Jim and Jean
Encyclopedia
Jim and Jean, composed of Jim Glover
(born 1942) and Jean Ray (1941–2007) were an American
folk music
duo, who performed and recorded music from the early to the late 1960s.
They were married for a time, and were listed as Jim and Jean Glover in the liner notes of their album
s, but eventually went their separate ways.
, where he met Phil Ochs
in late 1959, and introduced Ochs to folk music
, Leftist politics
, and taught him how to play guitar
. Jim Glover and Phil Ochs were in a short-lived folk duo called the "Singing Socialists", later renamed the "Sundowners".
Though the group did not last long, Glover and Ochs remained friends. In 1961, Jim Glover left Ohio
and moved to New York
, where he met Jean Ray at the Café Raffio and later fell in love with her. Jim and Jean began performing music together and developed a following at Café Raffio's in Greenwich Village
, and soon began making enough money to pay the rent on their Thompson Street apartment.
In 1962, Ochs moved in with Jim and Jean when he was first starting his musical career in Greenwich Village.
Ray introduced Ochs to her friend Alice Skinner, and Ochs soon moved in with Skinner, and eventually married her.
As Glover improved his songwriting, Jim and Jean began to perform (and later recorded) a number of his songs. They were given a big career boost from Art Linkletter
, whose secretary was Jean's mother and who featured Jim and Jean on his popular TV programs.
Jim and Jean's first appearance on record, Jack Linkletter Presents a Folk Festival, was a live 1963 compilation album released on GNP Crescendo
that featured a number of folk acts. In 1965, Jim and Jean released their first full length album, a self-titled release, on the Philips
label. This album contains songs written by Tom Paxton
("Ramblin' Boy" and "Hold On To Me, Babe"), Ochs ("There But For Fortune
"), Buffy Sainte-Marie
("Welcome, Welcome Emigrante"), Lead Belly ("Alabama Bound" and "Relax Your Mind"), as well as traditional songs
. Alice Skinner Ochs wrote the original liner notes printed on the back of the album. In 1966, Jim and Jean's second album, Changes, was released on the Verve Folkways
record label. The title track was written by Phil Ochs, and the album also contained two other Ochs' songs ("Flower Lady" and "Crucifixion
"). Ochs also wrote the album's liner notes. This album also contained songs written by Eric Andersen
, David Blue, Bob Dylan
, and Jim and Jean. The sound on their first album is more folksy, whereas their second album contains more session musicians, instrumentation, and even some folk rock
experimentation. They recorded with some musicians who had worked on Bob Dylan's first electric sessions. Their song "One Sure Thing" would later be covered by Fairport Convention
. Jim and Jean's third and final album, People World, was released on Verve Forecast
in 1968, and is their furthest departure from their original sound and style. At times, this album delves into some flower power
themes and even slight psychedelia
. The album also contained more of their own, original material than their previous albums. The title track, "People World", reached number 94 on the US Billboard Hot 100
chart
in 1968. Also, two Ochs' songs appeared on this album: "Cross My Heart" and "Ringing Of Revolution". This was Jim and Jean's last album as a duo.
During the years they recorded together, Jim and Jean played in folk music clubs such as the Ash Grove in West Hollywood
and the Ice House in Glendale, California
. They sometimes opened for Canadian folk rock
band 3's a Crowd
. In one performance at the Ash Grove, rather than playing as a duo they were accompanied by a pianist and by the bassist Harvey Brooks
, who had played with Dylan.
Eventually, Jim and Jean split up and went their separate ways. Glover recorded some small budget albums on his own (No Need To Explain in 1980 and Outsider in 2003), and Ray went on to perform in some small budget plays
. They both reunited to play one last show together at the People's Voice Cafe in New York City on March 18, 2006. After a long illness, Jean Ray died on August 19, 2007.
, and Richard
and Mimi Fariña
), were described as being inspirations for the fictional characters "Mitch and Mickey" of the 2003 spoof movie about folk music entitled A Mighty Wind
.
Jean Ray said, "Neil Young
's song 'Cowgirl in the Sand' came from a visit he made to me and my family living on the beach."
Jim Glover
Jim R. Glover is a long-time peace activist and folk singer from Cleveland, Ohio, who currently lives in Brandon, Florida.-Relationship with Phil Ochs:...
(born 1942) and Jean Ray (1941–2007) were an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
duo, who performed and recorded music from the early to the late 1960s.
