Creed Taylor Produced

One Creed Taylor production and artist I’ve been meaning to cover for some time is Tamiko Jones. Even 50 years on, Jones’ vocal tracks continue to attract remixes and edits. I wrote about the latest remix earlier this year ^[1]http://ctproduced.com/a-disco-dazzler-tamiko-jones/.

As far as I’m able to establish, today, July 15th, is Tamiko Jones’ birthday. This month also marks 56 years since the announcement that Tamiko Jones had been signed by A&M and that Creed Taylor would produce an album ^[2]Billboard July 6th, 1968. Later the same month, the first single “Ya Ya” was released on A&M/CTI and described by Billboard as “her most commercial entry to date. A solid dance beat backs the catchy material and she grooves with it all the way through with a rocking Artie Butler arrangement” ^[3]Billboard July 20th, 1968.

Included here is an (almost) chronological mix of Tamiko Jones’ recordings over some 20 years. It includes two audio-only recordings of Tamiko Jones on the Johnny Carson Tonight Show in 1964. As far as I’m aware, they are not available anywhere else in audio or video format. Also included is a 1975 radio show in which her music is played and Tamiko Jones is interviewed.

NOTE: The publication of this post was originally held over for 1-month for a more thorough review and to cross check some findings. Thanks to both Russell Clarke (The Rock’n’Roll Routemaster) and William Kenlon for their help with material used in the post.

Tamiko Jones’ music streamed in chronological order hangs together well and shows her progression as an artist. The tracks also chronicle the period they were released in. The remixes keep her work vibrant and her name in front of generations not born when they were originally recorded. Unlike many of her peers, Jones would ensure she received appropriate credits. This may, in part, also account for her label hopping; she knew what she wanted and did not want to be stuck in one place or with one style.

Most reviews on Tamiko Jones’ work focus on her obvious recordings and, disappointingly, on two things she had no control over: her looks and ethnicity. I’m not going to discuss either, as she was much more than that and much more than anyone else has written about.

As well as being a singer, she was a producer, she had her own publishing company, record labels, and some of the last major roles I found her in was as a trustee for the GRAMMY Foundation, a radio station general manager, and more.

Liner Notes and business magazines are often inaccurate, artists regularly create a persona for both contractual and privacy/personal reasons. I’ve tried here to portray Tamiko Jones as accurately as I can, based on a great number of hours of research.

If Tamiko, family members, or anyone with direct contact feels I’ve misrepresented Tamiko and has any information they think would be useful to add, please get in touch. Personal details left in comments will not be published and would be better sent using the “Contact” form – you can leave a comment below. If comments contain personal information, they will be read but will not be published without consent.

Who Is Tamiko Jones?

Tamiko Jones, born July 15, 1943, in West Virginia as Barbara Ferguson. Known better as Tamiko Jones, she now lives in retirement north of Atlanta, GA. Her music remains popular today through numerous subcultures like “Northern Soul,” plus her late-period disco album. Her presence at clubs, including Paradise Garage, has also helped keep her music alive. Jones’ “Can’t Live Without Your Love” is one of the oft-quoted David Mancuso’s “Loft 100” playlist ^[4]https://archive.org/details/recordplayersdjr00brew/page/133/mode/1up?q=tamiko.

Tamiko Jones’ year of birth is usually stated as 1945. That is what is used by Wikipedia. However, a number of public record documents that can be sourced through Ancestry.com include the 1943 date. Birth years are obviously important; they say if you can drink, vote, drive, and presenting oneself as younger or older than one’s actual age carries certain benefits.

The first official document that includes Tamiko Jones’ birth year is the Federal Government 1950 census. It lists her age as 6 years and her birth year as “abt-1944”. Tamiko Jones was featured on the cover of the March 16th, 1964 issue of Jet Magazine. The article leads with “Tamiko Jones, at 23, a bubbling, vivacious and intensely ambitious woman.” – This in essence confirms her age; in July that year, Tamiko Jones would have been 24 if born in 1943.

Jones mother, Evelyn (Dalton) Ferguson, in 1950 was living with her paternal Father – Grady Dalton and extended family in unincorporated Elkhorn, WV. Jones grandfather was a coal miner, and her mother’s occupation was listed as “house keeper” in the 1950 census.

It’s likely that Barbara Ferguson moved to Detroit with her mother sometime later in the 1950s. Evelyn Ferguson would return to her maiden name Evelyn Dalton and would continue to live in Detroit ^[5]Detroit Free Press – Nov. 29th, 1970 listed Mrs. Evelyn Dalton’s address as 8300 Townsend St. Detroit. Her move was likely a family move as part of the tail-end of the “Great Migration”, probably in 1958/59 or latest 1960 ^[6]There was a big demand for industrial workers after the Second World War, and approximately six million African Americans participated in the Great Migration, which occurred between the 1910s and … Continue reading^[7]https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/great-migration-the/.

Evelyn Dalton had moved into the “Black Bottom” neighborhood in Detroit, Michigan. It was a predominantly Black neighborhood but it’s name was actually given by early French settlers for it’s dark, fertile topsoil. It existed on Detroit’s near east side, bounded by Gratiot Avenue, Brush Street, the Detroit River, and the Grand Trunk railroad tracks. During the 1930s to the 1950s, Black Bottom was a vibrant hub for American music, including blues, Big Band, and jazz. The neighborhood had mostly become a ghetto with urban poverty, and in the early 1960s, it was demolished for slum clearance and to make way for the construction of I-375. Black Bottom was also home to the Flame Show Bar where Tamiko Jones would get her start.

In her interview with Sid Fields of the New York Daily News ^[8]NY Daily News – January 13th, 19760 – P19, Jones would recall having married an older, professional soldier when she was 17. It was likely this that explains her name change from Ferguson to Jones. It would also suggest the marriage was in Detroit around 1960 using 1943 as her birth year. He was 32, Jones said “By the time he was sent to Korea we were on our way to a divorce,” said Tamiko. “It wasn’t all his fault.”

Tamiko Jones would go on to become engaged to Solomon Burke, and later marry British publisher, and record company owner John Abbey in 1977. However, in 1961 Tamiko Jones was working as a secretary In Detroit, again reported in numerous places, including Fields NY Daily News interview ^[9]NY Daily News – January 13th, 19760 – P19. Jones says her sister encouraged her to try out for professional singing, which led her to the local Detroit Fame show bar.

In the 1980’s, post her recording career, she would go on to be a mover and shaker in the Atlanta music scene, and at one point she took over as GM of two major Atlanta radio stations in an aborted takeover bid. She was pictured from time to time with Mayor Andrew Young. Jones handled national promotions for Harry Wayne Casey aka K.C. of the Sunshine Band ^[10]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Wayne_Casey Meca Records label, on behalf of Alpha Distributing Network ^[11]Billboard – January 7th, 1984 – Page-4.

By 1991, Tamiko Jones was Smokey Robinson’s (Of the Miracles and Motown) manager and was shown with Robinson and executives from SBK Records at an announcement of Robinson signing to the label. The 1991 Robinson album “Double Good Everything” thanks Tamiko Jones for the SBK/Robinson hookup ^[12]Billboard – August 7th, 1991 – Page-40.

In her final role of public note, Tamiko Jones was appointed as a Trustee of the Grammy Foundation. She had previously been active in the Atlanta chapter of the National Academy of the Recording Arts and Sciences, and served as their representative to the Grammy Foundation. I’ll explore this later but first…

Starting Out In Detroit

Tamiko Jones would tell disc jockey Al Gee that she started her career in New York, from a success perspective that may be true, but originally Jones started with the encouragement of her sister by auditioning for the Flame show bar in Paradise Valley in Detroit. Jones used a local telephone phone book and called an agent called Steve Massi to get her “a job singing at the Flame.”

While working at the Flame Bar, Tamiko Jones would have had an opportunity to meet many of the people who she would later work with, and manage. Jones had also attended high school with Freda (Farley) Payne and Brian Holland of the Motown song writing team Holland Dozier Holland.

