James Radcliffe was born in New York City. He released such singles as "My Ship is Coming In", a song composed by his writing partner Joey Brooks (later of "You Light Up My Life" fame), was later covered by The Walker Brothers as a pop music hit, and also wrote several songs featured in the children's TV show The Banana Splits. He will be probably best remembered for his recording of "Long After Tonight Is All Over" (written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David) which became famous as one of the "3 before 8" songs that was played at the Wigan Casino all-nighters, the Northern soul venue. The song was a minor hit in the UK Singles Chart in 1965, reaching #40.[1] The popularity of "Long After Tonight Is All Over" led to a promotional tour in support of the record, wherein Radcliffe was featured in the British music press (Record Mirror, NME) and appeared on numerous radio and televisions shows including Thank Your Lucky Stars; the ABC Lucky Stars Special Presents Cilla Black with Cilla Black, The Riot Squad, The Hollies, The Swinging Blue Jeans, Del Shannon and Paul Anka (January 23, 1965); and The Eamonn Andrews Show.
Radcliffe did not live long enough to see this recording achieve cult status. Long plagued by a weight problem, he had a kidney removed in 1973 and developed further complications with his remaining one. He died in hospital the same year on July 27 (two months before Wigan Casino opened its doors on September 23), leaving a widow and two children.
During his tenure as one of New York City's most successful session vocalists, Radcliffe's voice was the first to sing future hit songs like "This Diamond Ring" (Al Kooper, Bobby Brass, Irwin Levine) and "Pretty Flamingo" (Mark Barkan). Radcliffe's vocal abilities earned him the distinction of being referred to as "The Soul Of The Brill Building Sound". Burt Bacharach and Hal David had him record songs for Gene Pitney, as would Ellie Greenwich and Tony Powers. To supplement his income, he hired out as a backing vocalist, and recorded with Doris Troy, Dee Dee Warwick, Cissy Houston, Melba Moore, Toni Wine, Jean Thomas and Barbara Jean English doing sessions for groups such as The Drifters (Radcliffe, Dionne, And Dee Dee Warwick provided backing vocals on The Drifters "Sweets For My Sweet" recording, 1961).
In August 1963, while preparing to work with the record producer, Bert Berns, on his third release on Musicor Records, Radcliffe attended a session at Chess Studios, produced by Berns, where three of his co-compositions were being recorded by Tammy Montgomery: This Time Tomorrow, I Can't Hold It In Any More and I've Got Nothing To Say But Goodbye. "This Time Tomorrow" would be issued as the B-side of Montgomery's Chess/Checker single, "If I Would Marry You." Radcliffe recorded with Montgomery a duet version of "If I Would Marry You," more than three years before her name change to Tammi Terrell and pairing with Marvin Gaye at Motown. The unreleased duet, and the other two unreleased songs from the sessions, were released on Come On And See Me, a double collection of Terrell's recordings. One Bert Berns, Carl Spencer and Jimmy Radcliffe collaboration that did make the pop charts in 1963 was the song "My Block" recorded by The Chiffons. "She's Got Everything" recorded by The Essex's, and produced by Henry Glover, as a follow-up to their Million seller "Easier Said Than Done" also charted at #56 and inspired recordings by singers Maxine Brown, Sugar Pie Desanto and Barbara George. In 1964, after a meeting with Martin Luther King Jr, in a Harlem supper club, Radcliffe was inspired and composed his ballad of freedom and equality "Stand Up". Unreleased at the time, until the 2008 issue Where There Smoke There's Fire, the track featured Radcliffe playing the vibes. Radcliffe was self-taught on the guitar, piano, bass, vibes and drums
Beginning in 1965, Radcliffe was the first African-American performing artist to write, produce and sing commercial jingles for the advertising industry. By the time of his death, he had worked on over two hundred television and radio commercials. One of Radcliffe's best known commercials is the 1969-70 Pontiac, "breakaway in a wide tracking Pontiac", the 30-second commercial was expanded for general release to try to capitalize on its popularity and was released as "Breakaway" by the Steve Karmen Big Band featuring Jimmy Radcliffe.
His recordings have appeared in films such as Radley Metzger's 1967's Carmen Baby, Allen Funt's What Do You Say to a Naked Lady? (1970), Gerald Potterton's Tiki Tiki (1971)
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