Been diggin' some Gloria Jones lately. Her two most famous songs are "Heartbeat," her first hit in 1964, and "Tainted Love" from 1965. Both are more known today for their cover versions, by the Detroit Cobras and Soft Cell, respectively. As usual, however, the originals are vastly superior. The thumping bass line behind "Heartbeat" is a little obvious but evocative, and it comes to the fore in a few places; irresesitable dance number (proven last night, actually). "Tainted Love is a solid one as well, a favorite of the Northern Soul crowd, but I'll take "Heartbeat."
She wrote for Motown for several years, writing songs for some of their biggest artists. She split the label in 1973 to move to England, and joined T. Rex as a backing vocalist. Jones and Marc Bolan fell in love and had a kid. It was Jones who was driving the mini that fateful day that Bolan was killed. She fled England after charges of drunk driving were brought against her, returning to Los Angeles.
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