Dennis Coffey
Encyclopedia
Dennis Coffey is an American
guitarist
. He was a studio
musician
for many soul
and R&B
recordings
.
at the age of thirteen, in the Michigan Upper Peninsula town of Copper City
. In 1955, as a fifteen year-old sophomore at Detroit's Mackenzie High School
, Dennis played his first record
session
- backing Vic Gallon in "I'm Gone", on the Gondola record label
. In the early 1960s he joined The Royaltones who had had hits
with "Poor Boy" in 1958 and "Flamingo Express" in 1961. The Royaltones played sessions with other artists
including Del Shannon
.
By the late sixties as a member of the Funk Brothers studio band
, Coffey played on dozens of recordings for Motown Records
, and introduced a hard rock guitar sound to Motown record producer
Norman Whitfield
's recordings, including distortion, Echoplex
tape-loop delay, and wah-wah; most notably heard on "Cloud Nine
", "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)
" and "Psychedelic Shack
" by The Temptations. He played on numerous other hit records of the era including #1 singles like Edwin Starr
's "War" and Diana Ross & The Supremes
"Someday We'll Be Together
" and Freda Payne
's #3 hit "Band of Gold
". In addition, Coffey scored
the blaxploitation
film
, Black Belt Jones
.
In 1971, Coffey recorded "Scorpio" which was a million selling instrumental
single
that peaked at #6 on the Billboard pop chart
. The instrumental track featured the former Motown "funk brother", Bob Babbitt
on the bass. On January 8, 1972 Coffey became the first white artist to perform on the television show Soul Train
, playing "Scorpio". "Scorpio" received a gold disc
awarded by the Recording Industry Association of America
on 9 December 1971.
The follow-up in 1972 was "Taurus", both credited to Coffey and the Detroit Guitar Band. Since then, he has recorded several solo
album
s, most of them for the Sussex
and Westbound
labels. While at Sussex Records Coffey arranged
and produced along with Mike Theodore the million selling "Nice To Be With You" by the group
, Gallery
.
Coffey was interviewed in the 2002 film, Standing in the Shadows of Motown, which told the story of Funk Brothers and explained that he had sold his Fender
Stratocaster to buy a Gibson
Firebird
after he heard Eddie Willis
of Funk Brothers play it during a Motown session.
In 2004, he published a memoir
, Guitars, Bars and Motown Superstars.
In 2008, he co-produced the Carl Dixon
sessions at Studio A, Dearborn Heights
, Michigan
. Four tracks were recorded featuring some of the Funk Brothers including Uriel Jones, Bob Babbitt
, Coffey and Ray Monette
, plus other distinguished Detroit session musicians. Spyder Turner
, Pree and Gayle Butts were vocalists on the session. The session was arranged by David J. Van De Pitte.
On April 26, 2011 (April 25 outside the US) Coffey released the self-titled album Dennis Coffey, consisting of new songs and new versions of songs which originally featured Coffey's distinctive guitar work. Promotion for the album is set to include an international tour, kicking off with several appearances at SXSW.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
. He was a studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
for many soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
and R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
recordings
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
.
Biography
Coffey learned to play guitarGuitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
at the age of thirteen, in the Michigan Upper Peninsula town of Copper City
Copper City, Michigan
Copper City is a village in Houghton County of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 205. The village is within Calumet Township.-Geography:...
. In 1955, as a fifteen year-old sophomore at Detroit's Mackenzie High School
Mackenzie High School (Michigan)
Mackenzie High School was a public secondary education facility in Detroit, Michigan.-The early years: 1928–1940s :Located on Detroit's west side, David Mackenzie High School was named to honor the innovative educator who had served as principal of Central High School, and as first dean of the...
, Dennis played his first record
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
session
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
- backing Vic Gallon in "I'm Gone", on the Gondola record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
. In the early 1960s he joined The Royaltones who had had hits
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
with "Poor Boy" in 1958 and "Flamingo Express" in 1961. The Royaltones played sessions with other artists
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
including Del Shannon
Del Shannon
Del Shannon was an American rock and roll singer-songwriter who had a No. 1 hit, "Runaway", in 1961.- Biography :...
