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Intelligent Music for Grown-Ups

As great voices go, few match that of Glenn Jones. Why Glenn is not listed among the leading soul singers of all time remains one of music’s mysteries. This is a man who has produced album after album of gems, has filled dance-floors with the most incredible soul tracks, and has worked with some of the biggest names in the business.

What makes Glenn Jones World class? First, the incredible range of his voice. Take a listen to the sound clips here and judge for yourself. ”Bring Back Your Love”, taken from his first full solo album “Finesse” is likely to bring a shiver down the spine any discerning music lover. ”I Am Somebody” is surely THE inspirational tune of the era, featuring clips of Martin Luther King’s celebrated speech. And ballads such as “Show Me”, “You Are My Everlasting Love”, “Stay” and “We’ve Only Just Begun” represent contemporary love songs at their finest. In short, Glenn is a soul superstar.

Glenn has surrounded himself with the best talent throughout his career. His early roots in gospel saw him record at Ray Charles’ RPM studios. Norman Connors, who produced a series of legendary recordings during the 70s and 80s packed with the finest available singers (Jean Carne, Phyllis Hyman, Michael Henderson), spotted Glenn’s talents. Glenn was lead vocalist on two sensational tracks with Connors, the mellow “Melancholy Fire” and the uplifting “Sing A Love Song”.

The amazing “I Am Somebody” led the five track EP “Everyone Loves a Winner”, that kick-started Glenn’s solo career in 1983. This track now appears extensively on compilations and is a regular on soul shows worldwide, so much so that you might conclude that Glenn was a one-hit-wonder. But every track on this release was a winner. All these tracks have since been released on CD, and if you love “I Am Somebody” you will be equally impressed by the other four gems. In particular, “Keep On Doin’” features his wife, the fantastic Genobia Jeter, a brilliant soul artiste in her own right.

The only thing actually wrong with the initial EP was that it did not contain enough tracks. This was quickly rectified and in 1984 the album “Finesse” was released, which remains a firm Radiocafe favourite. Once again, every track is first class, and we have rarely heard vocals as good as this. Not surprisingly, it enjoyed huge commercial success in the States, featuring in soul charts for much of ‘84, while Glenn gained a huge following in the UK. The “soul heads” among you might be interested in a reminder of who appeared on this album: Wayne Braithwaite, LaLa, Meli’Sa Morgan, Freddie Jackson, Barry Eastmond & Kashif, among others. The sound these talented individuals produced was sensational, and represented this era at its very best.

During the years that followed, Glenn continued to produce some fantastic material, each of his superbly crafted albums producing definitive tracks: “We’ve Only Just Begun”, “Stay” and “Giving Myself To You” are all notable successes from the late eighties through early nineties. The album “Here I Go Again” from 1992, for which he wrote much of the material, features an incredible title track and one of our favourite smooth classics, “I’ve Been Searching (Nobody Like You)” (Glenn’s gospel roots shining through on this track, a veritable singing masterclass); “It’s Time” from ‘98 was another consistent release, as can be expected from Jones. But it also has the additional bonus of five live, on-air, unplugged Glenn Jones performances from Kiss-FM (New York) show - presented by none other than soul royalty Ashford & Simpson!

His latest releases have been on smaller, independent labels, so why did Glenn part company with the larger labels? As soul music took a move up-tempo during the 90s, Glenn side-stepped the commercial trappings of a changing market and remained pure to his music and his fans. Invariably, as others went on to huge financial success, such as the likes of Luther Vandross and Bobby Brown, Glenn was able to continue to produce the sort of music that his fans adore.

He continues to do so to this day, the latest addition to a superlative résumé in the shape of “Forever”, sub-titled “A Collection Of Timeless R&B Classics”. This release features a selection of well-known soul favourites (such as “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” and “Where Is The Love”) and a re-working of Glenn’s very own “Here I Go Again”. 

Glenn continues to tour, and we very much look forward to his next visit to the UK. He may not have sold as many as others, but this matters little to those he has touched with his music. If you have somehow overlooked this great artist, we strongly recommend you take a delve into the music of a singer whose talent and accomplishments are huge. Glenn has so many fans in the UK, and many of us - Radiocafe included - consider his music to be as good as it gets.

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