Men's black tie dress (double-breasted jacket)

Black tie is a dress code for evening events and social functions derived from Anglo-American costume conventions of the Nineteenth century. Worn only for events after six p.m., black tie is less formal than white tie but more formal than informal or business dress. It is also more formal than recent intermediate codes of “creative,” “alternate” or “optional” black tie.

For males, the elements of black tie are a suit, usually of black wool, in which the jacket lapels and trouser braid are of silk or other contrasting material, a white dress shirt, a black bow-tie, a waistcoat or cummerbund, and black dress shoes. Women's dress for black tie occasions has varied greatly through the years; traditionally it was dinner (ankle) or tea (below mid-calf) length sleeveless dress, often accompanied by a wrap or stole, gloves, and evening shoes. Today, cocktail (knee) length dresses are considered equally appropriate in most places.

History[link]

When the dinner jacket (tuxedo in the US) first came into fashion in the Victorian era it was used as a less formal alternative for the tailcoat which men of the upper classes wore every evening. Thus it was worn with the standard accompaniments for the evening tailcoat at the time: matching trousers, white or black waistcoat, white bow tie, white wing-collar formal shirt and black formal shoes. Lapels were often faced or edged in silk or satin in varying widths. Dinner jackets were considered from the first less formal than full dress (cutaway) and etiquette guides declared it inappropriate for wear in mixed company.^[1]

During the Edwardian era the practice of wearing a black waistcoat and black bow tie with a tuxedo became the convention, establishing the basis of the current black tie and white tie dress codes. The tuxedo was also increasingly accepted at less formal evening occasions such as warm-weather gatherings or intimate dinners with friends.^[2]

After World War I the tuxedo became de facto evening wear, while the evening tailcoat was limited to extremely formal or ceremonial occasions. During this interwar period double-breasted jackets, turndown-collar shirts and cummerbunds became popular for black-tie evenings as did white and colored jackets in warm-weather.^[3][4]

In the decades following World War II black tie became special occasion attire rather than standard evening wear. In the 1950s colored and patterned jackets, cummerbunds and bow ties and narrow lapels became very popular; the 1960s and 70s saw the color palette move from muted to bright day-glow and pastel, as well as ruffled-placket shirts as lapels got wider and piping was revived.^[5][6][7] The 1980s and '90s saw a return to nostalgic styles, with black jackets and trousers again becoming nearly universal. In the first decade of the 21st century, midnight blue once again became popular, lapel facings were sometimes reduced to wide edging and long ties were often substituted for the iconic bow-tie. Black or colored shirts were more frequently worn.

The elements of black tie[link]

Unlike white tie, which is very strictly regulated, black-tie ensembles can display more variation. In brief, the traditional components for men are:

• A jacket with silk facings (usually grosgrain or satin) on a shawl collar, peaked lapel or notched lapel. Many current fashion stylists and writers see notched lapels as less formal^[8] although they (like peaked and shawl) have been used since the first evolution of the garment.^[9]
• Trousers with a single silk or satin braid covering the outer seams
• A black cummerbund or a low-cut waistcoat
• A white dress shirt (a marcella or pleated front is traditional), French cuffs and cufflinks, and a foldover or winged standing collar. (Old style detachable collars, winged, are also acceptable to the code, although extraordinarily rare.)^[10]
• A black silk bow tie matching the lapel facings
• Shirt studs and cufflinks. Studs are often dispensed with today.
• Black dress socks, usually of silk or fine wool
• Black shoes—traditionally patent leather court shoes (pumps); now often highly polished or patent leather Oxfords instead.

Jacket[link]

The typical black-tie jacket is single-breasted, and black or midnight blue; usually of polyester, wool or a wool–mohair blend, although other materials, especially silk, are seen. Double breasted models are less common, but considered equally appropriate. Dinner jackets were commonly ventless before WW I, but today come ventless, with side vents, or with center vents. The lapels are usually faced with silk in either a grosgrain or a satin weave.

