Artist Guide

"Friday"

Sir Charles Jones

Composed by Sir Charles Jones

January 1, 2021:

Sir Charles Jones is now the #2-ranked southern soul artist on Daddy B Nice's new Top-100 Chart---The New Generation. Click here.

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January 1, 2014: NEW ARTIST GUIDE ALERT!

Sir Charles Jones is now the #1-ranking Southern Soul artist on Daddy B. Nice's new 21st Century Top 100 Countdown.

Go to Daddy B. Nice's new 21st-Century Artist Guide to Sir Charles Jones.

See the chart.



Scroll down this page to "Tidbits" for the latest updates on Sir Charles Jones. To automatically link to Sir Charles Jones' charted radio singles, awards, CD's and many other appearances and citations on the Southern Soul website, go to "Jones, Sir Charles" in Daddy B. Nice's Comprehensive Index.



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Daddy B. Nice's Original Critique

Once in awhile a balladeer comes along who so obviously transcends the usual "mood" music that everybody has to sit up and take notice. Your Daddy B. Nice took notice in the fall of 2000 when the radio single of Sir Charles Jones' "Better Call Jody"----arguably the best "Jody" song ever--hit the Stations of the Deep South.

Deejays were already playing "Hang On," a technically awesome weeper from Jones' self-titled debut (Sir Charles Jones ,Miss Butch/Mardi Gras, 2000). But "Better Call Jody" cut a deeper notch in Sir Charles' gun. Female admirers who'd swooned upon hearing "Hang On" now sat up and tried to absorb the more substantial message contained in "Better Call Jody."

"When you get hungry,
You better call Jody.
When the bills get high,
You better call Jody."

The theme, or legend, of "Jody" had been around at least since Johnnie Taylor's "Jody's Got Your Girl And Gone," which in turn derived from marching cadences in the armed services. "Jody," which always sounds to a Northern ear like "Jorrr-dy," is every man's biggest fear: the good-looking ladies' man with the wiles, the willingness and the free time to snatch your woman behind your back.

"You gave away everything,
For a one-night stand.
You gave away everything,
Most women wish they had."

Jones even threw in a reference to Erykah Badu's "Tyrone":

"Now get out now, girl,
And leave me alone.
But hold up,
You can't use my phone."

Soon more songs from the 2001 album (Love Machine, Mardi Gras) entered chitlin'-circuit radio charts. Delta listeners frequently requested "Is Anybody Lonely" and "Just Can't Let Go," both cast from the same Johnny Mathis-romantic mold as "Hang On."

Sir Charles Jones had a new, almost hiphop sound, but he was also steeped in soul music tradition. His slow jams, as suited to midnight love as any urban smooth material, were nevertheless the real thing. They transcended smoothness. They genuinely touched listeners' hearts.

Ultimately all of the word-of-mouth on this new sensation with the funny and pretentious title "Sir" began to coalesce around a single song with an ineffable melody, "(It's) Friday." The opening words said it all:

"This one is dedicated
For all the workers
That work nine to five."

It was about the simple journey of a man into the weekend--Friday--the last day of the work week. But the velvet-rope melody and Sir Charles' muted vocal imbued it with a reverence that made stopping by the neighborhood juke joint sound as inspirational as attending church.

"Mel Waiters on the radio,
Singing about the whiskey.
I think I'll go by the store,
To get me a bottle,
So I can be ready
To get my groove on the dance floor."

Close fans of Southern Soul had their appreciation for the song doubled, hearing not just the ebb-tide pull of "Friday's" gorgeous melody but the references to favorite artists like Mel Waiters, Johnnie Taylor and Marvin Sease.

"Mr. Deejay,
Can you play some Marvin Sease?
Can you play 'Motel Lover,'
So I can ask the lady
To please take me?"

Each reference was woven seamlessly into the story of an ordinary man's modest Friday night ecstasy. Southern Soul had found a true talent--a master writer, producer and singer--who in just an album or two had made a huge impression on Southern Soul fans.

--Daddy B. Nice

About Sir Charles Jones

Sir Charles Jones is the musical wunderkind whose song "Slow Roll It" made The Love Doctor a household name throughout the Deep South. Written by Jones, performed by The Love Doctor, and released in 2001, "Slow Roll It" became one of the two or three undisputed Southern Soul "classics" of the new millennium.

