Cats and kittens, consider this a warning of sorts. I have listened to little else but Christmas and holiday music for more than a decade. And I'm quite enjoying, now, listening to non-Christmas music--lots and lots of non-Christmas music. Since I'm going to be sort of hanging around, here, for a bit--albeit less intensely than before--you're going to be subjected to the occasional non-holiday post. This is one of those.
It's a question I've been asking myself and others for decades, although it usually goes "What the hell ever happened to Joe Jeffrey?" Jeffrey really only had the one hit but, man, what a hit. It's absolutely iconic. Unless you've spent your entire life in a cave, you must have heard "My Pledge of Love". And, if you've heard it, you have to love it. It is very nearly the perfect Pop Soul song. So what the hell happened to Joe Jeffrey? Surely even a one hit wonder could have been making good money on the nostalgia circuit. But no one seemed to know anything. Every once in a while, you'd come across a forum post claiming that Joe had died. Inevitably, about 3 posts down, would come a denial from whomever had been claimed as the source of the death rumor. Every so often, I'd get the bug again, start searching the net again, and come up empty...again. Until Saturday.
Joe Jeffrey has passed away. For real, this time. Joe died on September 4, 2016 at the age of 80 following a long battle with cancer.
Joe was always something of an enigma to the world beyond Cleveland, Ohio, where he made his home. The only two photographs of Joe I've ever seen are the 2 on the back of his one album.
Joseph Stafford, Jr. was (allegedly) born in Arkansas (though many bios list Cleveland as his birthplace). When he decided upon a music career, he changed his name to Joe Jeffrey to avoid confusion with the already famous pop singer Jo Stafford. Joe was a popular act in the Cleveland clubs well before "My Pledge of Love". Most often, he performed as a solo act...just a man and his guitar...mostly singing covers.
Joe Jeffrey has passed away. For real, this time. Joe died on September 4, 2016 at the age of 80 following a long battle with cancer.
Joe was always something of an enigma to the world beyond Cleveland, Ohio, where he made his home. The only two photographs of Joe I've ever seen are the 2 on the back of his one album.
Joseph Stafford, Jr. was (allegedly) born in Arkansas (though many bios list Cleveland as his birthplace). When he decided upon a music career, he changed his name to Joe Jeffrey to avoid confusion with the already famous pop singer Jo Stafford. Joe was a popular act in the Cleveland clubs well before "My Pledge of Love". Most often, he performed as a solo act...just a man and his guitar...mostly singing covers.
I have this vision in my mind of Joe waking in a sweat one morning, furiously scribbling down "My Pledge of Love" before it could get away from him. Truthfully, it was more likely that Joe was sitting around playing with that distinctive progression on his guitar and "My Pledge of Love" probably emerged within 15 or 20 minutes. It was divine inspiration, however it happened. Whether Joe knew the song needed to be recorded or was convinced by Alan Klein (Liberty Records) and Jerry Myers (Scepter Records)--both are listed as producers--he laid down the song at a small Cleveland 4-track recording studio. Most of his later tracks would be recorded in Memphis.
Truth be told, Joe's journey was very similar to the journey of the fictional Wonders in the film "That Thing You Do". "My Pledge of Love" was an instant classic and climbed quickly to #14 on the Billboard charts, higher in Cashbox, and higher still in Canada. He had signed with Scepter (of which Wand was a subsidiary) and, naturally, they wanted an album on quick turnaround. "My Pledge of Love" is the only Joe Jeffrey original on the LP, which also featured a couple of the covers from his Cleveland act and some songs which, no doubt, Scepter told him to record (because they were "snappy", no doubt). Though the album doesn't really feel like it reflects Joe entirely, and while nothing sticks to your soul quite like "My Pledge of Love", it isn't bad and I've very much enjoyed it since picking it up at a used record store in the 70s. You can probably still get a copy for a buck or two.
The first follow-up single was "Dreamin' Till Then", a decent enough pop song (one of my favorites from the album) if not nearly on par with "My Pledge of Love". But "Dreamin' Till Then" is worth seeking out for its funky flip, Joe Jeffrey's second original on record, "The Train". Like Joe's hit, "The Train" was recorded at the 4-track studio in Cleveland, probably in the same session as "My Pledge of Love".
