By JENNY STATHIS and MEGAN CHRISTOFFERSON
megan@du2.byu.edu or jenny@du2.byu.edu
It was the faces of fans that inspired the cover for singer/songwriter Howard Jones' newest album, 'People.' Jones had a chance to meet some of those people Friday night in Utah Valley.
Crowds lined up at Media Play in Orem Friday where Jones was signing autographs in connection with his Saturday night concert at The Canyons.
'I've been coming to Utah since 1984 and I must have played here about ten times, and I've just had the most incredible response,' Jones said in an interview with The Universe.
'This is one of my favorite places to play in the world without a doubt. I just hope I can keep coming back,' he said.
'We're really excited to have Howard with us today. He's one of our biggest signers. He draws the biggest crowds and people love to see him,' said Katie Holley, assistant music manager at Media Play. 'They line up at 2 when he's not supposed to here till 5.'
With some fans waiting in line for as long as two hours, General Manager Kyle Hales said he estimated at least 800 people waiting for Jones' autograph.
'He (Jones) does not do in-stores. He only does it in Utah because he likes the market and they like him,' Hales said.
Jones said it is important to him to write songs that are relevant to people's lives.
'When I'm sitting in the studio, I want to write songs that actually connect with people's lives, so there's a song about how parents feel toward their children, and there's a song about weddings--songs that when you hear them, you're gonna feel those emotions or think those thoughts,' he said. 'That's what make the connection between the artist and the people who hear the music.'
Jones's new music is about relationships and the personal hurdles we all cross in our adult relationships.
Songs like 'Wedding Song', 'Sleep My Angel', 'Back In Your Life Again,' and 'Not one of the Lonely Tonight' reflect the events that shape people's lives.
According to Shore Fire Media, who handle Jones' publicity, these ballads were written in an intensive period of six weeks. Some of his best work was done at a special small-group songwriters workshop held by Miles Copeland at a castle in France.
At his Saturday night concert, the crowd responded favorably to Jones' new songs, but it was the old favorites that really brought them to their feet. At times Jones would turn the microphone on the crowd who would sing their favorites themselves.
Jones taught the crowd the chorus of one of his new songs, so they could sing along with that one too. 'It's in my usual style, lots of 'wo wo's',' he said.
He put a new twist on 'New Song' which the crowd seemed to like. And he sang 'Life in One Day' with only acoustic guitars as his accompaniment.
If the crowd on Saturday night was any indication, his new album will be a hit.
Zack Westphal, Jones' music manager said Jones has always been popular in Utah. 'They like him because he produces clean music,' Westphal said.
The Canyons provided the perfect setting for the Jones concert. The weather was wonderful and view was spectacular. A simple back drop of people's faces, like those on the CD cover emphasized the feeling that it was the way Jones' music touches people, not a fancy light show that drew the crowds.
This was the first time Jones had appeared in Utah in nine years.
Opening for Jones was the group Moontubes and Caterpillars.