I loved a bit of Jaki.
If you don't know of her, she did backing vocals for UB40 as well as being in a couple of bands, but had solo success in 1985.

Here are a couple of her tracks and some Wiki info about her. I've read she's still singing.

My favourite one
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YK7838crYc&ob=av2e

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vODGADMANow&nomobile=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQM82ivU1ks&ob=av2e

not a fan as such but i liked her few chart hits...

'set me free' was her best imho

Maybe fan is too strong a description, but I definitely liked what she brought out. I actually didn't realise she worked with S.A.W.

nope, had a senior moment, mixed her up with princess... hence the edited reply...

Aaaah. I see

I'm not familar with most of her music. I did buy an album of dance/soul remixes and it had this one on which I really like

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwJfU...el_video_title

I like that version too. Have posted the original above. I think she's quite underrated. I love Mica Paris too. Jaki is a bit more pop than Mica though.

Set Me Free so typified the 1986 'crunchy keyboard' synth bass pop sound - it's still fresh IMHO today and is certainly more invigorating that what the majority of mainstream pop currently has to offer.

Step Right Up was a bit cheesier and more lightweight, but it's a joyous affair and a great party addition

Trouble is I only have the original single versions on increasingly wearing-out Now tapes - it seems damn near impossible to track them down on CD

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Absolute-Ess.../dp/B0045OQF1K

Yes, really liked Jaki Graham...my sister had her album back in about 1985/6 & I used to like listening to it. Liked the tracks she recorded with David Grant, especially 'Mated', although I used to think the lyric to 'Mated' was 'If anyone should ask, say we're mating'

I bought Jaki Graham, 5 Star and Mel & Kim CDs a few years ago for £3 each.

Whoops lol thanks for the links I shall investigate further

I've bought/seen around a couple of Jaki Graham compilations in the past and have then got home only to find that they were 're-recorded' versions which differed musically to the original singles

Speaking of black British female pop artists of the 85/86 era, did anyone else love Princess? I loved her hair and thought she was really pretty back then, when I was wee

'I'll Keep On Loving You' is one of my favourite tunes, and I can't believe SAW were responsible for it; it just sounds so much more, ahem, 'song-like' than the vast auto-pilot majority of their output!

Talented lady she had some good tunes. I like heaven knows which was covered by Lalah Hathaway and round and around.

I HATE those - these are the real deal

I love her - we tend to forget our soul sistas. Have Heaven Knows, Breaking Away, From Now On and Real Life on my iTunes/Pod.....great voice

'Round & Around' was her most beautiful moment

Yeah it was-I downloaded it from ITunes about two weeks ago because Beverley Knight has a cover out and a reviewer said that BK had missed the point of the original version. So I listened to the original and bought it instead.

I met JG year's (very briefly) when I went with my friends to see Diana Ross at the Birmigham NEC and DR got her up on stage to dance with her. We where quite close to where she was sitting and and at the end we hung back and then my friends went over to tell that they thought she was great, but I was quite young and shy and had to be dragged over. She was really nice. I was a wreck.

I loved all the UK Soul/RnB around that time when JG was having hits.

I liked Set Me Free best. I also preferred David & Jaki's version of Could It Be I'm Falling in Love to the Detroit Spinners.


I liked Princess too. I liked her best for Say I'm Your No 1 followed closely by Tell Me Tomorrow.

I'm really pleased to have found some other Jaki fans. Although a Madonna fan I think I was attracted to a more soulful voice from an early age. I would have only been about 7 when Set Me Free and Step Right Up charted. Also love Mica Paris.

At the time I was really into (and still am) The Smiths, The Cure, Echo & The Bunnymen etc but out of all the pop stuff around there was something about her voice that I loved and still have a "moment" when I hear her singles. I suppose she was the UKs Whitney ( Oh christ, I'm starting to sound like !lovezenyatta, quick nurse slap me with a wet fish)