Musician Lisa helps TV’s Jane to chart success

Photo: Picture: CHRIS SUNDERLAND

MELODY maker Lisa Harman

AN Oldham singer-songwriter has helped to propel TV star Jane McDonald up the charts.

Miss Lisa Harman has co-written four songs on the new album “Jane”, which went on sale last week and has already sold out in some stores.

Lisa, from Chadderton, sings at the famous Blackpool Tower Ballroom every Wednesday and Sunday and is the backing singer for performer Joe Longthorne.

She is now contemplating a solo career after the success of her partnership with Jane, a former cruise singer from Wakefield who hit the big-time after appearing on a reality TV series and went on to become a singer, actress and TV personality.

It was a chance phone call five years ago that led to Lisa (38), who teaches music at Keys Musical Instruments, Oldham, meeting Jane.

She said: “She was on the Nicky Campbell show on Radio 5 Live and there was a debate about the fact that there are people who are more talented than some stars that don’t get the opportunity and their talents get wasted. I phoned in to join the debate and said I had written some songs and she later asked me to send some songs and my number, which I did.

“She fell in love with the songs I had written and came to see me at my house and we wrote together.

“She had an idea of the songs she wanted and we took it from there. I wrote most of the music and she wrote most of the lyrics.”

Lisa started writing songs when she was 10. She has already contributed six songs to three previous Jane McDonald albums and has been asked to write for Joe Longthorne and singer Peter Grant.

She contributed “If Only I knew”, “Time For Love”, “You Do It All For Me” and “Sweet Talker” to the new album, and she is delighted with them.

Lisa said: “I personally think the album is the best she’s done, without a doubt. She’s had more of a say in the songs she has done on it so she has done things that suit her more and moved away from covers to more original stuff.

“It’s gone completely sky high. They are selling ridiculously quickly and it’s getting high in the charts.

“I think my songs are as strong as the rest. There are two Barry Manilow songs on there and mine hold their own. I’ve seen her perform them at Blackpool and they go down a storm. They mean a lot to me.

“At some time I would like to go out and do it myself but you have to get your foot in the door writing for people first before you take gambles. I’m getting a reputation as a writer before going out myself.

“Jane is great fun. She’s exactly the same off stage as on. She’s really bubbly.

“We are both very outgoing people but easy going as well so we get on really well. We both like the same music, which is why we hit it off so well and wrote songs together.”