Soul Strut 100: # 84 - WILLIAM DEVAUGHN - Be Thankful For What You Got
RAJ
tenacious local 7,782 Posts
I will slowly be unveiling the Top 100 Soul Strut Related Records as Voted by the Strutters Themselves.
# 84 - WILLIAM DEVAUGHN - Be Thankful For What You Got
Please discuss your reactions to this record. The thread will be archived later here.
Wikipedia
DeVaughn was a salaried government employee as a drafting technician (according to Casey Kasem,[citation needed] he designed sewers), part-time singer,[1] and member of the Jehovah's Witnesses.[citation needed] DeVaughn wrote "A Cadillac Don't Come Easy", eventually re-written to become "Be Thankful for What You Got", in 1972, and spent $900 toward its development[vague] to Omega Sound [A Philadelphia Production House][2] The producers at Omega wrote a smooth arrangement, eventually booking time to record at Sigma Sound Studio in Philadelphia. The session featured members of the MFSB group ??? guitarist Norman Harris, drummer Earl Young, bassist Ron Baker,[citation needed] and vibist Vince Montana ??? secured by Allan Felder, who also developed the separate adlib back-up chorus with his sister's vocal choir.[3] Frank Fioravanti, a coproducer, secured the song's release release on the Roxbury Records record label.[4]
The record sold nearly two million copies on its release in spring 1974, reaching #1 on the U.S. R&B charts and #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, selling a million copies.[5] The track saw two chart entries in the UK, with the record peaking at #31 (1974), and #44 (1980), in the UK Singles Chart.[6] With a sound and content influenced by Curtis Mayfield, its simple and encouraging lyrics hit home, to the extent that it became featured on gospel radio stations. When his success as a recording artist seemed guaranteed, DeVaughn quit his government job.
DeVaughn released an album, featuring mostly songs of an overtly religious character, and the second single, "Blood Is Thicker Than Water", made the R&B top ten and the pop top fifty later in 1974; "Give the Little Man a Great Big Hand" had minor success early the next year.[7] Live, DeVaughn preached to and admonished his audience from the stage. He lost interest in the music industry not long after, working in a record store and again as a draftsman. Fioravanti kept Devaughn under contract[citation needed] hoping to eventually get recording again but it was not until 1980 that they would hook up for new projects. Fioravanti made a mistake by giving the new album Figures Can't Calculate to TEC Records[citation needed] included the title song, which was a minor R&B hit, and a remake of "Be Thankful for What You Got". TEC never paid out any royalties.[citation needed] Soon after Devaughn recorded another Fioravanti tune, "Creme de Cream", released in Europe on the "Red Bus" label. Until this point Fioravanti produced or co-produced all of the singles and albums.
In 2004, DeVaughn released a new single, "I Came Back", on his own Mighty Two Diamond Records.
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# 84 - WILLIAM DEVAUGHN - Be Thankful For What You Got
Please discuss your reactions to this record. The thread will be archived later here.
Wikipedia
DeVaughn was a salaried government employee as a drafting technician (according to Casey Kasem,[citation needed] he designed sewers), part-time singer,[1] and member of the Jehovah's Witnesses.[citation needed] DeVaughn wrote "A Cadillac Don't Come Easy", eventually re-written to become "Be Thankful for What You Got", in 1972, and spent $900 toward its development[vague] to Omega Sound [A Philadelphia Production House][2] The producers at Omega wrote a smooth arrangement, eventually booking time to record at Sigma Sound Studio in Philadelphia. The session featured members of the MFSB group ??? guitarist Norman Harris, drummer Earl Young, bassist Ron Baker,[citation needed] and vibist Vince Montana ??? secured by Allan Felder, who also developed the separate adlib back-up chorus with his sister's vocal choir.[3] Frank Fioravanti, a coproducer, secured the song's release release on the Roxbury Records record label.[4]
The record sold nearly two million copies on its release in spring 1974, reaching #1 on the U.S. R&B charts and #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, selling a million copies.[5] The track saw two chart entries in the UK, with the record peaking at #31 (1974), and #44 (1980), in the UK Singles Chart.[6] With a sound and content influenced by Curtis Mayfield, its simple and encouraging lyrics hit home, to the extent that it became featured on gospel radio stations. When his success as a recording artist seemed guaranteed, DeVaughn quit his government job.
DeVaughn released an album, featuring mostly songs of an overtly religious character, and the second single, "Blood Is Thicker Than Water", made the R&B top ten and the pop top fifty later in 1974; "Give the Little Man a Great Big Hand" had minor success early the next year.[7] Live, DeVaughn preached to and admonished his audience from the stage. He lost interest in the music industry not long after, working in a record store and again as a draftsman. Fioravanti kept Devaughn under contract[citation needed] hoping to eventually get recording again but it was not until 1980 that they would hook up for new projects. Fioravanti made a mistake by giving the new album Figures Can't Calculate to TEC Records[citation needed] included the title song, which was a minor R&B hit, and a remake of "Be Thankful for What You Got". TEC never paid out any royalties.[citation needed] Soon after Devaughn recorded another Fioravanti tune, "Creme de Cream", released in Europe on the "Red Bus" label. Until this point Fioravanti produced or co-produced all of the singles and albums.
In 2004, DeVaughn released a new single, "I Came Back", on his own Mighty Two Diamond Records.
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Top Ten Summer Songs (RR)
What are you listening to now?
Media
Comments
Very easy record to listen to in its entirety.
So fuckin' smooottth.
And I wish like hell that somebody would delete that Youtube posting that identifies this song as "Diamond In The Back" by Curtis Mayfield. Sheer lunacy.
Loved it ever since, and ya, the whole LP's a solid play
Lately I've been feeling this version:
which is the only cover that can compete with the absolutely gorgeous original. the intruders version is a (not close) third.
Peace,
Big Stacks from Kakalak
Cheers,
Thomas
definite cosign the summer time music sentiment
The German release on EMI from 1980 is the only one I've seen but don't know if that version also dates back to '74 or was just a later edit. I like it.
Now, I think we may have had this discussion, but...
Diamonds in the back? Upholstery? Custom windows? Women?
Lean? Limousine?
GREAT sumertime music and this tune, inparticuliar, is really doing it for me
great tune, great message, especially these days.
There was an uptempo remake on his 1980 album, Figures Can't Calculate The Love I Have For You (on the TEC label).
**shaking my head**