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Ellen Shipley

Ellen Shipley (born March 24, 1949, in New York City, New York, United States) is an American musician and songwriter.

Career

At sixteen years old, Shipley got a NYC Cabaret license. She performed a duo act in Greenwich Village in the early 70's with Steve Fields. Shipley was noticed by a Tommy Mottola associate, in a jazz club in NYC, Pearl’s Place, and signed to Mottola's company as a recording artist.

In 1979-1983, she recorded three solo albums of her own songs (see discography below). Shipley has also collaborated with Ralph Schuckett, and appeared on 13 December 1980 on Saturday Night Live. Paste magazine archived, for playback, a 12-song performance, at the Paradise in Boston, MA, from 1980-10-17.

Shipley is best known for her work with Rick Nowels. Nowels, who had just gotten his big break writing songs with old friend Stevie Nicks, approached Shipley in a Woodstock, NY cafe and asked Shipley write with him for Belinda Carlisle's first solo album. Together they worked on the Belinda Carlisle albums Belinda, Heaven on Earth, Runaway Horses, and Live Your Life Be Free.

They have written for other artists such as Kim Wilde.

In 1994, Shipley was nominated for a Grammy Award (Best R&B Song) for “Body and Soul,” written with Rick Nowels for Anita Baker. Also in 1994, in Great Performances episode September Songs: The Music of Kurt Weill, Shipley and David Johansen, Ralph Schuckett, and Bob Dorough sang "Alabama Song" in a beat-up old pickup truck in search of whiskey.

She, with Nicky Holland, co-wrote "Will We Ever Learn", and it was recorded for Oleta Adams' Circle of One album.

<blockquote>"My Song Was Played 3.1 Million Times on Pandora. My Check Was $39..."</blockquote>

In 2008, Shipley directed, for the stage, Desert Sunrise by Misha Shulman, in Los Angeles.

Personal life

Shipley is from Canarsie, Brooklyn, and married Ralph Schuckett. She studied theater at Hunter College.

Discography

Studio albums

Ellen Shipley (1979)

  • Track list and credits taken from U.S. vinyl pressing.
  • Produced by Ralph Schuckett and Ed Sprigg.

Breaking Through the Ice Age (1980)

  • Track list and credits taken from U.S. vinyl pressing.
  • Produced by David Tickle.

Reissued on CD in 2018 with five bonus tracks:

  • "We All Want What We Can't Have" – 4:07
  • "Sitting Duck" – 4:53
  • "It's All Over Now" – 3:30
  • "She Stands Alone" – 4:16
  • "Fever" – 4:37

Call of the Wild (1983)

  • Track list and credits taken from U.S. vinyl pressing.
  • Produced by Morrie Brown.

Reissued on CD in 2018 with eight bonus tracks:

  • "Heart to Heart" (Live) – 3:44
  • "Fotogenic" (Live) – 3:45
  • "This Little Girl" (Live) – 4:15
  • "Solo" (Live) – 4:17
  • "I Surrender" (Live) – 4:40
  • "Promise to Keep" (Live) – 5:14
  • "Some Kind of Wonderful" (Live) – 11:15
  • "Catch the Cobra" (Live) – 4:30

Singles

  • "I Surrender"/"Little Sister" (1979)
  • "Man of the World"/"Heroes of Yesterday" (1979)
  • "Catch the Cobra"/"Little Sister" (1979)
  • "This Little Girl"/"Promise to Keep" (1980)
  • "Love's On the Line"/"Let Me Take You Under" (1983)
  • "Heart Out of Time"/"I Come Undone" (1983)

Songwriting

“Live Forever”, Midge Ure, Breathe (1996)

References

  • https://www.allmusic.com/artist/ellen-shipley-mn0000183359/credits

External links