Jesse James [2024] - Back On Top Again [Soul Junction #SJLP 5016] (Album Samples)

Soul Junction's Dave Welding makes no bones about his admiration of Jesse James. Over recent years the label has put out several singles and an album by the, perhaps, little known veteran outside of rare soul circles. i.e. SJ508, SJ511, SJ543, SJ544, SJ546, SJ552, SJ1021, and an album in 2012 "Let Me Show You" SJLP5005. They have another album lined by him of current and recent recordings titled "Back On Top Again". 

Jesse James is James Herbert McClelland from the west coast (Richmond, CA,) and shouldn't be confused with another artist of the same name from the east coast who also worked in the 60s and 70s in Philadelphia.

Legend has it that James got his name accidentally at a nightclub he was performing at in the early 60s when the compere couldn't pronounce his name and introduced him as Jesse James and the name stuck. He also got his big break by accident when his aunt just happened to be dating West Coast blues singer Jimmy McCracklin who, after being persuaded to listen to James sing, wrote and produced "I Will Go", the B side of his first single on Shirley billed as Jess James & The Royal Aces who included one Sylvester Stewart (Sly Stone) in its ranks. 

Another four singles would be released on Shirley under his own name with the last in 1965, "Are You Gonna Leave Me", later being an in-demander on Northern Soul dancefloors and was reissued by Soul Junction in 2011 (SJ511).

In 1967 he recorded two singles on Hit, the last one, "Believe In Me Baby" (as Jesse James & The Dynamic Four) was picked up by 20th Century billed as just Jesse James. Two more singles on 20th Century and his debut self-titled album, another on Hit and one on Uni followed before he set up his own production and publishing company 'South Richmond Music' releasing singles on his own labels South Richmond, Zea (including the deep soul gem "I Need You Baby") and Zay. A return to 20th Century in 1974 for another two singles produced the sought after double-sider with the modern soul favourite "If You Want A Love Affair" and another deep soul masterpiece "I Never Meant To Love Her". 

One more single materialised in the 70s, "The Same Thing Happens", which his producer at 20th Century, Ron Carson, got placed on the Happy Fox label's blaxploitation album "Black Fist" and was released as a single. He released around half a dozen more singles in the 80s all on different labels.

In 1988 he formed Gunsmoke Records and has released around seven albums, the last one in 2015. Now 81, he still performs live shows and is actively writing, producing and recording fresh new material. Soul Junction has now collated some of his most recent and new recordings to release "Back On Top Again" on vinyl tomorrow (24 May) and available from Soul Junction. One for the Southern Soul lovers in particular.

Click on image below for link to where you can buy from.

Click to enlarge

A1 - Back On Top

A2 - Another Love Lay Over (Featuring Shirley Diamond)

A3 - I Lost My Baby On Facebook (Featuring Donnie McKisic)

A4 - Keep It On The Hush Hush

A5 - Get In Touch With Me

B1 - What Happened To The Oo-Wee

B2 - Can I Still Be Your Friend

B3 - I Be A Fool 2 Fool Around On You

B4 - I Put A Clam On That Thang

Details

Rating:	8.4
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Southern Soul
Format:	Album
Media:	Vinyl
Label:	Soul Junction
Cat No:	SJLP 5016
Date:	24/05/2024
Price:	£24

Copyright © 2009-2024 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Shirley Diamond & Jesse James [2024] - You Don't Know Who You're Sleeping With [Soul Junction #SJ1021]

The new single from Soul Junction is due for release on 26 Feb and pairs Shirley Diamond with Jesse James.  The 7" vinyl release consists of two versions of "You Don't Know Who You're Sleeping with", a song Diamond co-wrote with Terry Dukes and produced by Con Funk Shun's Felton Pilate released in Oct '21. The A side being a duet with James and the B side the original solo 2021 version.

Atlanta, GA, native Shirley was at the same high school as her mentor Gladys Knight and same college as Jean Carne. By day she's an Education Support Teacher working with students who are experiencing learning difficulties.

She has collaborated with Reggie Hargis Hicks of the group Brick and Mikael Manley the guitarist with The Commodores,  toured with Johnnie Taylor and has opened for Tyrone Davis, Joe Simon, Millie Jackson, Atlantic Star, Bar Kays, Bobby Bland, Denise LaSalle, Marvin Sease and many others. 

