Michael "Jimmy" James (born 13 September 1940) is a British-Jamaican

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...

singer, known for songs like "Come to Me Softly", "

Now Is the Time ''Now Is the Time'' is the second studio album by Alanis Morissette, released only in Canada on October 20, 1992. It was her final album for MCA Records Canada. Morissette recorded the album with Leslie Howe, who produced her debut album, '' ...

" and "

I'll Go Where Your Music Takes Me "I'll Go Where Your Music Takes Me" is a pop song written in 1976 by Biddu. The track appeared twice in the Top 30 of the UK Singles Chart; firstly when recorded by Jimmy James and the Vagabonds in 1976, and then in 1978, when it was covered by ...

". Based in Britain, he has performed as the lead singer of Jimmy James and the Vagabonds since the mid-1960s.

Career

James grew up and began performing in

Kingston, Jamaica Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley Inter ...

, where he recorded as a solo artist with producers

Coxsone Dodd Clement Seymour "Coxsone" Dodd (26 January 1932 – 4 May 2004) was a Jamaican record producer who was influential in the development of ska and reggae in the 1950s, 1960s and beyond. He was nicknamed "Coxsone" at school due to his talent a ...

Clancy Eccles Clancy Eccles (9 December 1940 in Dean Pen, St. Mary, Jamaica – 30 June 2005 in Spanish Town, Jamaica)Katz was a Jamaican ska and reggae singer, songwriter, arranger, promoter, record producer and talent scout. Known mostly for his early regg ...

, and Lyndon Pottinger. His most successful release was an early version of "Come to Me Softly", which found local success and persuaded James to give up a job with the Inland Revenue for a music career. The Vagabonds were originally formed in 1960. James teamed up with them under Canadian band manager Roger Smith and in April 1964, they relocated to the UK. ''Ska-Time'' (

Decca Records Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934 by Lewis, Jack Kapp, American Decca's first president, and Milton Rackmil, who later became American ...

) was recorded as Jamaica's Own Vagabonds within two weeks of their arrival, and is one of the first examples of Jamaican

ska Ska (; ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a walki ...

music to be recorded in the UK. It was reissued as ''Skatime'' in 1970 on Decca's Eclipse label. After meeting manager

Peter Meaden Peter Alexander Edwin Meaden (11 November 1941 – 29 July 1978) was an English publicist for various musicians and the first manager for the Who. He was a prominent figure in the English Mod subculture of the early 1960s. He is sometimes refe ...

in 1965, Jimmy James and the Vagabonds supported

the Who The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...

and

Rod Stewart Sir Roderick David Stewart (born 10 January 1945) is a British rock and pop singer and songwriter. Born and raised in London, he is of Scottish and English ancestry. With his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart is among the best-selling ...

who was with his group

the Steampacket Steampacket (sometimes shown as Steam Packet) was a British blues band formed in 1965 by Long John Baldry with Rod Stewart, Julie Driscoll, and organist Brian Auger. History A musical revue rather than a single group, Steampacket was formed i ...

at the

Marquee Club The Marquee Club was a music venue first located at 165 Oxford Street in London, when it opened in 1958 with a range of jazz and skiffle acts. Its most famous period was from 1964 to 1988 at 90 Wardour Street in Soho, and it finally closed whe ...

in London. The band played the Shanklin Pier ballroom on the

Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight ( ) is a county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the largest and second-most populous island of England. Referred to as 'The Island' by residents, the Isle of ...

in June 1965 and returned for two further sold-out concerts that summer. That same year they played the Richmond National Jazz and Blue Festival and they were also on the bill the following year when the festival was at Windsor. He and the Vagabonds shared several bills with Jimi Hendrix's band, the Experience, during the late 1960s when they were both trying to establish themselves. "We used to hang out a lot at clubs like

The Bag O'Nails The Bag O'Nails was a live music club and meeting place for musicians in the 1960s and situated at 9 Kingly Street, Soho, London, England. Bands and other musicians who played and socialised there included Georgie Fame, Jimi Hendrix, Bobby Te ...