They were married for a time, and were listed as Jim and Jean Glover in the liner notes of their album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s, but eventually went their separate ways.
Career
Glover attended Ohio State UniversityOhio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
, where he met Phil Ochs
Phil Ochs
Philip David Ochs was an American protest singer and songwriter who was known for his sharp wit, sardonic humor, earnest humanism, political activism, insightful and alliterative lyrics, and haunting voice...
in late 1959, and introduced Ochs to folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
, Leftist politics
Left-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
, and taught him how to play guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
. Jim Glover and Phil Ochs were in a short-lived folk duo called the "Singing Socialists", later renamed the "Sundowners".
Though the group did not last long, Glover and Ochs remained friends. In 1961, Jim Glover left Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
and moved to New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where he met Jean Ray at the Café Raffio and later fell in love with her. Jim and Jean began performing music together and developed a following at Café Raffio's in Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...
, and soon began making enough money to pay the rent on their Thompson Street apartment.
In 1962, Ochs moved in with Jim and Jean when he was first starting his musical career in Greenwich Village.
Ray introduced Ochs to her friend Alice Skinner, and Ochs soon moved in with Skinner, and eventually married her.
As Glover improved his songwriting, Jim and Jean began to perform (and later recorded) a number of his songs. They were given a big career boost from Art Linkletter
Art Linkletter
Arthur Gordon "Art" Linkletter was a Canadian-born American radio and television personality. He was the host of House Party, which ran on CBS radio and television for 25 years, and People Are Funny, on NBC radio-TV for 19 years...
, whose secretary was Jean's mother and who featured Jim and Jean on his popular TV programs.
Jim and Jean's first appearance on record, Jack Linkletter Presents a Folk Festival, was a live 1963 compilation album released on GNP Crescendo
GNP Crescendo Record Co.
GNP Crescendo Record Co. is an American record label based in Hollywood, California. Its catalog primarily consists of jazz records, as well as motion picture and television soundtracks and film scores, mostly in science fiction, fantasy and horror....
that featured a number of folk acts. In 1965, Jim and Jean released their first full length album, a self-titled release, on the Philips
Philips Records
Philips Records is a record label that was founded by Dutch electronics company Philips. It was started by "Philips Phonographische Industrie" in 1950. Recordings were made with popular artists of various nationalities and also with classical artists from Germany, France and Holland. Philips also...
label. This album contains songs written by Tom Paxton
Tom Paxton
Thomas Richard Paxton is an American folk singer and singer-songwriter who has been writing, performing and recording music for over forty years...
("Ramblin' Boy" and "Hold On To Me, Babe"), Ochs ("There But For Fortune
There but for Fortune (song)
"There but for Fortune" is a song by Phil Ochs, a U.S. singer-songwriter from the 1960s. Ochs wrote the song in 1963. He recorded it twice, for New Folks Volume 2 and Phil Ochs in Concert...
"), Buffy Sainte-Marie
Buffy Sainte-Marie
Buffy Sainte-Marie, OC is a Canadian Cree singer-songwriter, musician, composer, visual artist, educator, pacifist, and social activist. Throughout her career in all of these areas, her work has focused on issues of Indigenous peoples of the Americas. Her singing and writing repertoire includes...
("Welcome, Welcome Emigrante"), Lead Belly ("Alabama Bound" and "Relax Your Mind"), as well as traditional songs
Traditional music
Traditional music is the term increasingly used for folk music that is not contemporary folk music. More on this is at the terminology section of the World music article...
. Alice Skinner Ochs wrote the original liner notes printed on the back of the album. In 1966, Jim and Jean's second album, Changes, was released on the Verve Folkways
Verve Records
Verve Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded by Norman Granz in 1956, absorbing the catalogues of his earlier labels, Clef Records and Norgran Records , and material which had been licensed to Mercury previously.-Jazz and folk origins:The Verve...
record label. The title track was written by Phil Ochs, and the album also contained two other Ochs' songs ("Flower Lady" and "Crucifixion
Crucifixion (song)
"Crucifixion" is a 1966 song by Phil Ochs, a U.S. singer-songwriter. Ochs described the song as "the greatest song I've ever written".-The song:...
"). Ochs also wrote the album's liner notes. This album also contained songs written by Eric Andersen
Eric Andersen
Eric Andersen is an American singer-songwriter.-Biography:In the early 1960s, Eric Andersen was part of the Greenwich Village folk scene in New York...
