Jimmy Helms | |
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 Helms performing in Belgium, 2014 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | James D. Helms (1941-09-27)September 27, 1941 (age 84) Florida, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1963–present |
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| Website | jimmyhelms |
James D. Helms (born September 27, 1941)[1] is an American singer and songwriter, long based in theUnited Kingdom. He is known as the lead vocalist of the Britishdance-pop groupLondonbeat, but also had solo hits such as "Gonna Make You an Offer You Can't Refuse", as well as prolificsession work.
Helms was born inFlorida. His grandfather was aBlack Seminole and a preacher. Helms discovered music when his aunt gave the family a radio, and went on to play trumpet in the school band. After high school, he moved toColumbus, Ohio. He released his first single, “Daddy! Daddy!” on Forest Records in 1962. He played with the Carl Sally band and moved toBoston, where he worked as a session guitarist. He joined the US Army and played trumpet in theFort Jackson Army Band.[1]
After 1970, Helms began to spend more time pursuing a music career in the UK. He released many singles on labels such as Cube, Capitol, Philips, and Pye. None of these releases made much of an impact, but they helped keep Helms in the spotlight.[2]
In Boston in 1970, Helms appeared in the Broadway musicalHair, in which he played the character Hud.[3][4] Reviewing his performance,Billboard Magazine noted: "He projects a personality that is vital."[5]
Helms signed to the UK’sFly Records in 1972, and released "So Long Love" on its Cube Records subsidiary. However, he is best known for his No. 8 UK hit single, "Gonna Make You an Offer You Can't Refuse" in 1973.[6] Later releases such as "I'll Take Good Care of You" and "Jack Horner's Holiday" did not repeat the commercial success. "Gonna Make You an Offer You Can't Refuse" was written and produced byJohn Worth.
Helms sangElmer Bernstein andDon Black's title song for the 1974 adventure filmGold, starringRoger Moore. In 1974 he worked onRoger Glover's concept albumThe Butterfly Ball and the Grasshopper's Feast, performing "Waiting." The album also featuredRonnie James Dio,Glenn Hughes,David Coverdale,Tony Ashton andJohn Lawton.[7] In 1976, Helms performed on two songs forEddie Hardin'sWizard's Convention album ("Loose Ends" and "She's a Woman.")
Helms released a single and soundtrack album for the filmBlack Joy with producerBiddu in 1977.[8]
Helms worked on the soundtrack of the 1985 movieWater, and performed some songs on the album release of the 1980s stage musicalTime. During this period, he worked as a session musician withTopper Headon,Deacon Blue,Madness, and other groups.[2]
Helms was often heard singing vocals on many radio jingles onIndependent Local Radio stations in the United Kingdom. His voice was particularly prominent on theAlfasound produced ident packages forPennine Radio,Radio Hallam and theYorkshire Radio Network.[9] Helms also voiced/sang the part of the Cilician pirate Isoricus on the track 'Trust Me', on Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of Spartacus released in 1992.
In 1988 Helms, along with band members George Chandler (ex-Olympic Runners), Jimmy Chambers, and William Henshall formed the bandLondonbeat. The band reached initial success in the Netherlands, but quickly found a broader audience. The group's hits include "I've Been Thinking About You", "A Better Love", and "9 A.M (The Comfort Zone)", all written by William Henshall. The song "I've Been Thinking About You", written by Helms, produced his highest-ever profile, reaching No. 2 on theUK Singles Chart in September 1990, and No. 1 on theUSBillboardHot 100 in February 1991. It stayed on this chart for nearly five months.[10]
Londonbeat went on hiatus in 1995, but in 2003, it re-formed as New Londonbeat with a line-up consisting of Jimmy Helms, Jimmy Chambers, Myles Kayne and Marc Goldschmitz. Signed to the German record labelCoconut, they released an album calledBack in the Hi-Life, which featured re-recordings of "A Better Love", "I've Been Thinking About You", and with new tracks added.[10]
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US R&B [11] | UK [6] | |||
| 1969 | "If You Let Me" | ― | ― | |
| 1972 | "So Long Love" | ― | ― | |
| 1973 | "Gonna Make You an Offer You Can't Refuse" | 93 | 8 | |
| "Jack Horner's Holiday" | ― | 51 | ||
| "I'll Take Good Care of You" | ― | ― | ||
| 1974 | "When Can Brown Begin" | ― | ― | |
| "Ragtime Girl" | ― | ― | ||
| "Gold" | ― | ― | ||
| 1975 | "Don't Pull Your Love" | ― | ― | |
| 1977 | "Black Joy" | ― | ― | |
| "Putting It Down (To the Way I Feel About You)" | ― | ― | ||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | ||||
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