Jim Diamond (singer)

James Aaron Diamond (28 September 1951 – 8 October 2015)<ref name="Obit">Template:Cite news</ref> was a Scottish singer-songwriter, best known for his three top 5 hits: "I Won't Let You Down" (1982), as the lead singer of PhD; and his solo performances "I Should Have Known Better", a United Kingdom No. 1 in 1984,<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums"/> and "Hi Ho Silver", the theme song from Boon, which reached No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart in 1986.<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums"/>

Early life and career

Diamond was born in the Bridgeton area in the East End of Glasgow in 1951.<ref name="Obit"/>

He started his music career at the age of 15 with Tony Divers band, The Method.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> When aged 16, he also fronted a Glasgow band called Jade.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> That line-up included bassist Chris Glen who went on to play with the Sensational Alex Harvey Band,<ref name="LarkinGE"/> and Jim Lacey on lead guitar who later went on to join the Alan Bown Set. Jade played many pub, club and university gigs in London in 1969, playing at Brunel University, West London College in Cricklewood, The Pied Bull in Islington, West Hampstead Country Club, another college in Virginia Water and many more in 1969. They also supported The Move on their Scottish tour with The Stoics in the same year.

Alexis Korner then discovered Diamond,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> who spent the next couple of years as part of Korner's band. He provided additional and backing vocals on many of Korner's songs, most of which would appear on The Lost Album.

Diamond left Korner in 1976, to form Bandit.<ref name="LarkinGE">Template:Cite book</ref> The line-up included future AC/DC member Cliff Williams. They were soon signed up by Arista Records and released a début album, Bandit, which failed to reach the chart. In 1979, Diamond was lead vocalist for a Japanese band called BACCO, whose debut album was Cha Cha Me.

He went to Los Angeles, California to form Slick Diamond with Earl Slick.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He spent some time touring and recording and provided music for a film soundtrack. He wrote the lyrics to many songs on Carmen Maki's 1979 album Night Stalker.<ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref>

Big break

In 1981, Diamond formed PhD (Phillips, Hymas and Diamond), with pianist/keyboard player Tony Hymas and drummer Simon Phillips. They were signed by WEA Records and had a hit single with the multi-million selling "I Won't Let You Down".<ref name="LarkinGE"/>

The band later decided to part ways. In 1984, he decided to go solo and was signed to A&M Records. He had a number-one hit with "I Should Have Known Better",<ref name="LarkinGE"/> and was also number one in Latin America. Bob Geldof praised Diamond for publicly encouraging fans to buy the Band Aid single instead of his own.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

He scored another hit soon afterward with the theme song from Boon, "Hi Ho Silver".<ref name="LarkinGE"/> It reached No. 5 in the UK Singles Chart in May 1986. Diamond is also known for some guest vocals on two Genesis band members' solo outings, including:

• "You Call This Victory" (from the movie Starship) on the album Soundtracks by Tony Banks in 1986.
• "Days of Long Ago" on the album Darktown by Steve Hackett in 1999.

The 1999 compilation The Best of Jim Diamond compiles singles and B-sides from his short time with A&M Records.

Later years

In the late 1990s, Diamond teamed up with saxophonist Chris "Snake" Davis, known for his work with soul outfit M People.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The pair were known as The Blue Shoes, but were later billed as Jim Diamond and Snake Davis.

In 2005, Diamond released his first studio album in eleven years, Souled and Healed. The singles "When You Turn" and "Blue Shoes" were released from this. In 2009 he re-united with Tony Hymas to produce a third PhD album entitled "Three".

Jim Diamond's last album, City of Soul, released by Camino Records in 2011, featured among others Wet Wet Wet drummer Tommy Cunningham and Greg Kane of Hue and Cry. All proceeds from this album of soul music covers benefited the children's charity, Radio Clyde Cash for Kids.<ref>City of Soul: Motown album recorded for children's charities. STV News. 15 April 2011</ref>

Personal life and death

Diamond married Christine Bailey in 1978. The couple had two children; their son Lawrence is the keyboard player of the UK indie pop group Citizens!<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the former bass player of Official Secrets Act.

In the early 1980s, Diamond contracted hepatitis.Template:Cn

Diamond died in his sleep on 8 October 2015, at the age of 64.<ref name="Obit"/> According to his daughter Sara, the cause of death was a pulmonary edema.<ref name="bbc.com">Template:Cite news</ref>

Discography

Albums (solo)

Year	Album	Label
1985	Double Crossed	A&M
1986	Desire for Freedom	A&M
1988	Jim Diamond	Teldec
1993	Jim Diamond	PolyGram / Polydor
1994	Sugarolly Days	Righteous / Total
1999	The Best of Jim Diamond	Spectrum Music
2005	Souled and Healed	Hypertension
2011	City of Soul	Camino

Albums (As a member of PhD)

Year	Album	Label
1981	PhD	WEA
1983	Is It Safe?	WEA
2009	Three	Voiceprint

Singles (solo)

Year	Title	B-Side / Bonus tracks	Album	UK Singles Chart position<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">Template:Cite book</ref>	Label
1975	"Clean Up the City"	"Back on the Line"			Bradleys
1984	"I Should Have Known Better"	"Impossible Dream"	Double Crossed	# 1	A&M
1985	"I Sleep Alone at Night"	"Caledonia"	Double Crossed	# 72	A&M
1985	"Remember I Love You"	"Rock 'n' Roll"	Double Crossed	# 42	A&M
1986	"Hi Ho Silver"	"Hi Ho Silver" (instrumental)	Desire for Freedom	# 5	A&M
1986	"Young Love (Carry Me Away)"	"Blue Songs"	Desire for Freedom	# 92	A&M
1986	"Desire"	"Together"	Desire for Freedom		A&M
1986	"So Strong"	"You'll Go Crazy"	Desire for Freedom		A&M
1987	"Shout It Out!"	"The Message of Childwatch"		# 186	TML
1988	"Broadway"	"Second Chance"	Jim Diamond (1988)		Teldec
1988	"The Last Time"	"Miracles"	Jim Diamond (1988)		Teldec
1993	"Not Man Enough"	"Child's Heart" / "If You're Gonna Break My Heart"	Jim Diamond (1993)	# 197	PolyGram / Polydor
1994	"Sugarolly Mountains" (radio edit)	"Sugarolly Mountains" (Full Bodied Version) / "The Road To Dundee"	Sugarolly Days		Righteous / Total
1994	"Caledonia (Heartland)"	"A Red, Red Rose" / "Coulter's Candy (Ali Bali Be)" / "The Skye Boat Song"	Sugarolly Days	# 170	Righteous / Total
2005	"When You Turn"	"When You Turn" (album version) / "Rhythm of the Radio"	Souled and Healed		Hypertension
2006	"Blue Shoes"	"I Won't Let You Down" (live) / "Blue Shoes" (live) / "My Girl" (live) / "I Should Have Known Better" (live) / "Wonderful World" (live)	Souled and Healed		Hypertension
2011	"Morning Glory"		City of Soul		Camino

Charity singles featuring Jim Diamond

Year	Song / Album
1985	"You'll Never Walk Alone" (with The Crowd)
1987	"Let It Be" (with Ferry Aid)
1990	"Sailing" (with Rock Against Repatriation)

External links

• Template:Official