Jones' solo recording career began in 2000 with the release of Sir Charles Jones. "Hang On" and "Better Call Jody" were the most-frequently played radio singles from the LP, and "Hang On" in particular established Jones as a performer capable of delivering first-class, heart-throbbing love songs.

Mardi Gras Records released Jones' second album, Love Machine, in 2001. The title cut, a funky juke joint track--was not as popular with chitlin' circuit fans as were the from-the-heart, mid-tempo ballads. Most notable radio singles were, "Friday," "Let's Get It On," "Is There Anybody Lonely?" and "Just Can't Let Go."

Jones toured with Marvin Sease and began to headline concerts in small venues throughout the South, but an ominous recording silence followed the release of his two landmark albums. After raising expectations, some fans worried that Jones, like R. Kelly and Erykah Badu (to an extent) before him, would be deterred by the meager rewards of Southern Soul.

So fans were not only relieved but overjoyed when A Southern Soul Party, better known as Sir Charles & Friends due to the latter's prominent display on the CD sleeve, finally appeared in the autumn of 2004, almost three years after Love Machine. A definite departure from the slow, emotionally-rich emphasis of Jones' best-known work, A Southern Soul Party (Hep'me) showcased a dazzling variety of styles and distinguished performances by guest artists.

Musically and compositionally, it was Sir Charles Jones' version of the Beatles' "white album." Deejays of the Deep South pulled songs from the LP with a gusto not seen since the release of Mardi Gras Records' Ultimate Southern Soul sampler the year before.

Especially popular with Deejays of the Deep South: Sorrento Ussery's "Put That Thang In Motion," a viciously effective dance groove, Lewis Clark's (aka The Love Doctor's) "There's No One Like Momma," an intentionally old-fashioned gospel hymn, and Sir Charles' own "The Same Thing It Took To Get Her" and "The Letter (Guilty)."

Ecko Records put out a cover of Sir Charles Jones' "Friday" by Morris J. on a souls/blues compilation in 2003. Meanwhile, Sir Charles was producing, composing, and backing up new artist Mr. David on Jones' best fast track to date: "Shoo da Wop," from Mr. David's Jody Is Back (SOH, 2004) CD.

Jones' career continues to evolve. His concerts have become larger and larger, and the audience reaction more frenzied than anything seen in recent Southern Soul.

The respect and industry buzz around Jones reached a peak in June of 2005, when Sir Charles was the final act in a star-studded Mississippi concert that included such longtime Southern Soul legends as B.B. King and Bobby Rush.

Song's Transcendent Moment

"It's Friday,
And I'm going to party,
And get my groove on.
It's Friday,
And I'm going to party
Until the break of dawn."

Tidbits

1. November 23, 2006.

Sir Charles Jones added technical support on Omar Cunningham's Hell At The House CD (2004), and although the credits aren't specific, the musical marks (and voice) of Sir Charles Jones are all over the track, "Baby Don't Leave Me." Indeed, for Sir Charles Jones' fans, this song, with its stately melody and impeccable, instantly-recognizable arranging style, constitutes a major contribution to the Jones oeuvre.

2. October 25, 2007.

The big news from J. Blackfoot in 2007 was his reprise single of "I'm Just A Fool For You" starring Sir Charles Jones, whom we all came to know (via the record) is J. Blackfoot's nephew. The single was even more inspired than Blackfoot's duet with talented vocalist Lenny Williams on the original.

Why? Because the melodious track morphs into Sir Charles Jones' "Is Anybody Lonely" via one of the most compelling bridges--J. phones Sir Charles and they converse while the Blackfoot song dissolves into "Lonely"--heard in any year. Before the Jones' classic meanders back to the Blackfoot original, Sir Charles has tugged on the reader's emotions in ways that have eluded him on his own recent records. And when Sir Charles finally croons that, "Uncle J., I got so tired washing my own damn clothes," he achieves an emotional peak exhilarating by even his own high standards. A must for the Southern Soul aficionado! DBN.

3. November 23, 2007.

Mardi Gras Records, which seemed to lose interest in Southern Soul music the last couple of years, has returned to the genre with an excellent compilation album by Sir Charles Jones, For Your Love...Best of Sir Charles Jones . (Not to mention an interesting debut from new artist Snatch Nelson.) The disc features many of Jones top hits, including "Is There Anybody Lonely," "Just Can't Let Go," "Better Call Jody," "I Wish He Didn't Trust Me So Much, and, of course, "Friday." Sir Charles' latest single, a worthy addition to his oeuvre titled "For Your Love," is the lead-off track. Bargain-Priced For Your Love...Best of Sir Charles Jones CD .

