He's known for his high haunting soprano voice & poignant balladeering. His up & down recording career, started in the early 1950's, saw a resurgence in the 1990's when he was signed to Sire Records and received a Grammy nomination after a long period of commercial inactivity. Soon after coming out of retirement, he was seen on stages around the world, performing magical & heart breaking interpretations of old torch songs, Broadway standards and even a smattering of choice modern rock tunes done with generally sparse jazz arrangements.
Almost strangled by the umbilical cord at birth, then orphaned as a boy in depression era Cleveland, the odds against Jimmy Scott ever suceeding were further stacked by an abnormal genetic pituitary hormonal defect known as "Kallman's Syndrome" which accounts for his somewhat effeminate looks & unnaturally high singing voice.
Finding solace onstage, he sang in combos of the post war R&B era, notably as a featured singer with band leader Lionel Hampton, with whom he made his recorded debut in 1950(although his name did not appear on the label). He was finally signed to a steady record deal when he was almost 30, when Herman Lubinsky of Newark's Savoy Records offered Cleveland's finest balladeer a shot circa 1954. Lubinsky, whose label was a great repository of jazz & blues recordings, was also a notorious shyster. In David Ritz's 2002 bio of Jimmy Scott "Faith In Time", Seymour Stein of Sire Records recalls past colleagues at the time calling Savoy Record's Newark HQ the "Slave Barracks". Savoy recorded some well received Little Jimmy Scott sides, but due to Lubinsky's malfeasance, Scott went mostly uncompensated. As time wore on, he grew discontent, started retreating into booze and left the label's fold by the beginning of the 1960's.
Over the years the Lubinsky/Savoy contract would stifle Scott in numerous ways, particularly when he tried to break free and record for Ray Charles' Tangerine label in the early 1960's and another time with Atlantic in the late 1960's. Lubinsky would battle to have the records withdrawn, keeping Scott's music from ever hitting the streets en masse.
1969's attempt at a comeback LP "The Source" was produced by Joel Dorn for Atlantic, featuring backing from a hot group of players including David Fathead Newman on tenor sax, Eric Gale on guitar and Ron Carter on bass...The record was withdrawn due to lawsuit after the first pressing, for a longtme making it a rare and often bootleged masterpiece.
Jimmy's numerous shots at stardom were so hampered by the fiscal mismanagement & bad business dealings, it lead him to frustration, failed relationships, drinking and drugging, and a career ending downward spiral that took him away from the limelight.
His talent was never in doubt, but his successes were measured at best.
A favorite of performers ranging from Billie Holiday & Dinah Washington, to Frankie Valli, Stevie Wonder, and John Lennon, all whom knew of and expressed respect of his work. Said Quincy Jones once,'Jimmy would tear my heart out every night with his soul-penetrating style"...
Even Madonna has said "Jimmy Scott is the only singer who makes me cry,"
Strangely enough, it appears death that actually the catalyst that brought Scott's career back to life...
By the late 70's and early 80's some of his only gigs were occasional charity appearances at senior citizen homes. Scott's day jobs at Bob's Big Boy and in a Cleveland Sheraton hotel gave him a mindset that was set far from keeping abreast of the changing tastes of a fickle record buying public at the tail end of the 20th century.
In 1985, at age 60, he returned to the eastern seaboard, and for the first time in over a decade started working small clubs in New York and Harlem, perhaps getting occasional nostalgic write ups in the NY Times or Village Voice. Scott's subsequent shift back into the public eye ironically began to truly gather momentum at The Riverside Funeral Home on St.Patrick's Day 1991. The sad/happy occasion was legendary rock n roll songwriter and old friend Doc Pomus' funeral.
Jimmy had met Pomus back in the 40's, and they had stayed in touch. In fact, in 1987 Doc even wrote a letter to trade publication Billboard extolling Scott's virtues, decrying the hard times he was going through, and warning the record industry not to sleep on a chance to catch the long overdue second coming of Little Jimmy Scott.
