Jesse James
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Jesse James James McClelland aka "Jesse James" was born in
1943 in El Dorado, AR. He moved to the Bay Area while still a child,
and came up during the early '60s singing in nightclubs (where his
name was changed by an MC who couldn't pronounce his given name). He
recorded a few singles for the area labels Shirley and Hit (several
with guitar work from Sly Stone), then made the big time when he
switched to 20th Century. "Believe in Me Baby, Pt. 1" was a moderate pop
(#92) and R&B (#42) hit during 1967, and his self-titled debut LP followed
the next year. His biggest hit, 1972's "At Last" hit R & B
#25 and he scored another hit in 1987 with his signature song "I Can
Do Bad By Myself" (R & B #61). He recorded for various small labels during the '70s and '80s
(Zea, Moonlite Hope, Midtown, T.T.E.D.) before
starting his own label, Gunsmoke. Album Discography
1. Facts Of Life
"68"
1. Im Gonna Be Rich and Famous
1. I Can Do Bad (By
Myself)
1. If You Want A Love
Affair
1. Operator Please Put
Me Through
1. It Just Don't Feel
the Same
1. I Can Do Bad by Myself - (Remix)
1. It's Not So Bad After All **1/2 Jesse James' "I Can Do Bad By Myself" is still a stone classic to this very day. It's been covered by the likes of Joyce Lawson, Poonanny, Pat Brown and other Soul/Blues steadies (plus Artie White did a song called "I Did Alright By Myself" by Bob Johnson & Sam Mosley that steals the melody). Unfortunately James hasn't had a major hit since. That could change with the clever and very similar title track to the uneven "It's Not So Bad After All". James sings "It's not so bad after all 'cuz I can do bad myself/I just needn't some help that's all!". If you recall he said he didn't need no help 'cuz he could do bad all by himself before. The Soul/Blues track is a tad misleading overall as the majority of the record follows the same Urban Adult Contemporary and Pop path he was on in the 90s. AC ballads like "You're All In My Dreams", Bobby Patterson's "I'd Rather Eat Soup With You Than Steak With Somebody Else", "Let Me Be Your Pacifier", "I'm Not Going Nowhere" dominate instead of funkier material like "You Got To Pay (If You Want To Play)". Sweet and Soulful stuff but a little more "Southern Soul" would've been nice. There's a sad footnote to this release. James' son Sean James McClelland aka "Fuzz" was murdered during the recording of this project. As a tribute a Tupac-like rap song by Fuzz is included on the LP ("High Speed In The Ambulance").
1. If He Can't Hold His Pants Up
How Can He Hold You Up
1. Let's Get a Room Somewhere - (featuring Millie Jackson)
1. I Lost My Baby On Facebook BUY CDs HERE |