Jeff Cohen (songwriter)

Jeff Cohen
Born (1966-01-28) January 28, 1966
Origin Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Occupation(s) Songwriter, record producer, publisher
Years active 1999–present
Associated acts Sugarland, The Band Perry, Laura Bell Bundy, Evan and Jaron, Big and Rich
Website www.jeffcohenmusic.com

Jeff Cohen (born January 28, 1966) is an award winning American songwriter, producer, and publisher. He is also known for his founding role in Pancho’s Lament.

Early life

Jeff Cohen was born in Brooklyn, New York. As a kid, Cohen would sing songs into a tape recorder and give the cassettes to his sisters. His musical landscape changed at the age of 13, when his mother bought him Jackson Browne’s Hold Out to take to summer camp.[1] He graduated from Oceanside High School in Oceanside, New York in 1984 and then went on to attend Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania where he majored in Government and English.[1] It was during his college years that Cohen began to take guitar and song writing more seriously. He spent the spring semester of 1987 studying at Wroxton College in England before returning to the U.S. and graduating from Franklin and Marshall in 1988.[1]

BMI

Cohen started working at BMI in licensing in 1989 where he helped upcoming bands protect their music and insure they received the royalties they were due.[2] A year later he moved to the writer-publisher relations department, working with such talent as Jeff Buckley, Ani DiFranco, Lisa Loeb, Joan Osborne, Kara Dioguardi, Spin Doctors, Blues Traveller and many more.[2] By 1994 he was promoted to an executive directing role. After a year spent at Warner Chappell Music in 1995, he would return as senior director of BMI in 1996, where he remained until 1999.[2]

Musical career

Cohen is also known as Pancho’s Lament, which he founded originally to play concerts once a year on his birthday.[1] He brought on friend and drummer Pete DeMeo as a co-member, and over the years, they have performed together on special, but rare occasions.[2] Cohen’s first big break came when he landed the theme song on the WB show Jack and Jill. The track, “Truth About Romeo,” was written and recorded for the debut self-titled Pancho’s Lament album, released in late 1999/early 2000.[2] Pancho’s Lament’s sophomore album, Leaving Town Alive, was released in early 2003.[3] The band did a limited unreleased pressing of a third album called Three Sides to Every Story in 2008. There are still plans to release a fourth album. Cohen also co-wrote and produced an album in 2007 with Chris Barron of the Spin Doctors, called Pancho and the Kid.[4]

Songwriting career

In August 1999, Cohen started pursuing a career as a full-time songwriter, leaving his executive position at BMI after a brief but serious illness.[5] Following the success of Jack and Jill on the WB, Jeff went on to write several songs for other shows including Dawson’s Creek, Party of Five, One Tree Hill, Desperate Housewives, Ed, Roswell, Army Wives, Reba, Smallville, The Simpsons, Saturday Night Live, Who Wants to Marry My Dad, Once and Again and others.[5] In 2005, Pancho’s Lament wrote and performed the theme for I Married a Princess on the Lifetime Network.[6] That same year, Macy Gray’s version of the Cohen-penned “Boom Boom” was the promotional commercial for the upcoming third season of ABC’s Desperate Housewives. Cohen also wrote the theme song featured on the TVLand show The Exes.[7] Songs by Cohen have been featured in major and independent films such as Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Stuart Little 2, My Super Ex-Girlfriend, Aquamarine, Grandma’s Boy, Unconditional Love, See No Evil and Two Ninas.[6]

Cohen’s songs can be heard on albums stretching across all genres of music. He co-wrote “Postcard From Paris” for The Band Perry’s 2010 debut album, a song that reached No. 5 on the Billboard country charts.[8] Cohen also wrote the Top 5 hit “Crazy For This Girl” for Evan and Jaron, and the Top 15 country hit “Holy Water” for Big and Rich, which went to No. 1 on the CMT and GAC video charts. All three songs earned Cohen BMI awards.[9] Laura Bell Bundy recorded four of Cohen’s songs on her debut album, including the hit single “Giddy On Up,” also a No. 1 video on CMT and GAC.[10] Other artists who have recorded Cohen’s songs include Sugarland, Josh Groban, Macy Gray, Nick Lachey, Marc Broussard, Bethany Joy Lenz (known for her role on One Tree Hill – Cohen also produced her debut EP), Spin Doctors, Mandy Moore, multi-platinum Dutch artist Ilse DeLange (top 10 hit “Beautiful Distraction”), multi-platinum Canadian artist Doc Walker (top 10 hit “Put it Into Drive”), Richie McDonald of Lonestar (title track of Dove nominated album I Turn To You), multi-platinum South Korean artist Cho Yong Pil, multi-platinum Dutch artist Waylon (top 5 hit “Hey”), Sandi Patty, Ronan Tynan, Teitur, Three Graces, Sasha and Shawna, Amie Miriello, Toby Lightman, Chelsea Lee, Ben’s Brother, the multi-platinum Spanish artist Luz Casal, multi-platinum Australian artist Christine Anu, multi-platinum German artist Harmut Engler, and platinum Norwegian artist Torstein Sodal.[6]

