Tag Archives: Dennis Coffey

The Undisputed Truth: Cosmic Truth

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In June 1975, “Gordy” label released “Cosmic Truth”, the fifth Undisputed Truth (The) studio album. It was recorded 1974 – 1975, at “Motown / Hitsville U.S.A. Recording Studios” in Hollywood, and was produced by Norman Whitfield.

Personnel:

  • Joe “Pep” Harris – lead vocals
  • Billie Rae Calvin – co-lead and backing vocals
  • Brenda Joyce Evans – co-lead and backing vocals
  • Dennis Coffey, Eddie Willis, Johnny McGhee, Melvin “Wah Wah” Ragin, Paul Warren – guitar
  • Mark Davis – keyboards
  • Henry Davis – bass
  • Eddie Green, Eddie Fisher, James Gadson, Zachary Slatter – drums
  • Eddie “Bongo” Brown – congas
  • Bob Zimitte – timpani
  • Angel Balestier, Bob Robitaille, Glenn Jordan – engineer
  • Art Stewart – engineer, mastering
  • Norman Whitfield – mastering
  • Katarina Pettersson – art direction
  • Bob Gleason – illustration
  • Jim Britt – photography

Track listing:

  1. Earthquake Shake – Joe Harris, Norman Whitfield
  2. Down by the River – Neil Young
  3. UFO’s – Norman Whitfield
  4. Lil’ Red Ridin Hood – Norman Whitfield
  5. Squeeze Me, Tease Me – Norman Whitfield
  6. Spaced Out – Norman Whitfield
  7. Got To Get My Hands on Some Lovin’ – Norman Whitfield
  8. 1990 – Norman Whitfield
  9. I Know I’m Losing You – Cornelius Grant, Eddie Holland, Norman Whitfield

David Ruffin: Me ‘n Rock ‘n Roll Are Here to Stay

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In December 1974, “Motown” label released “Me ‘n Rock ‘n Roll Are Here to Stay”, the fifth David Ruffin album. It was recorded 1973 – 1974, at “Motown Recording Studios” in Hollywood, and was produced by Norman Whitfield and Mark Davis.

Personnel:

  • David Ruffin – vocals
  • Dennis Coffey, Eddie Willis, Johnny McGhee, Melvin Ragin – guitar
  • Earl Van Dyke, Mark Davis – keyboards
  • Henry Davis, Ron Brown – bass
  • Aaron Smith, Ed Greene, James Gadson – drums
  • Eddie “Bongo” Brown, Stephanie Spruill – percussion
  • Mykal Moore – saxophone
  • Freddy Dunn, Kenny Copeland – trumpet
  • Carolyn Willis, Jessie Kirkland, Joe Greene, Julia Waters, Lisa Roberts, Luther Waters, Maxine Waters, Oren Waters – backing vocals

Track listing:

  1. I Saw You When You Met Her – Norman Whitfield
  2. Take Me Clear from Here – Vincent DiMirco
  3. Smiling Faces Sometimes – Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong
  4. Me ‘n Rock ‘n Roll Are Here to Stay – Norman Whitfield
  5. Superstar (Remember How You Got Where You Are) – Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong
  6. No Matter Where – Clarence Drayton, Tamy Smith
  7. City Stars – Charles Higgins Jr, Dobie Gray
  8. I Just Want to Celebrate – Dino Fekaris, Nick Zesses

Doug Sahm: Texas Tornado

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In December 1973, “Atlantic” label released “Texas Tornado”, the second Doug Sahm studio album. It was recorded in October 1972, at “Atlantic Studios” and “Wally Heider Studios” in San Francisco, and was produced by Jerry Wexler, Arif Mardin and Doug Sahm.

Personnel:

  • Doug Sahm – vocals, guitar, bajo sexto, fiddle, electric piano, arrangements
  • Atwood Allen – acoustic guitar, harmony
  • Frank Paredes – vocals, rhythm guitar
  • Luis Ortéga – vocals, rhythm guitar
  • Charlie Owens – steel guitar
  • Andy Statman – mandolin
  • Mike Nock – electric piano
  • George Stubbs – electric piano
  • Flaco Jiménez – accordion
  • Augie Meyers – Vox Continental
  • Dr. John – piano, organ
  • Jack Barber – bass
  • Steve Vargas – bass
  • George Rains – drums
  • Pancho Morales – percussion
  • Warren Chiasson – vibraphone
  • David Bromberg – dobro
  • Kenny Kosek – fiddle
  • Rocky Morales – tenor saxophone
  • David “Fathead” Newman – tenor saxophone, flute
  • Martin Fierro – tenor saxophone
  • Mel Martin – tenor and baritone saxophone
  • Wayne Jackson – trumpet
  • Jack Wilmoth – trumpet
  • Charley MacBirney – trumpet
  • Neil Rosengarden – flugelhorn
  • Jimmy Douglass – engineer
  • Ken Hopkins – engineer, mixing
  • Dan Healy – mixing
  • Lew Hahn – mixing

Track listing:

All tracks by Doug Sahm.

