Interview: How did you get started in the gospel industry?
Joe James Jr.: Well, my start in the gospel industry came from birth; my parents. My mom is a singer and pastor. My dad is a singer, and they ushered me into the gospel industry. My father was the lead singer for the Voices of Clouds; it has been in our family a long time. I started out playing drums in the church and later I started playing the guitar. In later years, I played for different artists that were coming up in the church.
Interviewer: What is one of your favorite records done by you and why?
Joe James Jr.: What is one of my favorite records?
Interviewer: Done by you in the Voices of Clouds.
Joe James Jr.: It was the last project we did in 2008/2009. It is listed Everywhere I Go. It was the title cut. I had a great time doing that project. Our producer on that project was Nathaniel Wheels, of the McFarten’s and the Disciples out of New York City. One of the best experiences that I had is recording it and doing the project down in North Carolina in the studio there with Spanky. It was a fun experience that I will never forget, and I am proud that we are on our way to a new project in 2014. We have done several projects over the years. One of the first recordings that the group did that I can remember was back with Peacock recording company. And we had a great 45 singles with them there. We moved on later in life and we were able to get with a company called Hoyt Sullivan in Nashville Tennessee. One of the biggest hits that the group had was titled “Someone to Care”. This particular song did a lot for the Voices of Clouds at a particular time in the late 70s and early 80s. It was a trailblazing song. It is still getting played in a lot of places today. The Voices of Clouds have toured all over the nation, Florida being one of the main states that we originated out of. We have been to Chicago, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, North Carolina, just to name a few. We have even been to Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia.
Interviewer: And have any of those places that you have named had an impact on some of the records that you have recorded today?
Joe James Jr.: I would say from our BMI reports from airplay and royalties out of the Southern States would probably be more from the Carolinas where we call the singing belt for quartet gospel music. It is getting more airplay in those areas more than ever. Our hometown, WRUR 88.5 on the FM dial is a quartet station here. We also want to give a shout out to Brother Paul and WDKX 103.9 on the FM dial. That station has been a backbone for us as well. We never want to forget about home, because without home, we could never have gone as far as we did. Our home and our church are here. It is our clergy people that have supported us through the years.
Interviewer: It’s nice that you have mentioned that you love the support from your hometown. Do you feel as if you have a lot of supporters? Have you had to go through a lot of negativity in the community while you were coming up with your music? Or were you always well supported by your community?
Joe James Jr.: Our community has always supported us, but one woman was a key person in getting us known in the industry, and that was Evangilist B. Golden Lewis. She is a Rochester Chapter Rep for the Gospel Workshop of America. She was very instrumental in re-introducing us back to the gospel industry along with Mister George Stewart of the Gospel Workshop of America located in the state of Alabama and Esther located in the Mississippi/Memphis, Tennessee area. These people are very special to the Voices of Clouds for helping us to get known in the industry. Our radio and tracking firm with Terry Manheim out in Texas is very instrumental in getting us airplay in the right radio stations with Radio 1 institute. He was great. He was the radio and tracking firm company that we worked with on the project, “Everywhere I Go”. There have been a host of members through the years of Voices of Clouds from Panama City all the way up to Rochester. Thank God for our New York state for supporting us. Syracuse and Buffalo are like our sister and our brother. So are the Pennsylvania area and Brooklyn New York. We have a great friend over there, Pastor Hezekiah Walker. We don’t want to forget about Donnie McClurkin. These are people in the New York State that have helped to support the Voices of Clouds. All the Rochester Clergy, pastors, bishops, and missionaries in the New York state area have been instrumental in helping us to reach our goal.
Interviewer: So, out of everyone in the community of Rochester, are there any musical influences that you have here in Rochester, or do you have any famous musical influences, or do they mix and match?
Joe James Jr.: My home church was the Church of God, located here in Rochester. That’s where I got a lot of my Gospel roots while playing the drums, and playing the guitar, singing in the junior choir, singing in the CU choir. I travelled with a group called the Mighty Heirs. I was a member of the bright fantastic, Bright Clouds. I’ve played for almost every group in the Rochester area: The Bright Clouds, the Whirlwinds, and The Gospel Pearls. I am currently with the group called Truly Committed. God has blessed me to be the one who can manage them. I have shared a stage with Vickie Winans on the contemporary side when I was a member of the Bibleway Healing Temple under the direction of Pastor Eulah M. Nelson. She is now a bishop. I played for the O’Neal Twins. Some of you probably don’t remember the O’Neal Twins. They had a big hit out back in the early 80s, “Jesus Dropped the Charges”. I have shared a stage with many of the Winans. These are some of the people that I have shared a stage with when I was a drummer with the group, “The Angelics” from Bibleway Healing Temple at the time. I could sit here and remember so many places that I have been. I just thank God for the opportunity for someone like me who is 47 years old to have the opportunity to experience going to Disney World and playing to 5000 people at one time. I went to Philadelphia at the Net. I am a concert promoter here in Rochester New York, also in Syracuse and Buffalo New York. I have promoted the Mighty Clouds of Joy, the Gospel Keynotes, the Jacksons Southernaires, Keith (Wonderboy) Johnson, Dorothy Norwood, and Evelyn Turrentine. Evelyn Turrentine sang the song, “God Did It”. I have experienced having a good time with the legendary messengers Tim Woodson and the Heavenly Heirs, the Supreme Angels and lots of local artists. One of my favorite ones was Jerome and the Eveready; they had a big hit, “So Real”. I have a cousin by the name of Charlene Keys. She is known as Tweet; as the Humming Bird. I had the opportunity to play with her group. Thank God for her. She is an R&B artist in the industry.