Diamond released a CD only album "You Don't Have To Be Sad To Sing The Blues" with Magic Mushroom around March 2005 which contained several covers including "Homewrecker" (Tyrone Davis), "Inner City Blues" (Marvin Gaye) and "Nothing Takes The Place Of You" (Toussaint McCall). A couple of singles were released in 2013 and 2016 followed by her next project, a six track EP, "Strong Woman", in Sep 2016. since then two singles "Been So Long" (Apr 2018) and the single here in Sep '21.

James and Diamond were introduced to each other via Diamond's former manager Harvey Scales and re-recorded the song as a duet.

Soul Junction has announced that another James/Diamond duet, "Another Love Lay Over", will feature on a future Jesse James project.

Available to pre-order now from Soul Junction or from your regular vinyl dealer.

Click on image below for link to where you can buy from.

Click icons below for further information or to connect with the artist. 

Details

Rating:	8.2
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	New Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	7" Vinyl
Label:	Soul Junction
Cat No:	SJ1021
Date:	26/02/2024
Key/BPM:	N/A
Price:	£13

Copyright © 2009-2024 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Jesse James [2022] - Father We're Having Trouble Down Here [Soul Junction #SJ546]

It seems that the delays at vinyl pressing plants are now coming to an end as this is the fifth new release found today from another of the UK vinyl/reissue labels. Dave Welding's Soul Junction is set to release a new single from Jesse James next month (21 Feb 2022).

The release consists of two version of a song originally recorded and released on Soul Junction by Duane Williams in 2008 covered by Jesse James "Father We're Having Trouble Down Here".

Duane is one half of the the husband/wife duo Beverly (Wheeler) & Duane from Detroit who recorded six songs / three singles with Will Hatcher (brother of Roger and cousin to Charles Hatcher aka Edwin Starr) between 1978-79, the first being released on Fee which gained them national distribution with Ariola.  They also released a self-titled album on Ariola which had all six sides of their singles plus another two songs co-written with Hatcher.  Beverly had released an earlier single "Don't Shake My Tree" on  a small Detroit label BSC (same label as Betty Lloyd "I'm Catching On") which has picked up plays on the NS scene in recent years.

The couple moved to the west coast but later divorced amicably and Duane returned to Detroit to work again with Hatcher on a solo project "These Songs Are For You" which was picked up by Soul Junction for release on CD in 2009 and this is where the song was first recorded. It followed a single from him "Yes This Love Is Real" released a year earlier on Soul Junction.

Dave Welding approached Jesse James to record a version of the song before Covid and he started working on it at Felton Pilate's studio in Atlanta. However, the pandemic struck with Jesse rooted on the west coast and Felton in Atlanta so work came to an abrupt halt. The recording has now been completed and will be available on 7" vinyl on 21 Feb 2022.

Click on label images to go to Soul Junction to order.

Details

Rating:	8.4
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Modern Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	7"
Label:	Soul Junction
Cat No:	SJ546
Date:	21/02/2022
Key/BPM:	N/A
Value:	£13

Jesse James [2021] - If A Man Ever Loved A Woman (Baby I Love You) / I Don’t Want A Divided Love [Soul Junction #SJ544]

Dave Welding's Soul Junction releases another previously unreleased soul gem by Jesse James on 12 Jul 2021. It follows his sublime, previously unreleased, version of Masterplan's "(The Girl In) Clinton Park" (SJ543) which sold out rather promptly. 

This time it's his version of Bobby Patterson's "If A Man Ever Loved A Woman (Baby I Love You)", a song Patterson co-wrote with Jerry Strickland and recorded in 1970 and, like so many of his recordings, was released on Jetstar, a subsidiary of Fort Worth, TX, insurance man, John Abdnor Sr's Abnak Music Enterprises.

Patterson's laidback, mid- tempo rendition must have reached the ears of Oakland record producer Willie Hoskins who directed Jesse to record a more joyful and up beat version of the song, giving it a whole new dynamic. It was also discovered on the same 1971 Searra Sound Studio session tape as "Clinton Park".

The B side "I Don’t Want A Divided Love" (written by Audrey Calvin and James McCelland) was first released on Jesse’s Soul Junction (SJLP 5005) album "Let Me Show You" in 2012 and is released on 45 for the first time due to popular demand.

To pre-order, as I'm sure these will fly out as quickly as "Clinton Park", contact Soul Junction at sales@souljunctiorecords.co.uk

Click icons below for further information or to connect with the artist.

