James Earl Gilstrap (born November 10, 1946)[1][2] is an American singer and session musician. He is best known for his 1975 solo hit single "Swing Your Daddy",[3] as well as singing co-lead to the theme from the TV series Good Times.

Jim Gilstrap
Birth nameJames Earl Gilstrap
Born (1946-11-10) November 10, 1946 (age 78)
Daingerfield, Texas, U.S.
GenresPop, soul
OccupationsSinger
InstrumentsVocals
Years active1967–present
LabelsChelsea Records

Career

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Gilstrap was born November 10, 1946, in Daingerfield, Texas to Jodie and Pearlie Mae (Tolbert) Gilstrap. He joined the U.S. Navy Reserve. He began his career in the music industry when he returned from serving in the Vietnam War.[4] Early groups he worked with include the Doodletown Pipers and The Cultures.[4]

In the early 1970s, Gilstrap was one of the backing vocalists in Stevie Wonder's backing outfit, "Wonderlove", appearing on Wonder's albums, Talking Book and Innervisions.[4] Gilstrap sang the opening two lines of the Wonder song, "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" (with Lani Groves singing the next two lines). He subsequently signed a recording contract with Chelsea Records in 1975.[4] His recording of the Kenny Nolan-penned "Swing Your Daddy" was a number 4 hit in the UK Singles Chart in April 1975,[5] and reached number 10 in the U.S. Billboard Black Singles chart.[6] The song peaked at number 64 in Australia.[7]

Gilstrap also recorded two albums of his own during the 1970s.[4] The first, titled Swing Your Daddy, contained three more singles in "I'm on Fire" (covering 5000 Volts; it made number 78 in the U.S.), "House of Strangers" and "Put Out the Fire".[4] The second album, Love Talk (1977), was not as successful.[4]

He worked as a session artist for the UK singer Elkie Brooks on her album Live and Learn (1979), among other performances.[4]

He can be heard in a vocal performance on Quincy Jones' 1974 jazz-funk composition "Soul Saga (Song Of The Buffalo Soldier)", from Jones' Body Heat album. Gilstrap also provided the male lead vocals for the theme music to the 1970s television program Good Times. "I've Got You Where I Want You" (1975) was used in the soundtrack of the film Three Days of the Condor.[3] In addition, he sang the theme song for the 1990s cartoon series TaleSpin. More recently he did an original song for the Japanese film Survive Style 5+ entitled "A Lament".

He worked with the group Side Effect on their track "Run, Run, Run" that was released on Bell Records.[3]

Discography

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Solo
  • Swing Your Daddy (1975)
  • Love Talk (1976)
as Side Effect member
with Tour De 4force 1

(with Joyce Vincent Wilson, Pam Vincent, Theresa Davis, and Scherrie Payne of The Supremes)

  • Quiet Moon (2009)
with Joyce Vincent, Pam Vincent and the Altair All-Star Choir
  • La La Peace Song (2018)

Credits

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Gilstrap's other recording credits include:

Aaron Neville

  • Aaron Neville's Soulful Christmas (1993) (Choir Member, Background Vocals)[8]
  • The Tattooed Heart (1995) (Background Vocals)[9]
  • Believe (2003)
  • Christmas & Hits Duos (2008)
  • I Know I've Been Changed (2010)

Amaia Montero

Amy Grant

Angela Bofill

Anita Baker

  • The Songstress (1983)
  • Rapture (1986)
  • The Best of Anita Baker (2002)
  • Sweet Love: The Very Best of Anita Baker (2002)

Aretha Franklin

  • Who's Zoomin' Who? (1985)
  • Aretha (1986)
  • Greatest Hits: 1980-1994 (1994)
  • Knew You Were Waiting: The Best of Aretha Franklin 1980-1998 (2012)

Art Garfunkel

Barbra Streisand

Bill Withers

Billy Preston and Syreeta

Boney James

Boz Scaggs

Brainstorm

Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee

Candi Staton

  • Young Hearts Run Free (1976) (Background Vocals)[11]
  • House of Love (1978) (Background Vocals)[12]

Carl Anderson

  • Absence Without Love/On & On (2009)

Carrie Lucas

Céline Dion

Crowded House

Dana Glover

Dave Grusin

Dave Koz

David Foster

  • The Christmas Album (1993) (Choir Member)[14]

Dee Dee Bridgewater

Diana DeGarmo

Dianne Reeves

Dionne Warwick

Disney

  • The Disney Afternoon Songbook: Music from Hit TV Shows (1990)
  • The Music of Disney: A Legacy in Song (1992)
  • Disney's Music from the Park (1996)
  • Disney's Rock-A-Bye Baby: Soft Hits for Little Rockers (1996)
  • Matrix Revolutions [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] (2003)

Donald Byrd

Donald Byrd and 125th St. NYC

Dr. John

Elkie Brooks

Elton John

England Dan & John Ford Coley

Erich Kunzel

  • The Magical Music of Disney (1995)

Eros Ramazzotti

Everlast

Funk

Gene Page

George Benson

George Duke

  • Snapshot (1992)
  • Illusions (1995) (Additional Vocals on "The Simple Things", Background Vocals)[16]
  • Best of George Duke: The Elektra Years (1997)
  • Is Love Enough? (1997)
  • Cool (2000)
  • Face the Music (2002)
  • Duke (2005)
  • Ultimate George Duke (2007)
  • Dukey Treats (2008)
  • Dreamweaver (2013)
  • George Duke Collection (2014)

Gladys Knight

Hanne Boel

  • Misty Paradise (2001)

Harold Faltermeyer

  • Copout (2010)

Harry Styles

Harvey Mason

  • Marching in the Street (1976)
  • Groovin' You (1979)
  • Sho Nuff Groovin' You: The Arista Records Anthology 1975-1981 (2017)

