Jim Vallance

Vallance, Jim
Jim (James Douglas) Vallance. Songwriter, drummer, record producer, b Chilliwack, BC, 31 May 1952. Jim Vallance studied piano as a boy and 1970-1 with Frances Marr Adaskin at the University of British Columbia, and cello 1974-6 with Hans Siegrist. Vallance turned to pop music in the mid-1970s, drumming in turn for the rock bands Sunshyne and Prism. Seven of his early songs, written under the pseudonym Rodney Higgs, were included on the latter's first LP.

Continuing to work as a studio drummer in Vancouver, Jim Vallance began to write songs (under his own name) in 1978 with Bryan Adams; during their 11-year collaboration they composed virtually all of Adams's hits of that period, including 'Cuts Like a Knife,' 'Hearts on Fire,' 'Heat of the Night,' 'Heaven,' 'Run to You,' 'Somebody' and 'This Time.' At times working with a third partner, they also completed songs recorded by the Canadians BTO, Paul Dean, and Loverboy and by the popular American and British acts Joe Cocker ('Edge of a Dream,' 'When the Night Comes'); Roger Daltry; Neil Diamond; KISS; Juice Newton; Bonnie Raitt; Carly Simon; Rod Stewart; Tina Turner; and 38 Special ('Teacher Teacher'). With David Foster and others, Vallance and Adams composed 'Tears Are Not Enough' in 1985; Vallance played drums for, and co-produced, the recording.

Jim Vallance has also collaborated with other writers, including David Foster and Charles Goodrum ('Now and Forever,' the Canadian Country Music Association awards' song of the year for 1986 as recorded by Anne Murray); Alice Cooper; and Rick Springfield; as well as members of Toronto ('What About Love,' recorded by Heart); Aerosmith ('Ragdoll,' 'The Other Side'); Ozzy Osbourne; and the Scorpions. Vallance produced the first two albums by Glass Tiger, collaborating on such hits as 'Someday' and 'Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone).' After sharing Juno Awards as composer of the year with Adams in 1984 and 1985, Vallance won the award alone in 1986 and 1987. He was co-recipient with Adams of PRO Canada's William Harold Moon Award for international achievement in 1985.

Activities 1992 - Present
Songs Jim Vallance co-wrote have been recorded by Hedley (reaching the MuchMusic countdown chart 2006) and Spain's DJ Sammy (a hit dance cover of "Heaven"). Vallance's songs have also been recorded by Paul Anka, Peter Pringle, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and Carly Simon, among others. He was absent from the music business in the late 1990s and after his return co-wrote songs with Glass Tiger and again with Adams, for the album 11.

Awards; Appointments
Jim Vallance has earned more than 35 SOCAN and Procan Classics and related awards, as well as awards from BMI, ASCAP, the Canadian Recording Industry Association, and the Recording Industry Association of America. He served on the boards of PROCAN (1985-90); SOCAN (1996-8, 2000-3, 2006-9); FACTOR (1985-7); the Songwriters Association of Canada (beginning in 2008), and the latter's advisory board 1998-2008. In 2007 he became a Member of the Order of Canada.

Author Revised: Betty Nygaard King

Bibliography

Hall, Neal. 'He writes the songs,' Vancouver Sun, 4 Mar 1983

Bateman, Jeff. 'Adams and Vallance: the secrets of association,' Music Scene, 346, Nov-Dec 1985

'Interview: Jim Vallance,' Hook, Line and Singer, vol 6, May-Jun 1989

"Jim Vallance: Meet the most successful songwriter you don't know," Applaud!, Feb 2003

"The story behind 'What about love'," Songwriters, Spring-Summer 2003

Links to Other Sites
Jim Vallance
Interview with musician Jim Vallance about songwriting and his collaboration with Bryan Adams. From the Bryan Adams Live Recording website.

Tears Are Not Enough
Jim Vallance talks about the effort that went into writing and recording the song "Tears Are Not Enough" for the African Famine Relief project. From the davidfoster.info website.

Jim Vallance Fonds
Information page for the Jim Vallance fonds, held at Library and Archives Canada.

SOCAN: Jim Vallance
An article about the Vancouver Music Industry (VMI) honouring the songwriting duo of Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance in 2009.

IndieMV Media Group: Jim Vallance
An announcement about Jim Vallance joining the Advisory Board of IndieMV Media Group, Inc.