Biography
Detroit soul singer J.J. Barnes sustained a career spanning more than five decades, issuing his first singles in 1960 and generating several Northern soul classics near the height of the Motown era. Although his strongest solo chart entry arrived with 1967’s “Baby Please Come Back Home,” he produced many additional recordings, performed in a group alongside Edwin Starr, supplied songs to Martha and the Vandellas, continued releasing fresh material into the 1990s, and remained onstage only months before dying at age 79 in 2022.
James Jay Barnes entered the world on November 30, 1943, in Detroit, Michigan. At seventeen he recorded his debut single, “My Love Came Tumbling Down” b/w “Won’t You Let Me Know,” for Kable Records in 1960; soon afterward he placed four more singles with Mickay Records. The first of those, 1963’s “Just One More Time,” later became a prized Northern soul artifact. Three Scepter sides—“These Chains of Love,” “Teenage Queen,” and “So Far Away”—appeared across 1963 and 1964 but reached few listeners. In 1964 he cut one release for Ring Records, “Poor Unfortunate Me” b/w “She Ain’t Ready.”
Ric-Tic Records brought out Barnes’ seventh single and three subsequent discs, beginning with “Please Let Me In” in 1965; like much of his output, the track featured a driving four-on-the-floor rhythm that shaped early Northern soul. His Ric-Tic debut outsold earlier efforts. Follow-up “Real Humdinger” reached number 20 on the R&B chart and number 60 on the pop chart, though airplay remained limited in certain markets. Together with Edwin Starr on lead and Steve Mancha, Barnes scored a hit as the Holidays with “I’ll Love You Forever.” The session arose spontaneously when producer Don Davis decided to record the song; the trio never toured under the Holidays name, as Davis hired other vocalists for live dates. “Say It” b/w “Deeper in Love” never gained traction because Ed Wingate was already negotiating the sale of Ric-Tic/Golden World Records to Motown.
Barnes felt dissatisfied under Motown’s control, as did his former Ric-Tic colleague Edwin Starr. The label issued nothing by Barnes himself yet used his songwriting talents, releasing at least two co-written compositions: “Show Me the Way” by Martha & the Vandellas in October 1967 and “Don’t Make Hurting Me a Habit” by the Marvelettes in December 1968.
Once freed from his Motown contract, Barnes rejoined Don Davis and achieved immediate success on Groovesville Records with “Baby Please Come Back Home.” Its follow-up, “Now That I Got You Back” b/w “Forgive Me” (1967), a stomping plea, peaked at number 44 before stalling. The third single, “Sweet Sherry,” featured backing harmonies from the Originals but failed to sell despite its appeal. Next came “Easy Living” b/w “I’ve Lost You,” supported by the Holidays on vocals and issued on Groove City, which disappeared upon release. Four singles appeared on Revilot Records, among them the Northern soul favorite “Our Love Is in the Pocket.” Barnes co-wrote his final Revilot release, 1969’s “So Called Friends,” with George Clinton of Parliament and two brothers surnamed Taylor.
Between 1969 and 1973, Buddah, Volt, Leo, Magic Touch, Perception, and Invasion Records each released one of Barnes’ subsequent singles. None charted, though Volt’s “Snowflakes” later earned praise from some British collectors. Perception issued his first album, Born Again, in 1973; those sides lacked the strength of earlier work, and subsequent recordings followed the same pattern.
After relocating to England and gaining popularity there, old friend Edwin Starr arranged a series of joint performances for Barnes. The appearances proved profitable, leading to a mid-1970s deal with the British label Contempo Records. Contempo released seven unremarkable singles and the album Sara Smile. Barnes opened his Contempo tenure with “To an Early Grave,” followed by a cover of Hall & Oates’ “Sara Smile” and an attempt to promote the urban dance track “The Errol Flynn.”
At least five additional singles appeared afterward, including “Think I Got a Good Chance” on Organic, a 1984 update of Carl Carlton’s “Competition Ain’t Nothing” on Inferno, a 1985 Inferno revival of Frank Wilson’s Motown recording “Do I Love You (Deed I Do),” and two releases on Motor City. Albums encompass Rare Stamps on Volt Records, which includes tracks by Barnes, Steve Mancha, and Darrell Banks, as well as Try It One More Time on Motor City Records.
Although scarcely recognized in the United States, Barnes ranked among Northern soul’s most cherished figures. International soul enthusiasts held him in high regard, yet at home his sister, Ortheia Barnes, enjoyed greater local fame. Ortheia Barnes never scored a hit but hosted a weekly radio program, Ortheia’s Special Touch, on Detroit’s WCHB each Wednesday and remained fondly remembered for her dynamic stage shows. Fellow Detroiter Mick Collins of the Dirtbombs paid tribute by covering Barnes’ “Chains of Love” on the band’s 2001 album Ultraglide in Black. In October 2022 Barnes headlined the Detroit A-Go-Go Festival, a gathering for devotees of classic Detroit soul. He indicated the appearance would likely mark his final public performance, and events bore that out: J.J. Barnes died on December 10, 2022, at the age of 79.
