William DeVaughn [2023] - Thank You - Thank You (For Your Love) (Remastered 2023) [Sound Gems Records]

Regular visitors may recall that a few weeks ago we received a message from writer/producer and Sound Gems owner, Frank Fioravanti, notifying us of the release of a previously unreleased archive recording by William DeVaughn that he found on a tape. The song is "Thank You - Thank You (For Your Love)" written by DeVaughn and produced by Frank.

The recording was a bit warbly, as the tape had been languishing in the vaults for close to 50 years, but Frank told us that he may attempt to improve it. He has contacted us today to inform us that he has now remastered and reissued the song. The improvement can be heard instantaneously, it's crisper and brighter for sure, but don't take our word for it, compare with the original via the link above for yourself.

For those who missed it first time around, it was recorded around 1974 for DeVaughn's debut album "Be Thankful For What You Got" on Roxbury but wasn't finished in time to be included so was scratched. 

To clarify a comment on the last post, Frank confirms that it must have been recorded around 1974/75 as he didn't produce DeVaughn prior to that and the sound is different owing to a different rhythm section on the recording who he was not able to get together to re-record the song.

For more on William DeVaughn we did his discography a few years ago, obviously we will now have to update it!

Click on image below for link to where you can buy from.

Details

Rating:	7.8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Southern Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Sound Gems Records
Cat No:	None
Date:	07/08/2023
Key/BPM:	4A/116
Price:	£1

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

William DeVaughn [2023] - Thank You - Thank You (For Your Love) [Sound Gems Records]

UPDATE: A new remastered version has been released on 7 Aug 2023 which has much better sound quality.

We received a message from writer/producer and Sound Gems owner Frank Fioravanti on Friday notifying us of the release of a previously unreleased archive recording by William DeVaughn that he found on a tape. The song is "Thank You - Thank You (For Your Love)" written by DeVaughn and produced by Frank.

He tells us that it was recorded around 1974 for DeVaughn's debut album "Be Thankful For What You Got" on Roxbury but wasn't finished in time to be included so was scratched.

We thought initially that perhaps it was an earlier recording, as it sounds earlier to these ears, as he began his career playing with bands in Washington D.C. in the 60s and wondered if this was an early demo.

Frank relayed a couple of stories re DeVaughn. There was a DJ called Dr Bop in Milwaukee who 'claimed' that he broke the hit "Be Thankful For What You Got" (nothing changes then lol!). He hired DeVaughn to open for The Dramatics at a concert he promoted in a movie theatre and William stole the show. He was also booked for a tiny venue in NYC and Frank got fellow Philly natives Hall & Oates to sing background vocals for him.

As you can probably detect, the tape is a bit warbly (it is almost 50 years old!) but best efforts have been made to remaster it but Frank tells us that in the past he has had tapes baked to restore them with some success and may try it with this one. 

We won't pretend that it's one of the best songs we've ever heard but it does grow on you with a few plays. It has more of a southern soul feel than most of his recordings and is a nice piece of undiscovered history, so thanks to Frank for making us aware of it to share with you.

It's available to download from the usual places.

For more on William DeVaughn we did his discography a few years ago, obviously we will now have to update it!

Click on image below for link to where you can buy from.

Click icons below for further information or to connect with the artist. 

Details

Rating:	7.8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Southern Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Sound Gems Records
Cat No:	None
Date:	14/07/2023
Key/BPM:	N/A
Price:	£1

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

William DeVaughn - Discography

Following on from the previous post, it started me investigating in full the catalogue of William DeVaughn.

He's possibly only known to many for the 70s classic 'Be Thankful For What You Got', recorded at the famous Sigma Sound Studios in Philly using MFSB musicians, which has been covered by many others in every decade since it's release in 1974, including some of these better ones:

70s Love, Intruders 

80s Craig Peyton, Sunset Gun

90s Portrait, Pauline Henry (The Chimes), Massive Attack, Cleveland Watkiss

00s Omar & Erykah Badu (2000), Omar & Angie Stone (2001), Walter Beasley (2007), Lipbone Redding (2009)

10s Rumer (2015), David C. Johnson (2016), Sade (Live) (2016),  Lady C (2017), Raquel Rodriguez & Stan Taylor (2019) and most recently in May 2020 by J-Felix Feat. Sol Goodman, ... and there's many more especially reggae versions.

