James Gilreath
Encyclopedia
James Gilreath was an American
pop
singer and songwriter
, whose single
"Little Band of Gold" went to #21 on the Billboard Hot 100
chart
in 1963.
, near Prairie
, Mississippi
, and began his musical career in the early 1960s as a member of a local area band
named 'The Nite-Liters', who recorded an instrumental
record
entitled "Nervous" in 1962 on the Vee Eight label
in Nashville
, Tennessee
. It was later released by Verve Records
headquartered in Los Angeles
, California
. This recording
, composed
by Jerry Hood, a band member, featured the trumpet
player and co-founder of the band, John Mihelic.
As a musician, Gilreath played both guitar and piano. His first single, in 1962 by Vee Eight Records, contained "I Need It" and "Time Hasn't Helped," but it was not successful. In early 1963, however, "Little Band of Gold" was released, by Statue Records of Tupelo, Mississippi
. Gilreath's singing on the record was accompanied by Mihelic and other instrumentalists. The B-side
was "I'll Walk With You." Statue Records soon sold the rights to "Little Band of Gold" to Joy Records
of New York City
, and by the end of April it had become a hit for that label, reaching #21 on the U.S.
pop chart and #19 on the R&B
chart. The track reached #29 in the UK Singles Chart
.
Three other singles were released by Joy. The first was "Lollipops, Lace, and Lipstick" b/w "Mean Ole River", and the second "Keep Her Out of Sight" b/w "Blue is My Color." In 1965 "Your Day is Coming" b/w "Pearls, Gold, and Silver" was released but was again commercially unsuccessful. The same year the record label
had ceased operations, and Gilreath chose to concentrate on songwriting rather than recording records. In 1967, Jimmy Hughes
released a single written by Gilreath entitled, "Why Not Tonight," which peaked at #5 R&B.
Beginning in 1963 with Bill Anderson's version, a number of singers covered Gilreath's "Little Band of Gold" hit. In 1966, Vince Hill
included it on his album You're My World. In 1969, it was included on an album of instrumentals recorded by Boots Randolph
. Also in that year, The Hep Stars released a single featuring the song. In 1977, The Tennessee Guitars included it on an instrumental album, 20 Pieces of Country Gold, and in 1978 it was sung Paul Martin. In 1975, Sonny James
recorded "Little Band of Gold," and had a #5 hit on the country music chart.
In 1972 Gilreath married Kay Long, and they lived on a farm at Saltillo, Mississippi
, where Gilreath died in a tractor accident on September 7, 2003. He is buried in Lee Memorial Park near Tupelo. He and Kay had no children.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
singer and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, whose single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
"Little Band of Gold" went to #21 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
in 1963.
Career
James William Gilreath (commonly written as James or Jimmy Gilreath) was born in Una Community, Clay CountyClay County
Clay County is the name of 18 counties in the United States. Most are named for Henry Clay, U.S. Senator and statesman:* Clay County, Alabama* Clay County, Arkansas * Clay County, Florida...
, near Prairie
Prairie, Mississippi
Prairie is an unincorporated community in Monroe County, Mississippi, United States.Prairie is located at west of Aberdeen on Mississippi Highway 382. According to the United States Geological Survey, a variant name is Prairie Station. Prairie is one of the Golden Triangle's fastest growing areas...
, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, and began his musical career in the early 1960s as a member of a local area band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
named 'The Nite-Liters', who recorded an instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
record
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
entitled "Nervous" in 1962 on the Vee Eight label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
in Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. It was later released by Verve Records
Verve Records
Verve Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded by Norman Granz in 1956, absorbing the catalogues of his earlier labels, Clef Records and Norgran Records , and material which had been licensed to Mercury previously.-Jazz and folk origins:The Verve...
headquartered in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. This recording
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
, composed
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
by Jerry Hood, a band member, featured the trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
player and co-founder of the band, John Mihelic.
