For the first Sunday of our Advent Calendar, we’ve picked out some soothing 70’s funk from from James Jay Barnes.
Released as two parts on the original album Born Again 1973, ‘You Owe it to Yourself’ is very much a song of two halves. The first sets the mood with a smooth groove lead by a tight rhythm section of drums, percussion and a mellow funk bass. Strings, horns and a twanging electric guitar complete a finger-snapping blues sound before sweet, sweeping gospel vocals lead the way into part two. Barnes, after much anticipation, swoons listeners with the good feeling message that even though life doesn’t come easy, anyone can get up and rewrite their life story if they want to. With a voice that retains a warm, raspy quality along his vocal range it’s a mystery as to why JJ isn’t more of a household name today.
Download ‘You Owe It To Yourself’ from our Bandcamp. Any donations will go to Tomorrow’s People, a charity helping the long term unemployed back to work.
You Owe It To Yourself is taken from Best of Perception and Today Records compiled by DJ Spinna, out now on BBE Music.