Discography

Album Credits[11]

  • Sugarland: Enjoy the Ride (Mercury/Nashville) – “April Showers”
  • Sugarland: Love on the Inside (Mercury/Nashville) – “Take Me As I Am”
  • Big & Rich: Horse of a Different Color (Warner Brothers/Nashville) – “Holy Water”/#1 CMT & GAC video charts
  • Big & Rich: Greatest Hits (Warner Brothers/Nashville) – “Holy Water”/Top 15 Billboard country charts
  • Evan & Jaron: Evan and Jaron (Columbia/Sony) – “Crazy for this Girl”/#3 Billboard, Top 10 R&R, “Done Hangin’ on Maybe”
  • Evan & Jaron: We’ve Never Heard of You Either – “3:59 Minutes of Fame”, “How to Keep the Sky from Falling”
  • Josh Groban: Awake (Reprise) – “In Her Eyes”
  • The Band Perry: ''Self Titled (Universal Republic) – “Postcard From Paris”/Top 5 Billboard country charts
  • Laura Bell Bundy: Achin’ and Shakin’ (Mercury/Nashville) – “Giddy On Up”/#1 video on CMT & GAC, Top 30 Billboard Country Charts, “I’m No Good (For Ya Baby)”, “If You Want My Love”, “Homecoming Queen”
  • Kristian Bush: Love Or Money (Humphead Records) – “Love Or Money”
  • Mandy Moore: ''Greatest Hits (Epic/Sony) – “Top of the World”
  • Nick Lachey: What’s Left of Me (Zomba/Jive) – “Alone”
  • Marc Broussard: Self Titled (Atlantic Records) – “Cruel”
  • Doc Walker: Put It Into Drive (Open Road Recordings) – “Put It Into Drive”
  • Hush: I Can’t Be the One (Target Records) – “I Can’t Be the One”
  • Hanne Sorvaag: All Is Forgiven (daWorks Records) – “Bad Advice”, “Always on the Run”, “Love in Never a Mistake”
  • The Canoes: Booze and Canoes (MBN) – “Steal a Little Time”
  • Cho Yong Pil: Hello (Jigu Record/Pil Record) – “Need to Recharge”
  • Ilse DeLange: Self Titled – “Beautiful Distraction”
  • Charlotte Perrelli: The Girl (EMI Music Sweden) – “Closing Circles”
  • Chelsea Lee: 18 and Alive (Atlantic Records) – “Never Called It Love”, “All I’m Looking For”
  • Macy Gray: Desperate Housewives (Hollywood) – “Boom Boom”
  • Richie McDonald: I Turn To You – “I Turn To You”
  • Ronan Tynan: Ronan (Universal Classics/Decca) – “The Light Inside of You”
  • Spin Doctors: Nice Talking to Me (Universal) – “Can’t Kick the Habit”
  • Tiffany Thornton: Sonny With a Chance (Walt Disney Records) – “Sure Feels Like Love”
  • Teitur: Poetry & Aeroplanes (Universal) – “Poetry and Aeroplanes,” “Let’s Go Dancing,” “Amanda’s Dream”, “Shade of a Shadow”, “One and Only”
  • Teitur: Stay Under the Stars – “Don’t Want to Wake Up”, “All My Mistakes”
  • Teitur: The Singer – “The Girl I Don’t Know”, “Life (You Should Have Seen Us)”
  • Teitur: All My Mistakes – “The Girl I Don’t Know”, “All My Mistakes”, “One and Only”, “Don’t Want to Wake You Up”
  • Teitur: Let the Dog Drive Home – “God, I Have So Many Things to Tell You”, “Let the Dog Drive Home”, “Waverly Place”, “Very Careless People”, “Freight Train”
  • Nolwenn Leroy: One and Only (Universal France) – “One and Only”
  • Tina Dico: Welcome Back Colour – “Let’s Go Dancing”
  • Ben’s Brother: Glow (Flat Cap Records) – “Sanctuary”
  • Bethany Joy Lenz: Come On Home (Producer) – “Leaving Town Alive”, “Crazy Girls”
  • Luz Casal: Noches Blancas (EMI/Spain) – Noches Blancas
  • Christine Anu: 45 Degrees (Mushroom/Australia) – “Don’t Ya Know (It’s Over)”
  • Harmut Engler: Fortunate Guy (EMI/Germany) – “Save”
  • Waylon: Wicked Days (Universal Holland) – “Hey”
  • Timothy James: Make It Happen (Sony Germany) – “Together”
  • Jasmine Rae: Listen Here – “Fixer Upper”
  • Amie Miriello: I Came Around (Co-Producer – Sony/Jive) – “Beauty of Goodbye”, “Drifter”, “Hey”
  • Toby Lightman: Let Go – “Take My Hand”
  • Lorenza Ponce: Soul Shifter – “Testify”
  • Heather Rigdon: Self Titled – “To Have and to Hold”, “Table for Two”

