"Leap of Faith"
Featuring Quino & James McWhinney of BIG MOUNTAIN
Written & Produced by Jed Leiber
Over two years ago, songwriter/producer Jed Leiber wrote the song, “Leap of Faith” with Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Jeff Barry. Jed knew he had to find the right voice for this song. That voice came to him over the radio one day when he heard Big Mountain’s vocalist, Quino, singing a cover of “Baby, I Love Your Way”, a mid-90’s hit in the U.S. Coincidentally, the song’s original artist, Peter Frampton, is a friend of Leiber’s, the two having actually written songs together.
Through a mutual friend, Wayne Jobson, Leiber met Quino, who, after hearing the piano demo, eagerly agreed to lay down the lead vocals. A trial performance and recording by Quino sealed the deal and all Leiber needed was financing. In spite of challenging family struggles, Leiber waited for the money to properly produce the track. A year went by before the funds became available, his own, and the recording took place in Leiber’s world renowned studio, NightBird, located in the Sunset Marquis Hotel, West Hollywood, CA. “Leap of Faith” was engineered by NightBird's Adam Kagan & staff. It received critical praise from Leiber’s toughest critic, his father, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame songwriter Jerry Leiber. Sadly, Jerry Leiber passed away shortly after that spontaneous moment, but Jed stated that, “knowing the last record I played for him was something that he truly liked, made that time a little more special.” Now, “Leap of Faith” is garnering special interest and accolades from critics and musicians alike.
About Jed Leiber:
Jed has been in and around recording studios since the age of 4. As the son of famed songwriter, Jerry Leiber (“Hound Dog”, “Stand By Me”, “Jailhouse Rock”, “Love Potion # 9”, “On Broadway”, “Yakety Yak” and many more…), you could say songwriting and recording are ‘in his blood’. Jed has worked with recording artists ranging from Aretha Franklin to Jeff Beck and has received two Grammy nominations, as well as winning the British Academy Award (BAFTA) for his work in music. Leiber’s Nightbird studios in 2010 alone, assisted over 50 artists in more than 30 categories, win 21 Grammy Awards.
About Big Mountain:
Big Mountain is an American Reggae group, most famous for their cover of Peter Frampton’s iconic rock ballad, “Baby, I love Your Way”. In 1994, Big Mountain’s version became a Top 10 Hit Single in the U.S. making it all the way to #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The 1994 version was also included in the soundtrack for the Ben Stiller film, Reality Bites. Their follow-up single, "Sweet Sensual Love", reached into the Top 100 in the U.K., with their album Unity selling over a million copies worldwide. Big Mountain is comprised of brother duo of Joaquin "Quino" McWhinney on vocals and James McWhinney on keyboards along with drummer Paul Kastick.