As a musician, Gilreath played both guitar and piano. His first single, in 1962 by Vee Eight Records, contained "I Need It" and "Time Hasn't Helped," but it was not successful. In early 1963, however, "Little Band of Gold" was released, by Statue Records of Tupelo, Mississippi
Tupelo, Mississippi
Tupelo is the largest city in and the county seat of Lee County, Mississippi, United States. It is the seventh largest city in the state of Mississippi, smaller than Meridian, and larger than Greenville. As of the 2000 United States Census, the city's population was 34,211...
. Gilreath's singing on the record was accompanied by Mihelic and other instrumentalists. The B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
was "I'll Walk With You." Statue Records soon sold the rights to "Little Band of Gold" to Joy Records
Joy Records
Joy Records was a New York record label and was owned by Hal and Mariam Weiss. It began in 1958 and finished 1965 after releasing 80 or so singles...
of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, and by the end of April it had become a hit for that label, reaching #21 on the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
pop chart and #19 on the R&B
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart. The track reached #29 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
Three other singles were released by Joy. The first was "Lollipops, Lace, and Lipstick" b/w "Mean Ole River", and the second "Keep Her Out of Sight" b/w "Blue is My Color." In 1965 "Your Day is Coming" b/w "Pearls, Gold, and Silver" was released but was again commercially unsuccessful. The same year the record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
had ceased operations, and Gilreath chose to concentrate on songwriting rather than recording records. In 1967, Jimmy Hughes
Jimmy Hughes (singer)
Jimmy Hughes is an American former rhythm and blues singer, whose biggest successes in the mid 1960s, notably his hit "Steal Away", were important in the early development of the Muscle Shoals music industry.-Life and career:...
released a single written by Gilreath entitled, "Why Not Tonight," which peaked at #5 R&B.
Beginning in 1963 with Bill Anderson's version, a number of singers covered Gilreath's "Little Band of Gold" hit. In 1966, Vince Hill
Vince Hill
Vince Hill is an English traditional pop music singer, songwriter and record producer.-Biography:...
included it on his album You're My World. In 1969, it was included on an album of instrumentals recorded by Boots Randolph
Boots Randolph
Homer Louis "Boots" Randolph III was an American musician best known for his 1963 saxophone hit, "Yakety Sax"...
. Also in that year, The Hep Stars released a single featuring the song. In 1977, The Tennessee Guitars included it on an instrumental album, 20 Pieces of Country Gold, and in 1978 it was sung Paul Martin. In 1975, Sonny James
Sonny James
James Loden , known professionally as Sonny James, is an American country music singer and songwriter best known for his 1957 hit, "Young Love". Dubbed the Southern Gentleman, James had 72 country and pop chart hits from 1953 to 1983, including a five-year streak of 16 straight among his 23 No. 1...
recorded "Little Band of Gold," and had a #5 hit on the country music chart.
In 1972 Gilreath married Kay Long, and they lived on a farm at Saltillo, Mississippi
Saltillo, Mississippi
Saltillo is a town in Lee County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 3,393 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Saltillo is located at ....
, where Gilreath died in a tractor accident on September 7, 2003. He is buried in Lee Memorial Park near Tupelo. He and Kay had no children.
Sources
- Ace Records' promotional discussion of its CD entitled "Teenage Crush, Vol. 3" (2000; 2004). The text, by Rob Finnis, states that among the recordings on the CD is "James Gilreath's infectious 'Little Band of Gold'" (http://www.acerecord.co.uk/content.php?page_id=59&release=740). The CD was produced, recorded and copyrighted in London, UK by Ace Records, LTD. in 2000.
- Bill Anderson, "Still", 33 1/3 rpm album, Decca Records, 1963. "Little Band of Gold" is on Side 1, Track 2.
- Boots Randolph, "Yakety Revisited," 33 1/3 rpm album, Monument Records, 1969. "Little Band of Gold" is the fourth tune on Side 1.
- Brent Coleman, "James Gilreath: A Little Band of Gold." Tombigbee Country Magazine, Aberdeen, Mississippi, April 2008. Despite some errors re the positions to which "Little Band of Gold" advanced in the U.S. and overseas, this article, written thru the memories of several of Gilreaths friends and music colleagues, is interesting and informative.
- Hep Stars, "Little Band of Gold," 45 rpm, Swedish Olga Records, 1969.
