Joe Porter (producer)

Last updated
Joe Porter
Genres Soul
Occupation(s)Record producer, songwriter
Years active1960s-2000s
Labels Motown, Amaret, 20th Century

Joe Porter is a record producer and songwriter. As a producer, he has produced Thelma Houston, Lynne Randell, Rare Earth, Bobby Darin, O.C. Smith and many others. Porter is also responsible for the orchestral disco version of "Bandstand Boogie" for the television show American Bandstand . He was married to percussionist Bobbye Hall.

Contents

Career

In July 1971, Porter took legal action against the music group Free Movement for breach of contract. This resulted from the group's taking hold of the name which Porter alleged belonged to him and failing to fulfill a songwriting agreement for which he was to get a percentage of their self composed songs. The case was dismissed. [1] He had produced their 1971 song "Ive Found Someone Of My Own". [2]

Possibly due to competition with Soul Train, American Bandstand may have updated their version of "Bandstand Boogie" to a disco version. Joe Porter was responsible for the new disco version which played during the opening and closing credits of the show from 1974 to 1977. [3] [4]

Song writer

Along with James Quill Smith, he co-wrote "How Does It Feel" for Terry Fischer. Along with Ellen Weston and Lesley Gore, Gladys Knight & the Pips, he co-write "Give It To Me, Sweet Thing". He also had a hand in writing songs for Bobbye Hall. [5] He produced and co-wrote most of the songs for Hall's album Body Language for Lovers. [6]

Production

In 1970, Porter along with Jerry Styner produced Gil Bernal for Kenny Myers's Amaret Records label. [7] For that label he also produced 2 singles and an album for Dian Hart as well as the High Voltage album for Nick Anthony. [8] In 1972, he produced Thelma Houston's 1972 Motown album MoWest. [9]

Production list - Singles (selective)

Related Research Articles

Melvin M. Ragin, known professionally as "Wah Wah Watson", was an American guitarist who was a member of The Funk Brothers, the studio band for Motown Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gladys Knight & the Pips</span> American R&B/soul vocal group

Gladys Knight & the Pips were an American R&B, soul and funk family music group from Atlanta, Georgia, that remained active on the music charts and performing circuit for over three decades starting from the early 1950s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gloria Jones</span> American singer-songwriter

Gloria Richetta Jones is an American singer and songwriter who first found success in the United Kingdom, being recognized there as "The Queen of Northern Soul". She recorded the 1965 hit song "Tainted Love" and has worked in multiple genres as a Motown songwriter and recording artist, backing vocalist, and as a performer in musicals such as Hair. In the 1970s, she was a keyboardist and vocalist in Marc Bolan's glam rock band T. Rex. She and Bolan were also in a committed romantic relationship and had a son, Rolan Bolan, together.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Heard It Through the Grapevine</span> 1966 song written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong

"I Heard It Through the Grapevine" is a song written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong for Motown Records in 1966. The first recording of the song to be released was produced by Whitfield for Gladys Knight & the Pips and released as a single in September 1967. It went to number one on the Billboard R&B Singles chart and number two on the Billboard Pop Singles chart and shortly became the biggest selling Motown single up to that time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norman Whitfield</span> American musical artist and producer (1940–2008)

Norman Jesse Whitfield was an American songwriter and producer, who worked with Berry Gordy's Motown labels during the 1960s. He has been credited as one of the creators of the Motown Sound and of the late-1960s subgenre of psychedelic soul.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smiling Faces Sometimes</span> 1971 single by The Undisputed Truth

"Smiling Faces Sometimes" is a soul song written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong for the Motown label. It was originally recorded by the Temptations in 1971. Producer Norman Whitfield had the song re-recorded by the Undisputed Truth the same year, resulting in a number-three Billboard Hot 100 position for the group. "Smiling Faces" was the only Top 40 single released by the Undisputed Truth, and was included on their debut album The Undisputed Truth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hal Davis</span> American songwriter and record producer

Harold Edward Davis was an American songwriter and record producer. Davis was a producer and writer for Motown Records for nearly thirty years, and was a key figure in the latter part of the Motown career of The Jackson 5.