The Maurice King Connection

Maurice King as well as a fashionable bandleader at the fabled Flame Show Bar ^[16]https://www.metrotimes.com/music/his-way-always-2179213, would go on to become a “father figure” at Motown, where he served as the musical director of artist development for 10 years. King would sign Barbara Jones as “Tamiko” in December 1961. Their contract would last through December 1964 ^[17]Contract details from user dwsheffer (Darren) on the Soulful Detroit forum https://soulfuldetroit.com/member.php?7519-DWSheffer, and would encompass Jones first known recording.

Freda (Farley) Payne

Tamiko Jones and Freda Payne, were not just friends their early careers were in lock-step with each other. Both performed around the same time on the big city concert circuit which included Chicago and New York, also across the border in Canada. They were also both sometime dancers.

In some of her last Detroit publicity before she entered the music business, newspaper would reports would see Freda Payne adopt her mother’s new husband’s surname Farley. Payne would be pictured meeting Sammy Davis, Jr. for the second time on Ed McKenzie’s “Saturday Party” television show. Captioned as “Freda Farley”. In 1958, “Miss Freda Farley would do several solos as a 15-year old high school student” as the Elliottorian’s Business Women Club will present Mrs. S. D. Ross as the guest speaker at the St. Antoine YMCA Forum. ^[18]Michigan Chronicle; Feb 8, 1958; Pg 8C In 1959, she would be pictured as Songstress Freda Farley Payne, 16-year-old Central High School senior of 2205 Glynn Court” ^[19]Michigan Chronicle – Jan 24, 1959; pg 10

There is no evidence that Freda Payne ever changed her name legally to Freda Farley. She merely appears to have picked up her mother’s new name from a second marriage as a social or other beneficial convention. The same could be true for Tamiko Jones. I can find no evidence she was born and named “Tamiko”, I can also not find evidence of her first marriage and Jones was only my assumption. Payne in her biography says “Taking my step-father’s last name, I was using the name Freda Payne Farley at the time.” ^[20]BAND-GOLD – A Memoir FREDA PAYNE – Mark Bego ISBN: 918-1-954095-81-6

It’s not clear when Tamiko Jones moved to New York, but Freda Payne in her biography notes she also performed at the Flame Show Bar in 1962 and was booked to perform at the Playboy Club in Detroit and Kansas City, as was Jones but not together. That same year, Payne had appeared twice on the “Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.” Tamiko Jones would also appear on Carson’s show but not until 1964. In her biography, Payne describes a call between herself and Tamiko Jones, who lived in adjacent buildings, when Brian Holland came to New York.

Freda Payne’s first album was recorded in 1963 and produced for Impulse! by Bob Thiele, after Creed Taylor had moved to head-up Verve Records. Payne’s first single though was, somewhat ironically, a cover of “(Desafinado) Slightly Out Of Tune” for ABC Paramount in 1962, produced by Sid Feller. While Freda Payne’s version met with some success, Creed Taylor had produced a Pat Thomas cover that earned Thomas a Grammy nomination for “Best Solo Vocal Performance, Female” at the 5th Grammys in 1963.

Again, Ironically, for Tamiko Jones one of her last records to be release was a 1978 cover of Freda Payne’s mega-hit “Band of Gold” for what was by that time the UK Contempo label.

Live Appearances

In the March 16th, 1967 issue of Jet magazine, in an interview by Allan Morrison, Jones is quoted as having a 6-month residency at the Flame Show bar after a 1961 audition with Maurice King. This was followed as described by Jones as “five years in night clubs around the U.S., Canada and the West Indies.” ^[21]Jet Magazine – March 16th, 1964 P60-61

In May 1962, Tamiko Jones would get her first “international” billing as “Timiko Jones” at the Guildwood Inn, Sarnia, Ontario just across from Port Huron, Michigan. Timiko was also listed in the March 12th edition of the Detroit Free Press as performing at the New Brass Rail where she sings and dances; April 1963 would see Tamiko Jones appearing at the Pink Poodle in Indianapolis; in the Indianapolis Star event calendar for the Pink Poodle appearance, it lists Barbara “Timiko” Jones ^[22]The Indianapolis Star – Sun, Apr 14, 1963 ·Page 88.

Tamiko Jones pseudonym “Timiko” was dropped and didn’t appear after mid-1963. The original use of the name may have been deliberate. Released in 1962, the film “A Girl Named Tamiko” a romantic drama directed by John Sturges and starring Laurence Harvey and France Nuyen was hugely popular. Maurice King may has decided it would be better to differentiate by using Timiko. However, it didn’t work as a number of movie theaters listed the film as, you guessed it, “A Girl Named Timiko”.

Jones would go on to perform at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas for seven months and and her comeback after Polio would start out at the Rockefeller Center’s Rainbow Grill. It seems increasingly likely the Sands Hotel residency would have been with Solomon Burke. Jones would also tour the UK at least three times, although I could only find contemporary reports rather than events listings or reviews. The first trip was scheduled in 1967 “around March 18th and would stay there for several months, returning to the U.S. for a few weeks and then back across the Atlantic for a series of European concerts and PA’s.” ^[23]Cash Box – March 11th, 1963. Also noted was that due to her popularity, Tamiko Jones has been slated for a cover story in Jet(magazine).

1970 saw an uptick in Jones publicity after recording an album for Metromedia. Publicity for the album and Jones was widespread, as she spent part of the summer on a label promotional package to show her new material, joining label mates Bobby Sherman and Frankie Avalon.

By 1971 Tamiko Jones was making regular appearances at “Crawdaddy” at 1674 Broadway in New York, the shows were regularly advertised in the Village Voice. In March 1971 she was at La Concha, San Juan, Monday for two weeks starting on March 1st.

1975 Tamiko was scheduled to appear at a UK event, the Blackpool Soul Convention, to be held at the Norbeck Castle Hotel. A number of acts were scheduled to appear including Tamiko Jones but the event was cancelled due ton failure of the organizer. Jones trip still went ahead.

Clearly Jones being on the road was an important way to sustain herself as well as continue to support her family. She discussed this in an interview with Sid Fields of the NY Daily News saying it “made it a lot easier for her daughter, mother and her five younger sisters and brothers. “They all depended on me,” said Tamiko. “So when I fell apart, I had to put myself together again. How? A miracle. I believe in them.” ^[24]NY Daily News – January 13th, 19760 – P19

Record Labels

Tamiko Jones didn’t have an extended period of time with any label. Each of her albums was released on a different label: Atlantic with Herbie Mann; December Records (which folded within a year); CTI/A&M; Metromedia Records; Arista, and finally in 1976 – Atlantis Records released “Cloudy”. The only long-term recording partnership she had was with Jimmy Wisner. As well as working with Jones on the Herbie Mann album, Wisner did arrangements on three more of Tamiko Jones’ albums.

Her earlier records, 45RPM/Single’s for Checker and Golden World, as well as some of her later tracks, have remained popular with British Northern Soul fans. She wouldn’t record anything substantive until her album with Herbie Mann in 1966.

Checker

Tamiko Jones first record was recorded and released as Timiko, on the Detroit Checker label and released around March 1963. Checker Records was a sublabel of Chess Records. Chess was based in Chicago and was the starting point for Maurice White (Earth, Wind & Fire) Ramsey Lewis, Terry Callier and many others. “Is It A Sin” was listed in Billboard, May 25th, 1963 with no reviews, simply in a list of “OTHER SINGLES REVIEWED – The singles listed below are rated as having relatively limited sale or programming potential.”

Golden World

Billboard listed, and Cash Box reviewed Tamiko Jones’ Golden World single in their March 19th, 1966 issues. Cash Box praised the strong orchestration and Tamiko Jones’ “strong, moving reading of the tune.”

In his book “Custodians of the Hummingbird” ^[25]RoseDog Books ISBN: 978-1-4809-6650-5 2017, Al Kent gives some insight into how this record was made. Kent gets a number of things wrong, for example stating that Tamiko Jones “came to Detroit from New York”; and that at the time of the recording that “Tamiko Jones had been married to John Abbey of “Blues & Soul magazine out of the U.K. in England”. First England is in the UK, and second Jones did not marry Abbey until some 10-years later. Finally, Kent missed the fact that Jones went on to a highly successful career rather than as he put it “faded off into musicdom obscurity. Possibly off-Broadway”.

