🎼 I Wanna Learn Ya 🎼 💜 — Story Behind the Song

LATE 1988
Big hair. Bigger dreams. Studios packed with Guitars, Keyboards, cassette tapes, coffee, and possibility.

At the time, I was deep into recording demos for our Rapskallion project, while working alongside producer Ace Jackson — Norman to those who knew him best. Norman already had experience in the business, record deals under his belt, artists under development, and a sharp understanding of how the industry worked. He brought me in largely because of my songwriting and production instincts.

What happened next changed everything.

THE PHONE CALL
One day while working in his studio, Norman got a phone call from his attorney.  On the other end was an opportunity. Art Kass from Kama-Sutra Records was looking for a new female dance artist.
Norman hung up, looked at me and asked: “Jimmy, do you know any contemporary female dance artists?”
My answer came fast: “Not really… but I’ll go home right now and write the song.”
He laughed at me.  I wasn’t joking and I wasn't wrong to thinking I couldn't. 

THE DRIVE HOME
On the drive home, inspiration hit from an unexpected place.  I was listening to a cassete in my car, one of my favorite rock bands at the time, Piper (Billy Squire) and caught a lyric buried inside one of the deep cuts.
“I want to learn you, I want to know your face.  It wasn’t exactly the lyric or the context — but something about those words stuck. Wanna Learn Ya. That's was it the title of the Dance tune to be.
Immediately, I saw the concept: playful obsessed school-girl, youthful infatuation, curiosity, wanting to know someone completely — all wrapped inside an energetic dance track.

Back in my home studio, surrounded by keyboards and inspired by artists like Taylor Dayne, Madonna and Lisa Lisa Cult Jam,  I got to work.
I knew what I was chasing and about 80% of the song came together fast.  Now that's called intentional songwriting under pressure.

FINDING THE VOICE
Then the phone rang.  It was KC, a good friend and drummer for Rapskallion.  I told him about the opportunity and said I needed a female vocalist for a demo.  He immediately suggested his friend Carolyn.
The next day, Carolyn and I met up.  I played her what I had.  She was all in.  Together we finished the lyrics, set up the microphone, recorded vocals, and built the demo. 
I later tweaked everything I could and, about a week later, I brought it back to Norman. He was shockingly impressed.

The demo moved quickly.  Norman sent it to the attorney.  The attorney sent it to Art Kass.  And roughly two weeks after a random studio conversation turned into a challenge…
We had a record deal. Just like that.

TWO WEEKS TO A RECORD DEAL
The project became Charisse — Carolyn’s artist name — and suddenly this little song written under self-imposed pressure was becoming something much bigger.
With the deal we received a fair advance for our first single, “I Wanna Learn Ya” and like most young artists, we spent it the glamorous way: 🙃 Studio time, Attorney fees and her Press Package.

A few weeks later, Kama-Sutra’s A&R team called and wanted to meet in New York City on Madison Avenue to discuss rollout plans.
Within months, records were pressed and the label pushed the single through-out the Dance Clubs side of the business, all across America.
And almost immediately, it started charting.

WHEN THINGS STARTED MOVING FAST
The song gained traction in NYC, Philly, Long Island, Miami, Texas, and beyond.
For a moment, Charisse was climbing charts alongside — and in some markets outperforming — major artists of that time.
Artists like Madonna, Jody Watley, Tom Tom Club and others.
What started as a challenge had become real.  Then came the part nobody teaches you about the music business:..

Sometimes success isn’t enough.  The label’s future suddenly became uncertain, doors started closing, and the momentum behind the release changed overnight. (A story for another day, but if you can't wait check out this book it tells all (Our friend Art, Kass was a big player in the scandals) https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/36698/hit-men-by-fredric-dannen/ 
Two weeks before our contract ended, Carolyn decided to move to Florida and begin the next chapter of her life.  It felt like the story was over… and then…

THE PHONE CALL THAT CAME TOO LATE
Then, on the exact day our contract expired, my phone rang.  It was Sony Records A&R -  “Hey… what’s going on with Charisse? We’re very interested…”
At that point, Carolyn had already moved I didn't have a forwarding number to reach her and what was I going to say?  I mean she already put her life on hold for the the first year … anyway the story continues (but not with Carolyn)

And yes I will continue the story of the new Charisse (Sony Records) with another song which I will share sooner than later.

WHY BRING IT BACK NOW?
Today, nearly four decades later, Wanna Learn Ya returns in its new 2026 form.

Not as nostalgia. Not as unfinished business. But as part of a catalog of songs born during one wild chapter that would eventually produce years of writing, recording, dreaming, near misses, victories, heartbreak, and a whole lot of music still waiting to be heard.
This song wasn’t just one song, It became the beginning of a continued two year pursuit with a new "Charisse" and many other incredible local talents that manifested a dozen more dance tunes.

Experience both versions — the original 1989 recording that started it all and the 2026 re-release. 