Details

Rating:	8.8 / 8.5
Genre/Style:	Modern Soul / Deep Soul / Previously Unreleased
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Soul Junction
Cat No:	None
Year:	12/07/2021
Key/BPM:	N/A
Value:	£12

Jesse James - (The Girl In) Clinton Park / Just As Long As We're In Love [Soul Junction #SJ543]

Due for release on 25 Jan 2021 is a previously unissued recording by Jesse James. He recorded the track, written by Stanley Lippitt (aka Little Stanley),  along with a few others, in 1971 after his spell at 20th Century-Fox ended. A couple of the other tracks ('At Last' & 'I Know I'll Find Another') got released on Zay but 'Clinton Park' didn't get a release. 

Jesse James has had a couple of 45s and an album already released on Soul Junction and recalled recording this unreleased track but was unable to locate it, but during the current pandemic has managed to find the master tape and provided it to Dave Welding at Soul Junction to release.

Read the background story at Soul Junction and while you're there pre-order a copy. as I'm pretty sure these will sell out quickly.

On the B side is a cover of Terry Callier's 'Just As Long As We're In Love' (released on 'What Color Is Love', Cadet 1972, also recorded by The Dells on a Cadet 45 in 1972) which was previously released on his Soul Junction album 'Let Me Show You'.

Here's a Soul Junction promo of both sides.

Masterplan [1974] - (The Girl In) Clinton Park [Fos-Glo #005/006]

Bay Area group Masterplan released a version in 1974 on Fos-Glo and De-Lite. It has been claimed that the Fos-Glo release was a 1978 reissue and that the De-Lite pressing is the original. I think this is based on this article about the writer Stanley Lippitt aka Little Stanley which states:

"In 1974 The Master Plan released on De-Lite Records with success two of Stanley's recordings "Clinton Park (a song written about Marvin Holmes young daughter) and "Frying Pan". These were also later released on Warren Foster and Ronnie Bell's Fos-Glo label who Stanley was an A & R man for."

As well a co-owning the label, Ron Bell was also member of Masterplan. I guess Lippit should know as he was involved with the label but other evidence suggests that he 'may' be mistaken. Fos-Glo 001/002 and 003/004 were released in 1974 with the same label colour and design as 005/006 whilst most of the other releases are either a different colour and/or label design. In 1976 the label was yellow and by 1978 the label design changed and by 1980 the label was grey.  Another argument is, why would they wait 4 years to issue it? I am inclined to believe what Dave Welding states, that the Fos-Glo was a west coast release in Nov 1974 (dated on 45Cat) whilst De-Lite was an east coast release a month later Dec 1974 (dated on 45Cat).

Another curiosity is that the Masterplan release on Fos-Glo 007, dated 1983, has the same label design as the first 3 releases, but not the others, so I wonder if the date on that is incorrect and it is actually the fourth release following the series numbers (closer to 1974). I've given it a listen and it's difficult to tell it 'could' be a 1983 release but equally could be earlier.

Something I've never quite understood about US 45 releases is that only rarely is the release date printed on the label yet almost always the track time is recorded. In the UK it is usually the other way around i.e. date normally there but timings aren't.

To confuse the issue further, 45Cat has conflated two groups with the same name, but The Masterplan on A&M is a different group, although they were also from California (L.A.). The A&M group contained Jerry Marcellino and Mel Larson who were blue-eyed singers, writers and producers and were in several other earlier groups together: The Naturals, The Three Honeydrops and Jerry & Mel. They also cut a 45 together on A&M in 1969 as Marcellino & Larson - Dweller / Bittersweet.  The pair went on to produce many Motown artists including Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson, Four Tops, Jackson 5 and Lionel Richie as well as Al Jarreau.

Source Doo-Wop Blogg

Jesse James [1975] - I Never Meant To Love Her / If You Want A Love Affair [20th Century TC 2201]

Probably one of the best double-siders you could buy. Coupled with the Modern Soul classic 'If You Want A Love Affair' is this wonderful deep soul cut.

Jesse James [1975] - I Never Meant To Love Her [20th Century TC 2201]

The deep soul vocals twinned with the 70s production makes this a very special record which you should expect to pay upwards of £100 for a copy in decent condition.

SoulStrutter's Rating: 9.5

Jesse James [1975] - If You Want A Love Affair [20th Century TC 2201]

An evergreen favourite on the Modern Soul scene for years.

SoulStrutter's Rating: 9