What’s interesting from Kent’s book is that the Detroit-based label and studio Golden World’s president, Joanne Bratton, had agreed to cut the 45RPM/Single with Tamiko Jones in early ’65. Given it wasn’t released until 1966, it’s more probable that it was also recorded in early ’66 rather than ’65. Kent also says, “She went into the studio just a few short hours after coming to Golden World and recorded a little commercial number that evening that had everyone singing her praises. ‘I’m Spell Bound,’ commercial and up-tempo, was one of her best efforts. On the flip side, ‘Am I Glad Now,’ which had that special New York arrangement flavor behind it.” and that while he (Kent) believed that Gene Singleton was Jones manager, he was in fact just a conduit to Ray Gordy.” Ray Gordy was Raynoma Gordy/Singleton.

Kent says that there was “chemistry between her[Tamiko] and songwriter Gene Redd ^[26]https://www.discogs.com/artist/699453-Gene-Redd-Jr?searchParam=Tamiko&superFilter=Credits. Redd, produced the 45RPM/Single and co-wrote it with Rose McCoy ^[27]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose_Marie_McCoy and an M. Jones. It’s not clear who “M. Jones” is.

Based on Al Kent’s assertion about the studio date, this likely wasn’t a bought in master – produced for release.

Initially, Golden World didn’t have a studio but did include writers, producers, and arrangers including Ed Wingate, and pianist and arranger George “Teacho” Wiltshire. Wiltshire would arrange and play on tracks on the CTI Creed Taylor-produced Tamiko Jones album.

In September 1966, it was announced that Berry Gordy Jr. and Motown had bought Golden World, including their office and studio, master disks and tapes, and also the contracts of Edwin Starr and J. J. Barnes ^[28]Billboard September 10th, 1966 P10. By 1968, Golden World had been completely subsumed into Motown.

Atlantic Records

Cash Box, in its 1966 end-of-year issue, reported Atlantic president Ahmet Ertegun saying “the company enjoyed the greatest year in its history during 1966.” The article went on to include a list of artists that had been signed to Atlantic-Atco that year, and they included Freddie Hubbard, Chick Corea, “Aretha Franklin was signed to Atlantic with her first release set for early 1967.” Herbie Mann, a star on Atlantic for the past five years, signed a new long-term agreement with the company. Other artists listed who joined Atlantic in 1966 included Tamiko Jones.

Tamiko Jones was managed in the mid-sixties by agent Mike Verona ^[29]Cash Box – March 11th, 1967. Verona was president of Horizon Talent Promotions. He also headed up Wild Productions, a division of Horizon. Verona would record several artists signed to Wild Productions for release on Atlantic labels ^[30]https://www.discogs.com/artist/6591020-Mike-Verona-2^[31]Cash Box January 21st, 1967 P42. It’s not clear how long Jones was associated with Verona/Horizon.

What is interesting is that Tamiko Jones only recorded a 45RPM/Single for ATCO and the work with Herbie Mann. Their cover of “A Man And A Woman” was reviewed by Cash Box magazine in their October 15th, 1966 issue. Cash Box listed the track as a Tamiko Jones track, saying “TAMIKO JONES (Atlantic 2362) A MAN AND A WOMAN (2:23) [Northern, ASCAP— Lai, Barough, Keller] Film theme gets another top-notch working, this time in the hands of Herbie Mann and Tamiko Jones. This version is a soft, bossa nova arrangement which should pull in a good piece of the action.”

December Records

Her next recordings were issued by December Records, formed in July of 1967 by Jimmy Wisner ^[32]https://www.discogs.com/label/144858-December-Records-2. December records would only issue one album “Tamiko” (December – DR-8500-S, in December 1967) and the label would fold in 1968. A few years later Wisner would start another label “Wizdom Records” ^[33]https://www.discogs.com/label/136426-Wizdom-Records.

Most tracks on the album were covers, including “You Only Live Twice” and “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” and interestingly, an English language vocal by Normal Gimbel of the Jobim/Mendonca Meditação/Meditation from Jobim’s 1963 Creed Taylor produced album “The Composer Of Desafinado, Plays” (Verve) along with a few Wisner penned tracks.

Bell Records

Part of the interest in researching this in-depth piece about Tamiko Jones, was the rediscovery of Solomon Burke’s recordings. Jones and Burke would have almost certainly met at the Flame Show Bar in 1962. By 1969 either before or after Jones had contracted Polio, they were engaged to marry. At least three interviews I’ve read say this, although Burke himself only describes Tamiko Jones as a partner.

Following his time at Atlantic,, Solomon Burke, alongside his manager and then-fiancée Tamiko Jones, co-produced an album called Proud Mary for Bell Records. It was a Solomon Burke record from Muscle Shoals that demonstrated that they could produce a hit without Atlantic Records’ Jerry Wexler’s presence.

Polydor

Tamiko Jones last successful record was “Can’t Live Without Your Love” a post “disco demolition” 12-inch single issued by Polydor in 1979. It was arranged and co-produced by Brass Construction’s Randy Mueller with members of the band Skyy as the musicians ^[35]Waxpoetics – Special Collector’s Dance Floor Edition – 2020, ISSN 2666-3104.

Atlantis & Avatar

Tamiko Jones variously was the owner and founder of a number of record labels, including Atlantis and later Atlantis II and Avatar Records. Atlantis II wasn’t actually dissolved until 2011, and Avatar in 2015. Tamiko and her daughter Sabrina were both registered directors in different roles. They all used the same address in NW Atlanta.

In her interview with UK Blues & Soul magazine editor John Abbey, she said she had issued a 45RPM/Single “Touch Me Baby (Reaching Out For Your Love)” on Atlantis and it had sold “beyond the 50,000 mark and was attracting interest from every major record company in America. I gave it to Arista because I have so much respect for Clive Davis.” Tamiko signed a deal with Arista records distribution in 1975. The Johnny Bristol penned A-side, the B-side cover of Stevie Wonder track “Creepin'” were both recorded at Muscle Shoals and featured the legendary Muscle Shoals Rhythm section.

Atlantis II was used years later to release the original “Cloudy” album and 45RPM/Single which were again picked or licensed to other labels for wider distribution. Avatar was I believe a Hip-Hop label, it may have released 5x singles.

Sutra Records

Finally in the list of labels, Tamiko Jones last released record was on Arthur (Art) Kass’ Sutra label. Kass was and executive, producer and earlier an accountant at MGM Records. He was the co-founder of Buddah Records in 1967, and returned to the recording business to launch Sutra Records in 1982. Sutra would follow-on an earlier Kass label, Kama Sutra.

The 1986 Sutra release was a cover of Marvin Gaye’s “I want You”. Ironically, for a woman who’d danced around Motown, either smartly avoiding them, or alternatively never quite being in the right place at the right time to be signed by them, her last released recording would be a cover of a Motown record. ^[36]https://www.discogs.com/master/85974-Tamiko-Jones-I-Want-You-Tamikos-Groove

A Man And A Woman(Atlantic)

Herbie Mann, the energetic and imaginative innovator and creator of new musical trends, the opportunity to record the attractive Tamiko Jones with his band was both a pleasure and a challenge. For Tamiko, whose young career had burgeoned since she was “‘discovered” by Skitch Henderson on the ‘“‘Tonight’’ TV show last year, the chance to sing with Herbie was the kind of opportunity that comes along once in a lifetime.

Herbie Mann & Tamiko Jones – A Mann & A Woman – Atlantic SD 8141, Liner Note by Bob Rolontz

So many women, so many times. This is the prefect example of what Astrud Gilberto complained about, Tamiko wasn’t a singer until she was “discovered”. She says in her interview program with Al Gee ^[37]The US Army Reserve Presents Al Gee – Rap N’ Rhythm (Programs #220) that she was “discovered” by Johnny Carson. The liner notes for “A Mann & A Woman” list, then “Tonight Show” band leader, Skitch Henderson as “discovering her. Yet as shown, she signed with Maurice King in Detroit, so if she was discovered by anyone it was Maurice King. Artists as much as agents and producers feed off each other in a sort of symbiotic relationship, as we see time and time again in the music business, it’s all about who you know.

