Jimmy Helms
Encyclopedia
James H. Helms is an American
soul
singer.
in 1963. Later, in 1969, London Records
released "If You Let Me", neither of these early releases made much of an impact but helped to push Helms into the spotlight in the 1970s.
Helms signed to Fly Records
in 1972, and released "So Long Love". However, he is best known for his #8 UK
hit single
, "I'm Gonna Make You an Offer You Can't Refuse"; whilst further releases such as "I'll Take Good Care of You" and "Jack Horner's Holiday" failed to match its success. "I'm Gonna Make You an Offer You Can't Refuse" was written and produced
by Johnny Worth
.
Helms sang Elmer Bernstein
and Don Black
's title song for the 1974 adventure film Gold, starring Roger Moore
.
In 1974 he appeared as the Kingfisher on Roger Glover
's The Butterfly Ball and the Grasshopper's Feast, performing "Waiting." The album also featured Ronnie James Dio
, Glenn Hughes, David Coverdale
, Tony Ashton
and John Lawton
. In 1976, Helms performed on two songs for Eddie Hardin
's Wizard's Convention album ("Loose Ends" and "She's a Woman.")
In 1977, a link-up with the producer
, Biddu
, saw Helms release the "Black Joy" single
and soundtrack
album
.
, Water
, and was involved in the mid 1980s stage musical Time
, performing several songs on the accompanying album. Still working heavily as a session musician
, Helms appeared alongside Madness
, Then Jerico
, Roachford, Godley & Creme
and Deacon Blue
, while his own next album, Speak, appeared in 1988.
Helms was often heard singing vocals
on many radio jingles
on Independent Local Radio
stations
in the United Kingdom
. His voice was particularly prominent on the alfasound
produced ident packages for Pennine Radio
, Radio Hallam and the Yorkshire Radio Network
.
members George Chandler (ex-The Olympic Runners
), Jimmy Chambers, and William Henshall formed the band, Londonbeat
, who were initially big in the Netherlands
. The group's hits included the Helms penned
"I've Been Thinking About You
", "A Better Love" and "9 A.M (The Comfort Zone)".
In 2003, the band were re-formed as 'New Londonbeat' with a new line-up consisting of Jimmy Helms, Jimmy Chambers, Myles Kayne and Marc Goldschmitz. Signed to the German
record label
, Coconut
, they released an album
called Back in the Hi-Life, which featured re-recordings of "A Better Love", "I've Been Thinking About You", and with new tracks added.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
singer.
Early days
Helms' first release "Ragtime Girl" was put out on Pye RecordsPye Records
Pye Records was a British record label. In its first incarnation, perhaps Pye's best known artists were Lonnie Donegan , Petula Clark , The Searchers , The Kinks , Sandie Shaw and Brotherhood of Man...
in 1963. Later, in 1969, London Records
London Records
London Records, referred to as London Recordings in logo, is a record label headquartered in the United Kingdom, originally marketing records in the United States, Canada and Latin America from 1947 to 1979, then becoming a semi-independent label....
released "If You Let Me", neither of these early releases made much of an impact but helped to push Helms into the spotlight in the 1970s.
Helms signed to Fly Records
Fly Records
Fly Records is a British independent record label, established in 1970 by the independent music publisher David Platz, and initially managed by Malcolm Jones from the offices of Essex Music in London.-History:...
in 1972, and released "So Long Love". However, he is best known for his #8 UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
hit single
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
, "I'm Gonna Make You an Offer You Can't Refuse"; whilst further releases such as "I'll Take Good Care of You" and "Jack Horner's Holiday" failed to match its success. "I'm Gonna Make You an Offer You Can't Refuse" was written and produced
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
by Johnny Worth
Les Vandyke
Les Vandyke was a popular music singer and later songwriter in the 1950s and 1960s. He was also known as Johnny Worth and John Worsley...
.
Helms sang Elmer Bernstein
Elmer Bernstein
Elmer Bernstein was an American composer and conductor best known for his many film scores. In a career which spanned fifty years, he composed music for hundreds of film and television productions...
and Don Black
Don Black (musician)
Don Black, OBE is an English lyricist. His works have included numerous musicals, movie themes and hit songs. He has provided lyrics for John Barry, Charles Strouse, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Quincy Jones, Jule Styne, Henry Mancini, Michael Jackson, Elmer Bernstein, Michel Legrand, Hayley Westenra,...
's title song for the 1974 adventure film Gold, starring Roger Moore
Roger Moore
Sir Roger George Moore KBE , is an English actor, perhaps best known for portraying British secret agent James Bond in seven films from 1973 to 1985. He also portrayed Simon Templar in the long-running British television series The Saint.-Early life:Moore was born in Stockwell, London...
.
In 1974 he appeared as the Kingfisher on Roger Glover
Roger Glover
Roger David Glover is a Welsh bassist, songwriter, and record producer. Glover is best known as the bassist and lyricist for the hard rock band, Deep Purple.-Early career:...
's The Butterfly Ball and the Grasshopper's Feast, performing "Waiting." The album also featured Ronnie James Dio
Ronnie James Dio
Ronald James Padavona , better known as Ronnie James Dio, was an American heavy metal vocalist and songwriter. He performed with, amongst others, Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell, and his own band Dio, which means God in Italian. Other musical projects include the collective fundraiser...
, Glenn Hughes, David Coverdale
David Coverdale
David 'Jack' Coverdale is an English rock singer, most famous for his work with the his own hard rock band Whitesnake which achieved massive commercial success.-Early life:...
, Tony Ashton
Tony Ashton
Tony Ashton was an English rock pianist, keyboardist, singer, composer, producer and artist.-Biography:...
and John Lawton
John Lawton (musician)
John Lawton is a rock and roll and blues vocalist best known for his work with Lucifer's Friend, Uriah Heep and the Les Humphries Singers.-Biography:...
