RIP Jessica Cleaves!

[jboy88]

George Clinton just tweeted that Jessica Cleaves passed away today! There were no details as to why! I'm pretty sad to hear this. She was truly underrated, and had one of the most beautiful voices i ever heard.

[marv2]

Ahhhhhhh........ I like her singing with the Friends of Distinction. This is sad news. Rest in peace Jessica, you were great!

Marv

[timmyfunk]

[[not just) Knee Deep. That's all I have to say.

[splanky]

I'm still waiting to see an obit in "mainstream media" but I'll concede that I knew this news
would come someday...What can I say? Jessica Cleaves was hands down, my most favorite
female vocalist in ANY genre of music and I cannot express how deeply her passing saddens me. I know she had issues throughout her life but she was a stellar singer in not one but 3
different musical groupings which all became icons in American black popular music. As
much as I loved her work in P funk and Earth Wind and Fire, it was her early vocals in The
Friends Of Distinction that actually hooked me for life on her beautiful instrument.
Particularly I Really Hope You Do. I regret like hell that I never got the chance to tell her
how especially strong she effected me with that song. Okay, I'll lay it out here: Jessica
Cleaves is the only singer to ever make me EJACULATE from the sound of her voice...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WLouVIBhD4
RIP, Darling....

[marv2]

I'm still waiting to see an obit in "mainstream media" but I'll concede that I knew this news
would come someday...What can I say? Jessica Cleaves was hands down, my most favorite
female vocalist in ANY genre of music and I cannot express how deeply her passing saddens me. I know she had issues throughout her life but she was a stellar singer in not one but 3
different musical groupings which all became icons in American black popular music. As
much as I loved her work in P funk and Earth Wind and Fire, it was her early vocals in The
Friends Of Distinction that actually hooked me for life on her beautiful instrument.
Particularly I Really Hope You Do. I regret like hell that I never got the chance to tell her
how especially strong she effected me with that song. Okay, I'll lay it out here: Jessica
Cleaves is the only singer to ever make me EJACULATE from the sound of her voice...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WLouVIBhD4
RIP, Darling....

Now Splanky..............come on.

[splanky]

I know how it sounds, Marv, but it's the absolute truth. I was a kid listening to a stack of 45's
I'd put together in our living room reading something, sitting on the couch. Fully clothed
and not touching myself in any way when the needle dropped on I Really Hope You Do.
As Jess's voice caressed my ears I became vaguely conscious of the fact that I was getting
an erection. At around the 3:10 [[ I checked later) when she shifted her voice into her upper
register I popped off in my pants. I panicked, jumped up and ran into the bathroom to clean myself up and go change clothes as I was not alone in the house. That's how strongly her
voice got inside me that day. Been in love with it since:) Can't explain it but that's how I am.
I've been aroused by at least 2 other singers, Sheila Hutchinson and Londee Wiggins, but the
first time I heard the term "Eargasm", I think it was the title of a Johnny Taylor album, I
immediately thought of Jessica Cleaves early impresssion on me....

[marv2]

I know how it sounds, Marv, but it's the absolute truth. I was a kid listening to a stack of 45's
I'd put together in our living room reading something, sitting on the couch. Fully clothed
and not touching myself in any way when the needle dropped on I Really Hope You Do.
As Jess's voice caressed my ears I became vaguely conscious of the fact that I was getting
an erection. At around the 3:10 [[ I checked later) when she shifted her voice into her upper
register I popped off in my pants. I panicked, jumped up and ran into the bathroom to clean myself up and go change clothes as I was not alone in the house. That's how strongly her
voice got inside me that day. Been in love with it since:) Can't explain it but that's how I am.
I've been aroused by at least 2 other singers, Sheila Hutchinson and Londee Wiggins, but the
first time I heard the term "Eargasm", I think it was the title of a Johnny Taylor album, I
immediately thought of Jessica Cleaves early impresssion on me....

I know exactly what you mean, I'm just sayin'! LOL! Ask me about Chaka Khan sometime, hehehehehehehehe...........

[splanky]

I'm still waiting for details on her passing to turn up in the news media other than a wiki
blurb I saw earlier. I remember when Philipe Wynne joined P funk, during dates in the south
George let him do spots in the show where he would sing and just tear it up with songs he
had sung as a Spinner like Sadie and Love Don't Love Nobody. I always wished GC had let
Jess do the same with songs she had sung as a member of EWF or FOD. I remember some
critics panning that material in print but my thoughts were always "F**K EM"...Maybe Jess
wouldn't have wanted to anyway, still I could dream. I always thought it was too bad that
GC didn't have Jess do any solo work earlier. I have just about everything she on between
the three organisations. Gotta find that Bobby Hutchinson release from 72-3 she's on. Anyway, another favorite of mine where she's joined at the close beautifully by I think,
Barbara Love, the ethereal Lady Mae...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjIyf60DVFY

[marv2]

Here's one of your favorites and mine ,from the Fall of 1969:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1JAq1N4AM4

[marv2]

What's frustrating to me is that there are not very many pictures or performance clips showcasing Jessica. She was a very good looking woman.