.
By the late sixties as a member of the Funk Brothers studio band
Studio band
A studio band is a musical band that is in regular employment of a Music Recording business for the purpose of playing music on recordings featuring a separate performer. The term may also refer to a band that does not perform live....
, Coffey played on dozens of recordings for Motown Records
Motown Records
Motown is a record label originally founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in Detroit, Michigan, United States, on April 14, 1960. The name, a portmanteau of motor and town, is also a nickname for Detroit...
, and introduced a hard rock guitar sound to Motown record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Norman Whitfield
Norman Whitfield
Norman Jesse Whitfield was an American songwriter and producer, best known for his work with Berry Gordy's Motown label during the 1960s...
's recordings, including distortion, Echoplex
Echoplex
The Echoplex is a tape delay effect, first made in 1959. Designed by Mike Battle, the Echoplex set a standard for the effect in the 1960s and was used by some of the most notable guitar players of the era; original Echoplexes are highly sought after....
tape-loop delay, and wah-wah; most notably heard on "Cloud Nine
Cloud Nine (The Temptations song)
"Cloud Nine" is a 1968 hit single recorded by The Temptations for the Motown label. It was the first of their singles to feature Dennis Edwards instead of David Ruffin in the lineup, was the first of producer Norman Whitfield's psychedelic soul tracks, and won Motown its first Grammy Award...
", "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)
Ball of Confusion (That's What the World is Today)
"Ball of Confusion " is a 1970 hit single for The Temptations. It was released on the Gordy label, and produced by Norman Whitfield....
" and "Psychedelic Shack
Psychedelic Shack (song)
"Psychedelic Shack" is a 1969 single for the Motown label performed by The Temptations and produced by Norman Whitfield. It became a hit single in 1970....
" by The Temptations. He played on numerous other hit records of the era including #1 singles like Edwin Starr
Edwin Starr
Edwin Starr was an American soul music singer. Starr is most famous for his Norman Whitfield produced singles of the 1970s, most notably the number one hit "War".-Biography:...
's "War" and Diana Ross & The Supremes
The Supremes
The Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
"Someday We'll Be Together
Someday We'll Be Together
"Someday We'll Be Together" is a song made popular as the last of twelve number-one singles for Diana Ross & the Supremes on the Motown label. It is the final Supremes song featuring Diana Ross, who left the group for a solo career in January 1970...
" and Freda Payne
Freda Payne
Freda Charcilia Payne Some sources give a birth year of 1945, but this appears to be an error as all sources agree that she is older than her sister Scherrie, born 1944. is an American singer and actress best known for her million selling, 1970 hit single, "Band of Gold". She was also an actress in...
's #3 hit "Band of Gold
Band Of Gold (Freda Payne song)
"Band of Gold" is a popular song written by Holland–Dozier–Holland under the pseudonym Edythe Wayne, and Ron Dunbar, and first recorded by Freda Payne...
". In addition, Coffey scored
Film score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
the blaxploitation
Blaxploitation
Blaxploitation or blacksploitation is a film genre which emerged in the United States circa 1970. It is considered an ethnic sub-genre of the general category of exploitation films. Blaxploitation films were originally made specifically for an urban black audience, although the genre's audience...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, Black Belt Jones
Black Belt Jones
Black Belt Jones is a 1974 American Blaxploitation action film. The main musical theme was performed by the funk guitarist Dennis Coffey. The film was featured as number 38 on the documentary The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made.-Plot:...
.
In 1971, Coffey recorded "Scorpio" which was a million selling instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
that peaked at #6 on the Billboard pop chart
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. The instrumental track featured the former Motown "funk brother", Bob Babbitt
Bob Babbitt
Bob Babbitt is an American bassist, most famous for his work as a member of Motown Records' studio band, the Funk Brothers, from 1966–1972, as well as his tenure as part of MFSB for Philadelphia International Records afterwards. Also in 1968-1970, with Mike Campbell, Ray Monette and Andrew Smith...
on the bass. On January 8, 1972 Coffey became the first white artist to perform on the television show Soul Train
Soul Train
Soul Train is an American musical variety show that aired in syndication from October 1971 to March 2006. In its 35-year history, the show primarily featured performances by R&B, soul, and hip hop artists, although funk, jazz, disco, and gospel artists have also appeared.As a nod to Soul Trains...
