Boyd Jarvis facts for kids

Boyd H. Jarvis (born October 26, 1958 – died February 17, 2018) was an American music producer, remixer, and musician. He was famous for his song "The Music Got Me," which he wrote with Jason Smith. This song came out in 1983.

Boyd Jarvis worked with many well-known artists. These included Herbie Hancock, La Toya Jackson, and Johnny Kemp.

Boyd Jarvis started his career learning about theater lighting and set design. He helped design lights for shows in famous places like Lincoln Center in New York City.

In the early 1980s, New York City was a hub for new music styles. These included club music, hip hop, and electro. Jarvis created a unique sound using simple equipment. He used homemade reel-to-reel tapes and played synthesizers and drum machines. His music was often added to long music mixes on radio stations like WBLS FM.

In 1990, Jarvis took legal action against Robert Clivillés and David Cole. They were part of the group C+C Music Factory. Jarvis claimed they used parts of his song "The Music Got Me" in their song "Get Dumb" without permission. This is called copyright infringement. He won the case, showing that his music was used illegally.

Boyd Jarvis lived in New Jersey with his wife. He continued to create and produce music. He released his music through his own company, CFX Records.

Boyd Jarvis's Music Career

Jarvis worked as a session musician for many artists. This means he played instruments for their recordings. Some artists he worked with were John "Jellybean" Benitez and Herbie Hancock. He also produced and remixed songs for other musicians. These included Little Louie Vega and François Kevorkian.

Music and the Law: The "Get Dumb" Case

The case of Jarvis v. A & M Records was an important early example. It dealt with using small parts of someone else's music. This is called digital sampling.

"It is hard to believe that [a re-release of "The Music Got Me"] would be successful"

—Robert Clivillés after being told that he and David Cole injured Jarvis' career by releasing "Get Dumb (Free Your Body)"

The song "Get Dumb" used parts of "The Music Got Me." It especially used a special keyboard sound and the "free your body" sounds. Boyd Jarvis said this hurt his career. The court agreed that his work had been used without permission.

Boyd Jarvis's Music List

Boyd Jarvis produced and worked on many songs. Here are a few examples of his work:

Songs He Produced

Other Music Work

Boyd Jarvis also helped with many other songs. He played instruments, mixed music, or helped with production.