Kent 154 - Dave Hamiltons Detroit Dancers - vol 01(1998) Various Artists - Rare Soul+++Full Artwork

Detroit Soul wouldnt have sounded the same without the imput of the Late great Dave hamilton.The Funk Brothers place in soul music’s history is assured. They were Motown’s studio band between 1959 and 1972, when Motown moved to Los Angeles. By then, The Funk Brothers were the most successful studio band in the history of soul music. Fifty years later, and that’s still the case. However, there was life after The Funk Brothers.That was the case for Marvin Gaye, Jack Ashford. Ray Parker Jr., Earl Van Dyke, Bob Babbit and Wah Wah Watson. They went on to enjoy long and successful careers after they left The Funk Brothers. So did guitarist DAVE HAMILTON.Dave Hamilton was one of the original members of the The Funk Brothers. He was there in 1959, and spent three years playing guitar and vibes on early Motown recordings. Then in 1962, Dave left The Funk Brothers and embarked on a solo career.By then, Dave had already released a single with Dave Hamilton and His Peppers. This was Donna’s Cha Cha, which was released on the Hi-Q label. On its release, Donna’s Cha Cha  disappeared without trace. So Dave returned to The Funk Brothers. Then in 1962, Dave left The Funk Brothers for good.A year later, in 1963, Dave Hamilton released his debut album Blue Vibrations on the Motown jazz imprint, Workshop Jazz. Late Freight was released as the lead single from Blue Vibrations. However, neither Blue Vibrations, nor Late Freight was a commercial success. Nor was the First single from Dave Hamilton and His Peppers.Three years after the release of their debut single, Dave Hamilton and His Peppers released their next single Beatle Walk. It was released on Fortune Records in 1964. Just like Donna’s Cha Cha, Beatle Walk wasn’t a commercial success. Just two years into his new career, and it looked like Dave,s career wasn’t going anywhere. Dave must have realised this, and decided to embark on a career as a producer.This proved to be the best decision of his musical career. It was as a producer, that he excelled. Although he continued to release the occasional single, Dave is remembered as a talented and successful producer. That’s why Dave,s productions have been documented and celebrated by Kent Soul, an imprint of Ace Records since 1998.Since Ace Records secured the rights to Dave Hamilton’s productions in 1998, four compilations of Dave Hamilton’s Detroit Dancers on have been released. The first was Dave Hamilton’s Detroit Dancers,featured here today. It was released CD in 1998. Another three volumes of Dave Hamilton’s Detroit Dancers followed in 1999, 2006 and 2011,all on  CD.  The CD,s are still knocking around but getting harder to obtain.Opening Dave Hamilton’s Detroit Dancers is Little Ann’s What Should I Do. This is the first of three tracks from Little Ann, whose real name is Joanne Jackson. Originally, though many people thought it was Rose Valentine,this was due to the fact it was "covered up" to hide the identity and maintain its rarity,crazy i agree ,but back in the day,UK Northern Jocks guarded their Rare records by this absurd exercise. That was the name on the label of the version of What Should I Do being played on the Northern Soul scene around 2000. It only later came to light that it was Little Ann that recorded the single which was produced by Dave.. It was also released as a single by Kent Records. Not only had a mystery been solved, but one of the hidden gems of the Northern Soul scene was available to a much wider, and appreciative audience.The Album showcases a talented and underrated singer, who never came close to enjoying the success she deserved.Several of the artists on Dave Hamilton’s Detroit Dancers Volumes feature quite a few times. This includes Tobi Lark(Tobi Legend), who in 1966, released Challenge My Love as a single. It was penned and produced Dave Hamilton, and released on the Topper label. It’s a very,very rare single. Copies are almost impossible to find. That’s because so few copies were sold. That’s surprising, given the quality of Tobi Lark’s hurt-filled vocal.. Just like Little Ann, Tobi Lark(Tobi Legend) never enjoyed the commercial success her talent warranted.Dottie and Millie only ever released one single,  Talkin’ About My Baby, which was penned and produced by Dave & released on the Topper label, just before Tobi Lark’s Challenge My Love. Sadly, it suffered the same fate. The result is a truly irresistible and dance-floor friendly track.O.C. Tolbert features on the series,again he never was to attain any recognition for his talent.  