, the Cromwellian and Whiskey A Go Go. A great guy, very quiet and unassuming," James recalled. The Vagabonds and the Experience also played the Ricky Tick and Upper Cut clubs in London in December 1966 and January 1967 respectively, and at the Beachcomber Ballroom in

Nottingham Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located north-west of London, south-east ...

. They signed a

recording contract A recording contract (commonly called a record contract or record deal) is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist (or group), where the artist makes a record (or series of records) for the label to sell and promote. Artists ...

with

Pye Records Pye Records was a British record label. Its best known artists were Lonnie Donegan (1956–1969), Petula Clark (1957–1971), the Searchers (1963–1967), the Kinks (1964–1971), Sandie Shaw (1964–1971), Status Quo (1968–1971) and Brotherhoo ...

and released their best known studio album, ''The New Religion'' in 1966. The band also played as support for the Who,

Sonny & Cher Sonny & Cher were an American pop and entertainment duo in the 1960s and 1970s, made up of husband and wife Sonny Bono and Cher. The couple started their career in the mid-1960s as R&B backing singers for record producer Phil Spector. The pair f ...

, Rod Stewart (who was also on Pye Records at the time) and

the Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...

. The band often used the

Abbey Road Studios Abbey Road Studios (formerly EMI Recording Studios) is a recording studio at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music c ...

, once being there at the same time

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

were recording. Their live performance was captured in the album ''London Swings – Live at the Marquee Club'', also featuring

the Alan Bown Set The Alan Bown Set later known as The Alan Bown! or just Alan Bown, were a British band of the 1960s and 1970s whose music evolved from jazz and blues through soul and rhythm and blues and ended up as psychedelia and progressive rock. The band a ...

. Jimmy James and the Vagabonds were labelmates and rivals of

Geno Washington & the Ram Jam Band Geno Washington & the Ram Jam Band are an England-based soul band. Career The Ram Jam Band were formed around 1964 by Pete Gage and Geoff Pullum. Before taking on Geno Washington, whom Gage knew from performing at the RAF Bentwaters US Air Fo ...

. The Vagabonds disbanded in 1970, but James, who owned the name, enlisted Alan Wood to form a band with a new, all-white line-up in 1973. They had

hits Hits or H.I.T.S. may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * ''H.I.T.S.'', 1991 album by New Kids on the Block * ''...Hits'' (Phil Collins album), 1998 * ''Hits'' (compilation series), 1984–2006; 2014 - a British compilation album se ...

in the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

with "

"(1976) and "

". In 1976, they recorded funky disco song "Disco Fever" also.

Phil Chen Phillip David Chen (21 October 1946 – 14 December 2021) was a Jamaican bassist. He was one of England's most utilized session bassists during the 1970s and 1980s, including Jeff Beck, and the Rod Stewart band from 1977 to 1980, but is prob ...

performed bass on Rod Stewart songs such as "

Hot Legs "Hot Legs" is a single by Rod Stewart released in 1978 as the second single for his 1977 album ''Foot Loose & Fancy Free''. The single performed moderately on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, reaching at number 28 but performed better on the UK Sin ...

", "

Da Ya Think I'm Sexy? "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?", also written "Da' Ya' Think I'm Sexy", is a song by British singer Rod Stewart from his ninth studio album, ''Blondes Have More Fun'' (1978). It was written by Stewart, Carmine Appice and Duane Hitchings, though it inc ...

" and "Young Turks". Former Vagabonds bass player Alan Wood (1973–77) now runs his own management agency and represents

Paul Carrack Paul may refer to: *Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) *Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity *Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chris ...