Truth be told, Joe's journey was very similar to the journey of the fictional Wonders in the film "That Thing You Do". "My Pledge of Love" was an instant classic and climbed quickly to #14 on the Billboard charts, higher in Cashbox, and higher still in Canada. He had signed with Scepter (of which Wand was a subsidiary) and, naturally, they wanted an album on quick turnaround. "My Pledge of Love" is the only Joe Jeffrey original on the LP, which also featured a couple of the covers from his Cleveland act and some songs which, no doubt, Scepter told him to record (because they were "snappy", no doubt). Though the album doesn't really feel like it reflects Joe entirely, and while nothing sticks to your soul quite like "My Pledge of Love", it isn't bad and I've very much enjoyed it since picking it up at a used record store in the 70s. You can probably still get a copy for a buck or two.
The first follow-up single was "Dreamin' Till Then", a decent enough pop song (one of my favorites from the album) if not nearly on par with "My Pledge of Love". But "Dreamin' Till Then" is worth seeking out for its funky flip, Joe Jeffrey's second original on record, "The Train". Like Joe's hit, "The Train" was recorded at the 4-track studio in Cleveland, probably in the same session as "My Pledge of Love".
Though "The Train" has become a bit of a cult classic with the Northern Soul crowd, the single flopped. The next follow-up single was "Hey, Hey Woman" (backed with "The Chance of Lovin' You") and that, too, flopped.
I only ever heard two Joe Jeffrey songs on the radio. "My Pledge of Love" (obviously) and Joe's next follow-up, "My Baby Loves Lovin'". I don't know if anyone else finds it so, but the first version of a song I hear usually becomes the definitive version of a song for me. Joe enjoyed a couple solid weeks of airplay with this one. "He's back!" I thought to myself. Then the British bubblegum group White Plains recorded the song. Guess who had the hit. Even as a bubblegum child, I still resent White Plains for that. Joe's version peaked at #115 on the Billboard charts. Although, for some reason, Joe's take on the tune was a huge smash in Australia. Go figure.
I only ever heard two Joe Jeffrey songs on the radio. "My Pledge of Love" (obviously) and Joe's next follow-up, "My Baby Loves Lovin'". I don't know if anyone else finds it so, but the first version of a song I hear usually becomes the definitive version of a song for me. Joe enjoyed a couple solid weeks of airplay with this one. "He's back!" I thought to myself. Then the British bubblegum group White Plains recorded the song. Guess who had the hit. Even as a bubblegum child, I still resent White Plains for that. Joe's version peaked at #115 on the Billboard charts. Although, for some reason, Joe's take on the tune was a huge smash in Australia. Go figure.
Having released 4 singles and one album, Wand and Joe gave it one last shot, releasing Joe's cover of Gene McDaniels' 1961 hit "100 Pounds of Clay" (backed with "Power Of Love") in May 1971--almost precisely 2 years after the release of "My Pledge of Love". These two were recorded at Act One Studios in Buffalo. Joe gave "100 Pounds of Clay" a bit of an uptempo spin, almost bubblegum and reminiscent of his other A-sides. But, again, it's the B-side Pop Funk of "Power of Love" (complete with screaming organ solo) that shines brightest over 45 years on (not on YouTube, sadly).
It probably doesn't need to be said that "100 Pounds of Clay" didn't chart. And every discography I've seen will tell you that Wand and Joe went their separate ways at that point. But that's not entirely true. In 1972, Wand released one more Joe Jeffrey single...but only in Brazil. Wha....? Yes, exclusively in Brazil. Having previously tracked down all the original singles from Joe's official discography many years ago, this Brazil single was something I knew nothing of before this weekend. The A-side, "Looking Around", has a fairly typical Joe Jeffrey sound. But the B-side, "Everything Will Be Allright", is a mystery to me (no audio anywhere on-line) and it's another Joe Jeffrey original, so I can't help but be curious. Those two sides, like "100 Pounds of Clay", were recorded at Act One, so one suspects those tracks were laid down at the same time and it makes you wonder what else is collecting dust in the vaults.