, playing "Scorpio". "Scorpio" received a gold disc
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
awarded by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
on 9 December 1971.
The follow-up in 1972 was "Taurus", both credited to Coffey and the Detroit Guitar Band. Since then, he has recorded several solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s, most of them for the Sussex
Sussex Records
-History:It was founded December 18, 1969 by Clarence Avant. Initially, it was located first at 6430 W Sunset Blvd at the corner of Sunset and Cahuenga Blvds. In 1972, it moved to 6255 W Sunset Blvd Suite 1902 both in Hollywood. From 1969 to 1974, all records were distributed by Buddah Records &...
and Westbound
Westbound Records
Westbound Records is a Detroit-based record label founded by Armen Boladian in 1970. It had a distribution deal with Janus Records from 1970 to 1975, but then it switched distribution to 20th Century Records during 1975 and 1976, but again switched distribution to Atlantic Records from 1976 to...
labels. While at Sussex Records Coffey arranged
Arrangement
The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
and produced along with Mike Theodore the million selling "Nice To Be With You" by the group
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
, Gallery
Gallery (band)
Gallery was an American soft rock band of the 1970s. It was formed in Detroit, Michigan by Jim Gold. While Gallery did record a number of songs, they are most famous for their 1972 hit single, "Nice to Be with You", written by Gold...
.
Coffey was interviewed in the 2002 film, Standing in the Shadows of Motown, which told the story of Funk Brothers and explained that he had sold his Fender
Fender
Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, commonly referred to as simply Fender, of Scottsdale, Arizona is a manufacturer of stringed instruments and amplifiers, such as solid-body electric guitars, including the Stratocaster and the Telecaster...
Stratocaster to buy a Gibson
Gibson
Gibson may refer to:* Gibson Amphitheatre* Gibson Appliance* Gibson Girl* Gibson Guitar Corporation* Gibson * Gibson Generating Station-Places:In the United States:* Gibson, Arkansas* Gibson, Georgia* Gibson, Iowa* Gibson, Louisiana...
Firebird
Gibson Firebird
The Gibson Firebird is a solid-body electric guitar manufactured by Gibson from 1963 to the present.-History:The Gibson Guitar Corporation released several new styles during the 1950s to compete with Fender's instruments, such as the Telecaster and Stratocaster. After success with the Les Paul in...
after he heard Eddie Willis
Eddie Willis
Eddie "Chank" Willis is an African-American musician. Willis played electric guitar and occasional electric sitar for Motown Records' in-house studio band, the Funk Brothers, during the 1960s and early 1970s....
of Funk Brothers play it during a Motown session.
In 2004, he published a memoir
Memoir
A memoir , is a literary genre, forming a subclass of autobiography – although the terms 'memoir' and 'autobiography' are almost interchangeable. Memoir is autobiographical writing, but not all autobiographical writing follows the criteria for memoir set out below...
, Guitars, Bars and Motown Superstars.
In 2008, he co-produced the Carl Dixon
Carl Dixon
Carl Dixon is a Canadian rock singer, keyboardist and guitarist. He has been a member of the bands Coney Hatch, April Wine and The Guess Who.-Biography:Dixon was born in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario...
sessions at Studio A, Dearborn Heights
Dearborn Heights, Michigan
Dearborn Heights is a city in Wayne County, in the Detroit metropolitan area, in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 57,774 at the 2010 census.-History:...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. Four tracks were recorded featuring some of the Funk Brothers including Uriel Jones, Bob Babbitt
Bob Babbitt
Bob Babbitt is an American bassist, most famous for his work as a member of Motown Records' studio band, the Funk Brothers, from 1966–1972, as well as his tenure as part of MFSB for Philadelphia International Records afterwards. Also in 1968-1970, with Mike Campbell, Ray Monette and Andrew Smith...
