Linda Jones - Limited Edition Print #/100
This print of the original artwork is individually numbered and limited to 100. Each one is signed by the artist and tastefully framed and ready to hang.
Linda Jones
Born December 14, 1944
Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
Died March 14, 1972 (aged 27)
Newark, New Jersey, U.S
Linda Jones was born on 14th December 1944 at 165 Sherman Ave, Newark, New Jersey. She was born into a Gospel loving family, in fact a Gospel performing family. Linda joined the family group at the tender age of six. By the age of 18 she was singing R&B and joined MGM where she covered the Berry Gordy / Tyran Carlo penned ‘Lonely Teardrops’. The song had been a hit for Jackie Wilson some 5 years before, Jones’ version appeared on the company’s CUB imprint (Cub K9124) under the pseudonym ‘Linda Lane’. Unfortunately, the release didn’t trouble chart compilers.
It was Jerry Harris who saw her potential and introduced her to his fellow songsmith George Kerr. It was George who produced the majority of her output throughout her career. Writing with Gerald Harris, George penned two tracks for Linda; ‘Take The Boy Out Of The Country’ and ‘I'm Taking Back My Love’; that he took to ATCO and were released in March 1965 (Atco 45-6344). This was followed 14 months later by a one-off release on Blue Cat (Blue Cat BC 128). The two songs; ‘Fugitive From Love’ and ‘You Hit Me Like T.N.T.’; were again written by Kerr and Harris.
Another relatively poor set of sales figures saw George Kerr take Linda’s talent to Warner Brothers for their specialist R&B label “Loma”. The first release on the label was her best-selling ballad ‘Hypnotized’ c/w ‘I Can't Stop Lovin' My Baby’ (Loma 2070) which entered the Billboard R&B chart at #4 on June 14th 1967 and #21 on the Billboard Hot 100 a week later. Hypnotized proved to be Loma’s best selling single and saw Linda rewarded with further five singles and an album.
Four of the 45’s and the LP were on Loma:
What've I Done (To Make You Mad) c/w Make Me Surrender (Baby, Baby Please) (Loma 2077);
Hypnotized (LP, Album) (Loma L 5907);
Give My Love A Try c/w I Can't Stand It (Loma 2085);
My Heart Needs A Break c/w The Things I've Been Through (Loving You) (Loma 2091) and;
It Won't Take Much (To Bring Me Back) c/w I Who Have Nothing (Loma 2105).
The last of these was the penultimate release for the label before Warner Bros decided to close the Loma operation in late 1968.
A further release came on the main Warner Bros label,
My Heart (Will Understand) c/w I Just Can't Live My Life (Without You Babe) (Warner Bros 7278). Although slated as the official B-Side, I Just Can’t Live My Life, is considered a classic in ‘Northern Soul’ circles. A short spell, still with George Kerr doing the production work, at Gamble and Huff ‘Neptune’ imprint out of Philadelphia saw two 45’s. The first came out in October 1969 and was a reworking of a track George Kerr had produced on the O’Jays for Bell Records a couple of years earlier, I’ll be Sweeter Tomorrow c/w That's When I'll Stop Loving You (Neptune N17). This was followed by Ooh Baby You Move Me c/w Can You Blame Me? (Neptune N26) in May the following year.
1971 saw Linda back in New Jersey and joining Sylvia Robinson’s Turbo label, a division of All Platinum. The same year she released Stay With Me Forever c/w I've Given You The Best Years Of My Life (Turbo TU012) and I Can't Make It Alone c/w Don't Go (I Can't Bear To Be Alone) (Turbo TU017). It was following a gruelling tour to promote the following release; a reworking of the Impressions hit; Your Precious Love c/w Don't Go (I Can't Bear To Be Alone) that tragedy struck.
On March 14th 1972 between Matinee and Evening performances at New York’s Apollo Theatre she was resting at her mother’s home at 165 Sherman Ave; the home she had known all her life; Linda slipped into a diabetic coma from which she never awoke. She became the latest member of the ’27 club’. This was a cultural phenomenon that generated some media comment after Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Jim Morrison all died at the age of 27 between 1969 and 1971.
Turbo posthumously released three singles and three albums over the following 8 months:
Not On The Outside c/w Things I've Been Through (Turbo TU 024);
Let It Be Me c/w Don't Go (I Can't Bear To Be Alone) (Turbo TU 028);
Fugitive From Love c/w Things I've Been Through (Turbo TU 032);
A Portrait Of Linda Jones (LP, Album) Turbo Records (TU-7004);
Your Precious Love (LP, Album) Turbo Records (TU-7007); and
Let It Be Me (LP, Album) Turbo Records (TU 7008).
A sister label in the All Platinum stable also put out a song Linda had cut with The Whatnauts:
Linda Jones And Whatnauts - I'm So Glad I Found You c/w Whatnauts - World Solution (Stang ST-5039).
It’s impossible to know the heights of fame Linda Jones would have reached had she lived but in vocal talent she was right up there with Aretha Franklin, in delivery she could have rivalled Mahalia Jackson and in terms of female vocalists adored on the northern / rare soul scene she has no equal.