Emily Post, a resident of Tuxedo Park, New York, stated in 1909 that "[Tuxedos] can have lapels or be shawl-shaped, in either case they are to be have facings of silk, satin or grosgrain." and later republished this statement in her 1922 book "Etiquette", adding that only single-breasted jackets are appropriately called "Tuxedos". The shape of the formal or semi-formal lapel is not specified by Emily Post so no lapel fashion is excluded.^[11] There is a fashion movement suggesting that a man's appearance when wearing the wider and higher peak lapel is superior to the narrower notch lapel.^[12]

White dinner jackets are often worn in warm climates. They are usually ivory in color rather than pure white, and usually have self-faced lapels (i.e., made of the same fabric as the jacket) rather than silk-faced lapels. They are generally worn with the same types of shirts and accessories as black dinner jackets, though the turndown collar and cummerbund are more commonly seen than are the wing collar or waistcoat. Similarly, the shawl lapel is more common in white dinner jackets. In the UK, the 20th Century etiquette was that white dinner jackets are never worn, even on the hottest day of summer, but are reserved for wear abroad.^[13] Today, white dinner jackets are frequently seen at weddings, formal beach events, and high-school proms, in the U.S. and at some concerts (famously for instance the Last night of the proms) in the UK. In tropical climates, such as in Imperial Burma, desert fawn was historically used as the less formal color. At one time the (civilian) mess jacket was also an option in warmer climates.

It is generally considered inappropriate for a man to remove his jacket during a formal social event, but when hot weather and humidity dictate, the ranking man (of the royal family, the guest of honor) may give men permission by noticeably taking off his jacket. In anticipated hot weather Red Sea rig is specified in the invitation, although this dress is esoteric in civilian circles, and is particular to certain expatriate communities.

Trousers[link]

Black tie trousers traditionally have no cuffs (turn-ups in British English) or belt loops. The outer seams are usually decorated with a single braid of silk or a material that matches the lapel facing. Traditionally, braces (suspenders), hidden by the waistcoat, were used to support the pants but belts are often worn today. Evening trousers can be flat-fronted or pleated today; pleats first coming into fashion in the 1930s.

Waistcoat or cummerbund[link]

A waistcoat (vest in American) or cummerbund traditionally should be worn when wearing a single-breasted coat. However, according to Debretts, "cummerbands or low cut black evening waistcoats are rarely worn nowadays".^[14] Waistcoasts come in the 'V' or rarer 'U' shape, in backless or fully backed versions, double or single breasted, with or without lapels. Single breasted styles typically have three buttons, and double breasted ones three or four rows. Before World War II, while black tie was still gaining acceptance, men would wear a white waistcoat, along with other details now associated primarily with white tie, such as stiff fronted shirts.

The cummerbund, derived from military dress uniform in British India, is worn with its pleats facing up, and is normally of the same cloth as the bow tie and lapels though strictly, the cummerbund, bow tie and lapels should be of different material. Maroon, a color commonly worn to accompany black tie, is often used for the cummerbund in less formal or summer situations (though it should be noted that this is not to match the bow tie, which in the current era is invariably black). A cummerbund is never worn with a double breasted jacket, and a waistcoat now very rarely. Since this style of jacket is never unbuttoned, the waist of the trousers is never exposed, and therefore does not need to be covered,^[15] though before World War II an edge of waistcoat was often shown between the jacket and shirt.

Recently, and particularly in the U.S., it has become more common for men to remove their jackets at less formal events such as weddings and proms. Because of this, full-back waistcoats have become more common; unlike the traditional waistcoat, these are often high, single breasted, and with the full five or six buttons of a daytime waistcoat.

Shirt[link]

A modern attached wing collar (of the half-collar shape, with longer wings than a typical attached wing collar) and pre-tied bow tie

Shirt designed to be worn with black tie are called "formal shirts," or "tuxedo shirts" in the United States and "dress shirts" in the UK.^[16] The shirt is conventionally white or off-white cotton or linen with a bibbed front that is marcella, pleated. In the early 20th century a stiff front such as is worn with white tie was sometimes used and in the 1960s and 70s ruffled bibs were popular, but neither style is often seen today. Indeed, a trend in the first decade of the 21st century has been to dispense with the bib front altogether. Shirts worn with black-tie have double (or "french") cuffs. In the late 19th century and through the 1920s, stiff shirts with winged detachable collars were common. Thereafter collars for formal shirts were generally attached with either the standard fold-over collar, or the "winged" version of the standing collar.^[17]

The original and most formal version of the dress shirt fastens with matching shirt studs. Dress shirts with a fly-front placket are also traditional. However, lately it has become quite common to allow buttons to show, although this is less formal. Studs and links are most commonly in silver or gold settings, featuring onyx or mother-of-pearl; various geometrical shapes are worn, e.g., circles (most common for studs), octagons, or rectangles (most common for links). There has been no consistent fashion preference for gold or silver, but mother-of-pearl is more formal and therefore often associated with white tie.

