John Davis & The Monster Orch.- Monster?

[KoolChris]

My faves would be "Holler", "Bourgie Bourgie", and "Love Magic" ('love the break). I never really got into the "Night & Day" reprise LP, and most of the tracks on his other LPs.

I remember playing a track of his (or the Monster Orchestra's), called "Also Sprach Zarathustra" or "Thus Spoke Zarathustra", but I can't find it any more. Anyone know of this one?

[Disco Funk]

I hope you were able to get that copy of 'He Was A Man' on CD, Quinny. I noticed that the 7" version credited to Leon Lee features different vocals from the CD version I have that was credited to Tapestry. The weird thing is that the Tapestry version features mainly solo vocals by Leon Lee, whereas the Leon Lee single features multiple singers (in harmony) throughout the entire song!

I discovered yet another John Davis produced artist. I've checked out the two singles by her that I see he produced, and they're pretty good (not the best stuff though). Her name is Marlene Delaney. They were recorded around '76/'77. 'Rock You To Your Socks' was one of the tracks.

I don't know if I wrote this anywhere, but John Davis also gets credit for arranging or producing a couple of the songs on the Soul Survivors' TSOP LP from '75. It's not the greatest example of Philly funk or disco, but its worth checking out if your a completist.

Disco Funk

[disco1999]

Actually "Monster" is the nickname of John Davis.

Also another great track from the monster is "The magic is you" from 1977 album "Upjumped the devil"

[Disco Funk]

Originally Posted by disco1999

Actually "Monster" is the nickname of John Davis.

Was that given to him by his girlfriends? :)

Disco Funk

[remicks]

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Originally Posted by Disco Funk

I just discovered a direct connection between John Davis and Gamble & Huff. It's the Intruders 1974 LP 'Energy of Love'. I didn't really read the description of the record on Allmusicguide, which does mention John Davis' contributions, so I was surprised to see his name as Producer and Arranger on two cuts
Disco Funk

I found another one with Gamble & Huff and Davis :

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA by Soul Survivors
Produced by Gamble & Huff , Soul Survivors and John Davis ... Arranged by John Davis . Recorded at Sigma Sound ... on PDI records ....

Happy Birthday America ....it's party time in the USA ...

...1976 .... of course


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[remicks]

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Just playing through some from the forgotten disco "duds" stack .... pulled out Impact's 1977
12" of 2 Keith Barrow songs

RAINY DAYS STORMY NIGHTS :
a latin jazz Stevie Wonderish mid tempo tune with a touch of BAD LUCK added in here and there

CARRY ME BACK :
Double Exposure meets Emotions BEST OF MY LOVE builds and builds .... ongoing vocals ... good bongoing & lots of trumpet blasts ....

neither are all that bad .... started to put the disc away when I noticed in small black print almost lost on the chocolate brown Fantasy label :

Produced by John Davis
both sides
( yet neither with strings !)



perhaps off this LP ?????




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[Disco Funk]

Originally Posted by remicks

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I found another one with Gamble & Huff and Davis :

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA by Soul Survivors
Produced by Gamble & Huff , Soul Survivors and John Davis ... Arranged by John Davis . Recorded at Sigma Sound ... on PDI records ....

Happy Birthday America ....it's party time in the USA ...

...1976 .... of course


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Hey, I gotta thank you for this recommendation, because I didn't know about the track. I managed to grab a copy of the 12" for less than $20 (shipping included). I didn't know they had a non-LP record out there on PIR. This track is a nice slice of up tempo funk. The groove sounds more like something Dexter Wansel would have arranged than John Davis. Nice intro break beat.

The 45 is listed as being Pt 1 and Pt 2. Is Pt 2 an instrumental mix? I know that usually its the rest of the song, but sometimes it is the instrumental mix.

Disco Funk

[remicks]

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Hey ...... Thanks for letting me know this DF!! It's a good feeling to hear when someone's benefited from information that's been shared here!!
With this and the perceptive ooot ooot theory of Andy's ... and the possibility of a new chart by Marky ..... this is looking to be a red letter day for this disco junkie !!!

