{"id":3075,"date":"2012-08-12T11:32:22","date_gmt":"2012-08-12T16:32:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/funky16corners.com\/?p=3075"},"modified":"2012-09-08T15:59:22","modified_gmt":"2012-09-08T20:59:22","slug":"carl-davis-1934-2012","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/funky16corners.com\/?p=3075","title":{"rendered":"Carl Davis 1934 – 2012"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/strong>\"Example\"
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\nCarl Davis<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>\"Example\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

Clockwise from top left: Major Lance, Walter Jackson, Jackie Wilson, Billy Butler
\nBelow: The Artistics<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>\"Example\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

Listen\/Download Billy Butler – Right Track <\/em><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong>
\nListen\/Download Billy Butler – I’ll Bet You <\/em><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong>
\nListen\/Download Major Lance – Too Hot To Hold <\/em><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong>
\nListen\/Download Walter Jackson – Funny (Not Much) <\/em><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong>
\nListen\/Download Jackie Wilson – I Get the Sweetest Feeling <\/em><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong>
\nListen\/Download The Artistics – What Happened <\/em><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/del><\/p>\n

Greetings all and welcome to another week here at the intersection of all things soulful.<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

It was near the end of last week that I heard that the great producer\u00a0Carl Davis<\/strong> had passed away.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re a fan and\/or collector of classic Chicago soul, his is a name that looms large (and appears constantly at the bottom of 45 labels).<\/p>\n

Davis was one of the first black A&R men and one of the most important producers involved in soul music during the 60s.<\/p>\n

He produced countless classic sessions for the Okeh and Brunswick labels, both crucibles for the development of the Chicago \u201csound\u201d.<\/p>\n

While I would not classify myself as an expert on Chicago soul, I am without any shadow of a doubt a huge fan and devotee thereof.<\/p>\n

Many of my favorite soul 45s came out of the Windy City, and Carl Davis was the producer on many of those.<\/p>\n

Davis worked with a wide variety of performers, solo artists and groups, and his style was marked by the ability tomake records that were simultaneously lush and economical.<\/p>\n

Few had Davis\u2019s ability create records so full of life and dynamic range yet utterly uncluttered.<\/p>\n

He could layer rhythm sections, horns, strings and vocals and still manage to have the various elements inhabit their own distinct spaces.<\/p>\n

His productions were bright, exciting and sometimes even explosive.<\/p>\n

Though Davis produced some of the biggest hit records to come out of Chicago, I\u2019d like to feature a couple of lesser known killers as well.<\/p>\n

Davis worked extensively with\u00a0Major Lance <\/strong>and produced\u00a0\u2018Um Um Um Um Um\u2019, but my fave Davis\/Lance collab is \u2018Too Hot To Hold\u2019, which made it into the outer reaches of the R&B Top 40 in 1965. Check out the way the smoothness of the female backing vocals almost (but not quite) clash with the over-the-top-ness of the male voices, especially the \u2018Hey! Hey! Hey!\u2019s.<\/p>\n

Billy Butler<\/strong> has always been the connoiseur\u2019s choice when it comes to Chitown soul singers. While never as successful as his older brother Jerry<\/strong>, he did manage to place four sides into the R&B Top 40 between 1965 and 1971.<\/p>\n

\u2018Right Track\u2019, from 1966 is rightly regarded as a soul anthem. It features a unstoppable arrangement that builds gradually, never overwhelming Butler\u2019s vocals.<\/p>\n

A year later, Butler would record one of the best versions of the oft covered George Clinton\/Sidney Barnes\/Theresa Lindsey<\/strong> classic \u2018I\u2019ll Bet You\u2019. Whereas later versions (Funkadelic, Jackson 5<\/strong>) take the song at a slow, almost sinister tempo, Butler\u2019s version moves along at a brisk pace, which made it a favorite on Northern Soul dance floors. The production is wonderful, but the recording of the drums especially is remarkable. Limited largely to the closed hi-hat and the snare (with occasional handclaps and congas) , Davis kept the drums high \u00a0in the mix, allowing them to drive the record without smothering the rest of the band.<\/p>\n

It remains one of my favorite sides on Brunswick.<\/p>\n

Davis also did a lot of work with balladeer Walter Jackson<\/strong>. Though he\u2019s not as well remembered as many of his contemporaries, Jackson chocked up a significant number of R&B hits between 1964 and his untimely death in 1983.<\/p>\n