<i>In the Groove</i> (Marvin Gaye album) 1968 studio album by Marvin Gaye

In the Groove is the eighth studio album by soul musician Marvin Gaye, released on August 26, 1968 on the Motown-subsidiary label Tamla Records. It was the first solo studio album Gaye released in two years, in which during that interim, the singer had emerged as a successful duet partner with female R&B singers such as Kim Weston and Tammi Terrell. In the Groove was reissued and retitled as I Heard It Through the Grapevine after the unexpected success of Gaye's recording of the same name, which had been released as a single from the original album.

David T. Walker is an American guitarist, born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In addition to numerous session musician duties since the early 1970s, Walker has issued fifteen albums in his own name.

"Giving Up" is a popular song written by Van McCoy that was introduced by Gladys Knight & the Pips with an April 1964 single release.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye)</span> 1972 single by Gladys Knight & the Pips

"Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye)" is a song recorded by Gladys Knight & the Pips. Released on December 26, 1972 on Motown's Soul Records imprint as S 35098, it became one of their biggest hit singles to date, and was also the last single the group released prior to them leaving Motown for Buddah Records in February 1973.

<i>Everybody Needs Love</i> (album) 1967 studio album by Gladys Knight & the Pips

Everybody Needs Love is the third album by Gladys Knight & the Pips and their first album for Motown Records' Soul imprint. The LP, chiefly produced by Norman Whitfield, features the singles "Just Walk in My Shoes", "Take Me in Your Arms and Love Me", "Everybody Needs Love" and "I Heard It Through the Grapevine".

<i>The Ultimate Collection</i> (Gladys Knight and The Pips album) 1997 compilation album by Gladys Knight and The Pips

The Ultimate Collection is a compact disc by Gladys Knight and The Pips, released on Motown Records, catalogue MOTD 0826, in October 1997. It is a collection of singles comprising many of the group's greatest hits, with liner notes written by Ruth Adkins Robinson.

Paul Riser is an American trombonist and Motown musical arranger who was responsible for co-writing and arranging dozens of top ten hit records. His legacy as one of the "Funk Brothers" is similar to that of most of the other "Brothers", as his career has been overlooked and overshadowed by the stars of Motown that became household names. Some of the Funk Brothers he worked with include: Earl Van Dyke, Johnny Griffith, Robert White, Eddie Willis, Joe Messina, Dennis Coffey, Wah Wah Watson, James Jamerson, Bob Babbitt, Eddie Watkins, Richard "Pistol" Allen, Uriel Jones, Andrew Smith, Jack Ashford, Valerie Simpson, Eddie "Bongo" Brown, Benny Benjamin, Cornelius Grant, Joe Hunter, Richard "Popcorn" Wylie, Marcus Belgrave, Teddy Buckner and Stevie Wonder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobbye Hall</span> American percussionist (born 1950)

Bobbye Jean Hall is an American percussionist who has recorded with a variety of rock, soul, blues and jazz artists, and has appeared on 20 songs that reached the top ten in the Billboard Hot 100.

Amaret Records was a record label that operated between 1968 and 1973. Among the artists that had their recordings released on the label were hard rock group Crow, Country singer Judy Lynn and singer Mrs Miller.

Dian Hart was a singer and recording artist who recorded during 60s and early 1970s. In the late 60s, things looked promising for her. Cashbox Magazine once commented that she sounded like a teen version of Petula Clark. She was also a well known attraction on the broadway and supper club circuit who appeared at venues such as the Palmer House in Chicago, the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami, and New York's Waldorf. She had also worked as an actor.

<i>All I Need Is Time</i> 1973 studio album by Gladys Knight & the Pips

All I Need Is Time is the tenth studio album by American R&B quartet Gladys Knight & the Pips, released in June 1973 by Motown Records on the Soul Records label.

<i>Gladys Knight</i> (album) 1979 studio album by Gladys Knight

Gladys Knight is the self-titled second studio album by American singer Gladys Knight. It was released by Columbia Records in 1979 in the United States. Her only album with that label, it peaked at number 71 on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Gladys Knight would remain Knight's last solo album until the 1991 release of Good Woman.

Visions is an album by the American soul group Gladys Knight & the Pips, released in 1983.

References