J.J. Barnes

In June of 1967, J.J. Barnes' "Baby Please Come Back Home" jammed all over the Midwest, East Coast, South, and west of the Mississippi River. Barnes sang the lyrics with so much pain that the single went to number nine on Billboard's R&B chart. Unofficially, it was number one at inner city skating rinks -- skaters loved rolling to its cool, slinky, mercurial rhythm and pinging accents. It was the 11th single and the sixth recording company (Groovesville) of Barnes' career. Barnes co-wrote most of his recordings; "Baby Please Come Back Home" was co-written with Don Davis, a guitarist, songwriter, producer, music publisher, and record label owner. James Jay Barnes, born November 30, 1943, in Detroit, MI, had more than 25 single releases after his big hit, but none duplicated its captivating aura, sales, or chart position. Barnes' gospel background (the Halo Gospel Singers) isn't apparent on his recordings; he came along at a time in Detroit when the city's blues and R&B bases were strong. His style emulated Southern soul singers; the session players in Detroit in the early '60s were R&B players and gave Barnes' records a Southern feel. Other Detroit singers with a similar sound include Joe Stubbs, Steve Mancha, Darrell Banks, Sammy Ward, and Lee Rogers. In 1960, when he was 17, Barnes cut his first single, "My Love Came Tumbling Down" b/w "Won't You Let Me Know," for Kable Records, which did nothing but add "recording artist" to Barnes' resumé. This was not a title to take lightly -- a few spins on the radio enabled an artist to jack their price up at the neighborhood club. No longer was he, J.J. Barnes, appearing Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights; now J.J. Barnes, the recording artist, was appearing live and in person. Mickay Records issued four singles by Barnes;...