Footwear[link]

The most formal and traditional shoes are patent leather opera pumps (court shoes) decorated with grosgrain bows. The more popular alternative currently is the black lace-up Oxford shoe, in patent leather or calfskin, with a rounded plain toe.^[18] Matte finish pumps are also seen. Shoes are almost invariably black and patent leather is considered more formal than matte finishes while pumps are considered more formal than lace-ups. Generally considered too informal for black tie are shoes with open lacing, such as the Derby shoe (Blüchers in the U.S.). Notable alternatives include the black button boot (primarily of only historical interest) and the monogrammed Albert slipper which was originally worn only at home. Hosiery is black socks made from fine wool or silk.

Prince Philip wearing black tie with decorations

Accessories[link]

Most etiquette and fashion guides of the current decade recommend keeping color touches and favoring a single color, usually dark; muted reds, such as maroon, are a traditional choice.

Handkerchief: A handkerchief in linen (traditional), silk, or cotton is usually worn in the breast pocket.

Boutonnière: A flower may be worn. Red and white carnation, blue cornflower, and rosebud have all been popular at times. In France, the boutonnière is usually a gardenia, and boutonnières and handkerchiefs are not generally worn simultaneously.

Outerwear: Black-tie events do not involve outerware, and coats and gloves are no longer considered part of the dress code. However, etiquette for what to wear in public in transit to and from black tie occasions was stiffer in earlier eras and remain an option: Matching overcoats are usually black, charcoal, or dark blue, and traditionally of the Chesterfield style. A guard's coat was also once popular, and a lighter topcoat can be worn in summer. Historically, an Inverness coat was also worn. Until the mid-20th century, gloves and scarves were always worn, and are still occasionally seen in gray leather and white silk, respectively. White kid gloves have never been standard with black tie, remaining exclusive to white tie dress.

Hat: The 20th century standard hat for black tie was a black (or midnight blue) Homburg in winter, or straw hats in spring and summer, although fedoras were also used. Top hats were originally worn with black-tie, but had been reserved to white tie and morning dress from WW I. Black-tie dress does not require a hat today.

Timepiece: Traditionally visible timepieces are not worn with formal evening dress, because timekeeping is not supposed to be considered a priority.

Decorations and orders: Military, civil, and organizational decorations are usually worn only to full dress events, generally of formal governmental or diplomatic significance. Miniature orders and awards are typically worn on the left lapel of the jacket, and neck badges, breast stars, and sashes are worn according to country-specific or organizational regulations. Unlike in white tie, where decorations are always permitted, the dress code will usually give some indication when decorations are to be worn with black tie.

Black-tie social occasions[link]

Black tie is worn to private and public dinners, dances, and parties. At the more formal end of the social spectrum it has to a large extent replaced the more formal white tie. The black tie code is sometimes classified as "semi-formal" in contrast to the "formal" white tie, or as "formal" in contrast to the "most formal" of white tie. Once more common, white tie dress code is now fairly rare, being reserved for only extremely formal occasions. Black tie is traditionally worn only after six o'clock in the evening, or after sundown during winter months. Black tie's rough daytime equivalent is the stroller, which is less formal than morning dress because (as with black tie) it replaces the tailcoat with a lounge coat.

Black tie at weddings[link]

Black tie worn at a wedding

In the last few decades, black tie has been increasingly seen in the United States at formal day wedding in place of the traditional Morning dress. However, etiquette and clothing experts continue to condemn the wearing of black tie before the evening. Prior to the late 1930s, black tie was even discouraged as too informal for evening weddings, one writer arguing that "no man should ever be caught in a church in a tuxedo." Amy Vanderbilt. Indeed Emily Post would continue to argue in preference of white tie at evening weddings into the 1950s.

In England and Wales, black tie is seldom worn at weddings as morning dress or a lounge suit is normally favoured. In Scotland, a dinner jacket is also not common but highland dress is often chosen.

