The Man Who Impacted The King of Pop (Part2)

Recording Engineer Extraordinaire over Four Decades

A career that has impacted Jazz, Pop,Blue, R&B and Soul to the Signature Sound of Michael Jackson.

Curtis Mayfield produced "The Monkey Time" with 
Bruce Swedien as sound engineer on the classic hit recording.

Bruce was also involved in the recording process of many classic soul recordings that emerged from Chicago when that particular genre began to explode on the local and international stage. He had a keen understanding of how soul music should be expressed in terms of sound. One of his early recording sessions behind the board was with a young up-and-coming soul genius by the name of Curtis Mayfield, one of the key architects of the Chicago Soul Sound. At these sessions were key individuals such as the legendary arranger and producer Johnny Pate, who was responsible for the majority of Curtis Mayfield’s classic hit records over a fifteen year period and played a significant part in the success of Major Lance, whose second Okeh Records recording, “The Monkey Time”, sold over one million copies. It was written and produced by Mayfield and engineered by Swedien.

Four Seasons. The group first four million selling 
records were sound engineered by Bruce Swedien.

Swedien’s first major success was engineering Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons’ gold record “Big Girls Don’t Cry” on VeeJay Records, which stayed at number one on the Billboard R&B and  Soul Singles Chart and also  three weeks at  number one on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Pop Chart for five weeks in 1962.

When Bruce was sound engineering recording projects for VeeJay Records at Universal Recording Studios, Calvin Carter was the label’s A&R man and principal producer. Although Calvin was the main producer at the label, he conducted each recording session with a collective approach, involving arrangers, background singers and studio musicians, to obtain the best results. With the support of Bruce and fellow colleagues, Calvin developed a tremendous feeling for outstanding vocal harmonies and how to achieve the sounds he wanted. The band worked with him to get the best sound, with particular input from Lefty Bates on guitar and Red Holloway, as designated tenor saxophonist and joint arranger.



                                   Researched and compiled by               
                                   Mr K Tomlin Music Historian                   
                                  ©RCM Music/Signaturesoundsonline2013-2014

Quinton Joseph (Part 3)

  "The R&B and Soul Music Drummer with a Signature Touch"

The Chicago Years

One of the best selling
 soundtrack of the early 1970s

During his time as a studio musician at Brunswick Records, Joseph found time to participate in recording sessions at Curtom Records, also located in the “Windy City”. He is featured on all the gold-certified soundtracks produced by the late Curtis Mayfield which include the Billboard Pop Hot 200 Albums and Billboard Top Soul Albums Chart number-one album “Super Fly”, which generated over $20 million for the music industry in North America. In 1975 he did session work for Mayfield playing drums with his friend Phil Upchurch on the soundtrack album and title track  “Let’s Do It Again”, Billboard Hot Soul Singles Chart number-one on the 22^nd November 1975 (2 weeks) and Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart  number-one on the 27^th December 1975 (1 week). The single was also certified gold for one million plus units sold in America, according to the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America).

Natalie Cole's first studio album 
to be certified gold.

While he was working with both Brunswick and Curtom Records, he also played on Natalie Cole’s three gold and platinum-certified albums produced in Chicago at Universal Recording Studios and Curtom Recording Studios. These albums were “Inseparable” “Natalie”, and “Unpredictable”.  These three albums grossed approximately  $15 million during the mid-1970s for the now-defunct Capitol Records, with both “Inseparable (1975) and “Unpredictable” (1977) topping the Billboard Top Soul Albums Chart.

Natalie Cole's second gold 
certified studio album.

In 1976 Joseph played drums along with Phil Upchurch on two chart-topping singles on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles Chart in succession; “Turning Point”, performed by Tyrone Davis and “Inseparable” performed by Natalie Cole. Following the success of the first of these two singles, he also played on one final chart-topping single from Cole’s “Natalie” album entitled “Sophisticated Lady (She’s A Different Lady)”, 19^th June 1976 (1 week).


                                  Researched and compiled by               
                                   Mr K Tomlin Music Historian                   
                                  ©RCM Music/Signaturesoundsonline2013-2014

Billy Davis Jr ( Part 1)

Recording and Advertising Executive Extraordinaire.

       He was one of the key architects in the development of the soul music we so love today!

The late Billy Davis was born on July 11^th 1932 in Detroit. He started his career in the entertainment industry as a songwriter with Berry Gordy in Detroit during the mid 1950s, creating successful songs for his cousin the late Jackie Wilson, under the pseudonym of Tyran Carlo.

 

Their first major international hit was “Reet Petite” released in 1957 on Brunswick Records, which peaked at number six on the British Pop singles chart listings. Interestingly the record repeated its success in the UK Pop singles chart listings by going to number one on 27^th December 1986, for 4 weeks, almost 30 years after its original release and selling in the excess of 700,000 copies to be certified platinum by the BPI (British Phonographic Industry).

 

Billy Davis also did tremendous work with two legendary recording labels noted for their significant contributions to the popularity of Soul and R&B music amongst the record buying public, Chess Records and Motown Records. He was one of the key architects in the development of the soul music we so love today!

                                     
Davis was also involved in the development of Anna Records which started in 1958 and was jointly owned by himself and Berry’s sister Gwen Gordy, whom he dated at that time, before it was brought out by Berry Gordy and became part of the Motown organization.

Researched and compiled by
 Mr K Tomlin Music Historian  
©RCM Music/Signaturesoundsonline 2013
 

 

Mavis Staples Career Highlights.

Mavis was born in the city of Chicago on the 10^th July 1939.

Mavis Staples and the Staple Singers started their recording careers at the locally-based black-owned legendary record label, Vee-Jay records, during the mid-1950s, as a Gospel recording act for the label. During that period they scored a major hit entitled “Uncloudy Day,” which is now a gospel classic.         

Mavis Staples has become the first African American female solo gospel artist from America to reach the number-one position on the Official UK Christian & Gospel Albums Chart on week-ending 6^th July 2013 (1 week), with her newly-released “One True Vine” album on Anti-Records.

                                
                                 

The song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999 under the gospel category. The group had two more songs that were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, starting with “I’ll Take You There”, in 1999 under the R&B and Soul category, which was originally released on Stax Records in 1972. This was followed by “Respect Yourself”, also originally released on Stax Records in 1971 and inducted in 2002 under the R&B and Soul category. They were also inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame under the Performer category in 1999, presented by Lauryn Hill.

In 2010 her record company Anti- Records released an album called “You Are Not Alone” which was produced by Jeff Tweedy and won a Grammy Award in the Best Americana Album vocal or Instrumental category at the 53^rd Grammy Awards Ceremony. This was Mavis’s first Grammy Award as a solo artist.

Time Magazine described the album as "gorgeous", Spin Magazine described the album as "inspiring", with Rolling Stone listing Staples as one of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time.

Mavis Staples has become the first African American female solo gospel artist from America to reach the number-one position on the Official UK Christian & Gospel Albums Chart on week-ending 6^th July 2013 (1 week), with her newly-released “One True Vine” album on Anti-Records. The album was recorded in her home town of Chicago.

Written, researched and compiled by
Music Historian Kevin Tomlin
©RCM Music/Signaturesoundsonline 2013