On the 1967 “A Mann & A Woman” liner notes, Mann says he “had heard Jones sing during a rehearsal in Atlantic’s New York studios and was taken with the twenty-one-year-old’s sensuous pop-oriented voice, which bore a remarkable similarity to that of Dionne Warwick.” ^[38]Note this would have been consistent with Tamiko Jones birth year of 1945 but since Jones herself was described as 23 in a feature in Jet magazine around the same time, let’s assume Mann got … Continue reading

Jimmy Wisner though bought Tamiko Jones and Herbie Mann together for session that produced the hit, and widely recognized English language cover of the film title track “A Man And A Woman”. The session was held on September 27th, 1966 with the single version of the track rush released just two week later in promo’ format ^[39]Billboard, October 15th 1966. The album, is actually entitled “A Mann And A Woman” and would not be released until the following year, 1967.

Wisner, together with Herbie Mann and Tamiko Jones were back in the NYC studio a few days later to record tracks for Mann’s “The Beat Goes On” (Atlantic), released in July 1967. They had rehearsed vocals for three tracks on the album, “Swinging Blues”, “The Honeydripper” and a cover of the theme “Is Paris Burning”. On the released album though they are all instrumental tracks.

Wisner had done arrangements for two prior Mann albums. As well as arranging, Wisner had produced for Len Barry, Gloria Lynne, Jack Scott. Wisner also arranged for the Cowsills, Miriam Makeba, Jay and the Techniques, Peaches and Herb.

While the single was indeed a hit, Jones describes it as her “first hit”, it received mixed reviews. A 2003 Warners Bros/Atlantic compilation described it in the liner notes as “probably the ultimate in bachelor pad sound from the stereo age.” ^[40]Cathi Unsworth, https://www.discogs.com/master/333676-Various-The-Leopard-Lounge-Swinging-Lounge-Tunes-From-The-Atlantic-And-Warner-Vaults. Jazz critics were dismissive of Mann’s output around this time, Murray Ball a Canadian syndicated music columnist said “The striking ability of these two entertainers to complement each other is much in evidence on the 11 cuts, but the work is generally much too subdued. There is little vitality to it, and one has to be very interested in the artists to find the album of much value.” ^[41]Calgary Herald – July 21st, 1967

The track is taken from the 1966 Claude Lelouch film of the same name, in French, “Un homme et une femme”. The soundtrack version was by Francis Lai, who also helped write the soundtrack. The soundtrack received Best Original Score nominations at both the BAFTA Awards and Golden Globe Awards in 1967. The film’s theme song, with music by Francis Lai and lyrics by Pierre Barouh, was also nominated for “Best Original Song in a Motion Picture” at the Golden Globe Awards.

Mann and Jones would go on to the jazz and cabaret circuit to promote the track and the album. Down Beat reported that after a short closing at the start of the year, Basin Street East had bought in Joe Cuba’s sextet, Herbie Mann and Tamiko Jones for two weeks starting January 27th ^[42]Down Beat Magazine – March 9th, 1967.

Cash Box, February 11th, 1967 reports that “After Mann had finished his own performance, he and his group provided the accompaniment for songstress Tamiko Jones, whose rich, warm voice met with the enthusiastic approval of the audience. Miss Jones lent her talent to a varied selection of numbers including the Beatles’ “Yesterday” and “Day-Tripper.”

Mann would go on to record with Creed Taylor on a couple of albums, only one of which is credited to Mann, the second simply called Soul Flutes which combined Mann and Hubert Laws. After that Atlantic, wanting to renew their contract with Mann gave him a sublabel, Embryo Records ^[43]http://ctproduced.com/crying-song-answers-will-likely-remain-unknown/.

I’ll Be Anything For You(CTI)

There is a complex web of interactions between then current Creed Taylor arrangers and musicians, as well as future stars. As discussed, Wisner likely introduced, or bought Tamiko Jones into Herbie Mann’s recordings. Creed Taylor and Herbie Mann had both recorded together in the past, and would again shortly. Wisner had also been part of Charlie Venturer’s orchestra, from which Creed had recorded Jackie and Roy Kral, and Patricia Scott.

As well as Jimmy Wisner, also arranging and conducting on the album, Artie Butler is listed as the arranger for the first single from the album, “Ya Ya”. I reached out to Butler via email and asked if he attended or remembered any detail from the sessions for the album, he did not. Artie also pointed out that his Taylor-produced CTI/A&M album “Have You Met Miss Jones?” recorded at the start of 1968 was, in fact, a tribute to the Rodgers & Hart track of the same name rather than any form of reference to Tamiko Jones.

Universal distributors were the primary A&M distributors in the north east region. Their office was at 919 N. Broad St. Today the building has been demolished and the lot is empty, in it’s heyday Bill and Universal were key to breaking many of Creed’s artists in Philadelphia promoting to radio stations and record stores. In late 1980, Bill Harper would join Sutra Records as national pop promotion director, in this role he would have been responsible for promoting Tamiko Jones final recorded release ^[44]Billboard – Nov. 22, 1980.

Doug Payne, listing Creed Taylor’s studio logs, notes that two additional sessions were possibly held. June 3rd at Sam Phillips Studio, and another date, June 12th at an unknown location where a potentially alternative version of the “Ya Ya/Goodnight My Love” single were recorded ^[45]https://www.dougpayne.com/ctid3k.htm#illbeanything. It’s my speculation that the June 3rd, 4th and 12th sessions did happen, the production work was done by Jones and Solomon Burke. As per Creed Taylor’s want, backing and overdubs were done later at the Van Gelder studio.

The album though, doesn’t appear until mid-October, it is included in a full page advert for CTI/A&M albums. It isn’t reviewed until December in Cash Box magazine, alongside the Taylor produced Tamba 4 album, “Samba Blim” which had been recorded starting August 7th at Van Gelder’s Englewood Cliffs studio the week before the same studio was home to the Tamiko Jones session.

Detroit Free Press Review

In it’s Sunday December 20th, 1968 edition, the Detroit Free Press provided perhaps the most comprehensive review of the album. They said:

It’s hard to believe Tamiko Jones was just a Detroit secretary in 1961 Who had to be begged to sing in public. But sing she did at the Flame Bar, starting a career that has finally blossomed into this A&M album which displays her natural, mature delivery and “been – there – and – back” voice beautifully. Throughout the album (particularly on “Cottage for Sale”) you get that intimate feeling which Dinah Washington once gave audiences. Tamiko’s bag is a big one with room for country-flavored folk, or a great belting rocker like “Black Is Black” (Richard Tee’s terrific piano), and some warm duets like “Try It Baby” with Solomon Burke. You enjoy Tamiko Jones because she obviously enjoys singing to you.

Detroit Free Press – December 20th, 1968

Re-Issues

I’m not aware of a CD re-issue of the CTI/A&M album, however it has been re-pressed on vinyl at least once. In November 2022, the Italian label “Pleasure For Music” aka PFM, released a re-press with the same cover, tracks etc. but with their own labels. PFM 103LP. New copies are still available including the USA, Spain, Germany, Italy etc. ^[46]https://www.discogs.com/sell/release/15741970?ev=rb&condition=Mint+%28M%29 – I assume they used the stereo mixed down release masters. I don’t have a copy to check.

Polio

It’s generally reported that Tamiko Jones suffered from polio. When releasing Jones’ Metromedia album, Metromedia and her then-agent Jo-Ann Geffen secured a significant number of interviews. Almost all focused on Jones’ successful comeback and return to fitness. Trying to establish the date she was first diagnosed has been difficult. It’s only of interest as it would give some insight into what happened directly after recording the sessions with Creed Taylor.

Given the final session for the Taylor/CTI album was September 17th, 1968 – it would be my guess that Tamiko Jones was diagnosed slightly after this. The details are inconsistent though. In a January 1971 interview with Sidney Fields published in the NY Daily News(Page-19), Fields reports that “One day, back in Feb., 1967 [I believe either Fields or Jones got this wrong during the interview, it should say Feb., 1969], Tamiko was in her apartment with the Four Tops and a few other friends when she began shivering and at the same time felt as if she were burning up. A doctor gave her a shot to head off an infection and drop her temperature.”

Jones temperature “was about 104. Three hours later, it was still 104. The doctor ordered her into the hospital.” “In the hospital, a specialist called it polio,” Tamiko said. “I couldn’t move from the waist down. For three months, I couldn’t move my head. For over a year I was on my back. When you’re that way, helpless, your whole life flashes before your eyes.”

