we've got
And sometimes, despite our efforts
We haven't got a prayer
We don't have even a slim chance
I want to understand
I crave comprehension
Why it always comes back to goodbye
Why everything seems to lead back to farewell
Why
For what reasons
Can't we get ourselves in hand
Can't we get control of ourselves
And admit to one another
And confess to each other
We're no good without each other
That we're inadequate individually
Take the best and make it better
Improve the good aspects of our relationship
Find a way to stay together
Discover a means of remaining united
Whoa oh, we can get to it
We have a chance to accomplish it
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dan De Jianne
on No Need To Say Goodbye
Wrong song. These are not the lyrics to No need to say goodbye.