(date indicates the day that David answered the question)

QUESTION:
I've been wearing out Arnold's live CD and, after seeing JT on Letterman [in 2002] without the world's greatest vocal ensemble, thinking about you, too.

If my memory serves me well (don't bet on it), I first saw you with Arnold and maybe Philip Ballou backing up Todd Rundgren at the old Schaeffer Festival at Wollman Rink in NY. The cassette I made of your first two solo albums (ah, vinyl) played in my car for years. Side note: Is RAINDANCE on CD?

I was lucky enough to run into you shopping (what else?) at the old Discomat on Lex and 58th, and I awkwardly walked up to you and said I was a fan, and you seemed so taken aback that anyone would recognize you. That, in turn, shocked me because I thought you were a star.

I sat in front of the singers at a JT show at the Paramount in NY and was admonished by James because my brother-in-law and I were calling out for yours and Arnold's and Valerie's songs. James actually said, "Hey, I'm trying to put on a show, here."

You're one of my favorite musicians and, along with your singing compadres, a big part of what makes James' music special. My question is have there ever been any discussions about each of you doing a song at JT's intermission time, or is that too much a strain on the chops? 

Bill

 DAVID'S ANSWER - 4/21/03

Bill:

Thanks for all the compliments, I appreciate it. You are correct about Phil, Arnold and I singing for Todd Rundgren. That was especially hard work!! 

Sorry to say that RAINDANCE is the only one of my solo albums not out on CD (yet). 

I remember the Discomat on Lex Ave., but I don't remember our chance meeting (sorry!). 

That's comical about you and your brother-in-law at the Paramount show. The singers' solo songs, I'm afraid, will have to come later on and not during a JT tour. Thanks for getting in touch.

David

QUESTION:
I'm a guy from Germany, and I love James' music very, very much. I was able to attend four shows in the last 15 years here in Frankfurt, Germany, and they were the best concerts I've ever seen. But what a pity - you were never involved in the band. Only once in 1988 James had background singers with him (I think it was Arnold and Rosemary Butler). So we fans in Germany only have the chance by watching the videos and DVDs to listen to your excellent background vocals in concert. On the new Pull Over DVD are some of the most brilliant vocals you all four have done in the last years. Fantastic and outstanding moments like "Sun on the Moon" or "Carolina In My Mind"! 

On the Pull Over DVD, you often have a hand on your ears. Is it because of problems with the ear monitor system? I'm interested in this because I myself am a singer (lead and background) in a band and I have sometimes problems to hear over the monitor system.

Joerg

 DAVID'S ANSWER - 4/21/03

Joerg:

Thank you very much for your nice comments. Regarding the Pull Over DVD, you are quite observant. I must admit that one side of my "in-ear monitors" was broken for the two shows that we taped for the Pull Over tour, and there was not enough time to get my new pair. It was bad timing, and my spare pair wasn't sonically correct – too bassy – so I had to do the show with only one ear working. But, if you have seen me or see me in the future with my hand on my ear another time, it could just be that sometimes I am adjusting something or getting comfortable.

David

QUESTION:
This is not so much a question, but a simple comment to say thank you for this forum. In a day when an artist must remain mostly guarded and secluded from their fans due to obvious reasons, you have opened a door that many artists leave closed. It is a great honor to be able to post something that the artist can and will actually see. I also wish to extend my appreciation for your chats, and hope you continue them. I generally just sit on the sideline and don't actually log on, due to the number of users and traffic, but I do enjoy the responses from both yourself and the fans, who seem to be energised greatly by your presence.

David

 DAVID'S ANSWER - 4/21/03

Dear David:

Thank you for your kind words. The chats are always a fun way to communicate with people all over the world.

David

QUESTION:
I'm curious about what it was like to be in Hair, such an amazing play. Was the cast as close as they acted on stage? 

