Jimmy Soul - If You Wanna Be Happy: The Very Best of Jimmy Soul
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Music CD Cover
Artist: Jimmy SoulEdition: Music CD
CD Release Date: 2004-12-27
Music Label: Ace Records UK
Soundtracks:
- If You Wanna Be Happy
- I Can't Hold Out Any Longer
- Some Kinda Nut
- Twistin' Matilda (And The Channel)
- Take Me To Los Angeles
- Call Me
- When I Get My Car
- Everybody's Gone Ape
- Guess Things Happen That Way
- She's Alright
- Church Street In The Summertime
- I Want To Know If You Love Me
- You're Nothing
- I Hate You Baby
- My Little Room
- You Can't Have Your Cake
- I Know Why Dreamers Cry
- Hands Off
- I Love You So
- Treat 'Em Tough
- I Need Your Love
- Tell Me Why
- Don't Release Me
- When Matilda Comes Back
- Go 'Way Christina
Free Music Notes for If You Wanna Be Happy: The Very Best of Jimmy Soul
Free Music Review: One Modest And One Huge Hit For The Wonder Boy
Hit: 5 Stars
Jimmy Soul, born James McCleese in New York City in 1942, was raised in North Carolina and Virginia. At a very young age he became a preacher and then, when a teenager, performed with a local gospel group known as The Nightingales, billed as The Wonder Boy.
After coming to the attention of Frank Guida of Legrand Records, who had earlier discovered Gary (U.S.) Bonds, Jimmy was given a song that Bonds had rejected, a twist version of the calypso tune Matilda, generally associated with Harry Belafonte. Released on the S.P.Q.R. subsidiary, Twistin' Matilda (And The Channel) was a fairly successful debut hit, reaching # 20 R&B and # 22 on the Billboard Pop Hot 100 in the spring of 1962 b/w I Can't Hold Out Any Longer.
But nothing after that made any impact whatsoever until almost exactly one year later when another Bonds' reject of an upbeat Caribbean-flavoured tune became what can only be described as a monster hit. Based upon the Jamaican tune Ugly Woman, If You Wanna Be Happy shot to # 1 on both the R&B and Hot 100 charts in May 1963 b/w Don't Release Me [the flipside is omitted here].
Figuring he had latched onto a formula for success, Jimmy churned out several more of those fast-paced West Indian melodies, such as Treat 'Em Tough and When Matilda Comes Back, but none could get him back on the charts. He eventually abandoned the music scene and did a stint in the military. On June 25, 1988 he died of a heart attack at age 45.
As usual with releases by Ace Records of London the sound quality is excellent, the liner notes informative, and all four sides to his two lone hit singles are included.
If You Wanna Be Happy: The Very Best of Jimmy Soul Poster
1996 compilation for the hit 60s R&B vocalist. 25 tracks including the number one hit 'If You Wanna Be Happy' & 'Twistin' Matilda (& The Channel)'. Ace.Pop Music CDs
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