4. 2007:

I've been remiss in updating Sir Charles Jones' new CD, Thank You For Holding On, self-published under the Charles Jones/Joe Douglas imprint in 2006. Was ever an album by a headlining Southern Soul artist released to so little fanfare and hype?

Perhaps Southern Soul fans (including your Daddy B. Nice) had grown so used to the moratorium imposed on Sir Charles by his previous record contracts and obligations that we had been lulled into thinking we'd never see a bona fide Sir Charles Jones release, only a never-ending succession of guest appearances on a seemingly endless list of Southern Soul performers' records.

And while we're mulling over the vagaries of the recording industry, why is it that the self-proclaimed (and universally admired) "King Of Southern Soul" can't score a recording contract with a major Southern Soul label? Maybe that also has had something to do with Charles' previous contract difficulties. I often thought of asking Charles about the specifics, but there is nothing more depressing (and ultimately boring) than listening to record-company blues.

Yet, even with all that background (or maybe because of it), Thank You For Holding On is a strangely muted effort for such a talented artist, filled with songs that are competent ("Come To Me Baby," "Running," "Baby Love") and even pleasing, yet somehow unsatisfying.

They lack the fire that previous Sir Charles material--even previous "B-side" type songs like "Take Care of Momma" and "Blues Spell," which would be stand-outs on this album--displayed. The vocals are fairly flat--not in pitch, but in terms of energy--as if Sir Charles were holding back, or in a holding-pattern kind of mood. "Don't Say No Tonight" has emerged in 2007 as the predominant track favored by Deep South deejays, and it's no coincidence that it possesses the most fleshed-out arrangement and passionate vocal.

Thank You For Holding On sounds like Sir Charles Jones is "holding on," and not paying attention to all the little details of production, with which to a large extent he made his name. The arrangements, including "Don't Say No Tonight," are almost muddy by comparison with his finest work--for himself and others.

The record seems to catch Jones breathing inward. What we fans need now from Sir Charles Jones is for him to exhale--breathe out. Then watch out! DBN.

5. Author's Note: 2007

Originally the holder of the #32 position on Daddy B. Nice's Top 100 Southern Soul Chart (90's-00's), Sir Charles Jones has moved all the way up to the #12 position. It's the highest rank accorded any member of the younger generation of Southern Soul stars, based upon the quality and the impact of Sir Charles Jones' music on the Southern Soul genre. He has also been an indefatigable performer and contributor to myriad singles and CD's of a broad spectrum of Southern Soul musicians, further enhancing and solidifying his influence.

For Jones Guide "regulars" seeking the most recent updates on Sir Charles, scroll immediately down to TIDBITS. DBN.



6. August 9, 2008

New Sir Charles Jones album: My Story.

First single from the album: #1 Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "Breaking" Southern Soul Singles (July 2008): "Happy Anniversary".

Bargain-Priced My Story CD 6. December 31, 2008

L.J. Echols' "I'm Gonna Party" with Sir Charles Jones Producing--Daddy B. Nice's #1 Southern Soul Single: December 2008

Greetings, fellow Sir Charles fans. I'll get right to the point. I've been racking my brains lately trying to pinpoint where I heard that horn line in Sir Charles' production of L. J. Echols' new single, "I'm Gonna Party." The background is so steeped in vintage-sounding Sir Charles atmosphere that "I'm Gonna Party" takes on a whole 'nother Sir Charles-like dimension.

L. J., to his credit, is more than enough of an artist (unlike some past Jones' collaborators) to not only hold his own and meet Sir Charles' musical standards but express himself with his usual off-handedness, just as un-self-consciously as he has in the past. Coming on the heels of the almost year-long air play for his "From The Back" single, "I'm Gonna Party is yet another surprise and step forward for L. J. Echols.

But to return to the brass-section hook from "I'm Gonna Party". It's a fact that the hook is an indelible "mark" of Sir Charles Jones, at least for anyone who has been listening to Southern Soul music for the last decade. But where exactly did it come from? Research took me to the most likely source, Sir Charles' Love Machine album, where I instantly picked out the song where the horn motif was first played : "Is There Anybody Lonely."

