James Harrell McGriff, Jr. was born April 3, 1936, in Philadelphia. His mother and father both played the piano, and he counted saxophonist Benny Golson and soul singer Harold Melvin among his cousins. First getting involved in music through his family's church, he received his first instrument, a drum set, at age eight; by his teen years, he had taken up acoustic bass and alto sax, and also learned vibes, piano, and drums by the time he finished high school. Bass remained his primary instrument for a while, although he was inspired to try his hand at the Hammond organ after seeing Richard "Groove" Holmes at a club in Camden, NJ. However, McGriff was drafted into the military after high school, and served in the Korean War as a military policeman. Upon returning to the United States, he decided to make law enforcement a career, and after completing the necessary training, he worked on the Philadelphia police force for two and a half years. Still, he never lost interest in music, and around 1955 he augmented his day job by working as a bass player behind vocalists like Carmen McRae and, most frequently, Big Maybelle, who had a regular gig at the local Pep's Showboat club.
With the Hammond organ rising in popularity around Philadelphia, jobs for bass players were scarce, and McGriff contacted Groove Holmes about learning the organ, this time in earnest. He bought his own Hammond B-3 in 1956, and spent the next six months practicing as hard as he could, either at Holmes' house or at Archie Shepp's house (where he stored the instrument). Skipping more and more work time to play gigs, he finally quit the police force, and enrolled at the local Combe College to study music. He later moved on to the prestigious Juilliard School of Music in New York, and also studied privately with Milt Buckner, Jimmy Smith, and Sonny Gatewood. McGriff's first recording was the single "Foxy Due," cut for the small White Marsh label in 1958; it featured a young saxophonist named Charles Earland, who subsequently learned the organ from McGriff and, like his mentor, went on to become one of the instrument's quintessential performers.
McGriff was performing in a small club in Trenton, NJ in 1962 when a talent scout from the small Jell label heard him and offered him a chance to record. McGriff's instrumental soul-jazz rearrangement of Ray Charles' classic "I've Got a Woman" was released as a single, and sold well enough for Juggy Murray's New York-based Sue label to pick it up for wider release. With better distribution and promotion behind it, "I've Got a Woman" hit the national charts and became a bona fide hit, climbing into the Top Five on the R&B charts and the Top 20 over on the pop side. Sue issued McGriff's debut album, naturally also titled I've Got a Woman, in 1963; it too was a hit, nearly making the pop Top 20, and it spun off two more charting singles in the McGriff originals "All About My Girl" (number 12 R&B, Top 50 pop) and "M.G. Blues." Sue released several more McGriff albums over the next two years, including the live At the Apollo, Jimmy McGriff at the Organ (which produced the chart single "Kiko"), the holiday hit Christmas With McGriff (actually his highest-charting album at number 15 pop), the charting Topkapi (a collection of soundtrack themes with orchestral backing), and another chart hit, Blues for Mister Jimmy, which proved to be his last on Sue.
In 1966, McGriff moved over to the Solid State label, where he hooked up with producer Sonny Lester, who would helm most of his records through the '70s. He debuted with Jimmy McGriff and the Big Band, which found him fronting an all-star swing orchestra featuring many Count Basie alumni (it was later reissued as A Tribute to Count Basie). McGriff recorded prolifically for Solid State over the remainder of the decade, including albums like A Bag Full of Soul (1966), A Bag Full of Blues (1967), and I've Got a New Woman (1968; mostly a look back at his Sue material). Most notably, though, McGriff scored another hit single with "The Worm," which made the R&B Top 30 and sent the LP of the same name rocketing into the R&B Top Ten in early 1969. In addition to his Solid State recordings, McGriff cut several albums for Blue Note over 1969-1971, most notably Electric Funk, an early foray into jazz-funk fusion that teamed him with arranger/electric pianist Horace Ott; a similar outing that featured pop/rock and R&B covers, Soul Sugar, was released on Capitol during the same period. Additionally, McGriff toured as part of Buddy Rich's band during the late '60s, and again from 1971-1972.
McGriff made Groove Merchant his primary label in 1971, and although he briefly quit the business in 1972 to start a horse farm in Connecticut, the lure of music proved too powerful to overcome. Early in the decade, he alternated between funky electric outings (usually with covers of contemporary rock and R&B hits) and more traditional, small-group organ-jazz settings. Notable albums included 1973's Giants of the Organ Come Together, a summit with mentor and longtime friend Groove Holmes; a duo album with bluesman Junior Parker; 1976's Mean Machine, a slicker jazz-funk LP that returned him to the R&B album chart's Top 50; and the 1977 follow-up Red Beans, which also sold respectably.
