Jane Aire & The Belvederes

Jane Aire (real name Jane Ashley) was another talented singer from Akron, Ohio whose career really got started outside her homeland, courtesy of a single on Stiff Records, Yankee Wheels.

Aire’s backing group The Belvederes were, in reality, a London group called The Edge, who came about when guitarist Lu Edmonds and drummer Jon Moss left a brief and unrecorded incarnation of The Damned in 1978.

With the addition of keyboardist Gavin Povey (who had played with Lew Lewis) and bassist Glyn Havard (whose long career has included stints with Yachts and Jade Warrior), The Edge fell together.

As well as playing behind Jane Aire on her LP, they appeared, nearly intact, on Kirsty MacColl‘s first album (and recorded their own album, called Square One). Subsequent to the Edge, Lu worked in a number of bands, including Shriekback, the Spizzles and Public Image Ltd., while Jon Moss went on to temporary fame and fortune in Culture Club.

After the Stiff single, Aire moved to Virgin to record an album featuring her backing band plus Chris Payne (trombone), Ray Warleigh (saxophone) and backing singers Rachel Sweet and Kirsty MacColl.

After marrying Pete Briquette of The Boomtown Rats in 1980 and assembling a new bunch of Belvederes in Paul Cutler (guitar), Ian Curnow (keyboards), Sam Hartley (bass), Dave Ashley (drums) and former Deaf School saxophonist Ian Ritchie, Jane returned to Stiff to make a further single, a version of Dusty Springfield‘s I Close My Eyes and Count To Ten (1982).

Jane Aire
Vocals
Lu Edmonds
Guitar
Glyn Havard
Bass
Gavin Povey
Keyboards
Jon Moss
Drums
Paul Cutler
Guitar
Ian Curnow
Keyboards
Sam Hartley
Bass
Dave Ashley
Drums
Ian Ritchie
Saxophone