The long, hard sometimes agonizing therapy went on day after endless day, moving her legs back and forth, hour after hour, so they wouldn’t atrophy, so she could move them herself. When she could, she was put into a wheel chair.

“I couldn’t perform while I was in a wheel chair,” Tamiko told Fields, “but I could do other things. It had to be in music because that was my bag.” Fields continued “When she first struggled out of her wheelchair in an effort to stand up, she fell down. When she tried to take her first steps, again she fell. She picked herself up and tried again.”

“I didn’t want any crutches,” she said. “I had too much to do and couldn’t do it with crutches.” Fields finished by reporting that one of Jones legs is shorter than the other, which causes spinal issues. Also that once in a while, her neck locks tight. “Otherwise, I’m fine,” she said, “and I’m going all the way, and that’s even if that’s further than I can go.”

It’s variously reported in other contemporary interviews that her time struggling with the immediate effects of Polio was 30-months.

Proud Mary(Bell)

These two advertisements appeared side-by-side on the cover of the April 26th, 1969 issue of Billboard and with that, Jones had moved on again to another label.

Solomon Burke had a prominent recording career with Atlantic Records, being one of their top R&B stars after Aretha Franklin and Wilson Pickett. In 1969, frustrated with a lack of growth and disputes over royalties, he signed with Bell Records, where his first single “Uptight Good Woman,” co-produced by Tamiko Jones, was set for release. Bell Records, aiming for significant growth, also secured deals with the Norman Petty Agency and Renzy Productions, with Petty known for his work with Buddy Holly and the Crickets, and recent hits like the Fireballs’ “Bottle Of Wine.” Bell Records was also promoting tracks from artists like the Box Tops, the Delfonics, and Bobby Darin.

In January 1969, Billboard would report that “Solomon Burke will debut on Bell Records with “Uptight Good Woman,” co- produced by Burke and Tamiko Jones. Miss Jones thus returns the favor Burke did for songstress by joining her on “Try it Baby” and “Please Return Your Love to Me,” featured on Tamiko Jones’ first album for A&M. ^[47]Billboard – Jan. 25th, 1969. Pg37

The sessions for Solomon Burke’s “Proud Mary” album were recorded at Fame Studios, Muscle Shoals between January and April 1969. The first mention of Burke’s “Proud Mary” cover appeared in Billboard magazine on April 12, 1969, noting its entry into radio playlists the following week.

Now remembered as an Ike and Tina Turner hit and gold record, Burke recalled how they were out in Vegas for a 16-week residency at the time the Bell recording of “Proud Mary” was in the charts and said “they[Bell] became proud of it. It was too late, we were gone (from Bell). I was signed to MGM. I missed this record being a hit, because we weren’t there to promote the record, we had no backing from the label. The greatest thing I ever did was tell Ike Turner, “Hey man, you should get on this record…I think you and Tina could tear this thing up.”” ^[50]Roctober #33 – James Porter Interview, Summer 2002

For his book “Anatomy Of A Song” ^[51]Published 2016 by Grove/Atlantic Inc. ISBN 978 1 61185 525 8 Tamiko Jones told Marc Myers (jazzwax) “I co-produced Solomon’s single at the Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Alabama. Solomon and I talked before he recorded. I told him to do his own thing, to start the record by telling people how he felt about the riverboat. When Ike and Tina’s version came out a year later, Solomon and I laughed. We could hear they had borrowed his talking-intro approach.”

As Burke noted, he wasn’t around to promote the album, in June 1969 he took a 16-week residency at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas in what was then a major R&B revival on the ‘strip. This was indeed the same residency that Tamiko Jones was one or at least overlapped with. ^[52]The Donn Arden papers archive at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Libraries archive include a clipping in Arden scrapbook 05 http://n2t.net/ark:/62930/d16q1tv9t Joe Delaneys column in the July 25th, 1969 edition of the Las Vegas Sun says “f you prefer “soul” that is pop flavored, see Solomon Burke and Tamiko Jones at the Sands”.

Tamiko Jones in the various interviews and reviews was referred to as Burkes fiancé and his manager. In the extensive interview with James Porter In Roctober #33, Burke himself refers to Tamiko Jones as his “producer and partner”. He recalls how they were leaving after the Bell Records meeting when Bell exclaimed “we don’t even have a picture of you[Burke]” and Tamiko Jones pulled a small camera from her pocketbook and took a picture of Burke leaning against a wall. That picture is the one included on the back cover of the “Proud Mary” album. ^[53]Roctober #33 – James Porter Interview, Summer 2002

Arguably, the track and album of “Proud Mary” was much more successful for Tamiko Jones as a co-producer than “A Man And A Woman” had been as an artist. “Proud Mary” was more successful at home and released in more countries than either Mann track and album.

Getty Images has these pictures of Tamiko Jones and Solomon Burke as well as others. The pictures are embedded here courtesy of Getty Images.

Embed from Getty Images

Metromedia

The first 45RPM/Single released as a result of the “In Muscle Shoals” recordings was around July of 1970. It consisted of the tracks “Please Don’t Tell Me” and “Blossom” – Metrodmedia MM-197 (1970). The single never made it to market except as a promo. The tracks would be included on the album. Another album track, “Our Day Will Come” (the old Ruby and the Romantics’ hit) was released in early August 1970 as a 45RPM/Single – it didn’t really happen either. It was still her “new single” in October 1970. ^[56]Record World – October 3rd 1970 – Pg 36

The album, “In Muscle Shoals” – Metromedia (MD 1030) was released in August of 1970. Produced by Jones, Jimmy Johnson, and Barry Beckett, it was again recorded at the Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Alabama. The album was, by the standards of the time, a lightweight pop album consisting of Burt Bacharach and other covers, including the Beatles’ “Something,” “Since I Don’t Have You,” “Turn Around, Look at Me,” “Our Day Will Come,” “Everybody’s Talkin’.” It didn’t deliver anything that you couldn’t really find on any Dionne Warwick and Warwick-like vocal album.

Greg Geller (seen above in the clipping) would report on Jones’ live comeback at the Rainbow Grill in January, 1971. Geller said she was “overflowing with emotion after a successful bout with polio.” Geller noted that the outstanding track of the night was “Tamiko’s rendering of the Billie Holiday classic ‘God Bless The Child’,” which Geller concluded “a recording of which would be most welcome.” ^[57]RECORD WORLD January 16, 1971 – Pg25

In January 1971, as Tamiko Jones was preparing to return to performing live at the Rainbow Grill at the Rockefeller Center in New York, Metromedia took out full-page adverts to promote Jones and her new single “Cross My Heart”.

The strings for a new 45RPM/Single were recorded in Detroit at the Holland-Dozier-Holland studio, with the rhythm track cut at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio. The single was again produced by Jones, Johnson, and Beckett; it was not on the first Metromedia album. The track is also much more up-tempo soul-style pop than anything on “In Muscle Shoals.” It’s likely to have been recorded after the album; it was released on Metromedia MMS-205 in October 1970. A second album with Beckett and Johnson again co-producing was scheduled for May 1971 but never happened. Perhaps the single and a record version of “God Bless The Child” give a hint at what might have been.

Jones would appear at the Doral Hotel on March 31 1971, for one week after one-nighters in Miami in mid -March. After an initial publicity burst, it was announced that “Metromedia’s Tamiko Jones, was hospitalized for knee surgery, will be back on stage within three weeks.” ^[58]May 8th, 1971 issue of Billboard

Jones would record and produce a 45RPM/Single for 20th Century Records that would be released in 1974 (TC-2073) “I’m The Woman Behind The Man (Playing Guitar In The Band)” ^[59]https://www.discogs.com/master/1726914-Tamiko-Jones-Im-The-Woman-Behind-The-Man-Playing-The-Guitar-In-The-Band. John Abbey writing in the UK magazine Blues & Soul said the track had been recorded around May 1974 at Muscle Shoals. It was written by Tamiko Jones and Brenda Riden, arranged by Motown alumni Paul Riser.

Marriage to John Abbey

John Abbey’s May 13th, 1975 article in Blues & Soul opened with “IF SHEER beauty could ensure a hit record, then Ms. Tamiko Jones would simply never yield the top spot.” By today’s standard, not really politically correct; by the 70’s standards, Abbey was just next in line. In many ways, it was a match made in heaven. In a December ’75 Blues & Soul article, Abbey wrote “three months ago, Tamiko returned to the U.K. for a short vacation before starting work on her new album, due for release early in the New Year.”

