Don Davis

I've spent an idle hour or two enjoying the music and connections of Detroit guitarist, producer and banker Don Davis, who died this week at the age of 75.

One of his first sessions for Tamla (before it added "Motown") was on Barrett Strong's "Money", the song that put Berry Gordy's operation on the road to success in 1960.  He also played (with the Funk Brothers house band) on recordings by Mary Wells, Smokey Robinson and The Temptations

He was guitarist on the Capitols' Cool Jerk, from 1966, along with Bob Babbitt on bass and Johnny Griffith on piano from the The Funk Brothers, moonlighting away from Berry Gordy's gaze. The producer, Ollie McLauglin, was based in Ann Arbor. Don got $10.



In 1967, Don was signed to Stax as a producer by Al Bell, and certainly brought a Motown feel to one of his first efforts - Carla Thomas, singing Pick Up The Pieces (no, not that one !), released in December that year.



But Don could do the Stax sound too, and in 1968 produced this for Carla, adding guitar, and his own vocals on the word "Baby"...



And Don produced her album, Memphis Queen that same year.

Don introduced the Stax team to Detroit mates and string arrangers Johnny Allen and Dale Warren, who dubbed the lush backgrounds to Isaac Hayes' game-changing album, Hot Buttered Soul, from 1969. He also provided the trio of female backing-singers. There's no credit for Don on the album, but he did produce one classic track on the Shaft soundtrack in 1971 - Cafe Regio's, with guitar by Michael Toles.



Don was also set to work with Johnnie Taylor, and produced "Who's Making Love?", a song turned down by other house producers as a bit too saucy. He plays guitar, alongside Steve Cropper, and adds the high vocal on the chorus.




Like many songwriters, Don was not afraid to re-cycle old stuff. Try a bit of this riff from 1964.



David took the chord structure, and recorded a backing track with the Muscle Shoals rhythm section in Alabama in 1970. In 1973, vocals and strings were added, for a Johnnie Taylor LP, and in June of that year it hit the US Charts.



Spookily, Van Morrison's Warm Love was released in April 1973. How did that happen ?

The Davis partnership with Taylor lasted right through to Disco Lady in 1976.

Don brought The Dramatics to Stax; he also worked with The Staples Singers, and produced Mavis Staples as a solo singer, co-writing this classic from 1970.



Meanwhile, in Detroit, Don was churning out songs on his own labels - Groovesville, Thelma, Revilot - and by 1971 had bought United Sound Studios. Northern Soul fans will probably have Davis-produced records by JJ Barnes, Darrell Banks and Steve Mancha. Post-Stax, Don worked with Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis.

His most recent chart hit ?  Girl, by Destiny's Child, recorded in 2004, which sampled "Ocean of Thoughts and Dreams" written and produced by Don for The Dramatics in 1977.