Clair Marlo

Clara Veseliza, known professionally as Clair Marlo, is a Croatian-American composer, performer, arranger and record producer.^[1]

She is known for her multiplatinum hit singles, "'Til They Take My Heart Away" and "Without Me", both from her debut album, Let It Go.^[2] Her songs became a staple in radio stations during the early 1990s. Marlo is also known for singing "Sviraj" and "Lullaby" on Paul Schwartz's album, Aria 2 - New Horizon, which reached #5 on Billboard's Top Classical Crossover Chart in 1999.^[3]

Career

Clair Marlo was born Clara Veseliza in New York and grew up in Astoria and Flushing, Queens. She began her musical studies at the age of 5 with accordion, then started piano and voice at 9. She had her first song published by Leeds Levy (MCA Music) at the age of 16. when she started college for composition at the Aaron Copeland School of Music. She studied opera with opera singer Camilla Williams^[4] for 2 years. Her private teachers also included Spud Murphy,^[5] and John Motley,.^[6]

A graduate of Berklee College of Music in Boston, Marlo has released recordings under her own name (Let it Go, Behaviour Self, and Trinity), and as part of the groups Primal Instinct, Tairona, Vox Mundi, and Liquid Amber.

She founded the music production company Invisible Hand Productions in 1995. She now also owns Score Dogs, Building 11, and Blue Rain Records.^[7]

The late pop rock drummer Jeff Porcaro played on her song "'Til They Take My Heart Away" and other songs on the same album, Let It Go. Porcaro was a premier drummer and was named one of the top 50 drummers of all time by Modern Drummer magazine. Marlo has worked with many notable artists and songwriters, including Steve Porcaro (Toto), Joe Porcaro, David Paich, Leland Sklar, Grant Geissman, Craig Fuller (Pure Prairie League), Abraham Laboriel, Dean Parks, Luis Conte, Steve Katz (Blood, Sweat & Tears), and Brandon Fields.

Marlo has produced such artists as Harry Chapin (posthumously), Pat Coil, Michael Ruff, Kilauea, and Grant Geissman. Her music has been used in films such as The Firm and Swimming Pool.

Discography

Solo albums and Featured Artist

• Let it Go (1989)
• ;Til They Take My Heart Away (Finyl Edits) ^[8]
• Til They Take My Heart Away (1994 Power Tools Edit)^[9]
• Behaviour Self (1995)
• Rediscovered (2007)^[10]

Group albums

• Liquid Amber (1994)
• Liquid Amber - Adrift (1995)
• Tairona - Andean Christmas (1996)^[11]
• Vox Mundi - Christmas Spirit (1998)^[12]

Albums as Producer

• Pat Coil - Steps (1990)^[13]
• Kilauea - Antigua Blue (1992)
• Pat Coil - Just Ahead (1992)^[14]
• Grant Geissman - In with the Out Crowd (1998)^[15]
• Lori Barth - Sensuel (2002)^[16]

Albums as Composer, Songwriter, Sideman

• Glenn Eric - Glenn Eric (1987)^[17]
• Spies - Music of Espionage (1988)^[18]
• Let it Go (1989)
• Kilauea - Antigua Blue (1992)
• Liquid Amber (1994)
• Behaviour Self (1995)
• Liquid Amber - Adrift (1995)
• Tairona - Andean Christmas (1996)^[11]
• Grant Geissman - In with the Out Crowd (1998)^[15]
• Vox Mundi - Christmas Spirit (1998)^[12]
• Mark Winkler - City Lights (1998)^[19]
• Regine Velasquez - Regine, Live Sa Antipolo (2001)^[20]
• Lori Barth - Sensuel (2002)^[16]
• Kyla - Not your ordinary girl (2004)^[21]
• Neil Young - Living with War (2006)^[22]
• Julia Duncan - The Love Lounge (2007)^[23]
• Regine Velasquez - Without Me (2010) ^[24]
• M.Y.M.P. - Back to Acoustic (2011)^[25]
• Migz Haleco - Strangers Again (2014)^[26]

Personal life

Marlo is based out of Los Angeles and has a daughter and a son.

References