Best Of 70s Soul: Love To The World
William DeVaughn had a daytime job as a civil servant, when he wrote a song called A Cadillac Don't Come Easy, which was eventually re-written to become Be Thankful For What You Got, in 1972. He spent all his savings to buy studio time to get it recorded. Luckily he got in touch with producer John Davis of Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia, used by Philadelphia International Records. The session featured the core members of the famous MFSB group: guitarists Norman Harris and Bobby Eli, drummer Earl Young, vibraphonist Vince Montana and percussionist Larry Washington. Allan Felder developed the separate ad-lib back-up chorus with his sister's vocal group. John Davis played keyboards on the track. Frank Fioravanti, the executive producer and co-ordinator, secured the song's release on Roxbury Records, a subsidiary of Chelsea Records, run by industry veteran Wes Farrell. At the end of the day the record sold nearly two million copies after its release in spring 1974, reaching No. 1 on the US Billboard R&B chart and No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.
When singer Phyllis Hyman had completed her album Sing a Song in 1978 and made it ready to be released, record company Buddah Records was bought by Arista’s head of office, Clive Davis. Sing a Song was categorized “uncommercial,” shelved and released as the retooled Somewhere in My Lifetime later that same year. Despite this difficult turn of events, Hyman made the best of it. The wonderful track Soon Come Again is from the album. I chose to play the unreleased extended version, which includes a gospel choir. Hyman went on to record seven more albums from 1979 to the mid-nineties. Tragically, she took her own life on June 30, 1995.
Tracklist:
Les Hooper – Lady Of The Night (1978)
Rose Royce – Daddy Rich (1976)
Lamont Dozier – Take Off Your Make Up (1973)
Tavares – Bad Times (1979)
Rufus & Chaka Khan – Live In Me (1979)
L.T.D. – Love To The World [Mr. K Edit] (1976)
Barry White – It's Ecstacy When You Lay Down Next To Me (1977)
Odyssey – Battened Ships (1972)
Shuggie Otis – Aht Uh Mi Hed (1974)
Phyllis Hyman – Soon Come Again [Extended Version] (1978)
Natalie Cole & Peabo Bryson – What You Won’t Do (1979)
Bobby Womack – Woman’s Gotta Have It (1972)
William DeVaughn – Be Thankful For What You Got (1973)
Instant Funk – Crying (1979)
Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr. – Nothing Can Stop Me (1976)
Googie & Tom Coppola – Broken Wings (1980)
De Blanc – So You Win Again (1977)
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