Now a few years later, Scott sat Shiva and was asked by Doc's family to perform "Someone To Watch Over Me" at the funeral, along with backing from fellow old timers Dr. John on piano and Fathead Newman on sax. Scott arrived early and sat unasumedly with hands folded in the back with his 4th wife Earlene. After the colorful eulogies, Jimmy's haunting voice overthe tinkling keys stunned the room, with many so far back they could barely see his tiny head over the crowd. The room was filled with dozens of music biz luminaries, like Ahmet Ertegun, Jerry Wexler, and the aforementioned Seymour Stein of Sire who felt it was almost his spiritual duty to Doc to simply offer Scott a dignified deal.
Jimmy later told a reporter in 2000 of the bittersweet good fortune coming from his friend's death, " The next day, this cat from Warners comes over with a contract. It was like Doc's hand reaching out from the grave."
He went on to many new career highights ranging from appearing in David Lynch's Twin Peaks & having sold out shows across the US & Europe to performing onstage at Bill Clinton's inaugural ball gala in DC.
Still Scott copes with the fact that his type of fame is fleeting, and has duly noted this phenomena when he sang onstage in the 1990's with the Grateful Dead to a crowd of thousands in his hometown of Cleveland, where the local daily paper referred to him as an "unknown female singer".
Since the quirky career kickstart given to Scott from Pomus' funeral, he has continued touring, recorded some 8 or so albums on half dozn labels, and added a 5th wife to his bio as well. Now with his aged infirmities creeping in, Scott is restricted to moving around onstage via wheelchair...
Music continues to be his life into his eighties, once telling ajournalist “I love performing. You live with reality every day. You can’t miss it. We can try to avoid a lot of trials in life, but it’s better to overcome than avoid. That’s what music has been for me. It’s been my opportunity to overcome.”
I'm Afraid the Masquerade Is Over
Little Jimmy Scott Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And my dreams are drifting away
Your eyes don't shine like they used to shine
And the thrill is gone when your lips meet mine
I'm afraid the masquerade is over
And so is love, and so is love
They were once inspired, now they're just routine
I'm afraid the masquerade is over
And so is love, and so is love
I guess I'll have to play Pagliacci
And get myself a clown's disguise
And learn to laugh like Pagliacci
With tears in my eyes
You look the same, you're a lot the same
But my heart says "no, no, you're not the same"
I'm afraid the masquerade is over
And so is love, and so is love
I guess I'll have to play Pagliacci
And get myself a clown's disguise
And learn to laugh like Pagliacci
With tears in my eyes
You look the same, you're a lot the same
But my heart says "No, no, you're not the same"
I'm afraid the masquerade is over
And so is love, and so is love
The lyrics of Little Jimmy Scott's song, "I'm Afraid the Masquerade Is Over," describe the end of a relationship that was founded on pretenses and make-believe. The blue horizon, which symbolizes unlimited possibilities and a bright future, is turning grey, representing the loss of hope and optimism. The dreams of the singer are drifting away, indicating a realization that the relationship has failed to live up to expectations.
The eyes of the lover no longer shine the way they used to, and the thrill that once existed when their lips met has vanished. The singer feels that the masquerade, or the act of pretending to be someone else, is over, signaling the end of the relationship. Words that once had meaning and inspiration have become routine, highlighting the lack of passion and enthusiasm.
Line by Line Meaning
My blue horizon is turning grey
My view of the future is becoming bleak and pessimistic.
And my dreams are drifting away
My hopes and ambitions are fading and becoming less attainable.
Your eyes don't shine like they used to shine
I no longer see the same passion and love in your eyes that I once did.
And the thrill is gone when your lips meet mine
Our kisses no longer stir any emotions or excitement within me.
I'm afraid the masquerade is over
I'm scared that the illusion and facade of our relationship is finally coming to an end.