Film & TV credits[12]

  • Stuart Little 2: Mandy Moore – “Top of the World”
  • Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants: Alana Grace – “Black Roses Red”
  • My Super Ex-Girlfriend: Teitur – “One and Only”
  • Aquamarine: Teitur: “One and Only”
  • The Princess Diaries: Evan & Jaron – “Crazy for this Girl” (Trailer)
  • Grandma’s Boy: Spin Doctors – “Can’t Kick the Habit:
  • Unconditional Love: Kathy Bates & Jonathan Pryce – “Beneath a Blanket of Stars”
  • See No Evil: Aria Pullman – “Back to Boston:
  • Two Ninas: “Truth About Romeo,” “Save”
  • The Exes (TVLand): Theme Song
  • Jack and Jill (WB Network): “Truth About Romeo” (Theme Song)
  • I Married a Princess (Lifetime): “I Married a Princess” (Theme Song)
  • Desperate Housewives (ABC): Macy Gray – “Boom Boom” (Commercial)
  • Dawson’s Creek (WB Network)
  • One Tree Hill (CW Network)
  • Party of Five (FOX)
  • The Simpsons (FOX)
  • Roswell (WB Network)
  • Smallville (WB Network)
  • Reba (WB Network)
  • Joan of Arcadia (CBS)
  • Ed (NBC)
  • As the World Turns (CBS)
  • One Life to Live (ABC)
  • Saturday Night Live (NBC)
  • Who Wants to Marry My Dad? (NBC)
  • Once and Again (ABC)
  • Committed (ABC)

Compilations[13]

  • Sonny With a Chance (Soundtrack): Tiffany Thornton – “Sure Feels Like Love”
  • Dawson’s Creek Volume 2: Evan & Jaron – “Crazy for this Girl”
  • Stuart Little 2: Mandy Moore – “Top of the World”
  • Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants: Alana Grace – “Black Roses Red”
  • Desperate Housewives: Macy Gray – “Boom Boom”
  • Now 6: Evan & Jaron – “Crazy for this Girl”
  • Kidz Bop Volume 2: Evan and Jaron – “Crazy for this Girl”
  • Performing Songwriters Top 12 DIY: Pancho’s Lament – “Truth About Romeo”
  • Aquamarine Soundtrack: Teitur – “One and Only”

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Woliver, Robbie. "Roundabout Way to Childhood Dream". The New York Times. Retrieved 11 June 2000. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Miller, Eric. "Jeff Cohen". MusicWorld. Retrieved 31 January 2001.
  3. ↑ "Pancho's Lament Leaving Town Alive". Ink 19. Retrieved September 2004. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  4. ↑ "Pancho and the Kid". AllMusic.
  5. 1 2 Bessman, Jim. "Ex-BMI Exec Cohen Now BMI Writer With CD, TV Work, Singer/Songwriter Starts A New Career". Billboard, Vol. 112, No. 11, Pg. 45. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved March 11, 2000. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  6. 1 2 3 "Jeff Cohen Bio". As You Wish Music.
  7. ↑ "The Exes Theme". Firstpost. Firstpost.
  8. ↑ "Postcard From Paris". The Band Perry.
  9. ↑ "2013 BMI Country Awards". BMI.
  10. ↑ Watts, Cindy. "Laura Bell Bundy Gets Back to Music". Tennesseean. Retrieved April 9, 2010.
  11. ↑ "Jeff Cohen Discography Album Credits". As You Wish Music.
  12. ↑ "Jeff Cohen Discography Film & TV Credits". As You Wish Music.
  13. ↑ "Jeff Cohen Discography Compilations". As You Wish Music.
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