“The Closer I Get To You”
Written by James Mtume & Reggie Lucas
DIANA JACOBS: Lead Vocal
RONNIE LEIGH: Lead Vocal
JOE JEWELL: Guitar
DAVE HANLON: Drums
TOM BRIGANDI: Bass
DAN PUGH: Keyboards
Producer: Tom Emmi
Audio Engineers: Ron Keck
Video Editors: Dexter Gresh, Adam Henderson
James Mtume was born into jazz royalty and grew up at the intersection of Rhythm and Blues. Philadelphia producer and percussionist James Mtume was the son of saxophonist Jimmy Heath and raised by his stepfather, pianist James Forman. After serving his apprenticeship under the likes of Miles Davis and McCoy Tyner, Mtume struck under his own name with a series of successful jazz-funk and R&B records in the 70s. He wrote and produced smash hits for Stephanie Mills and Roberta Flack and charted big with his own hit “Juicy Fruit,” which has since been sampled by everyone from Faith Hill to Notorious B.I.G. A restless spirit and a brilliant conversationalist, he would go onto host talk radio in New York. Always on the leading edge of technology and at the forefront of black social identity, when he left us in January 2022. James Mtume was, and marched to, a different drummer.
Related Segments
Ronnie Spector
Ronnie Spector was an American singer who co-founded and fronted the girl group The Ronettes. She is sometimes referred to as the original “bad girl of rock and roll.” Ronnie…
Paulo Jobim
He was born, so to speak, with a silver flute in his mouth. Paulo Jobim’s father, Antonio Carlos Jobim, was also known as the father of Bossa Nova, introducing the…
Kim Simmonds
The first Savoy Brown record was released in 1967. The last in 2020. And in the 53 years in between, English guitarist and bandleader Kim Simmonds never varied his commitment…
Christine McVie
Christine Anne McVie was an English musician and singer. She was the keyboardist and one of the vocalists and songwriters of the band Fleetwood Mac. She initially began working with…
Olivia Newton-John
Born in England and raised in Australia before taking American Country music by storm in the early 70s, Olivia Newton-John was nothing if not versatile. With her wholesome appeal and…
Dan McCafferty
Dan McCafferty was a Scottish vocalist and songwriter best known as the lead singer for the Scottish hard rock band Nazareth from its founding in 1968 to his retirement from…
Lamont Dozier
In the sandwich known as “Holland/Dozier/Holland,” Lamont Dozier was the meat in the middle. He started writing songs down on grocery bags at the kitchen table as a child and…
David Muse
If there is such a thing as a hardcore soft rock superstar, David Muse would be the prototype. Over the span of five decades, multi-instrumentalist Muse would leave his mark…
Marilyn Bergman
Marilyn Bergman is one of the world’s most distinguished lyricists, and contributed to the Great American Songbook for more than five decades. Her songs have been nominated for sixteen Academy…
Charnett Moffett
What do Ellis, Wynton and Branford Marsalis, Art Blakey, Ornette Coleman, Pharoah Sanders, Dizzy Gillespie, Stanley Jordan, Arturo Sandoval, David Sanborn, Dianne Reeves, Harry Connick, Jr., Herbie Hancock, Kenny Kirkland,…
James Mtume
James Mtume was born into jazz royalty and grew up at the intersection of Rhythm and Blues. Philadelphia producer and percussionist James Mtume was the son of saxophonist Jimmy Heath…
Taylor Hawkins
Taylor Hawkins was an American musician, best known as the drummer of the rock band Foo Fighters, with whom he recorded eight studio albums. Before joining the band in 1997,…
Naomi Judd
Naomi Judd was an American singer and actress. In 1980, she and her daughter Wynonna formed the duo known as The Judds, which became a very successful country music act,…
Alan White
Alan White was an English drummer, best known for his tenure in the progressive rock band Yes. He joined Yes in 1972 as a replacement for original drummer Bill Bruford.…
Gary Brooker
If they gave out an award for the least famous person responsible for the most famous song, Gary Brooker would have another claim to fame. As the writer and singer…