Jessie (song)

"Jessie" is a song by American artist Joshua Kadison. It was released in May 1993 as the debut lead single from the album, Painted Desert Serenade, but did not become a hit in continental Europe until 1994 and not until 1995 (on its third release, but after continuous commercial radio airplay) in the United Kingdom. The song was a Top 10 hit in Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands and New Zealand. In an 1994 interview with Los Angeles Times, Kadison told about the song, "It's a song that a lot of people can relate to. Everybody's heart has been broken by somebody they'll always love. That's what this song is about.. It taps into a feeling that's buried in so many people."[1]

This article is about the Joshua Kadison song. For songs of similar name, see Jesse (disambiguation).
"Jessie"
Single by Joshua Kadison
from the album Painted Desert Serenade
ReleasedMay 11, 1993
Format
Genre
Length5:19
LabelSBK Records
Songwriter(s)Joshua Kadison
Producer(s)
Joshua Kadison singles chronology
"Jessie"
(1993)		 "Beautiful in My Eyes"
(1994)
Music video
"Jessie" on YouTube

Content

The song describes the narrator's tumultuous relationship with a woman named Jessie. The person named Jessie in this song was rumoured to be Sarah Jessica Parker,[2] with whom Kadison was involved at the time. This has never been confirmed, and it has also been pointed out that Parker has never been known to be called "Jessie" or own a cat named Moses. In 1997, she married actor Matthew Broderick. [3]

Critical reception

The song received positive reviews from music critics. AllMusic editor Bryan Buss noted that "Jessie" is "about the searching title heroine and the hopeful, needing narrator who gets sucked into her longing, he paints vivid portrayals of troubled and hopeful dreamers. With lyrics like "Jessie, paint your pictures/'bout how it's gonna be/by now I should know better/your dreams are never free," Kadison taps into the wanderer in all of us."[4] Larry Flick from Billboard wrote that Kadison "indulges in a worldly, intelligent brand of storytelling that aims to place him among late luminaries Jim Croce and Harry Chapin. Poignant piano ballad actually is more along the lines of early Billy Joel. Sophisticated, complex production".[5] The Network Forty commented that a "soulful bluesy delivery exemplifies the main strength of newcomer Joshua Kadison, who reaches new heights with this electrifying piano ballad."[6]

Music video

The music video for "Jessie" was directed by Piers Plowden.[7]

Track listing
CD single - 1993
  1. "Jessie" (Edit) - 4:19
  2. "Jessie" (Album Version) - 5:18
  3. "When a Woman Cries" - 3:31
  4. "All I Ever Ask" - 4:39

Chart performance

References
  1. "'Jessie' helps Marc Cohn find success as a folkie". The Vindicator. 1994-02-12. Retrieved 2020-03-15.
  2. "Radio". swr.de. 2009-05-14. Retrieved 2009-10-08.
  3. https://www.songfacts.com/facts/joshua-kadison/jessie Songfacts entry on Jessie.
  4. "Joshua Kadison - Painted Desert Serenade". AllMusic. Retrieved 2020-02-17.
  5. "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. 1993-05-22. p. 110. Retrieved 2020-02-01.
  6. "Mainstream: Music Meeting" (PDF). The Network Forty. 1992-09-17. p. 20. Retrieved 2018-02-21.
  7. "Jessie (1994) by Joshua Kadison". IMVDb.com. Retrieved 2018-10-18.
  8. "Australian-charts.com – Joshua Kadison – Jessie". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  9. "Austriancharts.at – Joshua Kadison – Jessie" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  10. "Ultratop.be – Joshua Kadison – Jessie" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  11. "Canadian peak". Archived from the original on 2016-01-15. Retrieved 2013-04-01.
  12. "Top 10 Denmark" (PDF). Music & Media. Retrieved 2018-02-28.
  13. "Eurochart Hot 100" (PDF). Music & Media. Retrieved 2018-03-15.
  14. "Offiziellecharts.de – Joshua Kadison – Jessie". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 2019-04-03.
  15. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (17.02.1994 - 23.02.1994)" (PDF) (in Icelandic). Dagblaðið Vísir - Tónlist. Retrieved 2018-02-05.
  16. "irishcharts.ie search results". Retrieved 12 July 2009.
  17. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Joshua Kadison" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  18. "Dutchcharts.nl – Joshua Kadison – Jessie" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  19. "Charts.nz – Joshua Kadison – Jessie". Top 40 Singles.
  20. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100 (28 May 1995-03 June 1995)". officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2018-02-08.
  21. "Swedishcharts.com – Joshua Kadison – Jessie". Singles Top 100.
  22. "Swisscharts.com – Joshua Kadison – Jessie". Swiss Singles Chart.
  23. "The Official Charts Company". Retrieved 12 July 2009.
  24. "JAHRESHITPARADE 1994" (in German). austriancharts.at. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  25. "1994 Year-End Sales Charts: Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
  26. "Top 100 Singles – Jahrescharts 1994" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
  27. "Jaarlijsten 1994" (in Dutch). Stichting Nederlandse Top 40. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
  28. "JAAROVERZICHTEN - Single 1994" (in Dutch). dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
  29. "SCHWEIZER JAHRESHITPARADE 1994". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
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