Interviewer: Before you give a lot of background on the many people that you’ve worked with, the people that you have, basically worked for the light. Now that you talk about your music and where you’ve come from, do you find it easier to talk about God and sing about God now than you did before?
Joe James Jr.: I find it much easier now, especially when I see my kids. I have three beautiful daughters, and my daughter is following in my footsteps. She is also a singer and an up and coming musician. She plays the guitar almost as well as her father. Her name is Kirsten Tamia James, and my daughter Areina James and Losaria James. They can all sing. And throughout this ministry, God has allowed me to speak to people, express my talent with them, witness to them, encourage them and they encourage me. So I am encouraged to go on a little further. Sometimes the road gets a little rough and it makes you want to quit. This is because you are dealing with people, and this is a part of life. But I thank God for giving me the opportunity to meet Brother Monwell Floyd, the author of this magazine. He has been a great instrument in promoting gospel in the upstate New York area through his concert promotions, flyers and tickets and shirts, tithe offerings, and envelopes and other things that he does for the Rochester-Buffalo community. Our distribution company here, we thank God for them. I am trying to remember their name. Oh My God! I can’t remember the name of the company, but they distribute all of our music. I am going to think of the name in a minute, everybody.
Interviewer: While you think of the name, I am going to go ahead and ask you another question. Your last group’s album was in 2009. When can we expect another album?
Joe James Jr.: we are currently in the studio putting together our new album. And we are also getting ready to release a “Best of” collectible. “The Best of Joe James and the Voices of Clouds” hits from past years and now. Many people have been asking for this project, and this project will consist of pre-recorded tracks from different albums and CDs to enjoy some of the greatest hits from now and later.
Interviewer: That’s awesome. We will definitely expect to see it, and we are going to expect a great album. What can we expect? What kind of songs can we expect to come from your album?
Joe James Jr.: Well, we wanted to give something old and something new, but not to forget the style of the Voices of Clouds. But be able to stay in the current times and to relate to young people and to old people, and most of all, to be spirit-filled. It has to be something that you will not mind downloading on your site. I am still trying to think of the company name. The company name is Spinergy. That is the distribution company that we work for; they make all our CDs for us. They have been doing a great job. Spinergy Distribution Company here in Rochester, New York. I want to give a shout out to them. They have been a great support for us.
Interviewer: Instead of just thinking a lot about the group and the gospel melodies, have you ever thought about doing any other genre besides gospel, or has that always been rooted within you to just stick to gospel, Christian music?
Joe James Jr.: Well, we have sung on some other occasions, birthday parties, and weddings, and before my time there was a time they used to sing in some shows with KCee and the Sunshine Band. Some young people might not know who they are, but they were very popular back in the 70s. And we have also been asked to do some open up concerts for some R&B artists in the New York state area. And so we thank God for having the chance to express Gospel in whatever way possible. We get the word out, so that people can know that Jesus is still the reason for all seasons.
Interviewer: So you have opened up in a stage and performed on a stage with some R&B artists, but you have never thought about doing any other music besides gospel?
Joe James Jr.: Never. I would never leave gospel, because gospel is the root; gospel is the reason. Without gospel, there would be no other music. Blues, R&B, Jazz, you name it. They all came from the church. I would never leave the church. Although I have had opportunities and money has been flashed in my face and contracts have been submitted. But at the end of the day, I have to remember that God is the reason why we do what we do. So I would never turn my back on Him. I would never turn my back on God.
Interviewer: So now, in 2014, do you think that you will be working a lot on your album, and how will you be able to balance out your promoting and working on the albums?
Joe James Jr.: Balance is a good word because all of us have families. We have wives and children and we want to make sure that we cultivate our families in good health, in spirit, but also not forget about our music career and our fans. We have a lot of fans out there. Thank God for all the letters and all the gifts that the fans have given us and donations and things that they have done to help support us. Without the fans and the people, there would be no Voices of Cloud. I think everybody is a voice of our clouds. I think that is the thing to say. We are singing to white people, we are singing to Spanish people; there is no denomination; there is no color that we will not sing to. Because God is first. Jesus gave us this gift, and we are going to keep it going
Interviewer: To conclude this interview. Is there anything that you would like to say to your supporters?
Joe James Jr.: Well, I want to say to our supporters, thank you for supporting Joe James and the Voices of Clouds from then, till now. And we pray to God for you. And keep on keeping on.
Interviewer: Thank you. The interview has concluded with Joe James and the Voices of Clouds.
