By Kevin Jackson—
SINGER Jack Radics is enjoying a career revival thanks to the song Make You Mine which is number nine on Billboard’s Hot Singles Sales Chart. The table ranks the top-selling singles (CD and vinyl) in the United States.
Make You Mine is featured on Radics’ latest album Way 2 Long. It is a joint production between Radics’ Sound Faculty label and producer Ruediger Nieschmidt.
Speaking to the Jamaica Observer from Atlanta, Georgia last week, Radics said he is surprised at the song’s Billboard entry.
“The big surprise was we put out this song, essentially without the help of a major label and we hardly did much promotion. But to see this kind of result, it is very encouraging,” he said.
Make You Mine as also made the The Foundation Radio Network Top 30 Music Chart.
Released in August last year, Way 2 Long is the 15th album for the big-voiced Radics. It features production from the likes of Geoffrey Forrest, Andy Livingston and Fat Eyes.
“So far it has been very good. It hasn’t been picked up by the mainstream as yet but the college circuit has been responding very well to it,” Radics, who is in his 50s, explained.
Way 2 Long has 12 tracks including five covers: Macy Gray’s Fireplace, Paul Young’s Every Time You go Away, Lou Rawls’ Lady Love, the Zutons’ Valerie and Lucky Dube’s The Other Side.
Radics, whose real name is Balfour Bailey, emerged on the music scene in the late 1980s. His self-titled debut album was released in 1991.
In Jamaica, he is best known for the songs This Time I’ll be Sweeter and You Sexy Thing.
Radics was signed to five established labels: Island Records, Sony, Jive, EMI and RCA. In 1994, he teamed with Chaka Demus and Pliers on the single Twist and Shout which topped the British pop charts.
In 1995 he scored another British chart entry when My Girl Josephine featuring Super Cat reached number 22.
Radics has had success in Europe where most of his albums are released. Songs such as No Matter and That’s Life were chart-toppers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, as well as South Africa.
A video for Make You Mine is scheduled to be filmed in Atlanta next month. It will have a cameo by Roger Redding, son of soul legend Otis Redding.
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