You Got Me Turned Around became another favourite on the Northern Soul scene.The Ravines’ Your Love Is What I Want is easily one of the rarest tracks on the album. Copies just don’t change hands. Those fortunate to have a copy, aren’t for selling. When copies come up for sale, buyers exceed sellers.the single was released in 1965, on the short-lived Demo Ristic label, is seen by some as soul perfection... J.T. Rhythm are responsible for what’s without doubt, one of the highlights of Dave Hamilton’s Detroit Dancers, My Sweet Baby. It was penned and produced by Dave Hamilton and Rony Darrel. They’re responsible for what’s a quite beautiful Northern Soul ballad. Originally, My Sweet Baby was the B-Side to J.T. Rhythm’s 1967 single All I Want Is You, which was released on the Palmer Record Company. Sadly, the single disappeared without trace, and copies are almost impossible to find. So, in 1998, My Sweet Baby was chosen as one of the tracks to feature on the first volume of Dave Hamilton’s Detroit Dancers. At last, this beautiful, elegiac ballad was being heard by a wider audience.....Danny Cobus recorded The Two Of Us is back in 1968. Sadly, it lay unreleased in Dave Hamilton’s vaults until 1999. By then, Ace Records were about to release Dave Hamilton’s Detroit Dancers Volume 2. The Two Of Us, which  Dave Hamilton and Rony Darrell composed, and Dave produced, found its way onto Dave Hamilton’s Detroit Dancers Volume 2. At last this hidden soulful gem was being heard by a wider audience. Then in 2007, Kent Select released The Two Of Us as a single. On the flip side was Chico and Buddy’s You Won’t Miss The Water, which Dave Hamilton wrote and produced. It first featured on Dave Hamilton’s Detroit Dancers in 1998. years later, and You Won’t Miss The Water made a welcome return on this limited edition single. Only 500 copies were pressed and quickly snapped up by eager record buyers, keen to acquire two long, lost soulful delights.....James Lately and Dave Hamilton co-wrote James’ debut single, Love, Friends And Money. It was released on the Temple label in 1965. What followed was a familiar story.  Love, Friends And Money, wasn’t a commercial success. That’s despite a needy, hopeful and soul-baring vocal from James. He didn’t release a followup to Love, Friends And Money, and was lost to music.Although Dave was spending most of his time producing other artists, he hadn’t given up on his solo career. So in 1967, Dave released Shoop Doop as a single. It was released on the Demo Ristic label, but just like Dave’s earlier singles, failed to find an audience. Sadly, it was only later, that Dave Hamilton’s music found an audience, especially within the Northern Soul scene & Uk Collectors..... Priscilla Page and Rony Darrel’s You Did  was released on the Topper label, in 1965 another Detroit rarity.Although it’s a tale of heartbreak, it’s not short of hooks. It’s a call to dance that will have dancers sweeping their way across the dance-floor.This series of albums will appeal to both veterans of the Dave Hamilton’s Detroit Dancers series and newcomers to the series. It features a mixture of familiar faces and hidden gems. All of them have one thing in common, they’re dance-floor & Listening friendly. Some of the tracks may be fifty Plus years old, but they’ll still fill a dance-floor. That’s partly down to one man, Dave Hamilton.While Dave may not have as high a profile as some soul producers, he was a successful and talented producer. He had the uncanny knack of bringing out the best in artists and groups. Sometimes, he transformed careers. Sadly, just like any producer, some of Dave,s singles failed to find the audience they deserved. As a result, these songs are now extremely rare.That’s because very few copies of the singles sold. Despite their rarity, a few fortunate DJs and collectors picked up copies of Dave,s productions, including yours truly on my 3 visits to this incredible city i love so much Detroit. Many of these rarities were found years ago, in warehouses and basements of dusty record shops. Back then, these singles cost pennies. Nowadays, the same singles cost hundreds, if not thousands of pounds...£££... However, fortunately, those unable to afford such exorbitant prices, can always pick up the Dave Hamilton’s Detroit Dancers compilation series.You guys included! So this gives you an insight to telling the story of Dave Hamilton’s career as a producer,Writer & Label owner.Dave sadly passed in 1994.

AMM

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