Jimmy Radcliffe

James Radcliffe (November 18, 1936 – July 27, 1973) was an American soul singer, composer, arranger, conductor and record producer. 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 (later of "You Light Up My Life" fame), 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" (written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David) 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 (Record Mirror, NME) 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" (January 15, 1965) 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 (January 23, 1965); 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. During his tenure as a New York City session vocalists, Radcliffe sang future hit songs like "This Diamond Ring" (Al Kooper, Bobby Brass, Irwin Levine) and "Pretty Flamingo" (Mark Barkan), 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 ("Mama Look Sharp", "Is Anybody There"), Bernie Knee ("Mama Look Sharp", "Is Anybody There"), Ann Gilbert ("He Plays The Violin", "Yours, Yours, Yours") 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. 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" (1971); and the Clio Award-winning "Polaroid Gives It To You Now" (1971). Radcliffe's recordings have appeared in films such as 1967's Carmen Baby,What Do You Say to a Naked Lady? (1970), Tiki Tiki (1971) wherein he was backed by Cissy Houston on a gospel recording. "Eve's Bayou" (1997), The Tenants (2005), 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 (Southern Christian Leadership Conference) S.C.L.C. Black Expo '71. 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 (as The Four Pennies) 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