The legendary Shirley Jones of The Jones Girls tells the story of how she and sisters Brenda and Valorie recorded the timeless 1981 single "Nights Over Egypt," a Philly Soul and Quiet Storm standard.
Raised in Detroit, Michigan and vocally trained by their mom, gospel singer Mary Frazier Jones, Shirley, Brenda, and Valorie Jones were a musical wonder from the very start. Their misty harmonies caught the ears of some of the greatest performers of all time—from Norman Connors to Aretha Franklin and Diana Ross— who hired them as their backing vocalists.
They became so damn good that Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff signed them to Philadelphia International Records and gave them all the attention they deserved with beautifully-crafted songs like “You’re Gonna Make Me Love Somebody Else,” “At Peace With Woman,” and “I Just Love The Man.”
Their ride on the ‘love train’ reached its ultimate destination with a mysterious jazz-infused track written by Dexter Wensel and Cynthia Biggs El, inspired by a failed college trip to Egypt. It almost never made it to the PIR catalogue, but after the girls laid their vocals, “Nights Over Egypt” grew to become a Quiet Storm standard and source of inspiration for Hip-Hop and Rap artists, musicians, and music lovers everywhere, cementing the singers’ place in the industry.
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Show Tracklisting
Host and Producer: Diego Martinez
Executive Producer: NickFresh
Audio Engineer: Adam Fogel
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