Peace out my friends✌🏼 James Vincent 😘

Attention Artists, Music Supervisors, Sync Agencies, DJs & Playlist Curators:
All James Vincent Music is copyrighted, published under JVMEDIA MUSIC PUBLISHING, and registered with BMI, with accurate co-writer splits, metadata, and licensing information fully documented. Every track is ready for immediate sync use, making it a risk-free option for film, television, advertising, and other projects. 
For inquiries, licensing, or placements, visit JamesVincentMusic or email us at JamesVincentMedia@Gmail.com 

🎼 I Wanna Learn Ya 🎼 💜 - (Pop, Fun & Flirty, Danceable) - originally released in 1989 for Sutra Records artist Charisse, now re-imagined for 2026 with a chill - irresistible pop energy, catchy hooks, and modern dance floor vibes. Perfect for nostalgic pop storytelling, fun social content, and upbeat lifestyle visuals.  

🎼 Happiness 🎼 💜 — Story Behind the Song

Happiness may actually be one of the biggest underdog songs in the entire James Vincent music catalog — not because it lacks quality, but because positivity itself has quietly become the underdog in modern songwriting.

Most popular songs today revolve around: heartbreak - betrayal - anxiety - conflict - emotional collapse

And while those themes absolutely matter and connect deeply with people, sometimes we forget how powerful it can be when a song simply celebrates love, gratitude, emotional safety, and commitment. “Happiness” was written from that place long before I fully understood songwriting, production, or even where music would eventually take me creatively. Back in the mid-80s, I was still learning the craft — experimenting with early drum machines, multi-track recording, keyboards, arranging, and trying to figure out how melodies and emotions worked together. In many ways, this was one of the very first songs where I truly felt the emotional magic of songwriting. 

Fast forward decades later, I pulled this one out of the dusty desk drawer… or more accurately, an old hard drive. And honestly? The original version was rough. Some painfully obvious clichés, awkward phrasing, youthful overreaching — all the fingerprints of a songwriter still learning his voice. But underneath all of that, I could still hear something genuine and timeless hiding inside the song. So instead of leaving it trapped in the past, I decided to completely revisit the lyric, keep the emotional core intact, and re-imagine it with a smoother contemporary RnB groove and modern production style. With the blessing of my longtime writing partners Donald and Butch, “Happiness” finally became the song I always hoped it could be.

At its heart, this song is simply a celebration of finding someone who brings light, peace, and meaning into your life. No games. No tragedy. No emotional wreckage. Just love, connection, and the rare feeling that life suddenly makes more sense because someone else is standing beside you. Maybe we need a few more songs like that in the world again. I hope you enjoy this one… and even more, I hope you share it with someone you love.

Peace my friends,
James Vincent 😘

🎼 Happiness 🎼 💜 - Smooth Pop-R&B, Feel-Good, Mid-tempo) - a warm, modern love song centered on gratitude and emotional connection, ideal for uplifting relationship moments, lifestyle branding, and positive young-adult storytelling. 

What Good is a ❤️? — Story Behind the Song

It started the way a lot of songs do… by accident. Songwriters are always listening — consciously and subconsciously — to the conversations happening around them. Kind of like Siri with a guitar and too much coffee. One night, my wife and sister-in-law were talking about a young couple whose relationship had fallen apart. At the end of the conversation, my sister-in-law said something slightly awkward but incredibly honest: “I think he has a good heart… I just don’t think he knows how to use it.” That line hit me instantly. Before the night was over, I was already writing the song.

At the time, I was thinking straightforward rock song, so the original version leaned much harder into a rock format. I recorded a rough demo vocal myself and immediately knew there was something special hiding inside the song — even though it felt a little “too pop” for the rock world I was living in creatively back then. A few months later, while working on an original song submission for American Idol with my co-writers Donald and Butch, we brought in an amazing vocalist named Rebecca Anne to cut demo vocals for that project. During some downtime, we had her record a rough vocal on “What Good Is a Heart?” Although she wasn’t exactly feeling the song in its original rock disguise, she absolutely soldiered through and cut a pretty great performance none-the-less. 

Then… the song sat untouched for nearly 15 years. (Secret formula: cut rough demo, throw in oven for 15-years, then serve. 🤣!

Earlier this year, I revisited the old demo and decided to stop fighting what the song naturally wanted to become. Instead of pushing it toward rock, I leaned completely into a bright, unapologetic modern pop production — catchy hooks, emotional energy, bubble-gum shine and all. Suddenly, the song fully came alive. It became one of the best examples of something I’ve always believed as a songwriter and producer: a truly great song can survive almost any genre transformation if the core emotion and melody are real. And despite the labels people attach to “Pop Music,” I’ve always viewed pop music simply as popular music — songs that connect. Whether it’s Rush’s “Tom Sawyer,” Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall,” Metallica’s “Enter Sandman,” or Radiohead’s “Creep” — great songs are great songs first. “What Good Is a Heart?” finally found the version it was always meant to be.

Attention Artists, Music Supervisors, and Sync Agencies:
All James Vincent Music is copyrighted, published under JVMEDIA MUSIC PUBLISHING, and registered with BMI, with accurate co-writer splits, metadata, and licensing information fully documented. Every track is ready for immediate sync use, making it a risk-free option for film, television, advertising, and other projects. 
For inquiries, licensing, or placements, visit JamesVincentMusic or email us at JamesVincentMedia@Gmail.comÂ