  1. San Francisco FM Blues
  2. Someday
  3. Blue Horizon
  4. Tennessee Blues
  5. Ain’t That Loving You
  6. Texas Tornado
  7. Jaun Mendoza
  8. Chicano
  9. I’ll Be There
  10. Hard Way
  11. Nitty Gritty

Rodriguez: Cold Fact

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In March 1970, “Sussex Records” label released “Cold Fact”, the debut studio Rodriguez studio album. It was recorded August – September 1969, in Detroit, and was produced by Mike Theodore and Dennis Coffey.

Personnel:

  • Rodriguez (Sixto Rodriguez) – vocals, acoustic guitar
  • Dennis Coffey – electric guitar, bass
  • Mike Theodore – keyboards, brass and string arrangements
  • Bob Babbitt – bass
  • Andrew Smith – drums
  • Bob Pangborn – percussion
  • Leader Carl Reatz – baritone saxophone, trombone
  • Detroit Symphony (leader Gordon Staples) – strings
  • Friends and family of Joyce Vincent and Telma Hopkins – children’s choir
  • Mike Theodore – arrangements, engineer
  • Dennis Coffey – arrangements
  • Ray Hall – remix
  • Nancy Chester (See/Hear! & How!) – design
  • Ransier and Anderson – photography

Track listing:

All tracks by Sixto Rodriguez, except where noted.

  1. Sugar Man
  2. Only Good for Conversation
  3. Crucify Your Mind
  4. This Is Not a Song, It’s an Outburst: Or, the Establishment Blues
  5. Hate Street Dialogue – Gary Harvey, Mike Theodore, Dennis Coffey
  6. Forget It
  7. Inner City Blues
  8. I Wonder
  9. Like Janis
  10. Gommorah (A Nursery Rhyme) – Gary Harvey, Mike Theodore, Dennis Coffey
  11. Rich Folks Hoax
  12. Jane S. Piddy

The Undisputed Truth: Face to Face With the Truth

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In January 1972, “Gordy” label released “Face to Face with the Truth”, the second Undisputed Truth (The) album. It was recorded in 1971, and was produced by Norman Whitfield.

Personnel:

  • Joe “Pep” Harris – lead vocals
  • Billie Rae Calvin – additional lead and backing vocals
  • Brenda Joyce Evans – additional lead and backing vocals
  • Dennis Coffey – lead guitar
  • Melvin Ragin, Robert White, Eddie Willis, Joe Messina – guitar
  • Earl Van Dyke – piano
  • Johnny Griffin – organ
  • James Jamerson – bass
  • Aaron Smith, Richard Allen, Andrew Smith – drums
  • Eddie Brown – bongos, congas
  • Jack Ashford – tambourine, maracas, percussion
  • Jack Brokensha – timpani, vibraphone, bells
  • Norman Whitfield – engineer, mastering, art concept

Track listing:

  1. You Make Your Own Heaven and Hell Right Here on Earth
  2. What It Is
  3. Ungena Za Ulimwengu (Unite the World) / Friendship Train
  4. Superstar (Remember How You Got Where You Are)
  5. Take Me in Your Arms and Love Me
  6. Don’t Let Him take Your Love from Me
  7. What’s Going On

Ringo Starr: Goodnight Vienna

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On November 15, 1974, “Apple” label released “Goodnight Vienna”, the fourth Ringo Starr studio album. It was recorded in August 1974, at “Sunset Sound” in Los Angeles, and was produced by Richard Perry.

Personnel:

  • Ringo Starr – lead vocals, drums, percussion
  • John Lennon – piano, acoustic guitar, backing vocals
  • Vini Poncia – acoustic guitar, backing vocals
  • Richard Bennett – electric guitar
  • Dennis Coffey – guitars
  • Steve Cropper – electric guitar
  • Jesse Ed Davis – electric guitar
  • Robbie Robertson – guitars
  • Alvin Robinson – guitar
  • Lon Van Eaton – guitars
  • Dr. John – piano, backing vocals
  • Elton John – piano
  • David Foster – piano
  • Tom Hensley – electric piano
  • Nicky Hopkins – electric piano
  • Lincoln Mayorga – piano
  • Billy Preston – electric piano, clavinet
  • James Newton Howard – synthesizer
  • Gary Wright – keyboards
  • Carl Fortina – accordion
  • Klaus Voormann – bass guitar
  • Richard Perry – bass guitar, backing vocals
  • Jim Keltner – drums
  • Chuck Findley – horns
  • Bobby Keys – horns
  • Trevor Lawrence – horns
  • Lew McCreary – horns
  • Steve Madaio – trumpet
  • Madeline Bell – backing vocals
  • Lesley Duncan – backing vocals
  • Jean Gilbert – backing vocals
  • Jimmy Gilstrap – backing vocals
  • Joe Greene – backing vocals
  • Ira Hawkins – backing vocals
  • Clydie King – backing vocals
  • Linda Lawrence – backing vocals
  • Harry Nilsson – backing vocals
  • May Pang – backing vocals
  • Masst Alberts – backing vocals
  • Derrek Van Eaton – backing vocals
  • Cynthia Webb – backing vocals

