 |
 |
| J o h n D a v i s |
| And The Monster Orchestra |
| Once again I am appalled that someone who was such a vital part of disco music history is virtually ignored. After countless hours of research down many avenues I have turned up zilch. John Davis is a talented arranger, producer and musician (playing keyboards, sax and flute). He first came to the attention of the public when he released the 1976 "Night & Day" album. The Sam records release was a mix of Cole Porter standards and two original Davis/Craig Snyder tunes. The 12" single of "I Can't Stop" was one of those original tunes. The album enjoyed minor success, mainly because of John's brilliant arrangements, but the mix for success was not the disco-tizing of standards, a practice that was common in 1976. His second release with The Monster Orchestra was 1977's "Up Jumped The Devil." Taking the "devil" by the horns Davis wrote all of the original material for this club favorite. The 12" single of the title track topped club playlists across the country that year. The album also boasted a tasty medley, "The Magic Is You," a 14:15 blend of three thrilling uptempo tracks. Davis found the key to success by writing and recording his own material as opposed to covering "standards." By 1978 disco had exploded into the mainstream and so too had John's career. As a producer he had Phyllis Hyman, Carol Douglas, John Travolta, and Impact on his resume. He had arranged hits for Ray Simpson and Diana Ross. And as a musician he played on hits by The Stylistics, The Salsoul Orchestra, The Trammps, Eddie Holman, Grace Jones, Loose Change, Gary Criss, First Choice and Bonnie Boyer, to name a few. So it was no surprise that when he released his third Monster Orchestra album that it would be the pinnacle of his success. The 12" single of "Kojak Theme" preceded the release of "Ain't That Enough For You." When the title track was released as a 12" single the album shot up the charts and became his most commercially successful. "Ain't That Enough For You" has since become a true disco classic that can still pack dance floors. 1979's "The Monster Orchestra Strikes Again!" would be his final album release. The album had two stellar 12" singles. "Love Magic" would rival his previous success and go down as his second most notable track. While "Bourgie Bourgie" would become the definitive version of the Ashford-Simpson penned classic. His stature within the music industry was strong enough to secure Nick and Val to sing (alongside him) on "Bourgie Bourgie." The album remains one of my all-time favorites. Disco died the next year and so too did The Monster Orchestra. John fell out of the public eye, but I have been able to document his work on recordings by the Three Degrees, Karen Brooks and Teddy Pendergrass in the 1990's. In 1990 a remix of "(Feel The) Love Magic" was released and it became a club hit all over again. And in 1992 he wrote, produced and performed the "Theme From Beverly Hills 90210." Since then he has fallen off the musical map and surprisingly doesn't have his own website. So if anyone has any additional information on John contact us so that we may preserve his legacy. My personal thanks to John for the many wonderful nights I spent dancing to his tunes. |
 |