[marv2]

A favorite of mine for years and one of the few clips that feature Jessica,


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CXgSOYtmNs

[Soul Sister]

Sad news. Rest in peace, Jessica. Thanks for the great music.

S.S.
***

[timmyfunk]

While I love her FOD/EWF material, [[not just) Knee Deep damn near introduces a new genre: operatic party music. For that alone, Jess is a pioneer.

[marv2]

While I love her FOD/EWF material, [[not just) Knee Deep damn near introduces a new genre: operatic party music. For that alone, Jess is a pioneer.



Timmy , just when I thought George and them had outdid them themselves in 1978 with "Flashlight" ,"One Nation Under A Groove" ,"Aqua Boogie", etc. they came back the very next year with the epic........."[[Not Just) Knee Deep"! At the time I had no idea that Jessica had joined the group. Suffice it to say.......................they were awesome!

[splanky]

Love or Let Me Be Lonely was a great song but I hope nobody mistakenly think that's Jessica
singing lead in that youtube clip. The woman holding the mic is actually Barbara Love and
she's lip-syncing too because at the time the record was done Charlene Gibson did that lead
as Barbara was temporarily out of the group having just had a baby. Jess is the one dancing
behind with Harry and Floyd. In fact if you bing, even google images of Jessica Cleaves you will get many images of Barbara Love's face.
As far as P funk is concerned Jessica came on board with the Funkadelic album Tales
of Kidd Funkadelic. While recording the title track she at one point abruptly ran out of the
studio calling Bernie Worrell dark, Bach fueled keyboard logistics "the devil's music". Luckily
she was coaxed back and completed her work on it. As much as I love what she added to
so much of GC's material including back up work on many of the spin off acts, you don't
really get the full effect of Jessica's voice unless you can hear her on lead of a complete
song. To GC's credit, and he himself said she had one of the most beautiful voices he had
ever heard, he and Junie Morrison did record some solo material on her and had planned
more, but the Mothership crash landed and Uncle Jam folded. I think the last place I heard
Jess's voice was on Dope Dogs...

Off The Wall:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmGhjA47xtM

[splanky]

Jess when she was in Friends of Distinction...8128

[timmyfunk]

Love or Let Me Be Lonely was a great song but I hope nobody mistakenly think that's Jessica
singing lead in that youtube clip. The woman holding the mic is actually Barbara Love and
she's lip-syncing too because at the time the record was done Charlene Gibson did that lead
as Barbara was temporarily out of the group having just had a baby. Jess is the one dancing
behind with Harry and Floyd. In fact if you bing, even google images of Jessica Cleaves you will get many images of Barbara Love's face.
As far as P funk is concerned Jessica came on board with the Funkadelic album Tales
of Kidd Funkadelic. While recording the title track she at one point abruptly ran out of the
studio calling Bernie Worrell dark, Bach fueled keyboard logistics "the devil's music". Luckily
she was coaxed back and completed her work on it. As much as I love what she added to
so much of GC's material including back up work on many of the spin off acts, you don't
really get the full effect of Jessica's voice unless you can hear her on lead of a complete
song. To GC's credit, and he himself said she had one of the most beautiful voices he had
ever heard, he and Junie Morrison did record some solo material on her and had planned
more, but the Mothership crash landed and Uncle Jam folded. I think the last place I heard
Jess's voice was on Dope Dogs...

Off The Wall:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmGhjA47xtM

He definitely made full use of her voice while she was in the Mob. Her return was around the same time as Phillippe Wynne and she mustv've cut some 11 or 12 albums with the Mob.

[marv2]

Love or Let Me Be Lonely was a great song but I hope nobody mistakenly think that's Jessica
singing lead in that youtube clip. The woman holding the mic is actually Barbara Love and
she's lip-syncing too because at the time the record was done Charlene Gibson did that lead
as Barbara was temporarily out of the group having just had a baby. Jess is the one dancing
behind with Harry and Floyd. In fact if you bing, even google images of Jessica Cleaves you will get many images of Barbara Love's face.
As far as P funk is concerned Jessica came on board with the Funkadelic album Tales
of Kidd Funkadelic. While recording the title track she at one point abruptly ran out of the
studio calling Bernie Worrell dark, Bach fueled keyboard logistics "the devil's music". Luckily
she was coaxed back and completed her work on it. As much as I love what she added to
so much of GC's material including back up work on many of the spin off acts, you don't
really get the full effect of Jessica's voice unless you can hear her on lead of a complete
song. To GC's credit, and he himself said she had one of the most beautiful voices he had
ever heard, he and Junie Morrison did record some solo material on her and had planned
more, but the Mothership crash landed and Uncle Jam folded. I think the last place I heard
Jess's voice was on Dope Dogs...

