James Jones (June 2, 1930 – August 2, 2012) was an American singer-songwriter who moved to New York City while a teenager.
Career
Jones was born in Birmingham, Alabama. His first job in the entertainment industry was as a tap dancer. He joined a doo-wop group named the Berliners in 1954. They later changed their name to Sparks of Rhythm. A few months later in 1960, Jones' recording of "Good Timin'" climbed to No. 1 in the UK and No. 3 in the US.
Although Jones had only the two million-selling Top 40 hits, he nevertheless kept active in the music industry as both a songwriter and recording artist and made personal appearances as he saw fit. Jones' subsequent career was low key, although it included three more UK chart entries in the following 12 months.
Discography
Singles
{| class="wikitable"
! rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Single
! colspan="4"| Chart Positions
! rowspan="2"| Album
|-
! <small>US</small>
! <small>UK</small>
! <small>AU</small>
! <small>CAN</small><br>
|-
|rowspan="2"|1959
|"Handy Man"<br /><small>b/w "The Search Is Over"</small>
|align="center"|2
|align="center"|3
|align="center"|4
|align="center"|3
|align="left"|Good Timin
|-
|"You For Me To Love"<br /><small>b/w "Whenever You Need Me"</small>
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|align="left" rowspan="3"|Non-album tracks
|-
|rowspan="8"|1960
|"With All My Heart"<br /><small>b/w "Please Say You're Mine"</small>
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|-
|"Lover"<br /><small>b/w "Plain Old Love"</small>
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|-
|"Good Timin'"<br /><small>b/w "My Precious Angel"</small>
|align="center"|3
|align="center"|1
|align="center"|7
|align="center"|6
|align="left" rowspan="2"|Good Timin
|-
|"I Just Go for You" /
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|35
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|-
|"That's When I Cried"
|align="center"|83
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|67
|align="center"|30
|align="left" rowspan="3"|Non-album tracks
|-
|"EE-I EE-I Oh! (Sue MacDonald)" /
|align="center"|102
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|82
|align="center"|-
|-
|"Itchin'"
|align="center"|106
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|82
|align="center"|-
|-
|"Ready for Love"<br /><small>b/w "For You"</small>
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|46
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|align="left"|Good Timin
|-
|rowspan="3"|1961
|"I Told You So"<br /><small>b/w "You Got It"</small>
|align="center"|85
|align="center"|33
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|align="left" rowspan="9"|Non-album tracks
|-
|"I Say Love"<br /><small>b/w "Dear One"</small>
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|-
|"Mr. Music Man"<br /><small>b/w "Holler Hey"</small>
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|-
|rowspan="1"|1962
|"You're Much Too Young"<br /><small>b/w "The Nights Of Mexico"</small>
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|-
|rowspan="1"|1963
|"Mr. Fix It"<br /><small>b/w "No Insurance (For A Broken Heart)"</small>
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|-
|rowspan="1"|1965
|"Walkin'"<br /><small>b/w "Pardon Me"</small>
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|-
|rowspan="1"|1966
|"Don't You Just Know It"<br /><small>b/w "Dynamite"</small>
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|-
|rowspan="2"|1967
|"39-21-40 Shape"<br /><small>b/w "Personal Property"</small>
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|-
|"True Love Ways"<br /><small>b/w "Snap My Fingers"</small>
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|-
|rowspan="1"|1974
|"The Man from Candyland"<br /><small>b/w "Big Leg Woman"</small>
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|align="left"|Timin
|-
|rowspan="1"|1976
|"Handyman Is Back in Town"—Part 1<br /><small>b/w Part 2</small>
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|align="left"|Handyman's Back In Town (Part II)
|-
|rowspan="1"|1987
|"Send Her Back to Me"<br /><small>b/w "Shag"</small>
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|align="left"|Non-album tracks
|-
|}