J.J. Barnes | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | James Jay Barnes |
Born | Detroit, Michigan, U.S. | November 30, 1943
Died | December 10, 2022 | (aged 79)
Genres | Soul, pop, R&B |
Occupation(s) | Singer |
Instrument(s) | Vocals |
Years active | 1960–2022 |
Labels | Motown Ric-Tic Micay Records Groovesville Buddah Contempo Records |
James Jay Barnes (November 30, 1943 – December 10, 2022) was an American R&B singer and songwriter.[1]
He recorded several singles, starting in 1960.[2] His early releases including "Just One More Time" and "Please Let Me In", on the record labels Mickay and Ric-Tic, had relatively little success, but were subsequently picked up as Northern soul favorites in the UK.[2] He was later signed to Motown Records, where he contributed as a songwriter but did not have any recordings released as a singer.[2] Some of his Motown material has subsequently been released on the A Cellarful of Motown! compilation album series.
Barnes was a member of the Holidays, a trio which also included Edwin Starr and Steve Mancha. They had a #7 R&B hit in June 1966 with "I'll Love You Forever" (#43 in Canada).[3] Barnes' biggest hit single came in 1967 with "Baby Please Come Back Home" on the Groovesville label, which, like many of his records, he co-wrote.[2] The song reached No. 9 on the US Billboard R&B chart, and No. 25 in Canada.[4] However, subsequent singles on a variety of labels, including covers of "Black Ivory" on Today/Perception Records, failed to repeat the success.[5]
On the recommendation of his friend Edwin Starr, Barnes moved to England in the 1970s, becoming popular. Starr had arranged for Barnes to appear on a series of shows, which led to him signing a deal with Contempo Records.[6] He became a favorite artist of the UK Northern soul scene, and performed frequently in the UK.[2] Early recordings from Barnes, such as "Please Let Me In" and "Real Humdinger", were re-released in the UK on the Tamla Motown label to cater for the buyers of Northern soul records.[7]
In the 1970s, Contempo Records released seven singles and an album, Sara Smile from Barnes, all without chart success. In the 1980s, he released five more records including a version of the Northern soul favorite by Frank Wilson, "Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)",[6] and he recorded with producer Ian Levine in the 1990s.
His song "Chains of Love", originally the B-side of his 1967 hit "Baby Please Come Back Home", achieved further renown when it was covered by the Dirtbombs on their Ultraglide in Black album in 2001.