Radcliffe did not live long enough to see this recording achieve cult status. He was overweight, had a kidney removed in 1973 and developed further complications with his remaining one. He died in hospital the same year on July 27, leaving his wife, Judy, and two sons.
Singer-songwriter Sherman Edwards recorded the original vocal demos of his songs for the planned musical 1776, but by late 1968 Edwards had also enlisted Jimmy Radcliffe ("Mama Look Sharp", "Is Anybody There"), Bernie Knee ("Mama Look Sharp", "Is Anybody There"), Ann Gilbert ("He Plays The Violin", "Yours, Yours, Yours") to record stylized demo versions that might also impact the pop charts. "1776" went on to become a 1969 Tony Award-winning Broadway show that inspired a 1972 feature film.
Another instance of Jimmy Radcliffe's involvement with Broadway bound musicals were his vocal demos of the Bob James and Jack O'Brien songs "Take My Hand" and "Stars Of Glory" for the 1972 theatrical production of The Selling of the President.
In August 1963, while preparing to work with the record producer, Bert Berns, on his third release on Musicor Records, Radcliffe attended a session at Chess Studios, produced by Berns, where three of his co-compositions were being recorded by Tammy Montgomery: "This Time Tomorrow", "I Can't Hold It In Any More" and "I've Got Nothing To Say But Goodbye". "This Time Tomorrow" would be issued as the B-side of Montgomery's Chess/Checker single, "If I Would Marry You." Radcliffe recorded with Montgomery a duet version of "If I Would Marry You," more than three years before her name change to Tammi Terrell and pairing with Marvin Gaye at Motown. The unreleased duet, and the other two unreleased songs from the sessions, were released on Come on And See Me, a doublecollection of Terrell's recordings.
In 1964, after a meeting with Martin Luther King Jr., in a Harlem supper club, Radcliffe was inspired and composed his ballad of freedom and equality "Stand Up". Unreleased at the time, until the 2008 issue Where There Smoke There's Fire, the track featured Radcliffe playing the vibes. Radcliffe was self-taught on the guitar, piano, bass, vibes and drums, preferring to write using his Goya acoustic guitar because of its portability.
Beginning in 1965, Radcliffe was the first African-American performing artist to write, produce and sing commercial jingles for the advertising industry. By the time of his death in 1973, he had worked on over two hundred television and radio commercials.
A few of Radcliffe's commercials are the 1969–70 Pontiac, "breakaway in a wide tracking Pontiac", the 30-second commercial was expanded for general release to try to capitalize on its popularity and was released as "Breakaway" by the Steve Karmen Big Band featuring Jimmy Radcliffe; the soul version of McDonald's "You Deserve A Break Today" (1971); and the Clio Award-winning "Polaroid Gives It To You Now" (1971).
Jimmy's recording of "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" was showcased on the premiere episode of "Hard Knocks In Season - The Indianapolis Colts" on November 17, 2021.
