Jimmy Radcliffe


James Radcliffe was an American soul singer, composer, arranger, conductor and record producer.

Biography

James Radcliffe was born in New York City. He released such singles as "My Ship is Coming In", a song composed by his writing partner Joey Brooks, was later covered by The Walker Brothers as a pop music hit, and also wrote several songs featured in the children's TV show The Banana Splits. His recording of "Long After Tonight Is All Over" became famous as one of the songs that was played at the Wigan Casino all-nighters, the Northern soul venue. The song was a minor hit in the UK Singles Chart in 1965, reaching #40. The popularity of "Long After Tonight Is All Over" led to a promotional tour in support of the record, wherein Radcliffe was featured in the British music press and appeared on numerous radio and televisions shows including "Ready, Steady, Go!" with The Rolling Stones’ "Time Is On My Side", The Kinks’ "Tired Of Waiting For You", The Righteous Brothers’ You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin', Del Shannon’s "Keep Searching" and Thank Your Lucky Stars; the ABC Lucky Stars Special Presents Cilla Black with Cilla Black, The Riot Squad, The Hollies, The Swinging Blue Jeans, Del Shannon and Paul Anka ; and The Eamonn Andrews Show.
Radcliffe did not live long enough to see this recording achieve cult status. He was overweight, had a kidney removed in 1973 and developed further complications with his remaining one. He died in hospital the same year on July 27, leaving his wife, Judy, and two sons.

Career as vocalist

During his tenure as a New York City session vocalists, Radcliffe sang future hit songs like "This Diamond Ring" and "Pretty Flamingo", and contributed to the session releases by The Definitive Rock Chorale's "Variations on a Theme Called Hanky Panky" produced by Ellie Greenwich and Mike Rashkow. Burt Bacharach and Hal David had him record songs for Gene Pitney, as would Ellie Greenwich and Tony Powers. Gloria Shayne enlisted his help to get Burl Ives and Arthur Prysock covers. Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, Scott English and Claus Ogerman were among his clients.
To supplement his income, he hired out as a backing vocalist, and recorded with Doris Troy, Dee Dee Warwick, Cissy Houston, Melba Moore, Toni Wine, Jean Thomas and Barbara Jean English doing sessions for groups such as The Drifters. Radcliffe, Dionne Warwick, and Dee Dee Warwick provided backing vocals on The Drifters' 1961 recording "Sweets for My Sweet".
Singer-songwriter Sherman Edwards recorded the original vocal demos of his songs for the planned musical 1776, but by late 1968 Edwards had also enlisted Jimmy Radcliffe, Bernie Knee, Ann Gilbert to record stylized demo versions that might also impact the pop charts. "1776" went on to become a 1969 Tony Award-winning Broadway show that inspired a 1972 feature film.
Another instance of Jimmy Radcliffe's involvement with Broadway bound musicals were his vocal demos of the Bob James and Jack O'Brien songs "Take My Hand" and "Stars Of Glory" for the 1972 theatrical production of The Selling of the President.
In August 1963, while preparing to work with the record producer, Bert Berns, on his third release on Musicor Records, Radcliffe attended a session at Chess Studios, produced by Berns, where three of his co-compositions were being recorded by Tammy Montgomery: "This Time Tomorrow", "I Can't Hold It In Any More" and "I've Got Nothing To Say But Goodbye". "This Time Tomorrow" would be issued as the B-side of Montgomery's Chess/Checker single, "If I Would Marry You." Radcliffe recorded with Montgomery a duet version of "If I Would Marry You," more than three years before her name change to Tammi Terrell and pairing with Marvin Gaye at Motown. The unreleased duet, and the other two unreleased songs from the sessions, were released on Come on And See Me, a double collection of Terrell's recordings.
One Bert Berns, Carl Spencer and Jimmy Radcliffe collaboration that did make the pop charts in 1963 was the song "My Block", recorded by The Chiffons. "She's Got Everything" recorded by The Essex, and produced by Henry Glover, as a follow-up to their million-seller "Easier Said Than Done" also charted at #56 and inspired recordings by singers Maxine Brown, Sugar Pie DeSanto and Barbara George.