Corresponding forms of dress[link]

Mess dress[link]

For formal dining, uniformed services officers and non-commissioned officers normally wear mess uniform equivalents to the civilian black tie and evening dress. Mess uniforms may vary according to the wearers' respective branches of the armed services, regiments, or corps, but usually include a short Eton-style coat reaching to the waist. Some include white shirts, black bow ties, and low-cut waistcoats, while others feature high collars that fasten around the neck and corresponding high-gorge waistcoats.

Red Sea Rig[link]

In tropical areas, primarily in Western diplomatic and expatriate communities, Red Sea rig is sometimes worn, in which the jacket and waistcoat are omitted and a red cummerbund and trousers with red piping are worn instead.

Scottish Highland dress[link]

Formal black tie Highland regalia, kilt and Prince Charlie jacket

Scottish Highland dress is often worn to black- and white-tie occasions, especially at Scottish reels and cèilidhean; the black-tie version is more common, even at white-tie occasions. Traditionally, black-tie Scots Highland dress comprises:

• Black barathea jacket with silver buttons—Regulation Doublet, Prince Charlie, Brian Boru, Braemar, Argyll, and black mess jackets are suitable. There is some contention about whether the Duke of Montrose and Sheriffmuir doublets are too formal for black-tie occasions.
• Matching or tartan waistcoat
• Kilt
• White shirt with shirt studs, French or barrel cuffs, and a turn-down collar (wing collars are generally reserved for white tie in the UK)
• Black bow tie or white lace jabot
• Evening dress brogues
• Full-dress kilt hose (diced or tartan) (Off-white hose are often seen but are deplored by some, such as the late David Lumsden of Cushnie^[19])
• Silk flashes or garter ties
• Dress sporran with silver chain
• Black, silver-mounted sgian dubh
• Dirk (optional)
• Highland bonnet with crest badge (only suitable out of doors)^[20]

Traditional black-tie Lowland dress is a variant of the normal black tie that includes tartan trews rather than the usual trousers and may include a suitable kilt jacket instead of the dinner jacket. Trews are often worn in summer and warm climes.

References[link]

Further reading[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Black tie

Fashion portal

• Apparel Arts magazine, an account of 1930s fashion and style; some issues more relevant than others, such as those reproduced with comment at The London Lounge: Vol II. No. II and Vol I. No. III (numbering: London Lounge, not original)
• Flusser, Alan (2002). Dressing the Man: Mastering the art of Permanent Fashion. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 0-06-019144-9. 
• The Emily Post Institute provides a breakdown of traditional categories of progressing formality in dress for men & women.

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. Tagged since February 2010. It may be in need of reorganization to comply with Wikipedia's layout guidelines. Tagged since November 2007.

Rickie Lee Jones
Rickie Lee Jones performing in 2007
Background information
Birth name	Rickie Lee Jones
Born	(1954-11-08) November 8, 1954 (age 57) Chicago, Illinois, United States
Origin	Los Angeles and Hollywood, California, United States
Genres	Rock, R&B, singer-songwriter, jazz
Occupations	Singer-songwriter
Years active	since 1978
Labels	Warner Bros. (1979–1989; 1997–2000) Geffen (1989–1995) Reprise (1995–1997) Artemis (2000–2003) V2 (2003-06) New West (2006-09) Fantasy (2009-present)
Website	RickieLeeJones.com
Music sample
Chuck E.'s In Love noicon Rickie Lee Jones, Chuck E.'s in Love (Warner Bros., 1979)

Rickie Lee Jones (born November 8, 1954) is an American vocalist, musician, songwriter, and producer. Over the course of a five-decade career, Jones has recorded in various musical styles including rock, R&B, blues, pop, soul, and jazz standards. Her songwriting has been characterized as "a blend of bravado and vulnerability [that] wavers on indefinable borders."^[1] She is also known for her unique singing style, especially in live performances. One concert reviewer, describing her rendering of "We Belong Together," states she "reached her apex, skating from swells into near screams into breathy whispers, from pontillist stacatto scats into brassy, trumpetlike bursts."^[2]

In 1999, Jones was listed at #30 in the VH1 list of 100 greatest women of rock^[3].