“The internationally celebrated messenger of love. Tamiko Jones took another step in her beautiful career. On Halloween. October 31. 1977 she married the fine gentleman from London. England. John Abbey.” ^[62]The Atlanta Voice – November 5th, 1977, Page-3 – Nathaniel Graham

“Their business keeps them commuting between London and Atlanta, where they are on the verge of expanding their company into the International Recording Corp. It was also noted their marriage was the “second marriage for both Abbey and Ms. Jones.” ^[63]Jet Magazine – Dec. 1st, 1977

While their marriage shouldn’t have been of much more interest than almost any that appear between “celebrities” in People, US Weekly, or Hello! magazines, it did back then because it was a mixed-race marriage. One of the then US’s biggest black entertainment companies, Johnson Publications, took a look at them in their June 1978 issue of EBONY magazine, which incorporated “Black World Magazine” ^[64]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebony_(magazine) ^[65]https://books.google.com/books?id=CM4DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA70&dq=Tamiko+Jones&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi1z6a4ibmHAxWbAjQIHbsnC0oQ6AF6BAgJEAI.

The EBONY magazine looked at five couples, not just Abbey & Jones.

The publicity from the article would have raised awareness of the couple on both sides of the Atlantic. Jones and Abbey married just 10-years after the Supreme Court’s Loving v. Virginia ruling barred states from outlawing interracial marriage ^[66]https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-05-18/where-interracial-marriage-is-most-common-in-america.

“I decided that Atlanta was the perfect place to get married because there is so much racism in the South,” Ms. Jones says. “I’d like for John and me to be an example for race relations in the South, to show other people that Blacks and Whites can get along. If things don’t work out for us, it will not be because of race.”

EBONY • June, 1978 – Page 70 – Bill Berry

Abbey was quoted as saying “I don’t bend over backwards to be kinder to Black people; I want to be kind, period. If people hold color against me, then I feel sorry for them. I’ve gotten over that barrier.” The article looked at issues that the featured couples might face and their attitudes, included were a few pictures of each couple in different circumstances. Included was the following picture of Abbey and Tamiko Jones, at lunch with Jones’ daughter Sabrina.

Of interest in terms of music publication, etc., is the quote in the EBONY article by Bill Berry. Berry writes, “Ms. Jones agrees. ‘When we were married, John gave me half of all his enterprises, in writing,’ she says. ‘If that’s no measure of sincerity, I don’t know what is.'”

In 1985 Abbey would go on to found Ichiban Records in Atlanta with Nina East, a former CBS Records promotions director in Scandinavia ^[67]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ichiban_Records) (https://www.discogs.com/label/15071-Ichiban-Records. Ichiban’s first signing was Clarence Carter, going some way to revitalizing his career ^[68]The Atlanta Journal – Sun, Jul 21, 1991 · Page 156. Ichiban co-released the first album of a then unknown Vanilla Ice. At the time, Ice was signed with (Tommy) Quon as M.C. Vanilla. After the first album, Vanilla Ice would jump ship to SBK (who will also be discussed later). Ichiban was wound up in bankruptcy in 1999, having previously been sold by Abbey & East.

The Atlanta History Center has published a fascinating insight into Abbey/Nina East and history of Ichibahn ^[69]https://www.atlantahistorycenter.com/exhibitions/they-were-no-1-the-ichiban-records-story/welcome-to-atlanta/.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Tamiko and John Abbey had filed for divorce by December 17th, 1987. That adds a layer of complexity to Jones’s last recorded release on Sutra Records the same year. Nina East split with husband and partner John Abbey in 1996 (Billboard, Feb. 10th, 1996); she has since started her own Atlanta-based company, NMC Records ^[70]Billboard – March 8th, 1997. As of 2019, John Abbey was CEO of Connor Ray Music in Houston, TX.

UK Singles (Contempo Records)

It’s certainly the case that the master for this recording was owned by Motown. It’s unclear if they knew they had it and refused to license it or if Abbey and Jones didn’t want to, or decided not to negotiate to re-release it. Hence the re-recording.

The re-recording would have been to capitalize on the exploding UK Northern Soul scene in 1976; she would release her sides of “Let It Flow” (1976) and “Reachin’ Out For Your Love” (1977) on Contempo – these all had US corresponding releases. Jones would release a 45RPM/Single version of Stevie Wonder’s track “Creepin'” on Contempo also in 1977, although the track was included on both her last two albums, it wasn’t released in the US as a 45RPM/Single, to my knowledge.

Finally in 1978, Jones released a UK 45RPM/Single on Contempo of her longtime friend, Freda Payne’s mega-hit “Band Of Gold” (Contempo CS 2131 1978). Incidentally, this would be one of the final releases put out by Contempo.

TV Appearances

As far as I could establish, she only appeared on TV to perform songs, and not in an acting role. She made a number of TV appearances, I checked the archives I have access to and was unable to find any existing video recordings of her earlier performances, which is disappointing. Unfortunately Jones never got her own show.

She did though appear on the Johnny Carson Tonight show Saturday Aug 18, 1964 and again on November 10th, 1964. Jones agent, Mike Verona would likely have been responsible for the claim that Jones appeared on the Carson show six-times. I’d love to hear when these performances were, cross-checking between TV Listing magazines online and the Library of Congress, I’ve only been able to establish the original two 1964 dates, the sound from which is included in the mix provided here.

Unfortunately, the shows in which Tamiko Jones appeared are not among the 33 episodes of the “Tonight Show” from before 1972 that are known to exist. ^[71]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tonight_Show_Starring_Johnny_Carson#Archives

According to IMDB, Jones also appeared in single episodes of “The Clay Cole” show in 1967; “The Peter Martin Show” in 1968; American Bandstand in 1975.

Listed as a performer for the 1969 show by WFIL-TV “Blackbook” ^[72]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WFIL. Originated in Philadelphia, broadcast on Thursday at 10 pm starting May 1st, 1969, it was later moved to 10:30 pm on Saturdays on Channel-6. The show focused exclusively on African Americans in politics, entertainment, and public service and was hosted by actor Matt Robinson ^[73]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Robinson_(actor)^[74]Billboard magazine – May 10th, 1969 P34.

Also In 1969 on May 19th the Monday Evening “Donald O’Conner” – Variety show. Guests: Academy Award nominee Jack Albertson (supporting actor in “The Subject Was Roses’), Gary Owens of “Laugh-In,’’ actress Emmaline Henry and singer Tamiko Jones. (90 min.)

The Pittsburgh Courier also reported performances on the Merv Griffin, Joey Bishop shows, and added “Tamiko has also hosted numerous local TV shows in major market areas.” – I don’t know what those were ^[75]New_Pittsburgh_Courier_1971_01_30_Page_13

Ebony Affair – JEP Productions

Here is perhaps the only film performance of Tamiko Jones. I’m sure there must be others, but I’ve called and emailed archival departments and can’t find them. The clip comes from the show “Ebony Affair.” The Ebony Affair shows were produced by John (Ernest) Jackson, aka JEP Productions, and his objective was to bring top artists in “soul music” to TV.

The show, which ran from 1973-1978, is mostly forgotten now. In many cases, it was programmed to broadcast just before “Soul Train” or after “American Bandstand”. It was syndicated originally on the east coast of America, often sponsored by Pepsi Cola bottling plants.

JEP ran the 1977 “First Annual Rhythm ‘n’ Blues Awards Show.” The awards had been chosen by Jackson himself. Jackson became semi-famous for saying “CBS televises dog shows but won’t televise a black awards show.” — There wouldn’t be a second awards show, many of the suppliers and performers on the first show had worked for IOU’s.

The TV show ended not long after the awards show. Jackson though has posted some 200 videos of performances on his Youtube channel. As well as the Tamiko Jones recording, my favorite is Bobby Byrd performing “Back From The Dead”, followed by long term show host Silvia performing “Pillow talk” – Awesome! ^[76]https://www.youtube.com/@johnjackson7441/videos.