. In 1979 a new band, Big Business, was formed by Alan Kirk and Andrew Platts, former Vagabonds and they continue to tour to this day. Big Business toured with Mick Jackson ("

Blame It on the Boogie "Blame It on the Boogie" is a song released in 1978 by English singer-songwriter Mick Jackson. It has been covered by numerous other artists, including The Jacksons. The song was performed on ''Musikladen'' (January 1979), ''Aplauso'' (February ...

"). Kirk owns Hilltop Studios in

Dronfield Dronfield is a town in North East Derbyshire, England, which includes Dronfield Woodhouse and Coal Aston. It lies in the valley of the River Drone between Chesterfield and Sheffield. The Peak District National Park is to the west. The name co ...

near

Chesterfield Chesterfield may refer to: Places Canada * Rural Municipality of Chesterfield No. 261, Saskatchewan * Chesterfield Inlet, Nunavut United Kingdom * Chesterfield, Derbyshire, a market town in England ** Chesterfield (UK Parliament constitue ...

. In 1999, drummer Russ Courtenay co-wrote the track " Whatever You Need", which appeared on

Tina Turner Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939) is an American-born Swiss retired singer and actress. Widely referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", she rose to prominence as the lead singer o ...

's album, ''

24/7 In commerce and industry, 24/7 or 24-7 service (usually pronounced "twenty-four seven") is service that is available at any time and usually, every day. An alternate orthography for the numerical part includes 24×7 (usually pronounced "twenty ...

'', and later on her ''

All the Best All or ALL may refer to: Language * All, an indefinite pronoun in English * All, one of the English determiners * Allar language (ISO 639-3 code) * Allative case (abbreviated ALL) Music * All (band), an American punk rock band * ''All'' (All al ...

'', ''

Love Songs A love song is a song about romantic love, falling in love, heartbreak after a breakup, and the feelings that these experiences bring. A comprehensive list of even the best known performers and composers of love songs would be a large order ...

'' and '' The Platinum Collection'' compilation albums. In 2007, James contributed to the track "The Other Side of the Street" for

Ian Levine Ian Geoffrey Levine (born 22 June 1953) is a British songwriter, producer, and DJ. A moderniser of Northern soul music in the UK, and a developer of the style of Hi-NRG, he has written and produced records with sales totalling over 40 million. ...

's ''

Northern Soul 2007 Northern may refer to the following: Geography * North, a point in direction * Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe * Northern Highland, a region of Wisconsin, United States * Northern Province, Sri Lanka * Northern Range, a ...

'' album. James regularly performed around the UK with former

Foundations Foundation may refer to: * Foundation (nonprofit), a type of charitable organization ** Foundation (United States law), a type of charitable organization in the U.S. ** Private foundation, a charitable organization that, while serving a good cause ...

frontman,

Clem Curtis Clem Curtis (born Curtis Clements; 28 November 1940 – 27 March 2017) was a Trinidadian British singer, who was the original lead vocalist of sixties soul group The Foundations. Background Family He was the father of seven children, six sons ...

. The pair, along with Flirtations vocalist Earnestine Pearce toured with 'The Soul Explosion'. In April 2007, James performed at the Classic Gold Weekender along with

Marmalade Marmalade is a fruit preserve made from the juice and peel of citrus fruits boiled with sugar and water. The well-known version is made from bitter orange. It is also made from lemons, limes, grapefruits, mandarins, sweet oranges, bergamo ...

, Love Affair and

Showaddywaddy Showaddywaddy are a rock and roll group from Leicester, England. They specialise in revivals of hit songs from the 1950s and early 1960s, while also issuing original material. Showaddywaddy spent 209 weeks on the UK Singles Chart, and had 10 T ...

. In 2013, they toured with James' early hero,

Ben E. King Benjamin Earl King (né Nelson; September 28, 1938 – April 30, 2015) was an American soul and R&B singer and record producer. He is best known as the singer and co-composer of " Stand by Me"—a US Top 10 hit, both in 1961 and later i ...

. At the age of 80 years old, James has concert appearances booked for the latter half of 2021.