Biography[link]

Childhood[link]

Rickie Lee Jones was born on the north side of Chicago to Bettye and Richard Jones. Her paternal grandfather, Frank 'Peg Leg' Jones, and her grandmother, Myrtle Lee, a dancer, were Vaudevillians based in Chicago, Illinois. A singer/dancer/comedian, Peg Leg Jones' routine consisted of playing the ukelele, singing ballads, and telling stories. One of four children, her father was a WW2 veteran. A singer, song writer, painter, and trumpet player, Mr. Jones worked as a waiter. Her mother, Bettye, was raised in orphanages in Ohio with her three brothers until she was old enough to leave. Bettye and Richard met in a drug store coffee shop. Rickie Lee was born the third child of four, in Chicago, 1954.

The family moved to Arizona in 1959, and the dry, desolation and heavenly skies ( Little Puffy Clouds) would provide the emotional landscape of her lyrical imagery (Last Chance Texaco, Flying Cowboys) that marks her early music. Her childhood in the Jones family was lonely, her imagination flourished. She grew up riding horses, studying dance, practicing swimming with her AAU coach before and after school. Her brother's accident, when she was 10 years old, changed the direction of her life. Her family moved to Olympia, Washington, where her father finally left the family for good. Rickie Lee finally dropped out of school in her 11th year, took her 'ged' and enrolled in college in Tacoma. She moved to Huntington Beach, California on her 18th birthday, and found her way to Venice, California, and to the boyfriend Mark Vaughan, who would support her in these formative years, as she worked odd jobs and enrolled in Santa Monica College, studying anthropology and music.

Early career[link]

At the age of 21, Jones began to play in clubs in Venice. She met Alfred Johnson, a piano player and song writer, and the two wrote some of her most famous songs in the first week they wrote together, including Company and parts of Weasel and the White Boys Cool. Nick Mathe, a neighbor, took an interest in her music, helped her get publicity photos with Bonnie Shiftman, then at A&M, in the off hours the three of them shot Miss Jones' first pictures. Rickie Lee played her music in showcases, worked with cover bands in clubs, sat in with Venice jazz bands, where her 'my Funny Valentine' became something of a local legend. But it wasn't until she moved to Hollywood that her career took off. She came to the attention of Dr. John and Little Feat's Lowell George in early 1978 through the efforts of Ivan Ulz, and it was Lowell who recorded her song "Easy Money" as the single for his first solo record. Jones also met Tom Waits and Chuck Weiss, whom she wrote about, and for a time, hung out with. When Lenny Woronker and Tommy LaPuma heard about her in 1978, a bidding war ensued, and Jones was signed to Warner Bros. for a five record deal, as an unknown, a girl on unemployment, whose life was about to change the course of pop music at a time when it was highly divided by genre. For if her early career accomplished one thing, it was to bring women out of the folkrock genre and into a more expansive idea. Jones multi genre music and provocative stage show forged the way for all who came after her.

Rickie Lee Jones met Tom Waits at The Troubadour in 1977 after an Ivan Ulz show in which she had sang a few of her songs - and her father's song, the Moon is Made of Gold. The two would-be lovers at the onset of her career, creating a life long association with one another, and harnessing her with his name long after their love affair was over. They were a popular couple at the time (Second City TV skits...) and they moved in together, Waits leaving his Tropicana days, Jones coming off a world wide tour in which she was booked as 'the new voice of America' in Germany, France and England. After their break up, Jones hooked up with pal Sal Bernardi. This long-time collaborator, who inspired her "Weasel and the White Boys", would remain a personal and musical partner for decades. Nominated for 6 grammies, she told her mentor Bob Regher she would not attend the ceremony. Calling him at the last minute, they raced to the event just in time for her to walk up and collect her 'best new artist' trophy, in her leather jacket and boa, signature beret and gloves. Her popular acceptance speech, in which she thanked her lawyer and accountant (this was the year most of the winners, from Dylan to Diamond, were thanking God), became the hallmark, again, for speeches to come.

Jones and Waits were lovers of such enigmatic appeal it would be many decades before the media stopped asking them about one another. In fact, even after the break up, Francis Ford Coppola asked Rickie Lee to collaborate with Mr. Waits on the upcoming film, One from the Heart, but she balked, citing the recent breakup. Francis responded that it would be perfect for the film, since the two characters are separated, and he asked her to reconsider. Realizing the pressure to reunite with Tom Waits, Jones refused the job. It was then that Waits met his future wife, and Jones began work on Pirates, one of the 100 must-hear CDs, a 5 star Rolling Stone record, including We Belong Together, garnering praise from every corner of rock media at the time. Steely Dan, Randy Newman, the Brecker Brothers, and Steve Gadd, are a few of the A-list folk inducted to create the 18 month ordeal that gave birth to her second 'sophomore' effort, a study in the end of her love affair and the darkness that followed.

