The Jones Girls were an American R&B vocal trio of sisters from Detroit, Michigan, United States.[1] Consisting of Brenda, Shirley and Valorie Jones, the Jones Girls first signed and recorded for GM Records in 1970. The trio were best known for their singles during the late–1970s through the 1980s; most notably 1979's "You Gonna Make Me Love Somebody Else".[2] After a two–year tenure with GM, they then recorded for various labels before having success at Philadelphia International Records with Gamble & Huff.[1]
The Jones Girls | |
|---|---|
 The Jones Girls in 1980. L-R: Brenda, Shirley and Valorie. | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Detroit, Michigan, United States |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1970–1993 |
| Labels | |
| Past members | Brenda Jones Shirley Jones Valorie Jones |
History
editThe group consisted of sisters Brenda (December 7, 1954 – April 3, 2017),[3][4] Valorie (April 17, 1956 – December 2, 2001) and Shirley Jones (born September 22, 1953). They performed as backup singers for Lou Rawls, Teddy Pendergrass, Aretha Franklin, and Le Pamplemousse. They worked with Diana Ross[5] from 1975 to 1978 and were the backup singers on Linda Clifford's 1978 album If My Friends Could See Me Now.[1] They also performed on Tower of Power's disco-themed 1979 album Back on the Streets. Their biggest hit was "You Gonna Make Me Love Somebody Else". The song hit the Billboard Magazine Top 40 at number 38 in May 1979.[2] The song was also a Top 5 R&B hit.[2] It became a gold record. An additional hit followed in 1980, with the single "I Just Love The Man", charting at number 9 in January 1981.[2] The less successful "Nights Over Egypt" (1981), written by Dexter Wansel, charted at R&B number 23 in 1982.[2]
After the release and failure of their fourth U.S. album, On _target, lead singer Shirley Jones pursued a solo career and had a number 1 R&B hit on Billboard with "Do You Get Enough Love", from her top-ten debut album Always in the Mood (1986).[1][6] "Do You Get Enough Love" was written by Bunny Sigler who also produced it with Kenny Gamble.[7] Valorie Jones died on December 2, 2001, in Detroit, Michigan, at the age of 45.[8] In 2007, Shirley Jones released an album Ladies Night Out together with Jean Carn and Cherrelle, on CD and DVD.
Brenda eventually moved to Atlanta, where she sang frequently with her four-piece band, performing both jazz and R&B numbers, including many Jones Girls' tunes. She later moved to New York after her children were grown, to have a more active performing and recording schedule. On April 3, 2017, Brenda was visiting her daughter in Wilmington, Delaware, and was hit by several cars and killed while attempting to cross the street.[9] She was 62.[9] Shirley continues to perform successfully as the Jones Girls with two of her nieces and a nephew on background vocals.[1]
Covers
edit"Who Can I Run To", from the band's self-titled 1979 debut album, was covered by Xscape[1] in 1995. Their cover version became a number 1 R&B and number 8 pop hit. The original version was the B-side of "You Gonna Make Me Love Somebody Else".
"Nights Over Egypt" was covered by Incognito in their album, No Time Like The Future, and by Dexter Wansel himself in 2019.
Discography
editStudio albums
edit| Year | Album | Peak chart positions | Record Label | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [10] |
US R&B [10] | |||||||||||||
| 1979 | The Jones Girls | 50 | 8 | Philadelphia International | ||||||||||
| 1980 | At Peace with Woman | 96 | 7 | |||||||||||
| 1981 | Get as Much Love as You Can | 155 | 25 | |||||||||||
| 1983 | On _target | — | 59 | RCA | ||||||||||
| 1984 | Keep It Comin' | — | — | Philadelphia International | ||||||||||
| 1992 | Coming Back | — | — | ARP | ||||||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||||
Compilation albums
edit- The Best of the Jones Girls (2000, The Right Stuff)
- Keeping up with the Joneses: The Early Years (2000, Sequel UK)
Singles
edit| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [10] |
US R&B [10] |
US Dan [10] |
US A/C [10] | |||||||||||
| 1970 | "My Own Special Way" | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| 1972 | "Come Back" | — | — | — | — | |||||||||
| "Your Love Controls Me" | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| 1973 | "Taster of the Honey (Not the Keeper of the Bee)" | — | — | — | — | |||||||||
| 1974 | "If You Don't Love Me No More" | — | — | — | — | |||||||||
| "Will You Be There" | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| 1975 | "I Turn to You" | — | — | — | — | |||||||||
| "Hey Lucinda" | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| 1979 | "You Gonna Make Me Love Somebody Else" | 38 | 5 | 12 | — | The Jones Girls | ||||||||
| "We're a Melody" | — | 78 | — | 50 | ||||||||||
| 1980 | "I'm at Your Mercy" | — | 77 | — | — | |||||||||
| "Dance Turned into a Romance" | — | 22 | — | — | At Peace with Woman | |||||||||
| "I Just Love the Man" | — | 9 | — | — | ||||||||||
| 1981 | "Back in the Day" | — | — | — | — | |||||||||
| "(I Found) That Man of Mine" | — | 20 | — | — | Get as Much Love as You Can | |||||||||
| "Nights Over Egypt" | — | 23 | — | — | ||||||||||
| "Get as Much Love as You Can" | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| 1983 | "On _target" | — | 43 | — | — | On _target | ||||||||
| "2 Win U Back" | — | 47 | — | — | ||||||||||
| 1984 | "Better Things to Do" | — | — | — | — | Keep It Comin' | ||||||||
| 1992 | "Sweet Ecstasy" | — | — | — | — | Coming Back | ||||||||
| "You Threw Our Love Away" | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||||
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f Kellman, Andy. "Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e "The Jones Girls Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography". Music VF. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- ^ "Obituary for Brenda Jones Williams". Pippinfuneralhome.com.
- ^ Pendleton, Tonya (April 6, 2017). "Brenda Jones of the Jones Girls Dies at 62". Newsone.com.
- ^ Eder, Bruce. "The Jones Girls". Philly Soul Classics. Archived from the original on February 28, 2010. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
- ^ Rizik, Chris (May 18, 2007). "The Jones Girls". Soul Tracks. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
- ^ White, Adam; Bronson, Fred (1993). The Billboard Book of Number One Rhythm & Blues Hits. Billboard Books:Watson-Guptill Publications, New York. p. 368.
- ^ "Today in music history: Remembering singer Valerie Jones". December 2, 2016. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
- ^ a b "Singer Brenda Jones, of the R&B Group the Jones Girls, Has Passed Away". Ebony.com. April 5, 2017. Retrieved May 1, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f "US Charts > The Jones Girls". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 18, 2012. Retrieved March 15, 2014.
- ^ "American certifications – Jones Girls". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved September 20, 2021.
External links
edit- The Jones Girls discography at Discogs
- The Jones Girls at AllMusic