Career as composer and producer

In 1964, after a meeting with Martin Luther King Jr., in a Harlem supper club, Radcliffe was inspired and composed his ballad of freedom and equality "Stand Up". Unreleased at the time, until the 2008 issue Where There Smoke There's Fire, the track featured Radcliffe playing the vibes. Radcliffe was self-taught on the guitar, piano, bass, vibes and drums, preferring to write using his Goya acoustic guitar because of its portability.
Beginning in 1965, Radcliffe was the first African-American performing artist to write, produce and sing commercial jingles for the advertising industry. By the time of his death in 1973, he had worked on over two hundred television and radio commercials.
A few of Radcliffe's commercials are the 1969–70 Pontiac, "breakaway in a wide tracking Pontiac", the 30-second commercial was expanded for general release to try to capitalize on its popularity and was released as "Breakaway" by the Steve Karmen Big Band featuring Jimmy Radcliffe; the soul version of McDonald's "You Deserve A Break Today" ; and the Clio Award-winning "Polaroid Gives It To You Now".
Radcliffe's recordings have appeared in films such as 1967's Carmen Baby,''What Do You Say to a Naked Lady?, Tiki Tiki wherein he was backed by Cissy Houston on a gospel recording. "Eve's Bayou", The Tenants, the 2006 romantic drama Something New, 2010's Soulboy and in 2025 his "Love Put The Tears In My Eyes" in two art heist films: The Mastermind and Any Day Now''.
Jimmy's recording of "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" was showcased on the premiere episode of "Hard Knocks In Season - The Indianapolis Colts" on November 17, 2021.
Aretha Franklin's first credit as a record producer was with Radcliffe on "Black Pride" the theme to Jesse Jackson's S.C.L.C. Black Expo '71.

Writing credits

  • The Andrews Sisters, "All The Colors of the Rainbow", Great Performers LP Dot Records-#25807, 1967
  • Ray Charles, "Show Me The Sunshine", Love Country Style LP ABC-#707, 1970
  • Robert Goulet, "If There's A Way", Columbia single #44100, 1967
  • Johnny Mathis, "If There's A Way", Sings The Music of Bacharach & Kaempfert LP 1970 Columbia-#G-30350
  • Aretha Franklin, "Pullin'", Spirit In The Dark LP Atlantic-#SD8265, 1970
  • Carolyn Franklin, "Right On", Chain Reaction LP RCA Records-#LSP-4317, 1970
  • Etta James, "I Can't Hold It in Anymore", Argo Single#5437 was the B-side to "Pushover", 1963
  • Lou Rawls, "The Devil in Your Eyes", "Something Stirring In My Soul", Carryin' On LP Capitol Records-#ST2632, 1966
  • Eric Burdon & The Animals, "It's Been A Long Time Comin'", Eric Is Here LP 1967 MGM
  • Clyde McPhatter, "Deep In The Heart Of Harlem", "Three Rooms With Running Water", "My Block", "A Suburban Town", Coney Island Mercury LP-#20902 & SR-60902, 1964
  • Jackie Wilson, "Soulville" Higher And Higher LP Brunswick Records-#BL754130, 1967 "The Fairest Of Them All" Brunswick single#55300, 1966
  • Matt Monro, "Fourth Blue Monday", Capitol single #P-2058, 1967
  • The Chiffons, "My Block", #67 on Rust Single #5071, 1963
  • Patti Page, "Pretty Boy Lonely", #98 Columbia single #4-42671, 1963
  • Marlena Shaw, "Nothing But Tears", Out of a Different Bag LP Cadet Records-#LPS-803, 1967
  • Clara Ward, "If You Wanna Change The World", "Soul And Inspiration" LP Capitol #ST-126 Prod. David Axelrod, Arr. & Cond. H.B. Barnum, 1969
  • The Clovers, "Sweet Side of a Soulful Woman" Josie Single#997, 1968
  • Connie Francis, "Saturday Night Knight"
  • Esther Phillips, "Try Me", Atlantic single#2570, 1966
  • Jimmy Witherspoon, "Never Knew This Kind of Hurt Before", HUHN! LP 1970 Bluesway Records-#BLS-6040
  • Johnny Maestro,