Early success: 1978–82[link]

By 1977, Jones was performing original material at the Ala Carte club in Hollywood with Alfred Johnson, with whom she had composed "Weasel and the White Boys Cool" and "Company". She was noticed there by rock journalist/attorney Stann Findelle, who wrote about her in Performance Magazine and advised her in her career for a short time. Jones' success on the club scene soon translated into songwriting kudos, when her friend Ivan Ulz introduced Lowell George of Little Feat to Jones' composition "Easy Money" by singing it to him over the telephone. George included the song on his album Thanks, I'll Eat it Here in 1978. It became the only single for George's first solo attempt, and final record before his death. The announcement of George's death was recorded on the same Rolling Stone cover featuring Rickie Lee Jones crouching in a black bra and white beret - an issue that would become the largest selling issue in the magazine's history up to that time.^{[citation needed]} Her appearance - as an unknown (her debut record had been released less than a month before) - on Saturday Night Live television show on April 7, 1979 sparked an overnight sensation. She performed "Chuck E's in Love" and "Coolsville".

A four-song demo of material was circulated around the L.A. music scene in 1978, with Emmylou Harris later recalling that she had heard an early version of "The Last Chance Texaco" on the demo tape. The recordings came to the attention of Lenny Waronker, producer and executive at Warner Bros. Records. Jones was signed to the label, and work commenced on her debut album, co-produced by Waronker and Russ Titelman. Jones was courted by the major labels, and chose Waronker because of his work with Randy Newman, and because, she said, she had a vision of standing in his office the moment she saw his name on the back of Newman's Sail Away album.

Rickie Lee Jones was released in March 1979 and became a hit, buoyed by the success of the jazz-flavored single "Chuck E.'s In Love" (#4 Billboard Hot 100, 1979) and its accompanying video. The album, which included guest appearances by Dr. John, Randy Newman, and Michael McDonald, went to US #3 on the Billboard 200 and produced another US Top 40 hit with "Young Blood" (#40) in late 1979.

Following a successful world tour, the cover of Rolling Stone magazine ^[4], Jones secured five nominations at the Grammy Awards for Record of the Year, Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female, Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female, Song of the Year ("Chuck E.'s in Love"), and Best New Artist, which she won at the January 1980 ceremony. She was also voted Best Jazz Singer by Playboy magazine's critic and reader polls. Jones was covered by Time magazine on her very first professional show, in Boston, and they dubbed her "The Duchess of Coolsville."

After moving to New York City, Jones spent the majority of 1981 working on a follow-up album, written and recorded partly in reaction to the break-up of her relationship with Tom Waits sometime between late 1979 and early 1980^{[citation needed]}. The songs were written between September 1979 and June 1981 - when the last lyrics to "Traces of the Western Slope" and the last bass on "A Lucky Guy" were put down. The recording sessions finally yielded Pirates in July 1981.

Rolling Stone remained fervent supporters of Jones, with a second cover feature in 1981 ^[5]; the magazine also included a glowing five-star assessment of Pirates, which became a commercially successful follow-up by reaching US #5 on the Billboard 200. A single, "A Lucky Guy", became the only Billboard Hot 100 hit from the album, peaking at #64, but "Pirates (So Long Lonely Avenue)" and "Woody and Dutch on the Slow Train to Peking" became minor Top 40 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. More importantly, historically, is the fact that in America "Woody and Dutch..." became a kind of commercial mainstay. The finger snaps and jive talk beat were imitated in advertisements for McDonald's, Dr. Pepper, and others.

Jones' quirky fashion as well became quickly edified as well, her skin-tight lycra pant suit, elbow length fingerless gloves, the famous red beret and the red high heels showed up in some capacity everywhere. Pat Benetar can be seen in Rickie Lee suits. Jones' career suffered from a lack of guidance after her mentor Bob Regher died in 1986, and her signature vocal sound was imitated by so many, few people born after 1990 seem to know who she is. Aside from being the first video star (her 11 minute WB short film was so successful in promoting her image that a year later MTV came into being), her influence on pop and jazz was prominent in the early years of her career.