It probably doesn't need to be said that "100 Pounds of Clay" didn't chart. And every discography I've seen will tell you that Wand and Joe went their separate ways at that point. But that's not entirely true. In 1972, Wand released one more Joe Jeffrey single...but only in Brazil. Wha....? Yes, exclusively in Brazil. Having previously tracked down all the original singles from Joe's official discography many years ago, this Brazil single was something I knew nothing of before this weekend. The A-side, "Looking Around", has a fairly typical Joe Jeffrey sound. But the B-side, "Everything Will Be Allright", is a mystery to me (no audio anywhere on-line) and it's another Joe Jeffrey original, so I can't help but be curious. Those two sides, like "100 Pounds of Clay", were recorded at Act One, so one suspects those tracks were laid down at the same time and it makes you wonder what else is collecting dust in the vaults.
After Joe and Wand split, joe returned to the Cleveland scene where he played the club circuit for another decade or so. He'd play his hit and some of his other songs recorded for Wand, his R&B and standards covers, a bit of Motown, and he'd close with "The Impossible Dream". At some point in the 80s, he just sort of vanished, though it seems he stayed in Cleveland.
Probably the last time I had Joe Jeffrey on the brain was 2011. At the time, there was almost nothing about Joe on-line. There was nothing about this Brazil single, nor was the digital collection (bearing a 2009 release date) at Amazon there at the time (it's worth pointing out that that digital collection includes another pair of songs from Joe not included on his discography (covers of "Moon River" and "Something Stupid" with no clue as to whether they were recorded before, during, or after his association with Wand). Some real serious internet searching on my part (seriously, I'd spend days looking, not even coming up for air) turned up no Joe Jeffrey CD. Either released since or unknown at the time, Joe's album has been released on CD...also exclusively in Brazil (and no bonus tracks). One Joe Jeffrey mystery has been solved. We now know that Joe died late last year after a long battle with cancer. But other Joe Jeffrey mysteries remain.
At some point, I think I suggested to the folks at Real Gone that a Joe Jeffrey collection would make for a terrific release. But, no doubt, it would have made for an even better release if they could have gotten fresh perspective from the man, himself, making for some interesting liner notes (and maybe a handful of autographed copies, as Real Gone does from time to time). Alas, that much is now no longer possible. But I still hold out hope for a comprehensive collection of Joe Jeffrey's recorded works, including, with any luck, some previously unreleased tracks......maybe even a Christmas song. I hope I live to see Joe get his due. I'll just have to keep "Dreamin' Till Then".
Probably the last time I had Joe Jeffrey on the brain was 2011. At the time, there was almost nothing about Joe on-line. There was nothing about this Brazil single, nor was the digital collection (bearing a 2009 release date) at Amazon there at the time (it's worth pointing out that that digital collection includes another pair of songs from Joe not included on his discography (covers of "Moon River" and "Something Stupid" with no clue as to whether they were recorded before, during, or after his association with Wand). Some real serious internet searching on my part (seriously, I'd spend days looking, not even coming up for air) turned up no Joe Jeffrey CD. Either released since or unknown at the time, Joe's album has been released on CD...also exclusively in Brazil (and no bonus tracks). One Joe Jeffrey mystery has been solved. We now know that Joe died late last year after a long battle with cancer. But other Joe Jeffrey mysteries remain.
At some point, I think I suggested to the folks at Real Gone that a Joe Jeffrey collection would make for a terrific release. But, no doubt, it would have made for an even better release if they could have gotten fresh perspective from the man, himself, making for some interesting liner notes (and maybe a handful of autographed copies, as Real Gone does from time to time). Alas, that much is now no longer possible. But I still hold out hope for a comprehensive collection of Joe Jeffrey's recorded works, including, with any luck, some previously unreleased tracks......maybe even a Christmas song. I hope I live to see Joe get his due. I'll just have to keep "Dreamin' Till Then".
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