Mary Kate

 DAVID'S ANSWER - 4/21/03

Mary Kate:

Hair is so far in the misty past, but I, of course, have fond memories. Most of the touring cast was close because we were on the road together for 2-plus years. The Detroit production cast wasn't quite as close as the national tour cast, because we ran only six months in Detroit, and a lot of the cast members were college students juggling classes, etc. It's sad that not many Detroiters stayed in the theater business. 

David

QUESTION:
I'm a huge fan of yours. You have totally inspired me to sing, and I love singing. My problem is that at home I sing quite well, but when I'm on stage my singing sounds dreadful. It's not that I'm not confident enough to go up on a stage, because I'm one of the most confident and out-going people I know, but when I'm on stage I sing really bad, and it's probably because I'm nervous. This is a big problem for me as I want to get into singing when I'm older. I'm 13. Please help! Thank you! 

Alexandra

 DAVID'S ANSWER - 4/21/03

Dear Alexandra:

My advice to you is simply this: practice, practice, practice! Thanks for writing.

David

QUESTION:
Do you work with a vocal coach, and, if so, who are you currently working with and who have you worked with in the past, if there were any other coaches? Thanks very much!

Brian 

 DAVID'S ANSWER - 4/21/03

Hi Brian:

No, I've never worked with a vocal coach. Check out my comments in the "Hired Gun" interview I did on this subject. [See our REVIEWS page.]

David

QUESTION:
David, I was introduced to your music and that of Bonnie Raitt at the same time many years ago while living in NYC. What an awesome, incredible experience! Periodically I would use search engines to find info about you or my favorite (so far) recording of yours, MISSIN' TWENTY GRAND, but I was misspelling your name and never could get information. Anyway, I have reconnected with your music, and I just want to let you know what an awesome talent you are. I would love to see a show. If you can, please post info on your site. Hearing you live would be wonderful. I live in L.A. as well, so I would be most interested in shows here, or even in New York! Take care.

Carmen

 DAVID'S ANSWER - 4/21/03

Dear Carmen:

I was planning to do some solo shows last year, but they didn't happen for one reason or another. Any solo shows would definitely be announced here on the web site, so keep an eye out, and you can also subscribe to our Mailing List (use the box on our HOME page) if you'd like. Thanks so much for the compliments.

David

QUESTION:
You have a top voice, David, that thousands of Soul Fans would love to own. I dug out my old Bionic Boogie LPs yesterday, in particular the stunning Hot Butterfly LP. "Paradise" is a disco gem with harmonies to die for. Luther, Cissy Houston and yourself complement each other brilliantly on this number. Of course your collaborations with these singers kept going for the next two decades or so. How did this collaboration come about, and what is your favourite Luther Vandross track you've sung on? Whitney Houston's "Dancin' On The Smooth Edge," which you co-wrote, is still her most soulful moment to date. Tell me, do you remember who is doing the background vocals for this particular session? Thanks, David, and keep up the good, soulful work.

Daniel

DAVID'S ANSWER - 7/28/02

Hi Daniel:

I really appreciate your nice comments. The Bionic group was put together by Luther. He hired Cissy Houston and me for the session. 

My favorite background vocals I've done for Luther are "I Really Didn't Mean It" and "I'll Let You Slide." 

The singers on Whitney Houston's recording of "Smooth Edge" are Kitty Beethoven and her singers that sing on the San Francisco productions by Narada Walden.

Have you heard my demo of "Hot Butterfly" on my BACK TO BLUE-EYD SOUL CD? It has the same tracks and background vocals as those on the Bionic Boogie recording, but with my lead vocal.

David

QUESTION:
I think the Utopias records are fantastic. I'm a huge fan of Fortune Records and was wondering how you got hooked up with the label originally. Also, do you have any interesting memories about label owner Devora Brown? Did you know any other Fortune artists during your tenure there? Finally, what was it like recording at Fortune, and what was Devora like as a producer? I'm assuming, of course, that you recorded at the studio on Third Avenue. Thanks! 

Michael

DAVID'S ANSWER - 7/28/02

Michael:

I took a tape to Fortune Records in the summer of 1965 or spring of 1966. It was an a capella tape of our group, The Utopias, which was my sister Julie, myself and Joan, our high school chum. The people at Fortune were interested, as were other Detroit labels. We decided to sign with the Fortune label.