Voted best jazz singer two years in a row by audiences and critics (Playboy and Rolling Stone polls, 1980, 1981), her insistence on covering jazz in a career that clearly was a pop career might have damaged her marketability, but it certainly opened the door for a wider scope of music from pop singers in general. Obscure jazz standards began to show up on the sudden rush of established pop singers to cover jazz standards (the obscure Billy Barnes ballad "Something Cool," for instance, had a rise in popularity after Jones introduced it in concert to rock audiences on her debut tour). Jones' impact on pop music may be rarely measured by the rock media, she was associated with no movement (punk, new wave, country rock) to bring her mileage when her own work was ebbing, but there is no doubt that her appearance turned the tide of pop music from disco to singer songwriter.

Another lengthy and successful tour into 1982 followed, before Jones moved back to California, settling in San Francisco. A partial tour memento, the EP Girl at Her Volcano, was issued originally as a 10" record in 1983, featuring a mix of live and studio cover versions of jazz and pop standards, as well as one Jones original, "Hey, Bub," which was recorded for Pirates. Jones then relocated to Paris.

Period of transition: 1983–89[link]

The remainder of the 1980s found Jones falling out of favor commercially and pursuing a more complex and experimental sound.

Jones settled in France and recorded new material, some of which was released on her third full-length solo album, The Magazine, in September 1984. The Magazine found Jones combining the melodic, jazz-inspired sound of her debut with the complex structures of Pirates, with a more synth-driven sound, owed to working closely with composer James Newton Howard on the album. Alongside the more commercially appealing material, Jones included a three-song suite, subtitled "Rorschachs", exploring multi-tracked vocals and synth patterns. Only the upbeat "The Real End" made it into the Billboard Hot 100 in 1984, peaking at #82.

She began to pursue jazz standards, recording "The Moon Is Made of Gold", which was written by her father, and "Autumn Leaves" for Rob Wasserman's album Duets in 1985. Jones took a four-year break from her recording schedule, largely attributed to the deaths of her mentor Bob Regher and her father, Richard Loris Jones that same year^[6].

Jones returned to the United States in 1987 after a tour of Israel and Norway, and the imminent birth of her daughter brought her home to California. In September 1988, work began on her fourth solo album following another Grammy nomination for her Wasserman collaboration "Autumn Leaves". With songs dating from the mid-1980s, Jones teamed up with Steely Dan's Walter Becker to craft Flying Cowboys, which was released on the Geffen Records label in September 1989. Jones also included some writing collaborations with her husband Pascal Nabet Meyer. "The Horses", co-written with Becker, was featured in the movie Jerry Maguire and became an Australian #1 hit single for Daryl Braithwaite in 1991. The album made the US Top 40, reaching #39 on the Billboard 200, with the college radio hit "Satellites" making it to #23 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. Jones ended the decade on a high note with her duet with Dr. John, a cover of "Makin' Whoopee", winning her second Grammy Award, this time in the category of Best Jazz Vocal Collaboration.

Experimentation and change: 1990–2001[link]

Jones in concert

Following a tour with Lyle Lovett, Jones enlisted David Was to helm her idiosyncratic album of covers, Pop Pop, ranging from jazz and blues standards to Tin Pan Alley to Jimi Hendrix's "Up from the Skies". The album, released in September 1991, was a hit on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Albums (#8, 1991), but became her least commercially successful record yet, reaching #121 on the Billboard 200.

Soon after, The Orb issued "Little Fluffy Clouds", featuring a sampled Jones interview. However, Jones objected to the unauthorized use of her voice and pursued the issue in the legal system. In 1992 she toured extensively with Rob Wasserman, with whom she had collaborated in the mid-1980s.

Her swan song for Geffen Records was Traffic From Paradise, released in September 1993. The album was slightly more successful than its predecessor, reaching #111 on the Billboard 200, and was notable for its collaboration with Leo Kottke, its musical diversity, and a cover of David Bowie's "Rebel Rebel", which was slated to be the title track for the Oscar-winning film Boys Don't Cry, when Bowie's publishing pulled the plug by asking for too much money from the little independent movie.

