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Born in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1930, Jimmy Jones moved to New York as a teenager and started his career as a tap dancer, and then added singing to his work, joining a doowop group in 1954. He got a deal with the Savoy label in 1956 and made records for them and the Rama label, followed a year or two later by one for Epic, without making any waves. In 1959 he teamed up with songwriter Otis Blackwell (writer of “all Shook Up” and “Great Balls Of Fire”) to rework a song he first wrote in 1955 “Handy Man”. He recorded it for MGM’s Cub label, finally finding the right vehicle for his remarkable and distinctive falsetto voice, and it was a Top 3 hit on both sides of the Atlantic. This 31-track CD comprises just about all his releases from his debut through to 1962, by which time he had had all his career hits. It features A and B sides on the Savoy, Rama, Epic and Cub labels from these years, plus the tracks from his 1960 MGM album “Good Timin’” which were not otherwise released on singles. It naturally includes his big hits “Handy Man” and the UK No. 1 and US No. 3 “Good Timin”, plus his other chart entries “That’s When I Cried”, “I Just Go For You”, “Ee-I-Ee-I-Oh!”, “Itchin’”, “Ready For Love” and “I Told You So”. It neatly encapsulates the core era of his career and is a great showcase for his highly individual vocal talents.
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