Henry Mancini

Herbie Hancock

Hiroshima

  • Hiroshima (1979) (Background Vocals)[19]
  • Odori (1980) (Background Vocals)[20]
  • Third Generation (1983) (Can Do Choir Member, Additional Background Vocals)[21]
  • Another Place (1985)
  • Go (1987) (Background Vocals)[22]
  • Ongaku (1988)
  • East (1989) (Additional Lead & Background Vocals)[23]
  • Providence (1992)
  • L. A. (1994) (Background Vocals)[24]

Irene Cara

Jackson Browne

James Ingram

James Newton Howard

James Taylor

Jean Carn

  • Sweet and Wonderful (1981)

Joe Cocker

Joe Sample

  • Roles (1987)
  • Sample This (1997)
  • The Best of Joe Sample (1998)
  • Introducing Joe Sample (2006)
  • Rhino Hi-Five: Joe Sample

Joey Lawrence

John Hiatt

John Powell

  • Ice Age: The Meltdown [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] (2006)

Johnny Gill

Johnny Gill and Stacy Lattisaw

Johnny Mathis

Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams

José Feliciano

  • Just Wanna Rock 'n' Roll (1975)

June Pointer

  • Baby Sister (1983)

Kanye West

Keith Moon

Kelis

Kenny G

Kenny Loggins

Leo Sayer

Leonard Cohen

Linda Lewis

Linda Ronstadt

Lionel Richie

Livingston Taylor

Luther Vandross

  • Songs (1994)
  • The Ultimate Luther Vandross [2001] (2001)
  • The Essential Luther Vandross (2003)
  • Love, Luther (2007)
  • The Music of Luther Vandross (2009)
  • The Box Set Series (2014)

Lynn Ahrens / Stephen Flaherty / David Newman

Martha Davis

Martha Reeves

  • Martha Reeves (1974)

Melissa Manchester

Michael Bolton

Michael Jackson

Milira

Minnie Riperton

Nancy Wilson

Narada Michael Walden

Neil Diamond

Neil Young

Norman Connors

Olivia Newton-John

Patrice Rushen

Patrick Doyle

Patti Austin

Patti LaBelle

Paul Williams

Paul Young

Peabo Bryson

Peabo Bryson and Roberta Flack

Peggy Lee

  • Let's Love (1974)

Phyllis Hyman

Priscilla Ahn

Quincy Jones

Rachelle Ferrell

Ray Charles

Ricky Martin

Ringo Starr

Roberta Flack

Roy Ayers

Russ Freeman and The Rippingtons

Russell Hitchcock

Santana

Sarah Vaughan

Scherrie and Susaye

Seals & Crofts

Siedah Garrett

Stacy Lattisaw

Stanley Clarke

Stanley Clarke and George Duke

  • 3 (1990)

Stanley Turrentine

Starship

Stevie Wonder

Syreeta

Teddy Pendergrass

The Blackbyrds

  • Unfinished Business (1976)
  • Action (1977)
  • Night Grooves: The Blackbyrds' Greatest Hits (1978)
  • Better Days (1980)

The Brothers Johnson

The Jacksons

The Party

  • The Party (1990) (Additional Background Vocals on "Storm Me")[26]

The Rippingtons

The Simpsons

Thelma Houston

Tower of Power

Whitney Houston

Willy DeVille

Willy DeVille & The Mink DeVille Band

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997 (Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.), 2005.
  2. ^ U.S. Public Records Index Vol 1 (Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.), 2010.
  3. ^ a b c "Soulwalking.co.uk - accessed February 2014". Archived from the original on May 2, 2009. Retrieved April 30, 2009.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h "Biography by Steve Huey". Allmusic.com. Retrieved April 30, 2009.
  5. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 227. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  6. ^ "Allmusic ((( Jim Gilstrap > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles )))".
  7. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 125. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  8. ^ Neville, Aaron (1993). Soulful Christmas (Liner Notes). A&M Records.
  9. ^ Neville, Aaron (1995). The Tattooed Heart (Liner Notes). A&M Records.
  10. ^ Grant, Amy (1999). A Christmas to Remember (Liner Notes). A&M Records.
  11. ^ Staton, Candi (1976). Young Hearts Run Free (Liner Notes). Warner Bros. Records.
  12. ^ Staton, Candi (1978). House of Love (Liner Notes). Warner Bros. Records.
  13. ^ Lucas, Carrie (1977). Simply Carrie (Liner Notes). Soul Train.
  14. ^ Foster, David (1993). The Christmas Album (Liner Notes). Interscope Records.
  15. ^ Warwick, Dionne (1994). Aquarela Do Brazil (Liner Notes). Arista.
  16. ^ Duke, George (1995). Illusions (Liner Notes). Warner Bros. Records.
  17. ^ Knight, Gladys (1978). Miss Gladys Knight (Liner Notes). Buddah Records.
  18. ^ Knight, Gladys (1991). Good Woman (Liner Notes). MCA Records.
  19. ^ Hiroshima (1979). Hiroshima (Liner Notes). Arista.
  20. ^ Hiroshima (1980). Odori (Liner Notes). Arista.
  21. ^ Hiroshima (1983). Third Generation (Liner Notes). Epic.
  22. ^ Hiroshima (1987). Go (Liner Notes). Epic.
  23. ^ Hiroshima (1989). East (Liner Notes). Epic.
  24. ^ Hiroshima (1994). L. A. (Liner Notes). Qwest Records.
  25. ^ Charles, Ray (2004). Genius Loves Company (Liner Notes). Concord Records.
  26. ^ The Party (1990). The Party (Liner Notes). Hollywood Records.
  27. ^ The Simpsons (2007). Testify…(Liner Notes). Shout! Factory.
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