- James Gilrath and John Mihelic. 45 rpm. "Little Band of Gold" and "I'll Walk With You" by Gilreath; "Red Wings" and "Cotton Fields" by Mihelic. Sonet Records, Sweden, 1963. A Joy Records Product.
- Jerry Osborne, "The Official Price Guide to Records," 18th Edition. House of Collectibles/Random House, New York City, et al., 2007), pp. 302, 304.
- Jimmy Hughes, "Why Not Tonight?", 45 rpm, Fame Records, 1967, and an LP album entitled "Why Not Tonight?", Atco Records, 1967.
- Joel Whitburn, "The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits," 1955-2003 (Billboard Books, New York City, 2004), pp. 256, 758.
- Joel Whitburn, "The Billboard Book of Top 40 R & B and Hip-Hop Hits," 1942-2004 (Billboard Books, New York City, 2006), pp. 713, 218, 255, 765.
- John Mihelic, "Red Wings" and "Cotton Fields", 45 rpm, Select Records, Inc. (Joy Records), 1962.
- "Joy Records," in Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joy_Records.
- KTSA Top 66 Survey Week of April 18, 1963, in the San Antonio "Light" newspaper, April 20, 1963. "Little Band of Gold" is No. 1 on this San Antonio, Texas radio station pop chart.
- Mack Allen Smith, "Big Silver Tears," 45 rpm, JAB Records, 1967.
- Mack Allen Smith, "The Skeleton Fight," 45 rpm, Statue Records, 1964. Also included on two of Smith's albums, "The Sound of Mack Allen Smith," Redita Records (Holland), 1979, and "Gotta Rock Tonight," Charly Records (England), 1982. James Gilreath assisted Smith with the recording of the song by singing harmony vocals.
- Mike Hellicar, "New to the Charts/Broken Arm Led to Disc Fame," in New Musical Express, Issue No. 852 (May 10, 1963). London, England.
- "Monster Bop," CD, Dee Jay Records, 1993. "The Skeleton Fight" sung by Mack Allen Smith is Track 8.
- Nite-Liters, "Nervous," 45 rpm, Vee Eight Records, 1962, followed by Verve Records (MGM Records), 1962.
- Obituary of Jimmy Gilreath, in the "Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal [Tupelo]," Sept. 9, 2003. http://www.djournal.com/pages/archive.asp?ID=40600&pub=1&div=News. The obituary states that he died at age 66, which verifies the birth year on his grave marker of 1936. Many sources on the internet erroneoulsly state that his birth year was 1939.
- Paul Martin, "Great Country Gold," 33 1/3 rpm album, Plantation Records, 1978. "Little Band of Gold" is Side 1, Track 5.
- Personal Recollections, 1958-early 1990s, of James R.(Jim) Atkinson, Columbus, Miss. (July 2007).
- Personal Recollections, 1950s-2003, of William (Bill) Sisk of Tupelo, Miss. (August and November, 2007).
- Presidential Records, CD: "The Joy/Select Story: Various Artists, 1956-1965" (London, 2006). Twenty-six pop songs released by Joy Records of New York City. "Little Band of Gold" is Track 12.
- "Saltillo man leaves rich musical legacy," by M. Scott Morris. In the "Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal [Tupelo]," Sept. 9, 2003. http://www.djournal.com/pages/archive.asp?ID=40606&pub=1&div=News.
- Sonny James, "Little Band of Gold," 45 rpm, Columbia Records, 1975.
- Sonny James, "A Little Bit South of Saskatoon," 33 1/3 rpm album, Columbia Records, 1975.
- Sonny James, "The Complete Columbia & Monument Hits," 33 1/3 rpm album, Sony Music Entertainment, 2002. "Little Band of Gold" is Track 8.
- Tennessee Guitars, "20 Pieces of Country Gold," Plantation Records, 1977. "Little Band of Gold" is on Side 1, Track 8.
- Vince Hill, "You're My World," 33 1/3 rpm album, Music for Pleasure Records/EMI Record Co., 1966. "Little Band of Gold" is on Side 2, Track 4.