The Vagabonds

Members of the Vagabonds have included: *

(guitar, bass guitar, 1960–1970) * Rupert Balgobin (drums, 1960–1970) * Barry Sutton (trumpet, 1967–1970) * Colston Chen (bass, 1960–1970) * Fred Fredericks (saxophone, 1960–1970) * Carl Griffiths (saxophone, 1960–1970) * Count Prince Miller (vocals, 1960–1970) * Carl Noel (keyboards, 1960–1967) * Art Regis (Hammond organ, 1967–1969) * John Roberts (bass guitar, 1968–1970 * Wallace Wilson (guitar, 1960–1970) * Stewart Blandamer (saxophone, 1970–1972) * Steve Farr (saxophone, 1970–1972) * Bill Roberts (guitar, 1970–1972) * Eddy Spence (keyboards, 1970–1972) * Kelvin "Kelly" Cantlon (bass, 1970–1972) * Mick Dolan (drums, 1970–1972) * Alan Wood (bass, 1973–1977) * Martin Dale (trumpet, 1971) * Dave Hopper (guitar, 1973–74) * Fred Guite (drums, 1973–74) * Pete Wright (drums, 1974–75) * Russ Courtenay (drums, 1975–1977) * Chris Garfield (guitar, 1975–1977) * Alan Kirk (keyboards, 1975–1977, 1985–1992) * Pete Gill (drums, 1974–1975) * John Steele (guitar, 1974–1975) * Rick Sequeira (keyboards, 1974–1975) * Andrew Platts (trombone and vocals, 1977–1979) * Glenn Harland (lead guitar, 1981–1984) * John Wintony (keyboards, 1981–1984) * Dave Bussey (drums, 1981–1984) * John Radcliffe (guitar, 1986) * David McKendrick (bass, 1981–1982) * Mark Taylor (keyboards, 1981–1982) * Chris Turner (bass, 1981–1984) * Steve Ward (lead guitarist, 1990–1995) * David Cooke (keyboards, 1990–1995) * Pat Coleman (drums, 1990–1994) * Neil Moore (bass and vocals, 1985–1990) * Mario James (bass, 1986–1992) * Chris Broadhead (drums, 1986–1990) * Mike Scrimshaw (bass, 1992) * Ian "Mo" Gilbert (keyboards, 1996–2011) * Ben Martin (saxophone, bass, guitar, BV's, 1994–2010) * George Jeffers (bass 1992–2022) * Chris Loach (guitar, 1995–2022) * Jon Trier (piano, 1996–2022) * Matt Newnham (drums, BV's, 2003–2022) * Benny Lee (trumpet, 2004–2022) * Nick Smith (sax, 2010–2022)

Discography

Studio albums

* ''The New Religion'' (1966) * ''This Is Jimmy James and the Vagabonds'' (1968) * ''Open Up Your Soul'' (1968) * ''You Don't Stand a Chance If You Can't Dance'' (1975) * ''Now'' (1976) * ''Life'' (1977)

Live albums

* ''Live'' (1984)

Compilation albums

* ''Golden Hour of Jimmy James and the Vagabonds'' (1979) * ''Jimmy James and the Vagabonds'' (1993) * ''I'll Go Where the Music Takes Me - The Best of Jimmy James and the Vagabonds'' (1994) * ''Vagabond King: The Sixties Sides'' (1997) * ''Where Your Music Takes Me'' (1998) * ''Now Is the Time'' (2014)

Singles

References

External links

geocities.com
– Vagabonds fan site
vinyltap.co.uk
– Jimmy James and The Vagabonds records
russ-courtenay.com
– Russ Courtenay's website which contains photos of Jimmy James and The Vagabonds {{DEFAULTSORT:James, Jimmy 1940 births Living people 20th-century Jamaican male singers Jamaican emigrants to the United Kingdom British soul singers British rhythm and blues boom musicians 20th-century Black British male singers