Public Service Recordings

Tamiko Jones recorded a number of public service records. These were very popular in the 1960’s and seventies. She is on record(pun intended) as doing promo’s for “President’s Council On Youth Opportunity”(1967-68); The Army Radio & Television Service(1966) and the US Army Reserve program from 1975.

The program itself is fairly typical of the time, I have a few records from the series. That said they aptly show the sexist and misogynism that was acceptable at the time. DJ Al Gee, the host of the program included on the ctproduced Tamiko Jones mix program is now a gospel minister and Bishop of his own ministry^[77]https://www.algeeministries.com/about.

Remixes/Edits

In the December 2002 issue of the (mostly) Hip-Hop MUZIK magazine, DJ/Producer/Sampler Kurtis Mantronik who is Jamaican-born hip hop and electronic-music artist best known for his 1980’s music as Mantronix, was asked about his influences, said of Tamiko Jones “Can’t Live Without Your Love” (Polydor, 1979)

“This Is one of the first records I heard when I moved to New York back In 1980. Larry Levan was rocking this Jam at the Garage nightclub, which had the best sounding system in New York at the time.

“Can’t Live Without Your Love sounded awesome with Its moody, Loftesque vocal performance. The role the synths play In this track make it a sure-fire crowd mover that’s guaranteed to rock the party!”

Kurtis Mantronik – MUZIK magazine, December 2002

Tamiko Jones’ “Let It Flow”, the subject of my earlier post, was remixed before the track was out the door on her album “Cloudy”. The track was mixed by the “father of the remix” Tom Moulton and extended to 6:53 for inclusion on the album in 1976. A shorter cut (4:26) would be released on the Atlantis II label as a single, backed with the album title track, a cover of an Average White Band track from their 1975 album “Cut The Cake”.

Mel Cheren was on the production team during Creed Taylor’s tenure at ABC Paramount from 1959 to 1962. After Taylor’s departure, Cheren would become director of production for LP’s and singles ^[80]Cash Box – September 18th, 1965 with Bob Thiele as Director of A&R, Supervising recording for ABC and Jazz label Impulse ^[81]Billboard September 18th, 1965, Page 32.

A List of “Let It Flow” releases featuring Tamiko Jones can be found on discogs ^[82]https://www.discogs.com/search?q=%22let+it+flow%22+%2Btamiko&type=all&layout=big.

Radio Management

While in New York in the late 1970’s, Tamiko Jones had been an acquaintance of Wanda Ramos, the programming director of New York’s disco oriented WKTU radio station ^[83]https://archive.org/details/cheren-mel-my-life-and-the-paradise-garage-keep-on-dancin-2000/page/191/mode/1up?q=tamiko. With all of Jones other contacts and experience, it was no surprise that she would find herself gravitating towards radio station management. Having settled in Atlanta, she had further established contacts with both Atlanta Mayor Andrew Jackson and Reginald Eaves, the Public Safety Commissioner who was pictured in Jet Magazine, December 1st 1977 issue, “kissing the bride at Tamiko Jones and John Abbey’s October 31st wedding.”

In the late 1980s, two of Atlanta, GA’s radio stations were owned by longtime Georgia businessman and later philanthropist, Charles Smithgall. The stations (WALR-FM and WCNN-AM) parent company, “Ring Radio Company,” was reportedly losing money. The experiment of simulcasting the then-new cable Atlanta-based CNN news channel via AM radio hadn’t played out the way Smithgall had hoped. The stations were both at the wrong end of the Atlanta Radio Top-20, based on Arbitron ratings. Layoffs were de rigueur.

Smithgall had hoped he could automate WALR at the time he purchased the station in 1981. The station was a light rock format station and instead decided to do a live version of adult-contemporary. Times were changing, and WALR would as well. In July 1990, Smithgall told the Atlanta Journal that he would consider selling the station but the “rumored price of $11 million is not on the mark.” At the same time, General Manager Rob Jackson resigned and stayed on until November 1990 when Smithgall’s co-owner Kim King announced: “Local performer and promoter Tamiko Jones has been hired as GM for the newly formatted WALR-FM” ^[84]The Atlanta Journal – November 23rd, 1990 “Air Today, Gone Tomorrow”.

In fact, Record & Radio magazine reported that the buyer was “2001 Records and Filmworks Inc. is purchasing a 47% stock inter-
est. The company is owned by Detroit investors Pedro Michael Mancha, Dennis Evans, Paul Riser, and Victor Jones. Singer Tamiko Jones -Abbey is receiving $150,000 in cash and a 2% stock interest as a broker’s commission and to induce her to accept employment as GM of the stations.” ^[88]R&R Magazine November 30th, 1990

By July 1991 the deal had gone south “Ring thought it had found a financial white knight last November when it filed with the FCC to sell a 47% stock interest to Detroit -based 2001Records and Filmworks (R&R 11/30/90), with another 2% stake going to singer Tamiko Jones -Abbey, who was to have become the combo’s GM. “Everything showed up but the money,” said Smithgall. He said
Ring has sued 2001 to recover damages from the never -completed deal.” ^[89]R&R Magazine – July 26th, 1991 Pg4

Whatever transpired next, in May 1992, the Atlanta Journal public notices section carried an announcement that Ring Radio Company was a “debtor-in-possession” ^[90]A debtor in possession (DIP) is a business or individual that has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection but still holds property to which creditors have a legal claim under a lien or other … Continue reading and that the WALR-FM (104.7) and WCNN-AM (680khz) licenses would be transferred to the Midwestern Broadcasting, Co. Cox Radio Inc. acquired Midwestern Broadcasting Co. in June 2000, including its WALR-FM radio station for $280-million. ^[91]National Post
Fri, Jun 09, 2000

Tamiko Jones would continue on in management but not in radio management. All the major music magazines carried the July 1991 announcement that Smokey Robinson had signed to SBK Records. This was right after the Showtime cable network had run a Smokey Robinson special that featured coincidentally, Luther Vandross, Anita Baker and others enjoying success on Atlanta’s “Love 104.7.”

In the booklet accompanying Robinson’s “Double Good Everything” (SBK Records – CDP – 97968, 1991) Robinson gives thanks Tamiko Jones “for the SBK/Smokey Robinson marriage”.

NARAS, Grammy Hall Of Fame, Atlanta

You might wonder what this has to do with Tamiko Jones, bear with me, first some important context.

If you read my article on the Getz/Gilberto Grammy awards in 1965, when the album almost never got announced as “Album of the Year” ^[92]http://ctproduced.com/on-this-day-the-getz-gilberto-grammys/, you’ll know that when they started out, the Grammys were nothing like the music and television extravaganza they are today. Founded in 1957 on May 28th, the Grammys were always meant to be awards for innovation and quality in recording rather than sales success.

In the MTV era, the Recording Academy would make major changes in an effort to stay relevant. Most of those changes came during the 17-year reign of its originally unpaid president, (Charles) Michael Greene. The Recording Academy, for its first three decades, was known by its more formal name the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences; abbreviated N.A.R.A.S. – The Recording Academy was a name change bought in by Greene in 1994.

During her time in Atlanta in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when involved with WALR-FM radio as well as then-Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young, Jones would have come into contact with and had dealings with Michael Greene. Greene was an Atlanta musician and businessman who would become the president of the local Atlanta NARAS chapter ^[93]https://www.recordingacademy.com/membership/chapters/atlanta. Jones was also a NARAS member at that time. ^[94]I reached out to the Atlanta chapter by phone and email for confirmation of dates but have not heard back.

Greene would come to national prominence starting in 1982 when Mayor Andrew Young and Atlanta city council would put in a bid to host the first Grammy Hall of Fame Museum. For the next 3-years there were numerous attempts to push through funding as a key part of revitalizing downtown Atlanta. That vision would ultimately be delivered, in-part by the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. The Grammy Hall of Fame by mid-1985 had still not received formal backing from the city, there had been multiple studies and Greene had been at the forefront.

None of this seemed to impact Mike Greene. In March he was “coordinator of the Grammy Hall of Fame Project for NARAS”, in June 1985, Billboard magazine announced that Greene, an Atlanta Artist and producer had been appointed new national NARAS Chief.

