John James - Big Fat Soul (1989) & Mothers Of Hope (1993) DOUBLE POST!!

Well, I just got back from London, England, this week and am sad to say that I didn't find any gems for the blog. But fear not, I still have tons to share. ;) Next up is Canadian John James. Unfortunately, due to his having such a common name, I can't really give you too much info on his bio and what he's been up to recently. I do know that his home base was Toronto. After signing to Attic Records, he first appeared on the dance music scene with his synth-pop song "She Bought Love". It was his next single, however, that got him the greatest attention. The housey "I Wanna Know" became a minor club hit. His debut album Big Fat Soul contained both of these singles as well as other house tracks, but focused mainly on funk and soul sounds, thus the title. This type of sound was an anomaly at the time from a white male artist (I've been informed that he is half black, but he was still very light-skinned and thought of as white by most), and that angle was likely what attracted the label. It would be many years before Jamiroquai would mine the same genre. Two more singles were released, the funky "Trust Me" and "(Still) The Beat Goes On", and then John soon disappeared from the music scene. Four years later he returned with Mothers Of Hope, preceded by the single "Jack Boogie", and he had moved his music even further into the funk/soul sound, with a heavy dose of acid jazz as well (this, incidentally, was the same year Jamiroquai released his first album, which featured a similar vibe). The next single "Supernatural" got some radio play, as did the single release of the title track, but once again John soon faded from the public eye. He continued to work behind the scenes in the late 90s, however, as a producer and remixer, teaming up with friend John Acquaviva, a respected DJ, producer and co-founder of Pulse 8 Records. They also released an EP as The James Gang that contained the jazzy house track "The Way We Feel" in 1998. Since then little has been heard from John. However, I do know that he still hangs out in Toronto occasionally, as many years ago I was at a friend's house and went tipsily looking for the washroom. I went the wrong way and ended up upstairs, barging into a bedroom, and who should be sitting there but none other than John James himself! It turns out that my friend was living with his mother! I simply excused myself, but had I of known that I'd be doing this blog one day, I would have drilled him for details on what he's been up to! LOL

Video for I Wanna Know

Download Big Fat Soul

1		I Wanna Know
2		Bobbie's Turn
3		Jet Black
4		Lime Light
5		You Really Got To Me
6		Trust Me
7		She Bought Love
8		That Man
9		Red Rover
10		(Still) The Beat Goes On

Video for Supernatural

Download Mothers Of Hope

1		Supernatural
2		Mothers Of Hope - Gospel Segue
3		Mothers Of Hope
4		Pride And Shame
5		Overview Of Madness
6		Blinding Rhythms - Segue
7		Feeling Twilight
8		Deep Inside
9		Jack Boogie
10		Please Do Not Read
11		Bob Had A Dollar
12		Horns Of Time - Segue
13		Close The Mouth
14		Mothers Of Hope - Gospel End