, David Blue, Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, and Jim and Jean. The sound on their first album is more folksy, whereas their second album contains more session musicians, instrumentation, and even some folk rock
Folk rock
Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
experimentation. They recorded with some musicians who had worked on Bob Dylan's first electric sessions. Their song "One Sure Thing" would later be covered by Fairport Convention
Fairport Convention
Fairport Convention are an English folk rock and later electric folk band, formed in 1967 who are still recording and touring today. They are widely regarded as the most important single group in the English folk rock movement...
. Jim and Jean's third and final album, People World, was released on Verve Forecast
Verve Forecast Records
Verve Forecast Records is a record label specializing in cutting-edge material which was founded in 1967 by Verve Records and since been revived twice....
in 1968, and is their furthest departure from their original sound and style. At times, this album delves into some flower power
Flower power
Flower power is a slogan used by the American counterculture movement during the late 1960s and early 1970s as a symbol of passive resistance and non-violence ideology. It is rooted in the opposition movement to the Vietnam War. The expression was coined by the American Beat poet Allen Ginsberg in...
themes and even slight psychedelia
Psychedelic music
Psychedelic music covers a range of popular music styles and genres, which are inspired by or influenced by psychedelic culture and which attempt to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues-rock bands in the...
. The album also contained more of their own, original material than their previous albums. The title track, "People World", reached number 94 on the US Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
in 1968. Also, two Ochs' songs appeared on this album: "Cross My Heart" and "Ringing Of Revolution". This was Jim and Jean's last album as a duo.
During the years they recorded together, Jim and Jean played in folk music clubs such as the Ash Grove in West Hollywood
West Hollywood, California
West Hollywood, a city of Los Angeles County, California, was incorporated on November 29, 1984, with a population of 34,399 at the 2010 census. 41% of the city's population is made up of gay men according to a 2002 demographic analysis by Sara Kocher Consulting for the City of West Hollywood...
and the Ice House in Glendale, California
Glendale, California
Glendale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city population is 191,719, down from 194,973 at the 2000 census. making it the third largest city in Los Angeles County and the 22nd largest city in the state of California...
. They sometimes opened for Canadian folk rock
Folk rock
Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
band 3's a Crowd
3's a Crowd (band)
3's a Crowd was a folk rock band from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, that existed from 1964 to 1969. The group is particularly notable for its association with Cass Elliott, who co-produced the group's sole album release...
. In one performance at the Ash Grove, rather than playing as a duo they were accompanied by a pianist and by the bassist Harvey Brooks
Harvey Brooks
Harvey Brooks is an American bassist. He has played in many styles of music...
, who had played with Dylan.
Eventually, Jim and Jean split up and went their separate ways. Glover recorded some small budget albums on his own (No Need To Explain in 1980 and Outsider in 2003), and Ray went on to perform in some small budget plays
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
. They both reunited to play one last show together at the People's Voice Cafe in New York City on March 18, 2006. After a long illness, Jean Ray died on August 19, 2007.
Legacy
Jim and Jean, as well as other husband and wife folk duos of the 1960s (such as Ian and SylviaIan and Sylvia
Ian & Sylvia were a Canadian folk and country music duo which consisted of Ian and Sylvia Tyson, née Fricker. They began performing together in 1959, married in 1964, and divorced and stopped performing together in 1975.-Early lives:...
, and Richard
Richard Fariña
Richard George Fariña was an American writer and folksinger.-Early years and education:Richard Fariña was born in Brooklyn, New York, of Cuban and Irish descent. He grew up in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn and attended Brooklyn Technical High School...
and Mimi Fariña
Mimi Fariña
Mimi Baez Fariña was a singer-songwriter and activist, the youngest of three daughters to a Scottish mother and Mexican-American physicist Albert Baez .- Early years:Fariña's father, a physicist affiliated with Stanford University and MIT, moved his family...
), were described as being inspirations for the fictional characters "Mitch and Mickey" of the 2003 spoof movie about folk music entitled A Mighty Wind
A Mighty Wind
A Mighty Wind is a 2003 mockumentary about a folk music reunion concert in which three folk bands must reunite for a television performance for the first time in decades. It was directed by Christopher Guest...
.
Jean Ray said, "Neil Young
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
's song 'Cowgirl in the Sand' came from a visit he made to me and my family living on the beach."
External links
- [ allmusic entry]
- Liner notes from Jim and Jean's Changes/People World