E-chat with All-4-One’s Jamie Jones

In the 1990s a lot of R&B vocal groups hit the scene; one of them was All-4-One. Best known for the single “I Swear”—11 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100—and 1995 Grammy winner (best pop vocal performance by a group or duo), All-4-One will be in town for a back-to-back concert with Color Me Badd tomorrow at Smart Araneta Coliseum, Sept. 9 at the Waterfront Hotel Cebu and Sept. 10 at Limketkai Mall, Cagayan de Oro.

All-4-One member Jamie Jones chatted with Inquirer via e-mail:

“I Swear” was a hit for country singer John Michael Montgomery a few months before All-4-One did its own version. When did you guys learn that you were to record it, too?

We found out after our first CD was completed and sent to manufacturing. Atlantic Records president Doug Morris had us listen to the country version and asked what we thought about it. We said it was good, then he said we were going to record it. We were all like, “But, this is a country song.” He said he was gonna have David Foster produce it for the pop market and we were like okay, we get to work with David again, let’s do it.

Another hit for the group, “I Can Love You Like That,” was also originally recorded by Montgomery.

“I Can Love You Like That” is a different story. We actually recorded that song months before John Michael Montgomery recorded it, but they rushed his out first. The writers had so big a success with having songs in two different genres that they gave it to both of us without telling either of us. John Michael and All-4-One were rehearsing our duet of “I Swear” at the Grammys when, during an innocent conversation, John mentioned he had just recorded a new song called “I Can Love You Like That.” We were dumbfounded because we had recorded it many months earlier for our new CD that was two months away from release. They rushed his out first and now people ask us why we keep doing country songs.

All-4-One was caught in a rift between the group’s indie and major labels, and was in limbo for a number of years. How bad was the problem?

It was pretty bad; it took a while to sort out. We couldn’t make new records, until it was settled between the two of them. The time period damaged us in a major way, because in the music industry you can’t be gone too long.  We just stayed on the road until we were able to record again in 2002.

You all came from the same neighborhood?

Tony, Alfred and I came from the Antelope Valley in California. Delious is the son of an Air Force father so he traveled around a lot (he lived in Philippines for a while) and then moved to an Air Force Base in the same area as ours.

Who was the group’s biggest influence?

We were fans of all the Motown-type groups; in the ’90s we were huge fans of Boyz II Men.

All-4-One bounced back with a new album in 2009. How do you sustain your creative juices?

Creative people never really lose their creative juices, so it wasn’t too hard.

Your Manila concert with Color Me Badd will reportedly feature a Michael Jackson tribute. Don’t you think covering MJ has been overdone after his death?

Michael Jackson is the greatest entertainer ever. I don’t think his music could ever be overdone.

What do you do to bear the rigors of touring?

We drink lots of water and try to enjoy the city that we are in.