Born 1943 in Mississippi, Jimmy Burns is a talented singer, songwriter and guitarist. He developed his unique soulful sound from a combination of his Delta roots, singing in church, and street blues.

Burns was 12 years old when his family moved north to Chicago, and he started singing with a Gospel group called The Gay Lites. He was influenced by The Impressions and Major Lance who both rehearsed in a park near his home. In 1959 he joined The Medallionaires who were an established group.

In the early sixties Jimmy Burns recorded a number of singles, most notably of course, I Really Love You which was released on Erica, together with a handful of other records on the Minit and Tip Top recording labels.

Mark Bicknell tracked down a copy after a chance meeting with Jimmy Burns in Chicago. Read on and enjoy his fascinating story of how he met the artist and got hold of this fantastic single.

Click the record label to play - needs Real Player or similar

This is The copy that Mark got from Jimmy Burns

Mark Bicknell Takes Up The Story...

Northern Soul is of course based on discovering, playing and dancing to rare soul records and I Really Love You is one of those obscure items that has in my opinion quite rightly become a northern soul anthem.

Written by Robert Newsome, who also released a version in 1966 on Karol Records which may well be the original recording. That record is also extremely rare and almost impossible to get in any condition.

Chicago was a hotbed of soul recordings in the sixties and seventies and whilst Jimmy Burns has always been a well respected artist, he never found any commercial success with any of his early recordings.

It was 1991, and I was on a record hunting trip in Chicago. The windy city has always been good for me and it's something quite special to find elusive records on their home soil.

I was staying with this blues guitar player who I met through a friend of a friend. One evening Mike asked me which artists recordings I was looking for. When I mentioned Jimmy Burns he said "Oh you mean Eddie's brother". Eddie Burns, turned out to be Jimmy's oldest brother. He was also a guitarist who played with John Lee Hooker before going it alone. Anyway, I had no idea and just said "I Guess So".

Above : Mark with Jimmy Burns in the Blues On Halstead Club

"I Was Like A Child Who's Bithday, Easter and Christmas Had All Come At Once"

Right away Mike checked his address book, picked up the phone, and within a minute I was talking to Jimmy Burns. Even more amazingly, we arranged to meet that very night at a small club called Blues On Halstead where Mikes band Lil Ed And The Blues Imperials were playing. You can imagine I was like a child who's birthday, Easter and Christmas had all come at once.

That night my heart was in my mouth as I waited for Jimmy to arrive. Mike was halfway through his second set when he caught my eye and pointed toward the door. In walked this small silver haired guy in a white  three piece suit. We met, embraced and were instant friends.

We talked for two or three hours and Jimmy told me all about his life and times in the music business. Jimmy said he had never trusted the recording industry, and had become a carpenter by trade. He had no idea about how sought after his Erica release was some three thousand miles away. I told him about the Grapevine release of what we soon referred to as 'that record'.

Jimmy recalled the recording session for I Really Love You like this. "The backing track was already done and we went into the studio and nailed the vocal in one take."

Right : The UK re-release of 'that record' which is now a collectable item

"That was pretty much it, and the last contact I had with the record apart from a handful of copies to give away to family and friends." Interestingly, Jimmy has never received any royalties or payback for the work.

By now I was bursting with the 64,000 dollar question - Did he still have a copy of 'that record'. Sadly, he didn't have a spare copy, but it didn't matter, I had met a most gentle and almost humble man. We exchanged contact details and went our separate ways, but a friendship started that has endured to this day

Well as my luck would have it, that wasn't the end of the story. I returned to the UK after a very tiring but rewarding trip. A couple of weeks passed and then late one night Jimmy phoned, "Mark 'that record' - I've found one for you", I almost dropped the phone. We did a deal and Jimmy joked that Mark Bicknell from the UK was the only person to pay him any money for his early recorded work.

Left and Right : Photo's of Jimmy Burns - thanks to Mark

I waited nearly three weeks, eagerly checking the post every day. One morning the postman banged on the door and presented me with a shirt box from the USA. This was it, here it was at last and I was shaking as I opened the box. It was packed with polystyrene chippings and in the middle were two pieces of hardboard wrapped up in newspaper, all stuck together with parcel tape.

"Carefully, I put the record on the turntable and cried as I listened"

There it was without a sleeve and just a letter from Jimmy signed - your friend , Jimmy Burns. Carefully, I put the record on the turntable and cried as I listened. 

Yes, it was a magic moment and to get the record from the man who made it was priceless. I still have the record to this day and would never sell it despite it now being listed in the price guides at about £3000.

I tried to bring Jimmy over to perform in the UK, but we never quite managed to get it together which is a regret.

We keep in contact and I'm pleased to report he's still going strong and making music in Chicago.

"Another Magic Night"

During a recent trip back with my wife Jacqui, we went to see him perfoming, and that was another magic night.

Jimmy Burns - a gentleman who can sing the blues as well as anyone and a man I'm proud to call a friend.

By the way - I also met Robert Newsome aka Bobby James and got his version off him too, but that's for another day.

Regards - Mark Bicknell

Another fine recording from Jimmy Burns is You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone and you can play that by clicking the record label above. Also below, is the letter Mark received from Jimmy.

Other quotes on Jimmy Burns - I Really Love You

Soul Sam

"It's one of the best oldies there is, and one of the best records ever played on the northern soul scene"

Sean Chapman

"Proper Northern Soul"

 

 

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Maurice Williams    Jo Armstead    Chuck Jackson    Kim Weston    Velvelettes

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