William DeVaughn

Last updated

William DeVaughn
Birth nameWilliam Edward DeVaughn Jr.
Born (1947-11-28) November 28, 1947 (age 76)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Genres R&B, soul
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar
Years active1972–present
LabelsRoxbury Records
Mighty Two Diamond Records

William Edward DeVaughn Jr. (born November 28, 1947) is an American R&B/soul singer, songwriter and guitarist, best known for the million-selling hit song "Be Thankful for What You Got" in 1974. [1] [2]

Contents

Biography

DeVaughn was a salaried government employee as a drafting technician, and a part-time singer. [3] He wrote a song called "A Cadillac Don't Come Easy", which was eventually re-written to become "Be Thankful for What You Got", in 1972. He spent $900 towards getting it recorded with Omega Sound, a Philadelphia production house. [2] The record's producer at Omega, John Davis (a member of the MFSB studio session group), came up with a smooth arrangement, eventually booking time to record at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia, used by Philadelphia International Records. Studio owner and chief engineer Joe Tarsia recorded and mixed the track.

The session featured members of the MFSB group – guitarists Norman Harris and Bobby Eli, drummer Earl Young, vibraphonist Vince Montana and percussionist Larry Washington; secured by Allan Felder, who also developed the separate ad-lib back-up chorus with his sister's vocal group. John Davis played keyboards on the track. Frank Fioravanti, the executive producer and co-ordinator, secured the song's release on Roxbury Records, a subsidiary of Chelsea Records, run by industry veteran Wes Farrell. [2]

The record sold nearly two million copies on its release in spring 1974, reaching No. 1 on the US Billboard R&B chart and No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. [3] The track saw two chart entries in the UK, with the record peaking at #31 (1974) and also #44 (1980), in the UK Singles Chart. [4] It was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA on May 31, 1974. [1] With a sound and content influenced by Curtis Mayfield, its simple and encouraging lyrics hit home, to the extent that it became featured on gospel radio stations. When his success as a recording artist seemed guaranteed, DeVaughn quit his government job.

DeVaughn released an album, mainly of songs with a religious character, and its second single, "Blood Is Thicker than Water", reached No. 10 R&B and No. 43 pop later in 1974; "Give the Little Man a Great Big Hand" had only minor R&B chart success early the following year. [3] Live, DeVaughn preached to and admonished his audience from the stage. He lost interest in the music industry not long afterwards, working in a record store and again as a draftsman.

Fioravanti destined DeVaughn's 1980 effort, named after a new song by DeVaughn, Figures Can't Calculate to TEC Records in Philadelphia. [5] The title song climbed to No. 37 in the Billboard R&B chart, [2] and a remake of "Be Thankful for What You Got" was also included on the album.

In 2004, DeVaughn released a new single, "I Came Back", on his own Mighty Two Diamond Records. [5] In 2014, two previously unreleased DeVaughn tracks, "Staying Power" and "Love Ballad of the Year" were included on the Sound Gems Records oldies compilation Lost Soul Gems. In December 2016, an additional previously unreleased track, "Love in Any Language" was added to the Lost Soul Gems collection. All of these later tracks were written by Fioravanti and others.

On May 12, 2017, a two-song medley, "What Does It Take (to Win Your Love for Me)" and "I Gotta Dance to Keep from Crying" was released on Sound Gems Records.

Discography

Studio albums

YearAlbumPeak chart positions
US Pop
[6]
US R&B
[6]
1974 Be Thankful for What You Got 16510
1980Figures Can't Calculate74
2008Time Will Stand Still
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

Singles

YearSinglePeak chart positions
US Pop
[6]
US R&B
[6]
US Dance
[6]
UK
[4]
1974"Be Thankful for What You Got"4131
"Blood Is Thicker than Water"4310
"Give the Little Man a Great Big Hand"51
"Kiss and Make Up"
1980"Figures Can't Calculate"37
"Be Thankful for What You Got" [new version]8344
1982"Creme De Creme"
2004"I Came Back"
2014"Staying Power"
"Love Ballad of the Year"
2016"Love in Any Language"
2017"What Does It Take (to Win Your Love for Me)"
"I Gotta Dance to Keep from Crying"
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

Related Research Articles

MFSB, officially standing for "Mother Father Sister Brother", was a pool of more than 30 studio musicians based at Philadelphia's Sigma Sound Studios. They worked closely with the production team of Gamble and Huff and producer/arranger Thom Bell, and backed up Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, the O'Jays, the Stylistics, the Spinners, Wilson Pickett, and Billy Paul.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deniece Williams</span> American R&B and soul singer (born 1950)

June Deniece Williams is an American singer. She has been described as "one of the great soul voices" by the BBC. She is best known for the songs "Free", "Silly", "It's Gonna Take a Miracle" and two Billboard Hot 100 No.1 singles "Let's Hear It for the Boy" and "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late". Williams has won four Grammys with twelve nominations altogether. She is also known for recording “Without Us”, the theme song of Family Ties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)</span> 1974 single by MFSB featuring The Three Degrees

"TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)" is a 1974 recording by MFSB featuring vocals by The Three Degrees. It was written by Gamble and Huff as the theme for the American musical television program Soul Train, which specialized in African American musical performers. The single was released on the Philadelphia International Records label. It was the first television theme song to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Family Affair (Sly and the Family Stone song)</span> 1971 single by Sly and the Family Stone

"Family Affair" is a 1971 number-one hit single recorded by Sly and the Family Stone for the Epic Records label. Their first new material since the double A-sided single "Thank You "/ "Everybody Is a Star" nearly two years prior, "Family Affair" became the third and final number-one pop single for the band. In 2021, Rolling Stone magazine ranked the song 57th on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The cover version by John Legend, Joss Stone, and Van Hunt, won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at 49th Annual Grammy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue Magic (band)</span> American R&B and soul musical group

Blue Magic is an American R&B and soul group, and one of the more popular Philadelphia soul groups of the 1970s. Founded in 1972, the group's original members included lead singer Ted Mills with Vernon Sawyer, Wendell Sawyer, Keith Beaton, and Richard Pratt. Their most notable songs included smooth soul ballads such as "Sideshow", "Spell", "What’s Come Over Me", "Three Ring Circus", and "Stop to Start".

