CASTLE MUSIC

Jimmy Helms - Black Joy - The Pye Recordings 1975-1977

Released on 2 December 2002.

This is the debut CD appearance for this in demand 1970's album and includes some bonus tracks including the theme to the movie Black Joy and the popular modern soul room cut Romeo and Juliet.

Jimmy was born in Florida, was a member of the Fort Jackson Army Band. He gaines popularity from TV appearances on the Merv Griffin TV show in the US. He joined the cast of 'Hair'. In 1973 he had a top ten hit with 'Gonna make you an offer you can't refuse and in 1975 moved to Pye where this album 'Songs I sing' was cut.

This album is actually better than I expected, Jimmy has a great richness to his voice and he can handle deep baritone stuff right through to falsetto. Very powerful indeed and you can see where the stage presence comes from. Some of it is a bit standard like 'the way we were' or 'is it so wrong' but nonetheless competent. The opening track is a great ballad, putting his voice through the full range, deeply sung. At the other end of the scale is a piece of Brit Funk in You'll never get out of the world alive.

A couple of Tom Jones soundalikes , the more obvious being I who have nothing but also onDon't pull your love.

The bonus tracks give us the soundtrack and lead song of the British film Black Joy. Putting it Down is also a great ballad , uncertain moves us into disco territory but the in demand side is Romeo and Juliet which is giving Jimmy a new lease of life in some Modern Soul Rooms.

Track listing