, Coffey and Ray Monette
Ray Monette
The American Ray Monette started his public career as a songwriter and musician in Detroit. In 1967 with an ephemeral band called 'The Abstract Reality', a 45 rpm single Love Burns Like A Fire Inside was released. With Mike Campbell, Bob 'Babbitt' Kreinar, and Andrew Smith he formed Scorpion...
, plus other distinguished Detroit session musicians. Spyder Turner
Spyder Turner
Spyder Turner is an American soul singer. Turner was raised in Detroit, and sang in doo wop groups and high school choirs while young...
, Pree and Gayle Butts were vocalists on the session. The session was arranged by David J. Van De Pitte.
On April 26, 2011 (April 25 outside the US) Coffey released the self-titled album Dennis Coffey, consisting of new songs and new versions of songs which originally featured Coffey's distinctive guitar work. Promotion for the album is set to include an international tour, kicking off with several appearances at SXSW.
Studio albums
| Year | Album | Chart positions | Record label | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
US R&B Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
|||||
| 1969 | Hair and Thangs | — | — | Maverick Records Maverick Records Maverick Recording Company is an American record label owned and operated by Warner Music Group, and distributed through Warner Bros. Records.-Company history:... |
||
| 1971 | Evolution Evolution (Dennis Coffey album) -Reception:Released in 1971 under the Dennis Coffey and the Detroit Guitar Band banner the album charted at number thirteen on the Top Soul Albums chart due to the funk intrumental Scorpio which charted at number six on the U.S... |
36 | 13 | Sussex Records Sussex Records -History:It was founded December 18, 1969 by Clarence Avant. Initially, it was located first at 6430 W Sunset Blvd at the corner of Sunset and Cahuenga Blvds. In 1972, it moved to 6255 W Sunset Blvd Suite 1902 both in Hollywood. From 1969 to 1974, all records were distributed by Buddah Records &... |
||
| 1972 | Goin' for Myself Goin' for Myself -Reception:Released in 1972 the single Taurus would chart at number eleven on the US Soul Singles chart.- Track listing :#Taurus - 3:00#Can You Feel It - 2:50#Never Can Say Goodbye - 4:18... |
90 | 37 | |||
| 1973 | Electric Coffey | 189 | — | |||
| 1974 | Dance Party | — | — | |||
| 1974 | Instant Coffey | — | — | |||
| 1975 | Gettin' It On | — | — | Carrere | ||
| 1976 | Back Home | — | — | Westbound Records Westbound Records Westbound Records is a Detroit-based record label founded by Armen Boladian in 1970. It had a distribution deal with Janus Records from 1970 to 1975, but then it switched distribution to 20th Century Records during 1975 and 1976, but again switched distribution to Atlantic Records from 1976 to... |
||
| 1976 | Finger Lickin' Good | 147 | 31 | |||
| 1978 | Sweet Taste of Sin | — | — | |||
| 1989 | Under the Moonlight | — | — | Orpheus Records | ||
| 1990 | Motor City Magic | — | — | TSR | ||
| 2006 | Rise of the Phoenix | — | — | N/A | ||
| 2011 | Dennis Coffey | — | — | Strut Records | ||
| "—" denotes the album failed to chart | ||||||
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Pop Singles Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
U.S. Black Singles Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
U.S. Disco Singles Hot Dance Club Play The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs... |
||
| 1971 | "Scorpio" | 6 | 9 | - |
| 1972 | "Getting It On" | 93 | - | - |
| 1972 | "Taurus" | 18 | 11 | - |
| 1975 | "Getting It On '75" | - | 75 | - |
| 1977 | "Our Love Goes On Forever" | - | 94 | - |
| 1977 | "Wings of Fire/Free Spirit" | - | - | 11 |
Notable publications
- Guitars, Bars, and Motown Superstars (University of Michigan PressUniversity of Michigan PressThe University of Michigan Press is part of the University of Michigan Library and serves as a primary publishing unit of the University of Michigan, with special responsibility for the creation and promotion of scholarly, educational, and regional books and other materials in digital and print...
, 2004)