Jimmy Radcliffe [2023] - Big City Blues / You Can't Lose Something You Never Had [Big Man Records #BMR 1012]

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.

Details

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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