But, just to make sure, I played them both a few times. . . which, by the way, made me fall in love with the Love Machine album all over again. (It's too bad Charles called it "machine," because his music is just the opposite of a machine--it's extraordinarily humane and sensitive.)

It's the same hook, although one song is a ballad ("Is Anybody Lonely") and the other is a mid-tempo tune ("I'm Gonna Party"), resulting in totally different artistic effects. And that, of course, is what makes Echols' "I'm Gonna Party" so fascinating for Sir Charles' fans to listen to.

--Daddy B. Nice

P.S. As Southern Soul insiders already know, one of the "greats" died November 27, 2008. Not only did Senator Jones (no relation) produce Sir Charles Jones' self-titled debut album on Hep'Me Records; he produced the aforementioned Love Machine a year and a half later for Mardi Gras Records.

Mercy, fans. . . To have been a fly on the wall during those Sir Charles Jones and Love Machine sessions, and to better understand who brought what to the table, and who influenced whom and so on and so forth.

The Sir Charles/Senator Jones' sessions might be the most fortuitous collaboration in recent Southern Soul history: a sure case of the "old" represented by Senator Jones insuring its future with the "new" (Sir Charles). How excited Senator Jones must have been, like Sam Phillips stumbling upon Elvis.

--Daddy B. Nice

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7.

September 30, 2009:

Sir Charles makes the artists around him so much better. The title isn't as dramatic as "the king of southern soul," but he is the "Great Facilitator".

As his own material has muted somewhat, Sir Charles has become the nexus of the younger generation of Southern Soul. His talent, of course, is a magnet for other young stars, but he also seems to have a unique temperament for cooperation with people.

And while collaborations are becoming more popular of late, no one has done as much or as well as Sir Charles.

Charles also has the personal history with the "first" generation of Southern Soul stars--Bobby "Blue" Bland, Tyrone Davis and (perhaps most importantly) Marvin Sease--to reassure young performers they're part of a lineage of soul music that travels far back.

At any rate, his collaborations with other musicians have become occasions of great excitement and anticipation, the songs almost an extension of his own catalog.

I can't remember all the joint efforts Charles has worked on recently, but off the top of my head there was Roni with "Come Back Kind of Love." Then came a collaboration with one of Jackie Neal's brothers, Tyree, on a song called "Whiskey And Beer."

There was Charles' production on L. J. Echol's "I'm Gonna Party." Charles doesn't sing, but he is the very air the song breathes. (See separate piece on that below.) It's a sumptious but groove-oriented song, making it one of the best Sir Charles songs ever.

Now Sir Charles has taken it even further on the latest Jody Sticker album, Mr. Booty Do Right (See Daddy B. Nice's CD Reviews.) He has a crooner's background role in the hypnotic "Roll That Thang," but his influence is also everywhere in the arrangement. He also co-sings on "Sacrifice For Love," which sounds like an out-take from one of his own albums.

Other songs on the Jody Sticker album, including the title cut, are influenced by the "early" Sir Charles sound from his recording days with Senator Jones at Hep'Me and Mardi Gras. In sum, Mr. Booty Do Right is full of Sir Charles influences, the next best thing--you knew this was coming--to a new Sir Charles Jones album.

--Daddy B. Nice

P.S. The above article ran under the title "Sir Charles Jones: The Great Facilitator" in the 2009 Daddy B. Nice's Corner.

7.

December 5, 2009: NEW ALBUM ALERT

A Tribute To The Legends
Bargain-Priced A Tribute To The Legends CD

First recommended single:

See Daddy B. Nice's #1 "Breaking" Southern Soul Single for December 2009: "Ain't No Sunshine"

8.

October 12, 2014:

See Daddy B. Nice's new 5-star ("Pure Southern Soul Heaven") review of Sir Charles Jones' PORTRAIT OF A BALLADEER.

"The best assortment of new Sir Charles material in a decade, a soulful fabric far richer than MY STORY, a set sophisticated enough to hark back to the definitive LOVE MACHINE. The songs all vary, but they all have that Sir Charles sound: a modern-day Johnny Mathis forged in a cauldron of the blues."

--Daddy B. Nice

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If You Liked. . . You'll Love

If you remmeber "Diamonds in the back, sun roof top". . . In other words, if you liked William DeVaughn's "Be Thankful For What You've Got," you'll enjoy "Friday" by Sir Charles Jones.

Honorary "B" Side

"Better Call Jody"