Discography

Contemporary releases

Musicor Records"Twist Calypso" / "Don't Look My Way" Single# MU-1016, Produced by Aaron Schroeder and Wally Gold, 1962" The Forgotten Man" / "An Awful Lot of Cryin'" Single# MU1024, Side 'A' Produced by Aaron Schroeder and Wally Gold, arranged & conducted by Burt Bacharach, Side 'B' Produced by Bert Berns. 1962"Through a Long and Sleepless Night" / "Moment of Weakness" Single# MU-1033, Produced by Bert Berns. 1963"Long After Tonight Is All Over" / "What I Want I Can Never Have" Single# MU1042, Produced by Bert Berns. Charted #40 UK Singles Chart
Aurora Records"My Ship Is Comin' In" / "Goin' Where The Lovin' Is" Single# 154, Produced by Joey Brooks for Past, Present & Future Productions. 1965
Shout Records"Lucky Old Sun" / "So Deep" Single#202, Produced by Buddy Scott, Jimmy Radcliffe and Wally Gold for Past, Present & Future Productions. Arranged & conducted by Bert Decoteaux. 1966
United Artists
The Steve Karmen Big Band featuring Jimmy Radcliffe"Breakaway" / "Breakaway" Part 2 Single# 50451 Produced & arranged by Steve Karmen. 1968
RCA Records"Funky Bottom Congregation" / "Lay A Little Lovin' On Me" Single# 74-0138, Produced, arranged and conducted by Jimmy Radcliffe for Super Baby Cakes Productions. 1969

Discography of uncredited releases

Tollie Records
  • The B.R.A.T.T.S.
"Secret Weapon " / "Jealous Kind of Woman" Single#9024, Produced by Wally Gold for Past, Present And Future Productions, Arranged & conducted by Bob Halley. Vocals: Carl Spencer & Jimmy Radcliffe 1964
Musicor Records
"Cry, Cry, Cry" / "A Girl Wants To Believe" Single #MU1037, Produced by Brooks/Radcliffe, arranged & conducted by Garry Sherman. Lead Vocals: Joey Brooks, Backing Vocals: Jimmy Radcliffe. 1964
Fontana Records
  • The Mixture
"One By One" / "Monkey Jazz" Single#TF-640, Produced and arranged by Jimmy Radcliffe & Joey Brooks for Past, Present and Future Productions. Lead Vocals & Scat by Jimmy Radcliffe, Backing Vocals by Joey Brooks 1965
Decca Records
"I Ain't Blaming You" /
Single # F12328, Produced and arranged by Joey Brooks, Lead Vocal: Joey Brooks, Backing Vocal & Acoustic Guitar: Jimmy Radcliffe. January 1966.
Rust Records
  • Carl Spencer
"Cover Girl" / "Progress" Single#5104, Produced and arranged by Bob Halley for Alice in Wonderland Productions. Side 'B' = Lead Vocal: Carl Spencer, Backing Vocal: Jimmy Radcliffe. 1966
Parrot Records
"I'm In The Mood" / "The Groove" Single#327, Produced by Ellie Greenwich and Mike Rashkow for Pineywood Productions Inc., Horns arranged by Meco Monardo. Side 'A'= Lead Vocal: Frankie Paris, Counter Lead Vocal: Jimmy Radcliffe. 1968
Philips Records
  • The Definitive Rock Chorale
"Variations On A Theme Called Hanky Panky" / "Picture Postcard World" Single#40529, Produced by Mike Rashkow and Ellie Greenwich for Pineywood Productions Inc. Side 'A' arranged by Sammy Lowe, Side 'B' arranged By Paul Lewshen. Lead & Backing Vocals: Johnny Cymbal, Michael Rashkow Ellie Greenwich, Ron Dante, Toni Wine, Lesley Miller, Billy Carr, Tommy West, Terry Cashman, Gene Pistilli, Jimmy Radcliffe. 1968
Kirshner Records
"Duke of Earl" / "Everybody's Got Hot Pants Single#63-5012, Produced by Jimmy Radcliffe & Wally Gold, arranged By Jimmy Radcliffe. Lead & Backing Vocals: Jimmy Radcliffe. Music Supervisor: Don Kirshner 1971
"Everybody Needs Love" / "ESP" Single#63-5016, Side 'A' Produced by Jimmy Radcliffe & Wally Gold, arranged by Jimmy Radcliffe. Lead & Backing Vocal: Jimmy Radcliffe. Side 'B' Produced by Jeff Barry. Music Supervisor: Don Kirshner 1971