He recorded two albums in 1974 and 1980 respectively, and left the music business after the release of 'Figures Can't Calculate' album in 1980 but returned in 2004 releasing a single and a new album 'Time Will Stand Still' in 2008 on his own Mighty Two Diamonds label.  A few unreleased tracks surfaced on various compilations. His latest release was in 2017 with a cover of Junior Walker's - What Does It Take (To Win Your Love) - yet another one covered by many.

After bit of digging I've just discovered that he has released a new single in Sep 2020 New World Living a sample of which is on his website:

Facebook

Website

Image used with permission of copyright owner Eli Meir Kaplan

Discography

Albums

1974 - Be Thankful For What You Got [RLX 100]

Give The Little Man A Great Big Hand

We Are His Children

Blood Is Thicker Than Water

Kiss And Make Up

Be Thankful For What You Got

Sing A Love Song

You Can Do It

Something's Being Done

You Gave Me A Brand New Start 

A bonus previously unreleased track which began to appear on reissues of the album after 1989. It was originally released by High & Mighty (their only release) on Chelsea in 1974 which is quite an in demander fetching between £100-£150 with only one currently available on Discogs for £200.

1980 - Figures Can't Calculate The Love I Have For You [TEC SA 1200]

Figures Can't Calculate

Love Comes So Easy

Boogie Dan

You Send Me

Be Thankful For What You Got (New Version)

I Never Found Me A Girl (Who Loves Me Like You Do)

Hold On To Love

Mighty Two Diamonds (His own label - very hard to find!)

2008 - Time Will Stand Still [30474] (NB link takes you to samples on AllMusic)

What's Goin' On (Marvin Gaye)

Mr Politician

Figures Can’t Calculate

Be Thankful For What You Got 2008

Time Will Stand Still

I Came Back

Never Too Much Love /Choice Of Colors (Curtis Mayfield)

Same People 4:49

Cry On Me

Same People 4:50

Singles

Roxbury

1974 Be Thankful For What You Got / Be Thankful For What You Got (Part 2) [BRB0-0236]

1974 Blood Is Thicker Than Water / Blood Is Thicker Than Water (Part II) [RB 2001]

1974 Give The Little Man A Great Big Hand / Something's Being Done [RB 2005]

1974 Kiss And Make Up / Sing A Love Song [RB-2018]

Tec

1980 Figures Can't Calculate / Hold-On-To-Love [TEC 767]

1980 Be Thankful For What You Got / You Send Me [TEC 770]

An updated, 'bouncier' 1980 version c/w Sam Cooke cover.

HSRC

1982 Crème De Crème / Crème De Crème (Instrumental) [WS4-03279]

Mighty Two Diamonds (His own label)

2004 I Came Back

A mellow modern soul stepper

Sound Gems

2014 Staying Power (From Lost Soul Gems)

A smooth soul ballad/stepper

2014 Love Ballad of the Year (From Lost Soul Gems)

Ballad

2016 Love in Any Language (From Lost Soul Gems)

Mid-tempo modern soul

2017 What Does It Take (to Win Your Love for Me) / I Gotta Dance To Keep From Crying

A cover of Jr. Walker & The All-Stars - too 'synthesised' to these ears!

2020 New World Living (snippet only)

William DeVaughn [1980] - Figures Can't Calculate / Hold On To Love [Tec #TEC 767]

Will you find a much better 45 for under a fiver? A good double-sider with a silky smooth soul ballad/stepper from William DeVaughn taken from his second album of the same name, backed with Hold On To Love, nice mid-tempo modern soul.

William DeVaughn [1980] - Figures Can't Calculate [Tec #TEC 767]

William DeVaughn [1980] - Hold On To Love [Tec #TEC 767]