A number of television and movies had licensed her work in these years, including Thirtysomething, Frankie and Johnny, When a Man Loves a Woman, Jerry Maguire, Friends with Money and the French film Subway. Jones sang a duet with Lyle Lovett on "North Dakota" for his Joshua Judges Ruth CD.

Jones' first solo shows in 1994 paved the way for her "unplugged" acoustic album Naked Songs, released in September 1995 through a one-off deal with Reprise Records. The album, which reached US #121 on the Billboard 200, featured acoustic re-workings of Jones classics and album material, but no new songs.

Emphasizing her experimentation and change, Jones embraced electronic music for Ghostyhead, released on Warner Bros. Records in June 1997. The album, a collaboration with Rick Boston (both are credited with production and with twenty-one instruments in common), found Jones employing beats, loops, and electronic rhythms, and also showcased Jones' connection with the trip-hop movement of the mid-to-late 1990s. Despite some positive reviews, it did not meet with commercial success, peaking at US #159 on the Billboard 200. There are critics who consider this her best record, and who believe that it had large impact on electronic singer-songwriter music that would emerge 10 years later.

1990 - 1996 seemed to be Jones' lowest professional ebb. Everything she recorded was met with extreme skepticism and even harsh criticism. Her live shows, on the other hand, were lauded as a return to form. She had not really been on a stage in America (at least the eastern half) in eight years when she toured for Flying Cowboys.

Jones' second album of cover versions, It's Like This, was released on the independent record label Artemis Records in September 2000. The album included cover versions of material by artists including The Beatles, Steely Dan, Marvin Gaye, and the Gershwin brothers. The album made it onto three Billboard charts — #148 on the Billboard 200, #10 on Top Internet Albums, and #42 on Top Independent Albums. The album also secured Jones another Grammy nomination for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.

After starting up her official website, Artemis issued an archival Jones release, Live at Red Rocks, in November 2001, featuring material recorded during the Flying Cowboys era tour of 1989-1990, including a Lyle Lovett duet.

Artistic renaissance: 2002 and beyond[link]

Rickie Lee Jones performing on the Legacy Stage on June 15, 2007.

After Ghostyhead, Jones largely retired from public view and admitted that she had battled writers' block^{[citation needed]}. She spent much of her time at her home in Olympia, Washington, tending her garden and bringing up her now-teenage daughter Charlotte.

Released on the independent V2 in October 2003, The Evening of My Best Day featured influences from jazz, Celtic folk, blues, R&B, rock, and gospel, and spawned a successful and lengthy spurt of touring. The album peaked at US #189 on the Billboard 200. The CD helped to swing her career away from an apparent middle-of the-road perception, a posture she seemed furiously bent on avoiding. She invited punk bass icon Mike Watt (the Minutemen, Iggy Pop) to perform on "It Takes You There", while "Ugly Man" was a direct aim at the George Bush 'regime' evoking, with an anthem-like Hugh Masekela arrangement, what she termed 'the Black Panther horns', and calling for 'revolution, everywhere that you're not looking, revolution.'

Renewed interest in Jones led to the three-disc anthology Duchess of Coolsville: An Anthology, released through reissue specialists Rhino in June 2005. A lavish package, the alphabetically arranged release featured album songs, live material, covers, and demos, and featured essays by Jones as well as various collaborators, as well as tributes from artists including Randy Newman, Walter Becker, Quincy Jones, and Tori Amos.

Also in 2005, Jones was invited to take part in her boyfriend and collaborator Lee Cantelon's music version of his book The Words, a book of the words of Christ, set into simple chapters and themes. Cantelon's idea was to have various artists recite the text over primal rock music, but Jones elected to try something that had never been done, to improvise her own impression of the texts, melody and lyric, in stream of consciousness sessions, rather than read Jesus' words. The sessions were recorded at an artist's loft on Exposition Boulevard in Culver City. When Cantelon could no longer finish the project, Jones picked it up as her own record and hired Rob Schnaf to finish the production at Sunset Sound in 2007, and the result was The Sermon on Exposition Boulevard, released on the independent New West Records in February 2007. It included "Circle in the Sand," recorded for the soundtrack to the film Friends With Money (2006), for which Jones also cut "Hillbilly Song." The Sermon on Exposition Boulevard debuted at #158 on the Billboard 200 and #12 on the Top Independent Albums tally. Writer Ann Powers included this on her list of Grammy-worthy CDs for 2007.