James Aaron Diamond was a Scottish singer-songwriter, best known for his three Top 5 hits: "I Won't Let You Down", as the lead singer of PhD; and his solo performances "I Should Have Known Better", a United Kingdom No. 1 in 1984, and "Hi Ho Silver", the theme song from Boon, which reached No. 5 in the UK Singles Chart in 1986.
Early life and career
Diamond was born in the Bridgeton area in the East End of Glasgow in 1951. He started his music career at the age of 15 with his own band, The Method. When aged 16, he also fronted a Glasgow band called Jade. That line-up included bassist Chris Glen who went on to play with the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, and Jim Lacey on lead guitar who later went on to join the Alan Bown Set. Jade played many pub, club and college gigs in London in 1969, playing at Brunel University, West London College in Cricklewood, The Pied Bull in Islington, West Hampstead Country Club, another college in Virginia Water and many more in 1969. They also supported the Move on their Scottish tour with The Stoics in the same year. He later toured Europe with Gully Foyle. Rare recordings of his performances with Gully Foyle were recently discovered on the internet. Alexis Korner then discovered Diamond, who spent the next couple of years as part of Korner's band. He provided additional and backing vocals on many of Korner's songs, most of which would appear on The Lost Album. Diamond left Korner in 1976, to form Bandit. The line-up included future AC/DC member Cliff Williams. They were soon signed up by Arista Records and released a début album, Bandit, which failed to reach the chart. In 1979, Diamond was lead vocalist for a Japanese band called BACCO, whose debut album was Cha Cha Me. He went to Los Angeles, California to form Slick Diamond with Earl Slick. He spent some time touring and recording and provided music for a film soundtrack.
Big break
In 1981, Diamond formed PhD, with pianist/keyboard player Tony Hymas and drummer Simon Phillips. They were signed by WEA Records and had a hit single with the multi-million selling "I Won't Let You Down". The band later decided to part ways. In 1984, he decided to go solo and was signed to A&M Records. He had a number-one hit with "I Should Have Known Better" and also was number one in Latin America. He scored another hit soon afterward with the theme song from Boon, "Hi Ho Silver". It reached No. 5 in the UK Singles Chart in May 1986. Diamond is also known for some guest vocals on two Genesis band members' solo outings, including:
"You Call This Victory" on the album Soundtracks by Tony Banks in 1986.
"Days of Long Ago" on the album Darktown by Steve Hackett in 1999.
The 1999 compilation The Best of Jim Diamond compiles singles and B-sides from his short time with A&M Records.
Later years
In the late 1990s, Diamond teamed up with saxophonist Chris "Snake" Davis, known for his work with soul outfit M People. The pair were known as The Blue Shoes, but were later billed as Jim Diamond and Snake Davis. In 2005, Diamond released his first studio album in eleven years, Souled and Healed. The singles "When You Turn" and "Blue Shoes" were released from this. In 2009 he re-united with Tony Hymas to produce a third PhD album entitled "Three". Jim Diamond's last album, City of Soul, released by Camino Records in 2011, featured among others Wet Wet Wet drummer Tommy Cunningham and Greg Kane of Hue and Cry. All proceeds from this album of soul music covers benefited the children's charity, Radio Clyde Cash for Kids.
Diamond married Christine Bailey in 1978. The couple had a daughter, Sara Rosaline Diamond, and a son, Lawrence James Diamond. Lawrence is the keyboardist of the UK indie pop groupCitizens! and the former bass player of Official Secrets Act. In the early 1980's, Diamond contracted hepatitis. Diamond was a friend of Father Ted star Dermot Morgan and was present at the small dinner party at which Morgan died suddenly in 1998.