In October 1985, NARAS announced they were searching for a full-time president, with Michael Greene expected to become Chairman of the board. By December 1985, Greene hinted at seeking a second term as president while also benefiting both Atlanta and NARAS. In October 1986, Joe Smith was hired as the first paid president but resigned by December to join Capitol Industries-EMI Inc. Greene resumed his role as president and chairman until May 1987, when Alfred Schlesinger became the new president and chairman. Schlesinger facilitated Greene’s return as the second paid president in February 1988. Greene served until 2002, stepping down amid a series of serious accusations.

Wheels Come Off The Greene Bus

A series of LA Times reports by Chuck Philips and Michael Hiltzik focused on issues within NARAS, including allegations that the nonprofit spent less than 10% of donations on its charitable activities, with most funds going to administrative expenses. More serious were the sexual assault allegations against NARAS, which included settled sexual harassment and discrimination complaints. Despite an internal investigation, overseen by attorneys with other academy ties, Greene denied any wrongdoing and was cleared. The turmoil resulted in a significant staff turnover, with one-third of the 60-member staff quitting in a year. Greene contested all allegations, calling them lies and asserting the organization had an excellent work environment and staff continuity.

It would be into this cauldron that Tamiko Jones would be summoned. Daily News Business Writer Phyllis Furman reached out to Tamiko Jones, who wouldn’t comment, Furman reported that “music insiders are buzzing about tension between Greene and Grammy trustee Tamiko Jones who has long been at odds with Greene, insiders said.”

In 1998, singer and academy board trustee Tamiko Jones called for an independent investigation into allegations raised by the Los Angeles Times. Jones emphasized the need for an external investigation, stating, “If the academy is to be exonerated, an outside— and I stress ‘outside’— and independent investigation is an absolute necessity.” Phil Ramone[yes producer Phil Ramone], the academy chairman, announced that Deloitte & Touche had been hired to review the issues. However, it was noted that Deloitte & Touche had a long-standing business relationship with the academy and its subsidiaries, and they were the originators of the licensing fee idea that had also raised complaints.

For 16 months, there were few noteworthy reports from the Grammys, aside from typical complaints about awards, a dispute with Dick Clark over the American Music Awards, and the launch of the Latin Grammy Awards in Miami, which faced anti-Castro protests. In September 2000, Chuck Philips of the LA Times reported on a scandal involving proceeds from a $25,000-a-table benefit for the Latin Grammys. Philips highlighted concerns about the Recording Academy’s structure, Greene’s compensation, and their connections to the Latin Grammys. He noted that federal scrutiny had been drawn to Greene’s fundraising methods and finances, revealing that the board authorized a revised compensation package for Greene totaling $1.6 million.

“Greene is “cunning, manipulative and, above all, a total control freak,” said Tamiko Jones, a former Grammy trustee who is writing a tell-all book called “Inside the Grammys.” – Philips went on to outline current problems with the Music Assistance Program or MAP.

Billboard reported that Michael Greene, the president/CEO of the National Academy of Recordings Arts and Sciences, termed the academy’s $650,000 offer to settle a lawsuit by ex-employee Jill Geimer a “painful forfeiture.” Greene opted not to defend himself in court to avoid a prolonged case. An independent investigation into Geimer’s allegations of sexual, physical, and psychological harassment by Greene has been called for by both Greene and Garth Fundis, chairman of the academy’s board of trustees. This was reported in Billboard Magazine on November 17th, 2001.

Jill Geimer’s accusations are significant, if only because apart from Tamiko Jones, Geimer was the only female named from inside the Grammy organization.

Greene would “resign abruptly” in April of 2002 at a meeting of the academy’s board in Los Angeles to review the allegations and investigations. Greene would be replaced as president by Zomba executive Neil Portnow. At the time of his resignation, Greene’s leadership was described as “autocratic” and that his leadership went “unchallenged by the volunteer board that hired him.” Greene was said to have received an “$8 million severance package” and had “a six-month deal as an independent consultant.” ^[95]The Tennessean – May 5th, 2002^[96]https://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/29/arts/grammys-chief-quits-under-fire.html

In his book, Grammy Awards show producer Ken Erlich says “There’s a book on Mike, some of which is pretty well known to his critics and fans, and some of which is better left unsaid.” ^[97]At the Grammys! : behind the scenes at music’s biggest night – Ken Ehrlich, Hal Leonard Books – ISBN-13: 978-1-42343-073-5.

If you are interest in the detail and information outlined here, I have a separate post “The Grammy Overspill” that contains details and references etc. At this time it is available only on request. I also compiled a 130-page pdf of the articles and clippings.

And In The End

After speaking out in 2000 against Greene, (then) age 57, Tamiko Jones effectively stepped back from public life. There would be no more press reports or mentions of her work outside of the reissue related announcements. I could not find any details of her proposed book. It’s not clear if Jones’ book was the same book Erlich was referring to, I was unable to track down copies of either.

Creed Taylor’s 30-year recording career saw success with six female singers: Chris Connor, who bookmarked the start of his career; Astrud Gilberto, Pat Thomas, Anita O’Day; and Esther Phillips who bookmarked the end of his career. Jackie Cain he also recorded many times as one half of “Jackie & Roy”. The other vocalists he recorded were typically one-and-done.

The fact that Tamiko Jones falls into the “one-and-done” category shouldn’t imply anything about her musical ability. Moreover, it was just a producer, commercially focused, looking for a more popular sound. The fact that Jones appeared to have been impacted by polio pretty seriously shortly after recording likely sealed the deal with CTI/A&M. Her album “I’ll Be Anything for You” showed a great change of direction and deserves another listen, as a piece of 1967 soul-pop. Sadly, it isn’t officially available on streaming services or CD, that I’m aware of.

As well as re-edit’s and remixes of her work, one interesting final appearance of Jones music was on the hugely popular “Grand Theft Auto” game. The track “Can’t Live Without Your Love’ was playing on a radio in “Grand Theft Auto IV” aka GTA4 on the radio station K109 “The Studio”. The track was removed from the game in 2018 due to it’s license expiring.

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UPDATES:

8/13/2024 5:30pm – Added opinion on ownership and re-recording of “I’m Spellbound”.

ctproduced Tamiko Jones Mix Playlist

00:00 ctproduced intro Phil Ramone and Bill Evans

Tonight Show (1964)

1. 00:16 “Gotta Lot Of Livin'” – performance only, unreleased.
2. 02:40 “Goody Goody” – performance only, unreleased.

The Early Recordings

1. 05:00 “Is It A Sin” (as Timiko – Checker, 1963)
2. 07:34 “Don’t Laugh If I Cry At Your Party” (ATCO, 1964)
3. 10:00 I’m Spellbound (Golden World, 1966)
4. 12:36 “A Man And A Woman – Herbie Mann, Tamiko Jones (Atlantic, 1967)
5. 14:53 “1-2-3” – Herbie Mann, Tamiko Jones (Atlantic, 1967)
6. 17:00 “You Only Live Twice” (December Records, 1968)
7. 19:42 “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” (December Records, 1968)

The Love Songs

1. 22:40 “Goodnight, My Love” (CTI Records, 1968)
2. 25:06 “Please Return Your Love To Me” with Solomon Burke (CTI Records, 1968)
3. 27:00 “Please Send Me Someone To Love” Solomon Burke co-produced by Tamiko Jones (Bell Records, 1969)

• 29:50 “Black Is Black” (CTI, 1968)
• 32:40 “YA YA” (CTI, 1968)
• 35:02 “Cross My Heart” (Metromedia, 1971)

37:15 The US Army Reserve Presents Al Gee – Rap N’ Rhythm (Programs #220)
Contains radio-like interview and music program, originally broadcast July 27th, 1975 ^[98]https://www.discogs.com/release/12100005-The-US-Army-Reserve-Presents-Al-Gee-Rap-N-Rhythm-Programs-217-220.

1. 37:20 “Everyone Belongs To Someone” (Arista, 1975)
2. 41:20 “Touch Me Baby” (Arista, 1975)
3. 47:20 “Chilli Dog” (Arista, 1975)
4. 53:12 “Just You And Me” (Arista, 1975)
5. 58:50 “A Long Way To Go” (Arista, 1975)

1:02:02 (62:02) “Let It Flow” Disco Dandies remix from 1977 Contempo/Atlantis records

UPDATES:
April 4th, 2025 Updated TOC
April 22nd, 2026 Added detail and link for Atlanta History Center Ichibahn/Abbey detail