James Ray

James Ray (born James Jay Raymond, 1941 – May 1963) was an American R&B singer of the early 1960s best known for the hit single "If You Gotta Make a Fool of Somebody", which went to number 10 on the US Billboard R&B chart and number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1962. He also recorded the original version of "Got My Mind Set on You", later a number-one hit for George Harrison.

Biography Born in Washington, D.C., in 1941, an African-American, Ray attended McKinley High School. By 1959 he had relocated to New York City. He stood just 5' tall and first recorded as Little Jimmy Ray, releasing "Make Her Mine" on the Galliant label in 1959. It was unsuccessful and by 1961 he was destitute and living on a rooftop, though still performing in clubs. Songwriter Rudy Clark befriended him, and when Gerry Granahan of Caprice Records heard him rehearsing one of Clark's songs, signed him.

Using the name James Ray, his first recording was of Clark's song, "If You Gotta Make a Fool of Somebody", arranged by Hutch Davie. The record was a hit on both the pop and R&B charts. The single was issued in the UK in 1962 as well, and the song was performed by the Beatles before being discovered by Freddie and the Dreamers, who took it into the top 5 of the UK Singles Chart the year after. In the United States, Ray's single was followed in July 1962 by an eponymous album that contained the follow-up single "Itty Bitty Pieces", which reached No. 41 on the Billboard pop chart, as well as "Got My Mind Set on You", also written by Clark. An edited version was released later in the year as a single on the Dynamic Sound label. George Harrison purchased a copy of Ray's album in 1963 when he went to the United States to visit his sister. Over two decades later, he revived "Got My Mind Set On You" and took it to number 1 in early 1988. John Lennon included "If You Gotta Make a Fool of Somebody" on a jukebox he owned in his home (the contents of which were issued as a double album in 2004 after the jukebox itself was purchased at an auction). In 1967 a cover of the song was released by Maxine Brown. Ronnie Wood, guitarist for Faces and The Rolling Stones, covered "If You Got to Make a Fool of Somebody" on his 1974 debut solo album, I've Got My Own Album to Do.

Discography

Studio Albums

James Ray (1962)

Singles YearTitlePeak chartpositionsRecord LabelB-sideAlbum USPop USR&B 1959 "You Need to Fall in Love" — — Galliant "Make Her Mine" 1961 "If You Gotta Make a Fool of Somebody" 22 10 Caprice "It’s Been a Drag" James Ray 1962 "Itty Bitty Pieces" 41 — "You Remember the Face" "A Miracle" — — "Things Are Gonna Be Different" "Always" — — Dynamic Sound "I've Got My Mind Set on You" 1963 "Marie" — — Congress "The Old Man and the Mule" "Do the Monkey" — — "Put Me in Your Diary" "(I'm Afraid) The Masquerade Is Over" — — "One by One" 1964 "We Got a Thing Goin' On" — — "On That Day"