Clyde McPhatter, "Deep In The Heart Of Harlem", "Three Rooms With Running Water", "My Block", "A Suburban Town", Coney Island Mercury LP-#20902 & SR-60902, 1964
Jackie Wilson, "Soulville" Higher And Higher LP Brunswick Records-#BL754130, 1967 "The Fairest Of Them All" Brunswick single#55300, 1966
Matt Monro, "Fourth Blue Monday", Capitol single #P-2058, 1967
The Chiffons, "My Block", #67 (as The Four Pennies) on Rust Single #5071, 1963
Patti Page, "Pretty Boy Lonely", #98 Columbia single #4-42671, 1963
Marlena Shaw, "Nothing But Tears", Out of a Different Bag LP Cadet Records-#LPS-803, 1967
Clara Ward, "If You Wanna Change The World", "Soul And Inspiration" LP Capitol #ST-126 Prod. David Axelrod, Arr. & Cond. H.B. Barnum, 1969
The Clovers, "Sweet Side of a Soulful Woman" Josie Single#997, 1968
The Hourglass (aka The Allman Bros), "Nothing But Tears", The Hour Glass LP Liberty Records-#56002, 1967
The Banana Splits, "Adam Had'em", "I'm Gonna Find a Cave" "Don' Go Away Go-Go Girl" "The Show Must Go On", "Soul", We're The Banana Splits LP Decca DL-75075, 1968
Gene Pitney, "Lyda Sue, Wha'dya Do", Meets The Fair Ladies of Folkland LP Musicor-#MM2007, 1964
Billy Lee Riley, "I'm Gonna Find A Cave", Crescendo single#371, 1966
Bobby Lewis, "Intermission", Beltone single#B2035, 1963
Adam Wade, "It's Been A Long Time Comin'" Epic single#5-9771, 1965 and "A Man Alone" Epic single#5-10112,
Gloria Lynne, "Speaking of Happiness", "Love Child" and "Livin' The Life of Love"
Lou Monte, "All for the Kids", RCA single#47-9405, 1967
Vaughn Meader, "The Elephant Song", MGM single#K-13169, 1963
Arthur Prysock, "Don't You Ever Feel Sorry", In A Mood LP 1966 Old Town Records-#2010
P. J. Proby, "I Love Therefore I Am", Liberty Records EP-#LEP2229, 1965
Julie London, "Treat Me Good", With Body And Soul LP 1967 Liberty Records-#3514
Garnet Mimms & The Enchanters, "The Truth Hurts (But Not As Much as You Lies)", Cry Baby And 11 Other Hits LP United Artists-#UAL3305, 1963 and Veep single #1252, 1967
As a record producer Radcliffe produced the original demo of the song "It's My Party".[2] While acting as A&R director of Musicor Records he signed The Intruders who released the single "But You Belong To Me" b/w "Jack Be Nimble" and pop group The Critters, producing the latter's first release "Georgianna" b/w "I'm Gonna Give" in 1964 before they moved over to Kapp Records. Also in 1964, Radcliffe produced a record for the soul group The Relatives that featured the song "Hadn't Been For Baby", which he co-wrote with Billy Edd Wheeler. Radcliffe was also label-mate Gene Pitney's recording manager. Having met years earlier, before either had signed to Aaron Schroeder's publishing company, Radcliffe helped manage which songs Pitney would record, and directed his recording sessions.
Radcliffe co-produced, with John Hammond, Pat Lundy's album Soul Aint Nothin' But The Blues (1967) on Columbia Records and much of the material used on Carolyn Franklin, first three albums for RCA Records. Radcliffe and Aretha Franklin co-produced the theme "Black Pride", for the Jesse Jackson organized S.C.L.C. Black Expo in New York City in 1971.
"Twist Calypso" (Phil Stern, Jimmy Radcliffe) / "Don't Look My Way" (Phil Stern, Jimmy Radcliffe) Single# MU-1016, Produced by Aaron Schroeder and Wally Gold, 1962
"(There Goes) The Forgotten Man" (Hal David, Burt Bacharach) / "An Awful Lot of Cryin'" (Buddy Kaye, Phil Springer) Single# MU1024, Side 'A' Produced by Aaron Schroeder and Wally Gold, arranged & conducted by Burt Bacharach, Side 'B' Produced by Bert Berns. 1962
