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.
Whatever We Imagine
James Ingram Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can meet you half way
We can't always know
Where the road ends up
But with some luck
I know we can go
Where-ever we imagine
Later on maybe too late
Cause where can we run
When you see there's half a chance
That we might really become
Whatever we imagine
And I imagine you and me
Just taking shots at what we see
And if we falter
Take away the dust
And just outlast them all
You ought to see
All your heroes in me
But if we get wise
We can break the walls we make
And you can see in my eyes
Whatever we imagine
And I imagine you and me
Just taking shots at what we see
So let the walls go down
And we can try it again
Cause nobody can stop us now
don't be afraid
Cause I'll meet you half way
You're not far behind
If we climb this hill
I know there's still a chance we can find
Whatever we imagine in our life
We can make it there baby
Ohh, Whatever we imagine
don't you see baby
It's all in our minds
I'll meet you halfway
Whatever we imagine (faded)
The lyrics to James Ingram’s song “Whatever We Imagine” exude a message of hope and possibility. The song is an anthem for taking risks and pursuing one’s dreams despite the roadblocks that may lie ahead. The opening lines “Don't be afraid, I can meet you halfway” immediately sets a comforting tone, assuring the listener that they are not alone in their journey.
The theme of uncertainty is evident in the line “We can't always know where the road ends up”. However, despite this uncertainty, the song suggests that there is always room for hope and optimism. “But with some luck, I know we can go wherever we imagine”. These words allude to the idea that the future is ours to create and it is within our control to succeed.
Moreover, the chorus, “And I imagine you and me just taking shots at what we see” speaks to the power of collaboration in achieving one's dreams. The lyrics suggest that by working together and taking risks, both parties can achieve their goals. The final lines “Whatever we imagine in our life, we can make it there baby” are a reminder to the listener that anything is possible as long as they have the courage to pursue their dreams.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't be afraid
Do not feel scared or nervous about a new possibility or journey.
I can meet you half way
I am willing to come halfway in this endeavor, putting in my fair share of the effort.
We can't always know Where the road ends up
Sometimes, we can't predict the ending or outcome of our journey and that's okay.
But with some luck
Although some things may be uncertain, luck can play a role in what happens next.
I know we can go Where-ever we imagine
We have the power to imagine our own futures, and together, we can work to make those imaginations into reality.
Why should we wait Later on maybe too late
Why wait until it may be too late to take action and pursue our dreams?
Cause where can we run When you see there's half a chance
If we see even a small opportunity, it is best not to run away from it but rather grab it and see where it leads us.
That we might really become Whatever we imagine
If we put effort into bringing our imaginations to life, we might actually achieve what we once only fantasized about.
And I imagine you and me Just taking shots at what we see
Together, we can take chances and explore new things with confidence and excitement.
And if we falter Take away the dust And just outlast them all
Even if we stumble or face obstacles, we must get back up, clear away the dust and persist until we overcome.
You ought to see All your heroes in me
I can be your role model, your guide, your inspiration, your hero if you allow me to be.
But if we get wise
However, we must also be knowledgeable and wise in our decisions and actions.
We can break the walls we make
We have the power to break down any physical or mental barriers that we create hinder our progress.
And you can see in my eyes Whatever we imagine
In my eyes, you can see that I'm completely committed to and passionate about bringing our collective dreams to life.
So let the walls go down And we can try it again Cause nobody can stop us now
If we eliminate any obstacles and try again, we have a real chance of succeeding with no one and nothing stopping us.
You're not far behind If we climb this hill
Although there may be an uphill battle, you're not too far behind if we tackle it together.
I know there's still a chance we can find Whatever we imagine in our life
We still have the potential to attain whatever we can imagine in our lives if we continue to strive and never give up.
We can make it there baby Ohh, Whatever we imagine don't you see baby It's all in our minds
We can achieve our goals since they originate from the imagination in our own minds. It will take commitment and belief, but we can still make it.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVID FOSTER, PAUL HOWARD GORDON, JEREMY LUBBOCK
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.