Off The Wall:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmGhjA47xtM



This is all very confusing about that clip. I've had a copy of it in my collection for about 20 years and when I first got it, I was told by someone that it was Jessica in the clip singing lead. NOW I am hearing that the one is Barbara Love and the voice is Charlene Gibon's?

[splanky]

Marv, the history of many groups can be confusing because there's almost always error
reporting, mistaken identities or flat out deceptions, in print, in media, even today with
the internet. When I was young I thought that the lead vocal on EWF's I Think About Loving
You was Jessica Cleaves for two reasons. One , because the tone was so similiar to Jess's and
two because print media at the time [[ magazines like Right On) said so. But it was their original female lead, Sherry Scott who also wrote the song. Even today a slew of radio DJs,
books, magazines AND websites refer to Phillip Bailey as an "original, founding member"
of Earth Wind & Fire which he makes clear he is NOT. And it's happened with a lot of groups.
I wish someone would write an accurate story of The Friends of Distinction because the history of that group was almost as complicated as early EWF and even there Phil left out
a lot of information he either didn't want to divulge or wasn't privy to...I thank them all
for the music. Always. It was just so beautiful....

[Ryon6]

Please say its not true, that that is not Jessica singing lead on "I Think About Loving You"! PLEASE!!!!!

[nysister]

Wow, I am reading Philip Bailey's book and he just mentioned Jessica. RIP Pretty Lady with the beautiful voice.

[splanky]

Wow, I am reading Philip Bailey's book and he just mentioned Jessica. RIP Pretty Lady with the beautiful voice.

I don't know how far along you are in that book but he does also mention in kinda vague
way her departure from it too. I read that book and one thing I found odd in Phil's recollections is that though he talks about the importance of early EWF's song, I Think About
Loving You he makes no mention of Sherry Scott being the writer and lead singer on it or
how Sherry had come out the Chicago school of ACM. The latter is something he probably didn't even know. The true full history of EWF and FOD for that matter, will have to be
objectively written by someone outside of these groups, I think. Still no mainstream media
mention of Jess's passing. WTF...I know she wasn't a popular front runner like Whitney Houston but she certainly wasn't as obscure as say, Alice Clark....Damn....

[marv2]

Here's an obit from NPR:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/codeswitch/2014/05/05/309838225/jessica-cleaves-a-silky-soulful-and-funky-voice-goes-silent

[marv2]

Another one :

http://www.vintagevinylnews.com/2014/05/passings-jessica-cleaves-of-friends-of.html

[nysister]

I don't know how far along you are in that book but he does also mention in kinda vague
way her departure from it too. I read that book and one thing I found odd in Phil's recollections is that though he talks about the importance of early EWF's song, I Think About
Loving You he makes no mention of Sherry Scott being the writer and lead singer on it or
how Sherry had come out the Chicago school of ACM. The latter is something he probably didn't even know. The true full history of EWF and FOD for that matter, will have to be
objectively written by someone outside of these groups, I think. Still no mainstream media
mention of Jess's passing. WTF...I know she wasn't a popular front runner like Whitney Houston but she certainly wasn't as obscure as say, Alice Clark....Damn....

Marv2, I just started the book and have not got to the part you mentioned about the song.

[splanky]

Thank you very much for those links, Marv. i don't know why I couldn't find them earlier. Very well written, especially the NPR. Being that my jazz station is an affiliate of NPR I'm
a bit surprised that I heard no mention of her passing from them. Even with Felix Hernandez, host of Rhythm Revue being a fan of Jess's..Anyway, thanks again. I guess I can say I have...closure....BTW, today is Phillip Bailey's birthday, I've just been told...

[marv2]

You are welcome Splanky. Variety ran this one on Jessica :

http://variety.com/2014/music/people-news/soul-singer-jessica-cleaves-dies-at-65-1201174485/#

[chemelr]

A favorite of mine for years and one of the few clips that feature Jessica,


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CXgSOYtmNs

Are you saying that the above is Jessica Cleaves? Or just that Jessica is in the background?

[marv2]

Are you saying that the above is Jessica Cleaves? Or just that Jessica is in the background?

Jessica is in the background in the above clip.

[RTA6226]

I hated hearing this. She was very talented and very pretty too. She was the Friends of Distinction's Marilyn McCoo.

[stephanie]

I wonder what she died of? She had a beautiful voice may she RIP.

[splanky]

I hated hearing this. She was very talented and very pretty too. She was the Friends of Distinction's Marilyn McCoo.

It's funny that you mentioned that and I agree with you. The irony is that Floyd Butler and
Harry Easton who formed The Friends, earlier had worked in a group called The Hi-Fis which
included, guess who, Marilyn McCoo. The thing Jess and Marilyn had in common is that they
both belonged in that family of voices with a glorious tone and wide range. We had a more
than a few voices like that once upon a time. Jean Carne belongs in that group. I always wondered if Jess and Marilyn had ever met, perhaps woodshedded together. That would have been a treat to hear:)....

[RTA6226]

I wonder what she died of? She had a beautiful voice may she RIP.

She had a stroke. 😢