Mark Bicknell's Big Man Records is releasing a 7" single consisting of two
previously unreleased songs by Jimmy Radcliffe "Big City Blues" / "You Can't Lose Something You Never Had", both 'big city' style beat ballads. The single is packaged with a
look-a-like Musicor label and picture sleeve with sleeve notes written by
Radcliffe's son Chris and is available now from vinyl dealers.
Jimmy Radcliffe is a legend on the Northern Soul scene mainly for
his, Bacharach & David penned, Wigan Casino '3 before 8'
all-nighter ender "Long After Tonight Is All Over" but also for his original version of "My Ship Is Coming In" (later covered by The Walker Brothers and also recorded by Walter
Jackson). A vocal he did initially for a Pontiac car commercial made
its way to a full single release by
Steve Karmen's Big Band with "Breakaway". To a lesser extent, "Lucky Old Sun" and "(There Goes) The Forgotten Man" have also received spins, although the latter was more popular
via Gene McDaniels cover.
Radcliffe had a minor UK pop hit with "Long After Tonight Is All
Over" which spent two weeks on the chart in Feb 1965 peaking at #40.
This was more than likely as a result of him visiting the UK in Jan
1965 and appearing on a number of popular TV shows such as Ready
Steady Go (appearing with The Rolling Stones, The Kinks and The
Righteous Brothers), Lucky Stars Special Presents Cilla Black,
and The Eamonn Andrews Show.
He was born in New York City on 18 Nov 1936 and sadly died on 27 Jul
1973 aged only 36 (due to complications after having a kidney removed)
two months before the doors opened at Wigan Casino on 23 Sep 1973
where his record became iconic within the venue and across the
country.
He released less than ten solo singles in his career, and no albums (although a 16 track compilation appeared in 2007 "Where There's Smoke, There's Fire" with many previously unreleased tracks on it),
but was a fixture in the Brill Building and Tin Pan Alley as a session
singer singing demos of songs by the likes of Bacharach & David,
Leiber & Stoller, Ellie Greenwich et al to sell to labels and
artists. He also providing backing vocals for artists such as Doris
Troy, Dee Dee Warwick, Cissy Houston, Melba Moore, Barbara Jean
English and The Drifters and is claimed to be the first
African-American to record commercial jingles.
He was also a songwriter, often partnering with Buddy Scott, with 185
credits on Discogs with songs recorded by Ray Charles, Aretha
Franklin, Carolyn Franklin, Gene Pitney, Tommy Hunt, Esther Phillips,
Nancy Wilson, Etta James, Tammy Montgomery (Tammi Terrell), Jackie
Wilson, Lou Rawls, Garnet Mimms, Walter Jackson, Johnny Mathis, Ruby
Winters, Jimmy Helms, Johnny Nash and many others.
| Rating: | 8 |
| Explicit: | N |
| Genre/Style: | Northern Soul / Beat Ballad |
| Format: | Single |
| Media: | 7" Vinyl |
| Label: | Big Man Records |
| Cat No: | BMR 1012 |
| Date: | 01/2023 |
| Key/BPM: | N/A |
| Price: | £20 |
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1 comment:
2 very good unissued of this singer. Published 9 years ago, we can also mention "I Got Eyes" and "Shut Your Great Big Mouth" in the same style.
Yves
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