Track listing:

  1. (It’s All Down to) Goodnight Vienna – John Lennon
  2. Occapella – Allen Toussaint
  3. Oo-Wee – Vini Poncia, Richard Starkey
  4. Husbands and Wives – Roger Miller
  5. Snookeroo – Elton John, Bernie Taupin
  6. All by Myself – Vini Poncia, Richard Starkey
  7. Call Me – Richard Starkey
  8. No No Song – Hoyt Axton, David Jackson
  9. Only You – Buck Ram
  10. Easy for Me – Harry Nilsson
  11. Goodnight Vienna (reprise) – John Lennon

Supremes: Floy Joy

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In May 1972, “Motown” label released “Floy Joy”, the twenty-fifth Supremes album.  It was recorded 1971-1972, and was produced by Smokey Robinson.

Personnel:

  • Jean Terrell- lead and backing vocals
  • Mary Wilson- lead and backing vocals
  • Cindy Birdsong- lead and backing vocals
  • The Andantes(Louvain Demps, Jackie Hicks, Marlene Barrow) – additional backing vocals
  • Instrumentation byThe Funk Brothers:
    • Dennis Coffey- guitar
    • Robert White- guitar
    • Eddie Willis- guitar
    • Marvin Tarplin- guitar
    • Earl Van Dyke- piano, keyboards
    • Johnny Griffith- piano, keyboards
    • James Jamerson- bass
    • Zachary Slater – drums
    • Andrew Smith – drums
    • Jack Ashford- percussion
    • Jack Brokensha- percussion
    • Eddie “Bongo” Brown- percussion
  • Paul Riser- arranger
  • Jim Britt – photography
  • Berry Gordy- executive producer

Track listing:

  1. Your Wonderful, Sweet Sweet Love – Smokey Robinson
  2. Floy Joy – SmokeyRobinson
  3. A Heart Like Mine – Smokey Robinson,Ronald White
  4. Over and Over – Smokey Robinson
  5. Precious Little Things – Smokey Robinson,Marvin Tarplin, Pam Moffett
  6. Now the Bitter, Now the Sweet – Smokey Robinson, Cecil Franklin
  7. Automatically Sunshine – Smokey Robinson
  8. The Wisdom of Time – Smokey Robinson, Pam Moffett, Clifford Burston
  9. Oh Be My Love – Smokey Robinson,Warren Moore

The Temptations: 1990

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Temptations-1990

On December 7, 1973, “Gordy” label released “1990”, the 17th  Temptations (The) album. It was recorded in 1973, and was produced by Norman Whitfield.

Personnel:

  • Dennis Edwards: vocals
  • Damon Harris: vocals
  • Richard Street: vocals
  • Melvin Franklin: vocals
  • Otis Williams: vocals
  • The Funk Brothers and Rose Royce: instrumentation
  • Kenji Brown – guitar
  • Eddie Hazel – guitar
  • Dennis Coffey – guitar
  • Wah – Wah Watson – guitar
  • Eddie Willis – guitar
  • Melvin ”Wah Wah” Ragin – guitar
  • Jack Ashford – tambourine
  • Earl Van Dyke – keyboards
  • Don Baldwin – keyboards, wind, synthesizer
  • Victor Nix – keyboards
  • James Jamerson – bass
  • Leqyeint Jobe – bass
  • Billy “Bass” Nelson – bass
  • Ollie E. Brown – drums
  • Zachary Fraizer – drums
  • James Gadson – drums
  • Henry Gamer Jr. – drums
  • Ed Green – drums
  • Bobbye Hall – congas
  • Terral ”Terry” Santiel – congas
  • Michael Moore – saxophone
  • Kenneth Copeland – trumpet
  • Fred Dunn – trumpet
  • George Bohanon – trombone
  • Don Baldwin – design
  • John Cabalka – design
  • Jim Britt – photography

Track listing:

All tracks by Norman Whitfield.

  1. Let Your Hair Down
  2. I Need You
  3. Heavenly
  4. You’ve Got My Soul on Fire
  5. Ain’t No Justice
  6. 1990
  7. Zoom