Happy Birthday Melvin Davis!

Raising a glass to Detroit soul legend Melvin Davis on his birthday with an interview, performance and a few classic recordings.

One For The Weekend: Melvin Davis

The folks at Kent/Ace have just recirculated the Melvin Davis swinger "Wedding Bells" – check it out. 

Happy 80th Birthday Melvin Davis!

Celebrating the 80th birthday of Detroit's Soul Ambassador Melvin Davis with two WDIV-TV appearances and a couple of classics. 

LINKS 

Metro Times Melvin Davis: Agent Double-O-Soul

Metro Times Soul singer Melvin Davis covers Death's "Politicians In My Eyes"

Happy Birthday Melvin Davis!

Cheers to Detroit's Soul Ambassador Melvin Davis on his birthday! Here are a few of his classics. 

Dennis Coffey's smokin' performance with Lyman Woodard Trio to be released

Dennis Coffey's rare recording from Morey Baker's Showplace Lounge is being released by Omnivore on June 1. 

A previously unissued live set from Detroit in 1968!

Dennis Coffey is a guitar legend. From his early work with The Royaltones (who also backed other artists like Del Shannon) — to his run through the Motor City’s independent labels as a session ace — to his pioneering and legendary work with The Funk Brothers, backing band to massive Motown hits like “Just My Imagination,” “Ball Of Confusion (That’s What The World Is Today),” “War,” “Cloud Nine,” “Someday We’ll Be Together” and “Band Of Gold” among many others — he's one of the most important six-string slingers on the Detroit scene during the 60s.

And Dennis didn't slow down for one second during the 70s either as he struck out on his own and had a million selling hit with “Scorpio,” in 1971. He continued his studio session work (notably appearing on “Boogie Fever” by The Sylvers), scored films and produced other artists’ albums like Gallery’s Nice To Be With You and Rodriguez’ cult classic Cold Fact.

The 2000s have found Dennis appearing on the big screen including the 2002 film Standing In The Shadows Of Motown and the 2012’s Searching For Sugarman. And to this very day you can find him playing every Tuesday night in Detroit.

One Night At Morey’s: 1968 is drawn from the residency at Morey Baker’s Showplace Lounge in Detroit by the Lyman Woodard Trio. The trio consisted of Coffey on guitar, brilliant organist, Lyman Woodard, and drummer Melvin Davis, and could be found at Morey’s once a week. They played to a dedicated, often repeat, audience so the band kept the repertoire fresh and changing. One Night At Morey’s: 1968 follows last year’s Hot Coffey In The D: Burnin’ At Morey Baker’s Showplace Lounge released by Resonance Records, also drawn from the Morey’s residency, but with an entirely different track list.

All tracks on One Night At Morey’s: 1968 are previously unissued and come directly from the vaults of Dennis Coffey and producer partner, Mike Theodore. Tracks include original compositions, “Big City Lights,” “Mindbender,” and “Union Station,” as well as surprising and funky covers of “Billie’s Bounce” by Charlie Parker, “Burning Spear” by The Soulful Strings (written and arranged by Richard Evans), “Cissy Strut” by The Meters, “Eleanor Rigby” by The Beatles, “Groovin’” by The Young Rascals, and “I’m A Midnight Mover” by Wilson Pickett co-written by Pickett and Bobby Womack. Check the track list followed by a preview trailer below.

One Night At Morey's: 1968
I’M A MIDNIGHT MOVER
ELEANOR RIGBY
CISSY STRUT
GROOVIN’
BURNING SPEAR
IT’S YOUR THING/UNION STATION
MINDBENDER
BIG CITY LIGHTS
BILLIE’S BOUNCE

Happy Birthday Lyman Woodard!

Remembering the late great Detroit keyboardist with his Saturday Night Special. 

Ding-Dongs calling and Melvin Davis too!

Another day, another Mark Sultan side project, right? This time our favourite turbaned drum thumper who is alternately known as BBQ has thrown in with fellow Montrealer, psychobilly rebel Bloodshot Bill last seen raising a ruckus in Berlin with King Khan as the Tandoori Knights. The gruesome twosome from the city of smoked meat are calling themselves The Ding-Dongs and they ain't messin' around. Well, a little. Evidently, the 13 unhinged tracks of trashy terror they waxed together proved a bit too rock 'n' roll for labels here in Canada  ("We don't really get it – with a name like the Ding-Dongs, we were expecting to hear some glockenspiel").

However, it's just the sort of recklessly raunchy slop that Billy Miller and Miriam Linna have built their Norton recording empire upon so they jumped at the chance to release the Ding Dongs dandy debut which is available now on CD and LP at all right-on record retailers.
To help sell their hot new product, Mark and Bill took a camera out onto the snowy streets of Montreal and forced unsuspecting citizens to listen to a Ding-Dongs tune, then documented their puzzled/annoyed reactions for the info-mercial below. Watch for a cameo appearance by my pal Denis, very convincing in the role of the bemused owner cool Montreal record shop Le Pick-up (169 Avenue des Pins Est at Avenue de l'Hotel de Ville).

 



Melvin Davis comes crawling back

Also new from Norton is a 7-inch single from Detroit R&B swinger Melvin Davis which pairs an unreleased thriller I Won't Come Crawling Back To You recorded in 1962 at D-town's famed Fortune Records cinderblock studio on Third Avenue with his rare rookie brush-off belter for the Jack Pot label, I Don't Want You No More from 1961 – a very good production year. Fans of Davis' Detroit contemporaries such as Gino Washington, Nathaniel Mayer and Andre Williams should take note.

Even better news is that the 67 year-old Groovesville great is still active and will be celebrating the single release with a Detroit performance backed by the Party Stompers featuring former Detroit Cobras guitarist Jeff Meier at the Park Bar (2040 Park Avenue at West Elizabeth) on Saturday, May 15.
As an added attraction, Danny Kroha (of the Gories, Demolition Doll Rods and Rocket 454) will be introducing his new group with a lively opening set and the mayor of Downtown Soulville, Mr. Finewine along with Ann Arbor Soul Club members in good standing Brad Hales and Breck T. Bunce will be spinning an astonishing selection of vintage 45s you're unlikely to hear anywhere else.  Advance tickets for this dyn-o-mite Detroit getdown are just $8 and available from The Crofoot (call 248-858-9333 or see link below). Seems like it could be time for a Motor City road trip.

I Won't Come Crawling Back  by Melvin Davis w/The Party Stompers



LINKS
The Ding-Dongs http://www.myspace.com/officialdingdongs
Norton Records http://www.nortonrecords.com/
Le Pick-up http://www.myspace.com/lepickup
Melvin Davis http://www.myspace.com/melvindavisdetroit
Party Stompers http://www.myspace.com/partystompers
Park Bar http://www.myspace.com/theparkbar
Ann Arbor Soul Club http://www.myspace.com/a2soulclub
The Crofoot http://www.thecrofoot.com/