After 1977's Tailgunner (on LRC), McGriff's recorded output tailed off over the next few years. He resurfaced on the Milestone label in 1983, debuting with Countdown, a return to his classic, bluesy soul-jazz style that started to bring him back into the jazz spotlight. A series of strong albums followed during the '80s, including 1984's Skywalk, 1985's State of the Art, 1986's acclaimed The Starting Five, and 1988's Blue to the 'Bone (a near-Top Ten hit on the jazz LP charts); he also recorded a one-off session for Headfirst in 1990, You Ought to Think About Me, that made the jazz Top Ten. Additionally, McGriff co-led a group with saxophonist Hank Crawford during the late '80s, which released several albums, including 1990's popular On the Blue Side (number three on the jazz charts). He also returned to his roots in the church by playing on gospel singer Tramaine Hawkins' 1990 live album. McGriff and Crawford moved over to Telarc for a pair of albums over 1994-1995, Right Turn on Blue and Blues Groove. As soul-jazz returned to cult popularity in both America and the U.K., McGriff found himself playing higher-profile gigs and venues on both sides of the Atlantic. He returned to Milestone and resumed his solo career in 1996 with The Dream Team, which featured saxman David "Fathead" Newman and drummer Bernard "Pretty" Purdie, both of whom would become familiar faces on McGriff recordings in the years to come. Follow-ups included solid records like 1998's Straight Up, 2000's McGriff's House Party, 2001's Feelin' It, and 2002's McGriff Avenue, which looked back on some of his '60s hits.
McGriff died there at age 72 on May 24, 2008, due to complications of multiple sclerosis.
Ain't No Mountain High Enough
Jimmy McGriff Lyrics
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Ain't no valley low, ain't no river wide enough;
Baby if you need me call me no matter where you are,
No matter how far;
Just call my name; I'll be there in a hurry;
You don't have to worry,
'Cause baby there ain't no mountain high enough,
Ain't no river wide enough
To keep me from getting to you babe.
Remember the day I set you free
I told you you could always count on me
From that day on, I made a vow,
I'll be there when you want me,
Some way, some how.
'Cause baby there ain't no mountain high enough,
Ain't no valley low enough,
Ain't no river wide enough
To keep me from getting to you babe.
My love is alive
Way down in my heart
Although we are miles apart
If you ever need a helping hand,
I'll be there on the double
As fast as I can.
Don't you know that there
Ain't no mountain high enough,
Ain't no valley low enough,
Ain't no river wide enough
To keep me from getting to you babe.
No wind no rain or winters cold can stop me baby,
'Cause you are my goal.
If you're ever in trouble;
I'll be there on the double.
Just send for me, oh baby.
If you need me call me no matter where you are,
No matter how far;
Just call my name; I'll be there in a hurry;
You don't have to worry,
'Cause baby there ain't no mountain high enough,
Ain't no valley low enough,
Ain't no river wide enough
To keep me from getting to you babe.
The lyrics of the song 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough' by Jimmy McGriff speak of a promise to a loved one that no obstacle is big enough to prevent them from being together. The lyrics convey an unwavering commitment and loyalty to the beloved. The song is a declaration of unconditional love and a promise to always be there for the other person.
The lyrics take inspiration from the metaphorical mountains, valleys, and rivers to emphasize that nothing in the world can keep the singer from reaching his loved one. The opening lines of the song, "Ain't no mountain high, Ain't no valley low, ain't no river wide enough" set the tone - the singer will go to any lengths to be with the one they love. The promise is repeatedly reiterated throughout the lyrics, "You don't have to worry, 'cause baby, there ain't no mountain high enough, ain't no valley low enough, ain't no river wide enough to keep me from getting to you, babe."
The song conveys a sense of passion, devotion, and unwavering commitment to the one the singer loves. The powerful lyrics convey a deep sense of love and a willingness to do everything possible to be with their beloved.
Line by Line Meaning
Listen baby, ain't no mountain high,
My love for you is so strong that no obstacle, regardless of how high or difficult to overcome, can keep me from reaching you.
Ain't no valley low enough, ain't no river wide enough;
I will cross any valley, no matter how deep or river, no matter how wide, to be with you.
Baby if you need me call me no matter where you are,
You can always count on me to come to you. Even if you're far away, just call my name and I'll be there.
No matter how far; Just call my name; I'll be there in a hurry;
Distance won't hinder my love for you. I'll come to you quickly if you ask for my help.
You don't have to worry,
I want you to feel safe and secure knowing that I will always be there for you.
'Cause baby there ain't no mountain high enough, Ain't no valley low enough, Ain't no river wide enough To keep me from getting to you babe.
My affection for you is so profound that there is no boundary or hindrance that can keep me from being with you.
Remember the day I set you free
When we parted ways in the past, I promised to remain loyal to you no matter the circumstances.
I told you you could always count on me
I promised to be there for you whenever you need me, and you can rely on me to fulfill that promise.
From that day on, I made a vow, I'll be there when you want me, Some way, some how.
I made a commitment to always be by your side whenever you need me, utilizing all means possible.
My love is alive Way down in my heart Although we are miles apart
Despite the distances between us, the love I have for you never fades or dies.
If you ever need a helping hand, I'll be there on the double As fast as I can.
I'm always ready to help you when you need me, and I won't hesitate to come to your aid as quickly as possible.
Don't you know that there Ain't no mountain high enough, Ain't no valley low enough, Ain't no river wide enough To keep me from getting to you babe.
No matter the difficulty, I will always find my way to be with you.
No wind, no rain or winters cold can stop me baby,
I will never let any weather condition stop me from getting to you because you are all that matters to me.
'Cause you are my goal. If you're ever in trouble;
I don't care about anything else other than being with you. If you ever need help, don't hesitate to call me.
I'll be there on the double. Just send for me, oh baby.
When you need me, I will be there quickly. Just let me know and I will come to you immediately.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: NICKOLAS ASHFORD, VALERIE SIMPSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind