Sam’s Jams: Tommy McGee’s “Now That I Found You”
Rare soul track from Grand Rapids, Michigan
Photo credit: WDET
The TMG’s were founded in the late 60’s by 13 year-old Tommy McGee from Grand Rapids, Michigan, who played keys and sang falsetto vocals.
After releasing a few 45” singles, McGee released his debut album “Positive-Negative” in 1976, and the album featured the Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra. Issued on McGee’s own MTMG record label, the album’s 500 copies stretched out across western Michigan and into Chicago’s South Side. After the release of his album, McGee was eager to place something more modern into the marketplace. Later In 1976 McGee recorded the song “Now That I Found You” and released it on his own TMG Records in 1981. McGee’s career sputtered throughout the ’80s, and by the end of the decade he had ceased recording and performing entirely.
Sam’s Jams is the weekly song selection of WDET’s creative producer Sam Beaubien, a longtime Detroit musician who also helms the soul-funk band Will Sessions.
From 70 years ago to contemporary releases today, Sam’s Jams is the musical equivalent of digging for hours in dusty record store bins to find forgotten-but-should-be-remembered deep cuts pulled from the genres of funk, jazz and soul genres.
