Tamiko Jones was born Barbara Tamiko Ferguson in 1945.She was born in Kyle, West Virginia, and is part Japanese, part British, and part Cherokee ancestry. She was raised in Detroit where she first started singing and made her professional debut in a club in 1961. She began her career performing pop songs in a jazz style. Her first record release, credited simply as Timiko, was "Is It A Sin?", issued by Checker Records in 1963. She then moved to the Atco label, recording "Rhapsody" as Tamiko in 1964.
By 1966 she had moved to the Golden World label, recording "I'm Spellbound", and then moved to Atlantic Records where she released several singles during 1967, including "Boy You're Growing On Me". That year, she also recorded the album "A Mann and a Woman" with jazz flutist Herbie Mann. She also appeared as an extra in several movies in the 1960s. In 1968, after being hospitalised with polio, she met singer Solomon Burke, and they recorded several duets on his album "I'll Be Anything for You". Jones became Burke's fiancée and manager for a time, and co-produced his single "Proud Mary". She also recorded the album "I'll Be Anything For You", and a single "Goodnight My Love", for Creed Taylor's CTI label, followed by the album "Tamiko" for the December label. In 1969 her album In Muscle Shoals was issued on the Metromedia label.(FEATURED HERE) Her first chart hit, and most successful record, was "Touch Me Baby (Reaching Out For Your Love)", written by Johnny Bristol and issued by Arista Records, which reached no. 12 on the Billboard R&B chart and no.60 on the US pop chart in 1975. Its follow-up, "Just You and Me", reached no.78 on the R&B chart, and she also released an album, "Love Trip". In 1976, the single "Let It Flow" (no 76 R&B) was released on the Contempo label, owned by John Abbey, the founder and editor of Blues & Soul magazine & Action Records in the UK. She and Abbey married in Atlanta, Georgia in 1977,with Archie bell as best man. In 1977, "Cloudy", on the Atlantis label, made no. 92 on the R&B chart, and in 1979 her version of "Can't Live Without Your Love", written and arranged by Randy Muller of Brass Construction and issued on the Polydor label, reached no.70 on the same chart. Her last R&B chart hit was a version of Marvin Gaye's "I Want You", which made no.81 on the Sutra label in 1986. In the early 1990s, she worked as Smokey Robinson's manager.
AMM
The Taster!
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23 comments:
Thanks for sharing this review
Thanks AMM. Smokey's manager! Nice detail.
Thank you for the review AMM!!
Thanks for the review. Tamiko Jones is a sadly underrated singer. She deserved to be more famous than she was.
/Jumpstart
Another good'un AMM. Way to go!
Thankd for a great review AMM
Very nice... many thanks for the review AMM
BigD
Tamiko's a great singer, thanks for this excellent review AMM
Yes please, AMM. Thank you.
thank you for this great review, Tamiko jones was and is a great performer. thank you AMM.
Another great Review Thanks AMM
She is New To Me. An excellent rendition of songs previously done by other artists. This is one of those albums that you can put on the turntable and play every track without skipping. very soft and nice. I Like her. Thanks for the review AMM!!
thanks for this MSS thing i have also but the others not so will be very welcome
Great Review Thank you AMM
A great review, a great record. Thanks for review, P.
GREAT review of a sadly overlooked singer!
Many thanks AMM she is a great singer
Reb
A great review of a fine singer in her own right but she certainly had more strings to her bow thanks All Music Man
Cheers Pedro
I feel so little when I see your incredible posts ! Unknown female artist for me...
I must confess that I did not know anything about this lady. I am much wiser now. Thank you.
Hello AMM, Another winner, yes please, thanks for the review.
Sorry, AMM. Been away wih wifey for a late winter break. Catching up with Tamiko.
Thanks for the review MM.
cheers,ELtel
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