And so is love, and so is love
Along with the end of the masquerade comes the end of our love.
Your words don't mean what they used to mean
Your words no longer hold the same weight or sincerity that they once did.
They were once inspired, now they're just routine
Your words that were once full of passion and spontaneity now feel rehearsed and habitual.
I guess I'll have to play Pagliacci
I suppose I'll have to pretend to be happy and put on a show, like the character Pagliacci from the opera.
And get myself a clown's disguise
And I'll need to dress up like a clown to hide my true emotions.
And learn to laugh like Pagliacci
I'll need to force myself to laugh and pretend to be happy, like the character in the opera.
With tears in my eyes
Even though I'm pretending to be happy, I'll still be crying inside.
You look the same, you're a lot the same
You may physically look the same, but you've changed a lot emotionally and mentally.
But my heart says "no, no, you're not the same"
My instincts and emotions are telling me that something is different and not right in our relationship.
I'm afraid the masquerade is over
Once again, I dread that our relationship's illusion is coming to a close.
And so is love, and so is love
Once again, by the end of the masquerade, our love will have come to an end.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: ALLIE WRUBEL, HERB MAGIDSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@theacousticrabbithole9608
There is reason Jimmy's suit drapes over him like a blanket. To those who are not aware, "Little" Jimmy Scott was born with an inability to create adequate testosterone, and therefore, he never grew very tall, but also never grew out of his child-soprano voice. Jimmy Scott was literally an un-casterated Casteratto. The eternal choir-boy.
With modern pharmacuticals conditions like this can be generally avoided (there are medical complications for growing up without natural hormone levels.). Needlees to say, Jimmy Scott did wind up marrying and, also had children of his own, as I remember.
Legend has it that Scott, as an old man was working as an elevator operator in a fancy hotel to make extra cash. Avante Guarde filmmaker David Lynch recognized him immideatly. They talked, and ultimatley Lynch asked him to play a part in his current film at the time "Twin Peaks: Fire, Walk With Me."
I made a special A444 hz Shumann Resonnace conversion of this song "When Did You Leave Heaven" for mine channel. Out of superstition, I avoided tuning it down to A432 Scientitic Pitch, which is about 1/3rd percent flatter than standard A440 Hz tuning. Tuning it up the Shchumann Resonnance would only alter the voice by about 20 percent sharper. I simply felt it was wrong to mess with this natural God-given voice too much! (Even though I was converting it to sacred tunings!).
God Bless you, Jimmy Scott, and for those interested, see you on The Acoustic Rabbit Hole!
@Chris-od8si
Honestly this means so much to have footage like this available. Mr Scott was one of the finest vocalists in popular music, and yet was under-recorded, and there’s nowhere near enough footage of him, especially in younger years. This is an incredible performance, thank you so much.
@ellingtonhilligas
Had the opportunity of seeing him in person in the early 2000's. A memory I will always cherish! What an incredible talent!
@ray-jf4sh
Never heard anybody sing like this and I love it. Bravo!
@darealistmanchillin9463
Right he sound so uniquely Androgynous (gender neutral) he sound like a young adolescent boy and a older mature woman simultaneously simultaneously mixed
@ray-jf4sh
@Darealist Manchillin I like turtles
@yjadalyn1
@Darealist Manchillin He has a condition that did that to his voice and body.
@darealistmanchillin9463
@Kam F. i know this he got kallman syndrome im talking about the timbre of his voice.
@Anamcara6111
This is who influenced Stunning Nancy Wilson! She is and will always be my favorite artist. Her phrasing, and arrangements were one of a kind! Miss that great lady. ❤️
@rodshaw8472
That explains why when the first time I heard his version of "Day by Day," I thought it was Nancy Wilson!
@unitedpeace787
Thank you for posting! This is a gem! What an awesome talented man. Once I discovered him, I collected as many CDs as possible. If you have any more of him around this time, please share. His control, diction and phrasing are bar none!! Peace & Blessings!