I first heard \u2018Funny (Not Much)\u2019 some years ago on a comp, and promptly fell in love with it. I\u2019m not surprised that the record – from 1966 \u2013 didn\u2019t chart. The jazzy, supper club arrangement sounds about 10 years past its prime, but is undeniably beautiful. The arrangement is lush with strings, yet Davis lets the piano, guitar and vibes pop up into the mix just enough to lend the record an air of intimacy. Jackson\u2019s voice is remarkable, yet just flawed enough to be interesting.<\/p>\n

The best known record featured today is a longtime favorite, Jackie Wilson\u2019s<\/strong> \u2018I Get the Sweetest Feeling\u2019. Grazing the R&B Top 10 (as well as the Pop Top 40) in the summer of 1968, \u2018I Get the Sweetest Feeling\u2019 is the biggest hit of the Davis productions on this list.<\/p>\n

\u2018I Get the Sweetest Feeling\u2019 is two minutes and forty three seconds of absolute perfection. One of those soul records that is soulful yet almost pure pop, lush yet also danceable, and featuring one of Jackie Wilson\u2019s finest vocals. \u2018I Get the Sweetest Feeling\u2019 is also an example of a perfectly produced side.<\/p>\n

Davis brings in the vocals, strings, drums, backing vocals and horns, maintaining the perfect amount of space between them all, allowing Wilson\u2019s voice to ride effortlessly atop the whole thing. The record is bright and open, without ever going over the top, restrained without ever making you think your missing something.<\/p>\n

Like all of the finest records, the ultimate intersection of art and craft.<\/p>\n

The final record I bring you is in many ways the most experimental, progressive 45 on this list.<\/p>\n

The Artistics<\/strong> were around on the fringes of the Chicago scene, working as backing vocalists on Okeh sessions for Davis, eventually recording a handful of singles for the label.<\/p>\n

They moved on to Brunswick in 1966 and hit the charts a few times over the next five years.<\/p>\n

‘What Happened’ was released in 1967, and as I said when I first wrote about the record back in 2009,<\/a> it is one of the finest examples of baroque, almost psychedelic touches working their way onto the soul palette. Davis (who produced with Eugene Record<\/strong>) brings in fuzz guitar, string quartet, organ and piano to lay down a foundation for the Artistics build their mighty harmonies on.<\/p>\n

It never fails to amaze me that a record this good failed to chart.<\/p>\n

Carl Davis went on to form the Dakar and Chi Sound labels, eventually working with – and making hits for \u2013 almost every major Chicago-based artist.<\/p>\n

He was a master and he will be missed.<\/p>\n

Keep the faith<\/strong><\/p>\n

Larry<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/strong>\"Example\"<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong>
\n___________________________________________________________________________________________
\n <\/strong>\"Example\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

Also, the brand new Funky16Corners ‘Keep Calm and Stay Funky’ stickers have arrived!<\/strong><\/p>\n

The stickers are 4″ x 3″ and printed on high quality, glossy stock.<\/strong><\/p>\n

They are $2.00 each, with free shipping in the US ($2.00 per order shipping outside of the US).<\/strong><\/p>\n

Click here to go to the ordering page.<\/strong><\/a>
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/strong>
\nAlso, make sure that you check out the links below to the Be The Match Foundation and POAC (click on the logos for more info).
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>\"Example\"<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

<\/strong>\"Example\"<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

If you want one of the new Funky16Corners stickers (free, of course) click here for info.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Check out the Funky16Corners Store at Cafe Press<\/a><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.<\/a><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Carl Davis Clockwise from top left: Major Lance, Walter Jackson, Jackie Wilson, Billy Butler Below: The Artistics Listen\/Download Billy Butler – Right Track Listen\/Download Billy Butler – I’ll Bet You Listen\/Download Major Lance – Too Hot To Hold Listen\/Download Walter Jackson – Funny (Not Much) Listen\/Download Jackie Wilson – I Get the Sweetest Feeling Listen\/Download […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[43,14,24,69,64,12,18],"tags":[171,166,169,164],"class_list":["post-3075","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-chicago-soul","category-funky16corners","category-northern-soul","category-original-versions","category-rb","category-soul","category-soul-45","tag-chicago-soul","tag-funky16corners","tag-northern-soul","tag-soul"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pMKgo-NB","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/funky16corners.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3075","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/funky16corners.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/funky16corners.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/funky16corners.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/funky16corners.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3075"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/funky16corners.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3075\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3144,"href":"https:\/\/funky16corners.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3075\/revisions\/3144"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/funky16corners.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3075"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/funky16corners.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3075"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/funky16corners.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3075"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}