James Jay Barnes entered the world on November 30, 1943, in Detroit, Michigan. At seventeen he recorded his debut single, “My Love Came Tumbling Down” b/w “Won’t You Let Me Know,” for Kable Records in 1960; soon afterward he placed four more singles with Mickay Records. The first of those, 1963’s “Just One More Time,” later became a prized Northern soul artifact. Three Scepter sides—“These Chains of Love,” “Teenage Queen,” and “So Far Away”—appeared across 1963 and 1964 but reached few listeners. In 1964 he cut one release for Ring Records, “Poor Unfortunate Me” b/w “She Ain’t Ready.”
Ric-Tic Records brought out Barnes’ seventh single and three subsequent discs, beginning with “Please Let Me In” in 1965; like much of his output, the track featured a driving four-on-the-floor rhythm that shaped early Northern soul. His Ric-Tic debut outsold earlier efforts. Follow-up “Real Humdinger” reached number 20 on the R&B chart and number 60 on the pop chart, though airplay remained limited in certain markets. Together with Edwin Starr on lead and Steve Mancha, Barnes scored a hit as the Holidays with “I’ll Love You Forever.” The session arose spontaneously when producer Don Davis decided to record the song; the trio never toured under the Holidays name, as Davis hired other vocalists for live dates. “Say It” b/w “Deeper in Love” never gained traction because Ed Wingate was already negotiating the sale of Ric-Tic/Golden World Records to Motown.
Barnes felt dissatisfied under Motown’s control, as did his former Ric-Tic colleague Edwin Starr. The label issued nothing by Barnes himself yet used his songwriting talents, releasing at least two co-written compositions: “Show Me the Way” by Martha & the Vandellas in October 1967 and “Don’t Make Hurting Me a Habit” by the Marvelettes in December 1968.
Once freed from his Motown contract, Barnes rejoined Don Davis and achieved immediate success on Groovesville Records with “Baby Please Come Back Home.” Its follow-up, “Now That I Got You Back” b/w “Forgive Me” (1967), a stomping plea, peaked at number 44 before stalling. The third single, “Sweet Sherry,” featured backing harmonies from the Originals but failed to sell despite its appeal. Next came “Easy Living” b/w “I’ve Lost You,” supported by the Holidays on vocals and issued on Groove City, which disappeared upon release. Four singles appeared on Revilot Records, among them the Northern soul favorite “Our Love Is in the Pocket.” Barnes co-wrote his final Revilot release, 1969’s “So Called Friends,” with George Clinton of Parliament and two brothers surnamed Taylor.
Between 1969 and 1973, Buddah, Volt, Leo, Magic Touch, Perception, and Invasion Records each released one of Barnes’ subsequent singles. None charted, though Volt’s “Snowflakes” later earned praise from some British collectors. Perception issued his first album, Born Again, in 1973; those sides lacked the strength of earlier work, and subsequent recordings followed the same pattern.
After relocating to England and gaining popularity there, old friend Edwin Starr arranged a series of joint performances for Barnes. The appearances proved profitable, leading to a mid-1970s deal with the British label Contempo Records. Contempo released seven unremarkable singles and the album Sara Smile. Barnes opened his Contempo tenure with “To an Early Grave,” followed by a cover of Hall & Oates’ “Sara Smile” and an attempt to promote the urban dance track “The Errol Flynn.”
At least five additional singles appeared afterward, including “Think I Got a Good Chance” on Organic, a 1984 update of Carl Carlton’s “Competition Ain’t Nothing” on Inferno, a 1985 Inferno revival of Frank Wilson’s Motown recording “Do I Love You (Deed I Do),” and two releases on Motor City. Albums encompass Rare Stamps on Volt Records, which includes tracks by Barnes, Steve Mancha, and Darrell Banks, as well as Try It One More Time on Motor City Records.
Although scarcely recognized in the United States, Barnes ranked among Northern soul’s most cherished figures. International soul enthusiasts held him in high regard, yet at home his sister, Ortheia Barnes, enjoyed greater local fame. Ortheia Barnes never scored a hit but hosted a weekly radio program, Ortheia’s Special Touch, on Detroit’s WCHB each Wednesday and remained fondly remembered for her dynamic stage shows. Fellow Detroiter Mick Collins of the Dirtbombs paid tribute by covering Barnes’ “Chains of Love” on the band’s 2001 album Ultraglide in Black. In October 2022 Barnes headlined the Detroit A-Go-Go Festival, a gathering for devotees of classic Detroit soul. He indicated the appearance would likely mark his final public performance, and events bore that out: J.J. Barnes died on December 10, 2022, at the age of 79.
Albums