. In 1976, Helms performed on two songs for Eddie Hardin
Eddie Hardin
Eddie Hardin , is an English rock pianist and singer-songwriter. He is best known for his associations with the Spencer Davis Group, Axis Point also Hardin and York...
's Wizard's Convention album ("Loose Ends" and "She's a Woman.")
In 1977, a link-up with the producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, Biddu
Biddu
Biddu or Biddu Appaiah is an Indian-British music producer, composer, song-writer and singer who produced and composed many hit records worldwide during a career spanning five decades...
, saw Helms release the "Black Joy" 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...
and soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
.
1980s and 1990s
Helms also contributed to the soundtrack of the 1985 movieFilm
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, Water
Water (1985 film)
Water is a 1985 comedy film scripted by Dick Clement and Ian Le Frenais, directed by Clement, and starring Michael Caine. This HandMade Films production was released in U.S. theatres in April 1986 by Atlantic Releasing.-Plot summary:...
, and was involved in the mid 1980s stage musical Time
Time (musical)
Time is a musical with a book and lyrics by Dave Clark and David Soames, music by Jeff Daniels, and additional songs by David Pomeranz.Derived from the 1970s musical The Time Lord by Soames and Daniels, it focuses on contemporary rock musician Chris Wilder, who has been transported with his backup...
, performing several songs on the accompanying album. Still working heavily as a session musician
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
, Helms appeared alongside Madness
Madness (band)
In 1979, the band recorded the Lee Thompson composition "The Prince". The song, like the band's name, paid homage to their idol, Prince Buster. The song was released through 2 Tone Records, the label of The Specials founder Jerry Dammers. The song was a surprise hit, peaking in the UK music charts...
, Then Jerico
Then Jerico
Then Jerico are a British rock band who became popular in the late 1980s.-Career:Mark Shaw formed the band at the age of 21, recruiting bassist Jasper Stainthorpe and drummer Steve Wren and poaching guitarist Scott Taylor from Belouis Some....
, Roachford, Godley & Creme
Godley & Creme
Godley & Creme were an English pop music duo composed of Kevin Godley and Lol Creme. The pair began releasing albums as a duo after splitting from the pop band 10cc. In 1979 they directed their first music video for their own single "An Englishman in New York"...
and Deacon Blue
Deacon Blue
Deacon Blue are a Scottish pop band formed in Glasgow during 1985. Their name was taken from the title of the Steely Dan song "Deacon Blues". The band consists of vocalist Ricky Ross and Lorraine McIntosh, keyboard player James Prime and drummer Dougie Vipond....
, while his own next album, Speak, appeared in 1988.
Helms was often heard singing vocals
Human voice
The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal folds for talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, etc. Its frequency ranges from about 60 to 7000 Hz. The human voice is specifically that part of human sound production in which the vocal folds are the primary...
on many radio jingles
Jingle
A jingle is a short tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. The jingle contains one or more hooks and lyrics that explicitly promote the product being advertised, usually through the use of one or more advertising slogans. Ad buyers use jingles in radio and television...
on Independent Local Radio
Independent Local Radio
Independent Local Radio is the collective name given to commercial radio stations in the United Kingdom. The same name is used for Independent Local Radio in Ireland.-Development of ILR:...
stations
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. His voice was particularly prominent on the alfasound
Alfasound
Alfasound was a radio jingle production company based in Manchester from late 1970s to mid 1990s founded by Alan Fawkes and ex-Piccadilly Radio DJ Steve England....
produced ident packages for Pennine Radio
Pennine Radio
Pennine Radio may refer to:* Pennine Radio Limited an electronics company in Huddersfield.* Pennine Radio - Former radio station in West Yorkshire, based in Bradford ....
, Radio Hallam and the Yorkshire Radio Network
Yorkshire Radio Network
Not to be confused with Yorkshire Radio.The Yorkshire Radio Network was a group of three radio stations which shared programmes in the evening and at weekends...
.
Londonbeat
Helms, along with bandBand (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
members George Chandler (ex-The Olympic Runners
The Olympic Runners
-External links:*...
), Jimmy Chambers, and William Henshall formed the band, Londonbeat
Londonbeat
Londonbeat was originally a UK and American R&B and Dance band who scored a number of pop and dance hits in the early 1990s.-History:Londonbeat's career started in the Netherlands where "There's a Beat Going On" reached the Top 10, and then "9 A.M " which subsequently became a modest success in the...
, who were initially big in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. The group's hits included the Helms penned
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...
"I've Been Thinking About You
I've Been Thinking About You
"I've Been Thinking About You" is a song recorded by Londonbeat. It was released as a single in the last months of 1990 in many countries.It hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on April 13, 1991, having hit number two in the United Kingdom the previous year...
", "A Better Love" and "9 A.M (The Comfort Zone)".
In 2003, the band were re-formed as 'New Londonbeat' with a new line-up consisting of Jimmy Helms, Jimmy Chambers, Myles Kayne and Marc Goldschmitz. Signed to the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
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,...
, Coconut
Coconut Records
Coconut Records is a German record label formed in 1981 by producers Tony Hendrik and Karin Hartmann. Acts that have been signed to Coconut have included Bad Boys Blue, C. C. Catch, Haddaway, Londonbeat, Chyp-Notic, The Searchers, Soultans, the Weather Girls, Rammstein and Modern Talking.The...
, they released an album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
called Back in the Hi-Life, which featured re-recordings of "A Better Love", "I've Been Thinking About You", and with new tracks added.
External links
- [ Jimmy Helms biography] at Allmusic websiteWebsiteA website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
- Jingle feat. Jimmy Helms