- LP
- Digital
- Pick Up
- Recommended
- New Release
Lady Jane
Here I Am Baby
Athens Of The North - Cat No: AOTNLP090
- Release: 2026-09-25
- updated:2026-10-01
Soul singer Lady Jane’s only studio album, *Here I Am Baby*, was recorded in Detroit in the late 1970s, Recorded in 1980 and released in a limited run as a self-produced album, many copies were destroyed in a flood, and since the master tapes had ended up in the hands of her ex-husband, this work had effectively become a phantom release virtually unknown to the world—until Athens Of The North miraculously unearthed and reissued it on LP. I’m captivated by her powerful yet delicate voice, which at times even conveys a sense of fragility. Tears. It’s been unearthed and reissued!
Track List
-
A1. Here I Am Baby
03:06 -
A2. Never Lived In The Ghetto
03:52 -
A3. Space Flight
02:35 -
B1. Things Have Got To Change
03:51 -
B2. Don't Nobody Love You Like I Do
03:29 -
B3. Do You Know What You're Talking About
04:06 -
B4. She's A Star
03:23
>> 24bit/96khz [wav/flac/aiff/alac/mp3]
Lost Soul Super Rarity “Here I Am Baby” by Lady Jane reissued by Athens of the North
Rare 1980 Detroit funk-soul LP finally surfaces after 45 years, revealing a powerful story of survival and artistic resilience
Edinburgh based label Athens of the North is pleased to announce the reissue of Here I Am Baby, the only studio album by soul and funk vocalist Lady Jane (Jane Brice), originally recorded at Studio A, in Dearborn Heights and privately released in 1980.
Lady Jane recorded these sessions during a turbulent period in Detroit in the late 1970s, working with respected engineer Eric Morgeson and a studio band on material largely written by her then-husband. The album remained virtually unknown for decades, with copies destroyed in a flood and masters held by her ex-husband. A chance discovery by Friends of Sound Records founder David Haffner in 2022 set the reissue in motion. Remarkably, before his death, Jane’s ex-husband returned the original master tapes to her—yielding not only the complete multitracks for Here I Am Baby, but an entire album’s worth of unreleased material, also coming soon on AOTN.
Here I Am Baby showcases Jane’s extraordinary voice across a compelling blend of soul, funk, and disco, from the opening ballad through heavy funk excursions like “Never Lived In The Ghetto” and “Space Flight.” The album’s final track, “She’s A Star” - the only song Janewrote herself - carries profound personal significance. Recorded without her husband’s knowledge, the song directly addresses her survival of childhood sexual abuse and stands as a moving testament to resilience and self-belief.
Now an ordained minister, Jane Brice has spent decades away from the spotlight. But her voice—at once forceful, delicate, and vulnerable—deserves to be heard. Newly mastered from the recovered tapes, Here I Am Baby and the forthcoming Miss Disco present not merely a rare funk-soul artifact, but a powerful document of a woman’s courage in reclaiming her own story.
Rare 1980 Detroit funk-soul LP finally surfaces after 45 years, revealing a powerful story of survival and artistic resilience
Edinburgh based label Athens of the North is pleased to announce the reissue of Here I Am Baby, the only studio album by soul and funk vocalist Lady Jane (Jane Brice), originally recorded at Studio A, in Dearborn Heights and privately released in 1980.
Lady Jane recorded these sessions during a turbulent period in Detroit in the late 1970s, working with respected engineer Eric Morgeson and a studio band on material largely written by her then-husband. The album remained virtually unknown for decades, with copies destroyed in a flood and masters held by her ex-husband. A chance discovery by Friends of Sound Records founder David Haffner in 2022 set the reissue in motion. Remarkably, before his death, Jane’s ex-husband returned the original master tapes to her—yielding not only the complete multitracks for Here I Am Baby, but an entire album’s worth of unreleased material, also coming soon on AOTN.
Here I Am Baby showcases Jane’s extraordinary voice across a compelling blend of soul, funk, and disco, from the opening ballad through heavy funk excursions like “Never Lived In The Ghetto” and “Space Flight.” The album’s final track, “She’s A Star” - the only song Janewrote herself - carries profound personal significance. Recorded without her husband’s knowledge, the song directly addresses her survival of childhood sexual abuse and stands as a moving testament to resilience and self-belief.
Now an ordained minister, Jane Brice has spent decades away from the spotlight. But her voice—at once forceful, delicate, and vulnerable—deserves to be heard. Newly mastered from the recovered tapes, Here I Am Baby and the forthcoming Miss Disco present not merely a rare funk-soul artifact, but a powerful document of a woman’s courage in reclaiming her own story.
Many of the songs on this album were written by her then-husband, and it features seven tracks recorded at Studio A in Dearborn Heights, Detroit.
The album opens with the title track, A1 “Here I Am Baby” (sample 1)—a lovely, cute ballad featuring irresistible flute and synthesizer sounds—followed by the fast-paced, funky disco track A2 “Never Lived In The Ghetto” (sample 2), the spacey soul-disco track A3 “Space Flight,” and B1 “Things Have Got To Change,” which features a lighthearted, pleasant jazz-soul sound. B2 “Don’t Nobody Love You Like I Do” has a captivating Motown vibe reminiscent of the Supremes or other vocal groups; B3 “Do You Know What You’re Talking About” (sample 3), and the only track for which Jane herself wrote both the lyrics and music—recorded in secret from her husband—is a direct account of her experience surviving childhood sexual abuse. It stands as a moving testament to the strength needed to overcome adversity and the importance of believing in oneself.
This album, “Here I Am Baby,” was recorded during sessions in Detroit in the late 1970s and released in a limited run as a self-produced record in 1980. However, many copies were destroyed in a flood, and and since the master tapes had been in the possession of her ex-husband, the work had effectively become a phantom release, virtually unknown to the public. However, in 2022, a chance discovery by David Haffner, founder of Friends of Sound Records, served as the catalyst for this reissue project. What’s particularly noteworthy is that her ex-husband returned the original master tapes to Jane before he passed away. As a result, not only were the complete multitrack recordings of *Here I Am Baby* recovered, but a full album’s worth of previously unreleased material was also unearthed. (This unreleased material is also scheduled for release soon via AOTN! I’m really looking forward to it.) (Original Japanese text by COMPUMA)