LennyStoute 2724 via Facebook
It’s one thing for a couple to stay together for decades while plying their trade in different corners of the same business. It’s another for them to collaborate on a project that celebrates the durability of their bond with the deepest sincerity. And it’s still another thing entirely for them to sit on that document for a quarter century, then have it feel as fresh and honest as a newly written wedding vow when it finally does come out.
“Into You,” the new single by married singer-songwriters Marc Jordan and Amy Sky, is just such a wonder. Written in 1999 as a song for the hard-working pair to duet on during one of their rare shows together, it’s only now seeing the light of day in recorded form—ironically, as an appetizer for a tandem concert tour they’re undertaking as a rare treat for their fans. But no matter the era or context, the song is a showcase for the writing skills the duo have honed crafting hits for the likes of Rod Stewart, Diana Ross, Chicago, Olivia Newton-John, Heart, Reba McEntire, Joe Cocker, Bette Midler, Bonnie Raitt, Cher, and Cyndi Lauper.
Just as important, it’s a testament to why they work so splendidly as singing partners when they can manage it. Whether they’re trading lines or doubling up, Jordan’s jazz-trained voice meshes perfectly with Sky’s earthier, more intuitive approach as they lob mutual-appreciation tributes like “You tattooed your name on my skin/ And I can’t get back if I wanted to.”
“If you look at the lyrics and you know our writing styles, you can see who wrote what,” Jordan says. “I like to write with visual metaphors like ‘I see the signs/ I know that Jupiter aligns with Mars/ It’s clear to me our destiny was written in the stars/ and gravity is pulling you closer to me.’ And Amy uses more personal, interior language: ‘And I breathe you out and I breathe you in/ I don’t know where you stop and baby I begin.’”
The couple says the tune was influenced by their shared love of Southern California rock, but it also has an alt/roots feel that’s held up nicely over the years. The minor tonalities are met by refreshingly dark timbres, with some full-bodied acoustic guitar playing against electrics whose trebly bite keeps the lyrical theme of undying devotion from coming across as particularly saccharin.
In a further irony, this paean to simpatico-hood was written at a time when Jordan and Sky were spending plenty of time apart. Sure, they would write together incessantly, but when it came to taking performing gigs, they agreed that someone always had to be home to look after their then-young offspring. And there was another, just as sensible reason for them to maintain somewhat of a professional distance.
“One of the reasons we’ve had a long and successful marriage is that we’re in the same business but in very different departments,” Sky says. “We write with many of the same people, but we try not to collaborate too much. We aim to be a support to each other, rather than being the person causing you work problems.”
They’ve certainly racked up enough successes on their own. Jordan’s forays into jazz/pop won him a Juno Award in 1993 for his record Reckless Valentine and a nomination for 2019’s Both Sides, while Sky explored New Age/spiritual terrain with Olivia Newton-John on albums like Grace and Gratitude and Christmas Wish.
When they overcame their misgivings about working too closely together long enough to record and release 2022’s He Sang She Sang, the results were just as stellar. Boasting their renditions of classics like “Free Fallin’” and “Always on My Mind” plus five original compositions, the album was nominated for “Best Adult Contemporary Album” at the 2023 Junos. It also got plenty of radio and streaming play, appearing on many highly ranked playlists.
Now they’re taking the show on the road via a tour of Southern Ontario —their first road jaunt together since 2016—with “Into You” freshly rescued from their archives as an extra, non-album inducement.
As their touring keyboardist and opening act, Jordan and Sky have enlisted their son, Ezra Jordan, now a singer-songwriter based in Nashville. Yes, he’s one of the two children the couple were so careful to mind back when “Into You” was new. And now their audience gets to see the benefits of growing up with at least one highly musical parent in the household at all times.
“We are both very busy with our own projects, so we may never do an album together again,” Sky says. “This will be a unique opportunity for people to hear us together.”
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