( .... other than too bad I gotta get to work !!! )



.... I can't comment on Pt. 2 DF because I only have a double sided Pt. 1 promo 45 ....





have a good one ...........remicks


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[Disco Funk]

Yes, the oot oot thing was a great revelation. Now if we could figure out what city or club adopted it as the 'chant'. I betcha it was an NYC thing. Too bad I don't recall any John Davis track using it, just to steer it back on topic! :)

Incidentally, if you look for anything from the Melomega or Philomega studios, they're pretty much all produced by John Davis. I think he was the house arranger/producer for Frank Fiorvanti.

Disco Funk

[remicks]

Originally Posted by Disco Funk

Incidentally, if you look for anything from the Melomega or Philomega studios, they're pretty much all produced by John Davis. I think he was the house arranger/producer for Frank Fiorvanti.

Disco Funk

... you're way ahead of me again .....off to the research library ....!!! ..............


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OK I'm back

here's what I learned :

By Eli (205.188.209.38) on Tuesday, April 08, 2003 - 07:51 am:
Philomega/Soundgems were a shady company and did a lot of sessions whereby the artists were unknown or even secondary.

By Eli (205.188.209.38) on Tuesday, April 08, 2003 - 08:09 am:
Be thankful....was the only one of their records(Soundgems) that made it as a fluke.

They were basically a "song shark" operation
whereby they would advertize in the back of a magazine and say something like..'Send us $1500 dollars and we will record your song"

John Davis was their "in-house" arranger.

( Eli is BOBBY ELI )

from SOULFUL DETROIT

"Be thankful" is referring to William De Vaughn's BE THANKFUL FOR WHAT YOU GOT
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[Disco Funk]

Originally Posted by remicks

... you're way ahead of me again .....off to the research library ....!!! ..............


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OK I'm back

here's what I learned : ( Eli is BOBBY ELI )

from SOULFUL DETROIT

"Be thankful" is referring to William De Vaughn's BE THANKFUL FOR WHAT YOU GOT
******

Yup. I got the info from that message board a year or so ago. Too bad Bobby Eli doesn't come over here and post too! :)

Disco Funk

[remicks]

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A John Davis produced/arranged record from 1975 called THE DISCO KID



if you're a betting man ....gotta be disco right???


Nooo..... it's more of a calypso steel drum swaying under the palm trees kind of tune .... ....


we're gonna stand in line
because its disco time
we gonna feel so fine
just like a romancin'

oh Mr DJ you gotta do it do it do it now
'cause I'm the disco kid
Everybody go dancing .... oh la la la ....

etc.....etc


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[Disco Funk]

Originally Posted by remicks

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A John Davis produced/arranged record from 1975 called THE DISCO KID



if you're a betting man ....gotta be disco right???


Nooo..... it's more of a calypso steel drum swaying under the palm trees kind of tune .... ....


we're gonna stand in line
because its disco time
we gonna feel so fine
just like a romancin'

oh Mr DJ you gotta do it do it do it now
'cause I'm the disco kid
Everybody go dancing .... oh la la la ....

etc.....etc


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I was disappointed with this purchase. I think I bought it in the early 90s before I knew the significance of John Davis. I just saw the name 'Disco Kid' and assumed it would be cool disco, but it was pretty weak.

From the credits on the label, it looks like it was a MelOmega or PhilOmega production, same people who produced William DeVaughan's Be Thankful sessions.

Disco Funk

[Ian_W359]

On impulse - I got the new Bob Sinclar 'Night at the Playboy Mansion' CD set (covered in another post) - which has John Davis's version of 'Bourgie Bourgie' - I have to admit, it is an amazing track (which I can't stop listening to!!!)

I am familiar with the original Ashford & Simpson version (an instrumental 12" version on 'Disco Connection Vol. 2'), but this version takes things up a notch! (Although it does seem slightly sped up on the CD, compared to a version I've heard on YouTube - the same key as the A&S original).

Ian

[SandraDee]

Originally Posted by Disco Funk

Was that given to him by his girlfriends? :)

Disco Funk

Naughty Disco Funk! I'm so glad it isn't just me who lowers the tone round here. It might've been given to him by his boyfriends!