"Through a Long and Sleepless Night" (Mack Gordan, Alfred Newman) / "Moment of Weakness" (Oramay Diamond, Jimmy Radcliffe) Single# MU-1033, Produced by Bert Berns. 1963
"Long After Tonight Is All Over" (Hal David, Burt Bacharach) / "What I Want I Can Never Have" (Gloria Shayne) Single# MU1042, Produced by Bert Berns. Charted #40 UK Singles Chart (Issued on Stateside Records #374)
Aurora Records
"My Ship Is Comin' In" (Joey Brooks) / "Goin' Where The Lovin' Is" (Joey Brooks, Aaron Schroeder) Single# 154, Produced by Joey Brooks for Past, Present & Future Productions. 1965
Shout Records
"Lucky Old Sun" (Haven Gillespie, Beasley Smith) / "So Deep" (Bob Brass, Joey Brooks) Single#202, Produced by Buddy Scott, Jimmy Radcliffe and Wally Gold for Past, Present & Future Productions. Arranged & conducted by Bert Decoteaux. 1966
United Artists
The Steve Karmen Big Band featuring Jimmy Radcliffe
"Breakaway" (Steve Karmen) / "Breakaway" Part 2 (Steve Karmen) Single# 50451 Produced & arranged by Steve Karmen. 1968
RCA Records
"Funky Bottom Congregation" (Thommy Kaye) / "Lay A Little Lovin' On Me" (Buddy Scott, Jimmy Radcliffe) Single# 74-0138, Produced, arranged and conducted by Jimmy Radcliffe for Super Baby Cakes Productions. 1969
Discography of uncredited releases
Tollie Records
The B.R.A.T.T.S. (The Brotherhood for the R-establishment of American Top Ten Supremacy)
"Secret Weapon (The British Are Coming)" (Arthur Korb) / "Jealous Kind of Woman" (Carl Spencer) Single#9024, Produced by Wally Gold for Past, Present And Future Productions, Arranged & conducted by Bob Halley. Vocals: Carl Spencer & Jimmy Radcliffe 1964
"Cry, Cry, Cry" (Joey Brooks, Jimmy Radcliffe) / "A Girl Wants To Believe" (Joey Brooks, Jimmy Radcliffe) Single #MU1037, Produced by Brooks/Radcliffe, arranged & conducted by Garry Sherman. Lead Vocals: Joey Brooks, Backing Vocals: Jimmy Radcliffe. 1964
Fontana Records (UK)
The Mixture
"One By One" (Joey Brooks, Jimmy Radcliffe) / "Monkey Jazz" (Joey Brooks, Jimmy Radcliffe) Single#TF-640, Produced and arranged by Jimmy Radcliffe & Joey Brooks for Past, Present and Future Productions. Lead Vocals & Scat by Jimmy Radcliffe, Backing Vocals by Joey Brooks 1965
"I Ain't Blaming You" (Joey Brooks, Al Stillman) / "Nobody Waved Goodbye" on YouTube (Joey Brooks, Wally Gold, Aaron Schroeder)
Single # F12328, Produced and arranged by Joey Brooks, Lead Vocal: Joey Brooks, Backing Vocal & Acoustic Guitar: Jimmy Radcliffe. January 1966.
Rust Records
Carl Spencer
"Cover Girl" (Carl Spencer, Al Cleveland) / "Progress" (Bob Halley, Carl Spencer) Single#5104, Produced and arranged by Bob Halley for Alice in Wonderland Productions. Side 'B' = Lead Vocal: Carl Spencer, Backing Vocal: Jimmy Radcliffe. 1966
Parrot Records
The Daily News
"I'm In The Mood" (S. Barnes, J.J. Jackson) / "The Groove" (Holt, Holt, Ealey, Paris) Single#327, Produced by Ellie Greenwich and Mike Rashkow for Pineywood Productions Inc., Horns arranged by Meco Monardo. Side 'A'= Lead Vocal: Frankie Paris, Counter Lead Vocal: Jimmy Radcliffe. 1968
"Duke of Earl" (Gene Chandler, Earl Edwards, Bernice Williams) / "Everybody's Got Hot Pants (Neil Sedaka, Howard Greenfield) Single#63-5012, Produced by Jimmy Radcliffe & Wally Gold, arranged By Jimmy Radcliffe. Lead & Backing Vocals: Jimmy Radcliffe. Music Supervisor: Don Kirshner 1971
"Everybody Needs Love" (Phil Stern, Jimmy Radcliffe) / "ESP" (Neil Sedaka, Howard Greenfield) Single#63-5016, Side 'A' Produced by Jimmy Radcliffe & Wally Gold, arranged by Jimmy Radcliffe. Lead & Backing Vocal: Jimmy Radcliffe. Side 'B' Produced by Jeff Barry (Unknown Non-Radcliffe Vocal). Music Supervisor: Don Kirshner 1971