The Jones Girls

The Jones Girls fall outside the narrowest definition of a Philly soul act, yet any thorough survey of landmark recordings crafted by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, or by other central figures such as Linda Creed, Thom Bell, and Dexter Wansel, would lack essential breadth without them. Detroit natives like the Spinners and Ohio natives the O'Jays, the three sisters infused the opulent Philadelphia sound with a distinct Midwestern sensibility while matching the flawless sibling blend of the Pointer Sisters, the Emotions, and Sister Sledge. Along the way they supplied Philadelphia International with some of the era's standout dancefloor anthems and quiet-storm ballads, among them the gold-certified Top 40 crossover single "You Gonna Make Me Love Somebody Else" from 1979, the enduring quiet-storm staple "Nights Over Egypt" from 1981, and treasured album tracks such as "Who Can I Run To," which Xscape revived more than ten years later and carried into the Top Ten. Following a short stint at RCA, the group became far less active in the studio and issued its last album in the early 1990s.

Born in Detroit to gospel singer Mary Francis Jones, Shirley, Valorie, and Brenda Jones entered the recording studio under their group name in 1970 with the Eddie Robinson composition "My Own Special Way," produced by Dick Scott. Through 1975 they worked with Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, Leroy Hutson, and others on seven further singles released by Music Merchant, Paramount, and Curtom. By the close of that period they had also become sought-after session and touring backing vocalists for fellow Detroit artists Diana Ross and Aretha Franklin as well as for Lou Rawls and Teddy Pendergrass.

Toward the end of the 1970s the sisters maintained their background work while signing with Philadelphia International and achieving stronger commercial results as featured performers. Between 1979 and 1981 they released three albums on the label—The Jones Girls, At Peace with Woman, and Get as Much Love as You Can—two of which reached the upper reaches of Billboard's R&B chart, climbing to numbers eight and seven respectively. Their debut PIR single, the Gamble-and-Huff production "You Gonna Make Me Love Somebody Else," peaked at number 38 pop and number five R&B. Six more charting singles emerged from those LPs, including "Dance Turned Into a Romance," "I Just Love the Man," "(I Found) That Man of Mine," and "Nights Over Egypt." During the same stretch they appeared on Dexter Wansel's "I'll Never Forget (My Favorite Disco)."

The Jones Girls moved to RCA for On Target in 1983, collaborating there with Robert Wright and Fonzi Thornton; both the title track and "2 Win U Back" became their final entries on the charts. Philadelphia International subsequently assembled Keep It Comin' from leftover recordings in 1984, after which Shirley Jones began a solo career on the same imprint with Always in the Mood in 1986. Though the sisters continued occasional session work, they did not complete another album until Coming Back, an independent U.K. release issued in 1992 that included a pair of productions by Jazzie B of Soul II Soul. Valorie passed away in 2001. Sixteen years afterward Brenda was fatally injured when struck by vehicles while crossing a street. Shirley Jones, accompanied by other relatives, has kept Jones Girls material in live rotation through the 2020s.