Vincent Montana Jr., known as Vince Montana, was an American composer, arranger, vibraphonist, and percussionist. He is best known as a member of MFSB and as the founder of the Salsoul Orchestra. He has been called "the Godfather of disco". Montana was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2016.

The Salsoul Orchestra was the backing band of session musicians for many acts on the New York City label Salsoul Records and, under its own name, recorded several hit singles and albums between 1975 and 1982.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sigma Sound Studios</span> Former recording studios in Philadelphia and New York City

Sigma Sound Studios was an American independent recording studio in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, founded in 1968 by recording engineer Joseph Tarsia. Located at 212 North 12th Street in Philadelphia, Sigma Sound is closely associated with Philadelphia soul, and was the location of numerous recordings of Gamble and Huff's Philadelphia International Records, the group of session musicians known as MFSB, and producer Thom Bell.

Walter "Bunny" Sigler was an American R&B singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer who did extensive work with the team of Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, and was instrumental in creating the "Philly Sound" in the early 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'll Be Around (The Spinners song)</span> 1972 single by The Spinners

"I'll Be Around" is a song recorded by the American R&B vocal group The Spinners. It was co-written by Thom Bell and Phil Hurtt and produced by Bell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Be Thankful for What You Got</span> Song by William DeVaughn

"Be Thankful for What You Got" is a soul song written and first performed by William DeVaughn. The record sold nearly two million copies on its release in spring of 1974, reaching #1 on the U.S. R&B charts and #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In 2021, it was listed at No. 374 on Rolling Stone's "Top 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".

John Davis and the Monster Orchestra were an American disco band, noted for their lead member, who lent his name to the band as well as producing all of their output.

<i>Travelin at the Speed of Thought</i> 1977 studio album by The OJays

Travelin' at the Speed of Thought is an album by the American R&B group the O'Jays, released in 1977 on Philadelphia International Records. Unusual for the time, there had been no advance single release from the album; the only single subsequently issued, "Work on Me", became a #7 R&B hit but failed to reach the pop listings, making this the first O'Jays PIR album without a top 100 pop single. Travelin' at the Speed of Thought peaked at #6 on the R&B chart and reached #27 on the pop chart. The album achieved a gold certification.

Bobby Eli was an American musician, arranger, composer and record producer from Philadelphia. He was a founding member and lead guitarist of Philadelphia studio band MFSB.

<i>Love Is the Message</i> (MFSB album) 1973 studio album by MFSB

Love Is the Message is the second album by Philadelphia International Records houseband MFSB. The album includes the number one pop, R&B, and adult contemporary hit and winner of the 1974 Grammy for Best R&B Instrumental Performance, "TSOP ". The song was the theme song for the television show Soul Train.

Chelsea Records was an American-based record company founded by musician, songwriter, and record producer Wes Farrell in 1972. Within the company's first four months, it released its first gold single, Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast by Wayne Newton. In addition to Newton, Chelsea featured a number of new and established artists like Tommy Boyce, Jim Gilstrap, Lulu, Jigsaw, New York City, and Rick Springfield.

American singer William DeVaughn has released three studio albums, including a record selling nearly two million copies on its release in spring 1974. The track "Be Thankful for What You Got" first (1974) peaked at #31 in the UK Singles Chart and later (1980) at #44.

<i>(G)Old & New</i> 1974 studio album by The Ikettes

(G)Old & New is a studio album by American girl group the Ikettes, released on United Artists in 1974. The Ikettes were backing vocalists for the Ike & Tina Turner Revue. (G)Old & New is their second and final studio album, containing new songs and different version of previously released tracks such as their hit "I'm Blue " which featured Tina Turner singing background vocals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dennis Harris (musician)</span> American guitarist, music arranger and songwriter

Dennis Harris is an American session guitarist, songwriter and arranger. Historically he played a significant part in the Philly Sound, playing on many of the hits during the 1970s. The hits include, "Only the Strong Survive" by Billy Paul, "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" by McFadden & Whitehead and "Lady Love" by Lou Rawls. He also played the guitar intro on Rawls' hit "You'll Never Find Another Love like Mine". He is a former member of The Philly Groove Orchestra, The Trammps, MFSB and The Salsoul Orchestra. In recent years he has been part of the New MFSB. He is also a guitar teacher.

References

  1. 1 2 Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p.  344. ISBN   0-214-20512-6.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Hogan, Ed. "Artist Biography". AllMusic . Retrieved February 21, 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 Nathan, David (1994). William DeVaughn - Be Thankful for What You Got: A Golden Classics Edition (Media notes). Record Corp.
  4. 1 2 Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 152. ISBN   1-904994-10-5.
  5. 1 2 "William DeVaughn Page". Soulwalking.co.uk. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 "William DeVaughn - Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on June 24, 2012. Retrieved February 21, 2022.