Brenda Jones (December 7, 1954 – April 3, 2017) – Show Love Today (1979)
The late great Jones Girls singer co-wrote this inspirational message song with her sisters Valorie and Shirley for their debut LP, produced by McKinley Jackson.
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The late Brenda Jones and her sisters Valorie and Shirley sang together as the vocal trio the Jones Girls.
They released their debut single in 1970, “My Own Special Way” b/w the heartfelt “Learn How To Love” on the Detroit label GM Records. The Jones Girls next signed with Holland-Dozier-Holland’s Music Merchant label, and recorded the stellar jam “Your Love Controls Me” (1972) b/w “You're The Only Bargain I've Got,” which H-D-H co-wrote with Chairmen of the Board’s General Johnson.
After Music Merchant ceased operations, they switched labels to Paramount Records which released their upbeat jam “Will You Be There” in 1974. It was co-written by former MFSB member Quinton Joseph, Chicago songwriter Daniel Reed, bassist Tony Green, and Othie Wright, and arranged by Motown legend Gil Askey. The track was produced by Right-Step Productions, the same team who produced the group’s ultra-funky single “Hey Lucinda” the following year.
They released one more single on Paramount, “If You Don't Love Me No More” b/w the superb jam “If You Don't Start Nothing.” The B-side was co-written by singer/songwriter Lowrell Simon and Rich Tufo, and co-produced by the two of them plus the great Leroy Hutson.
See our earlier post on Valorie Jones (who passed in 2001 at age 45 in their hometown of Detroit) for more on the group’s history.
After nearly a decade in the music business, the Jones Girls finally released their debut album in 1979 on Philadelphia International Records. It was produced by label owners Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, with select tracks produced by others including Dexter Wansel, Charles B. Simmons, and Joe Jefferson (Major Harris’ older brother who led Nat Turner Rebellion).
Brenda and Valorie shared lead vocals on the beautiful jam “We’re A Melody,” co-written by Wansel and Cynthia Biggs, and produced and arranged by Wansel. It was issued as the LP’s lead single, but only reached #78 R&B. Thankfully, its followup “You Gonna Make Me Love Somebody Else” was a #5 R&B hit, also reaching #12 on dance charts and #38 on the Billboard Hot 100.
All three sisters co-wrote the uplifting message song “Show Love Today” with producer and arranger McKinley Jackson. Earlier in the decade, Jackson had played trombone with Funkadelic before leading the Politicians, who were Holland-Dozier-Holland’s in-house backing band for their Invictus, Hot Wax, and Music Merchant labels. The track featured Shirley on lead vocals, backed by Brenda and Valorie.
The group disbanded following Valorie’s 2001 death, although Shirley kept recording and performing as a solo artist. According to Shirley, Brenda was thinking of returning to music right before she died in a tragic accident, when she was struck by several cars while trying to cross the street in Wilmington, Delaware, where she was visiting her daughter. She left us far too soon at 62.
Happy Heavenly Birthday to the great Brenda Jones.
Further info:
“Singer Brenda Jones, of the R&B Group The Jones Girls Has Passed Away,” Ebony, Aril 5, 2017.
“Singer Brenda Jones of The Jones Girls passes at 62,” New York Amsterdam News, Aril 5, 2017.
#soul #funk #disco #Philly #PIR #JonesGirls #BrendaJones