Double Jimmy
Jimmy Holiday was a Southern soul singer with a big, pleading voice who cut some wonderful records on the Everest and Minit labels in the 60s, though he had more success writing songs for other people. He most notably co-wrote Jackie DeShannon's 1969 smash "Put A Little Love In Your Heart" (later a hit for Al Green and Annie Lennox). You might have heard his mournful track "The Turning Point" on Dave Godin's Deep Soul Treasures Vol. 1 but there's plenty more Jimmy Holiday goodness out there to discover (though not as much as there should be as he stopped recording around 1970 to concentrate on songwriting). The simple 1966 ballad "Baby I Love You" was his biggest hit on Minit (though the song was a bigger hit for Little Milton in 1970). I just love his voice on this, it's warm but very sad and lonely-sounding and goes perfectly with the song's story of a man at home all alone waiting for his lover to come back. As a bonus I've thrown in the intense "I Can't Stand It" from 1967 which is very short but packs a big emotional punch. This track makes the hair on the back of your neck stand on end, Holiday sounds so distraught with love that he's about to jump off a bridge. His performance on this is a real show stopper.
As far as I know Jimmy made just the one album, "The Turning Point" in 1966, but that's only available on second-hand vinyl and I wish some nice record company would get around to re-issuing it on CD. There are two compilations out there: His earlier Everest cuts are on "How Can I Forget?" while "Everybody Needs Help" collects the best of his Minit recordings and is a terrific album, though hard to get hold of sometimes. Sadly, he died in 1987.
And is it just me, or does he really look like Sammy Davis Jr. in the photo above?
[Download]
Baby I Love You - Jimmy Holiday
I Can't Stand It - Jimmy Holiday
10 Comments:
I totally agree with you. He Does look like Sammy. That's who I thought this post was about when I first saw the picture. You, sir, are great! Thank you for this blog!
Peace to yer!
Nice tunes on this blog kidda !!.. Respek !!
Good stuff there, and just to show that the late Mr Holiday could turn in an equally magnificent performance on uptempo stuff - I'm going to post up his cut on Diplomacy Records - "The New Breed" - so make that double a hat-trick!
good choice
http://www.awfulthom.com/2005/09/au-sommet.html#comments
Good site you've got there too (even though I don't speak much French). Another one to add to the list.
Wowee - that desperation on I Can't Stand It is on par with Levi Stubbs. What a find.
I was Jimmy Holidays drummer from 1961- 1963 , he was great to perform with and always had a great band , I was very happy to hear his voice after all these years and I think that your blog is great ... Thanks and keep puttin' Jimmy's tunes on.. Gary St. Martin
I met Jimmy Holiday when he --like me and a few others--was hanging around writing songs for Ray Charles at Ray's studio, RPM in Los Angeles. I did not know he ever made an album. Thanks for letting us in on a good thing!
Ruthwrites
This is Debby Holiday -- Jimmy's daughter. Just wanted to say thank you for posting this blog about my father -- he truly was a great talent.
Peace and thanks ... Debby Holiday
debbyholiday.com
Hi Debbie,
My pleasure. Your father is one of my favourite singers.
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