The Utopias' "Welcome, Baby, To My Heart" b/w "Sally Bad" and "Maybe" b/w "Good Friends Forever" on Hi-Q (a subsidiary of Fortune) were released, and we recorded many more songs as The Utopias that were never released.

Devora Brown was an interesting character. Very under-rated -- she wrote, engineered, produced and edited (spliced and edited tapes, etc.) and auditioned singers, etc. 

I met Fortune artist Nolan Strong and his brother and knew Nolan quite well. He was wonderful, gentle and kind. I met Nathaniel Mayer once or twice. He was wild and crazy and funny. I met Jacqui Carr ("Springtime") and the Jones Girls of course and many others. The Jones Girls and my sister Julie and I did countless sessions for others -- The Utopias have many tracks in the "can" that I'm trying to get Sheldon (Donald) Brown to release one day.

We recorded at the Third Street studios (at 3942). The studio was in the back. It was a long building (depth-wise) -- not large. There were record sales in the front, office spaces and storage came next, a tiny control room next, and finally the largest room in the back: the studio, which opened onto the back alley.

Devora actually was kind as a producer and was very exact as an engineer and editor. The intro of "Sally Bad" was inadvertently cut off and the tape thrown away in the trash. Devora looked until she found the missing piece of tape and edited it back together.

Sometimes on rare occasions, she'd go to United Sound to record certain people. "Your Star" and "Hey Lover" by Gene and the Jeanettes is one that was recorded there. Also, "Oh My Love" by Cozy and the Creshendals is actually Jerry Welles, who arranged many Utopias things, especially "Sad Good-byes," which is still in the "can."

There's an article on Fortune Records in the May 3, 2002, issue of Goldmine Magazine, if you can find it. I was interviewed for that, and you'll find an excerpt of a few of my comments in the June 1, 2002, entry on our NEWS page.

Also, my song "On Third Street" which is on my MISSIN' TWENTY GRAND album makes some humorous references to my time at Fortune Records.

David

QUESTION:
My name is Paolo, and I am an Italian from Firenze, age 45. In 1999 I had the opportunity to know each member of JT's band during his concerts in Perugia and Lucca. Unfortunately you, Kate and Valerie were not part of the band (as you were in the wonderful 1994 concert), and I would like to take the chance to congratulate you for all your great musical performances. I have been playing guitar since the age of 15, and I particularly love harmony. I have a specific question for you (if you can answer): how is a background vocal created? I mean, does the vocalist have the "freedom" to make an interpretation or does he generally follow what he is told to do? Thank you, and I hope to meet you in the future in Italy.

Paolo 

Firstly, thank you for the joy you bring to so many with your music, and thank you for being so generous and sharing yourself with us, your fans. My question is about how you create the back-up vocals. Is it a collaborative effort, or are they arranged and then modified as you rehearse, for example? I want to compliment you and your colleagues on the balance and blend. Do you have a background that includes choral experience? Thank you again for taking time to answer our questions.

Ruth

DAVID'S ANSWER - 7/28/02

Dear Paolo and Ruth:

Sometimes the back-up vocal arrangement is done by me at home alone listening to the musical track of the artist for whom I'm doing backgrounds. Other times, it is a collaboration of the featured vocalist and all the background singers. Or sometimes (rarely), you just sing what you are told to sing with slight variations. I discussed how background vocals with James Taylor are created in an interview I did for the James Taylor Online web site. Click HERE to read it. 

Ruth, I actually do not have any choral experience -- only high school marching band. Thanks a lot for your letters!

David

QUESTION:
The background vocalist tribute in your latest work [EXPECTATIONS OF LOVE] is very nice! But what about Richard Page and Steve George?

Costantino

DAVID'S ANSWER - 7/28/02

Dear Costantino,

You are correct. I should have remembered Richard Page. I love his voice and the Pages records, although I tend to think of him more as a solo artist rather than as a background singer who is really in the trenches on a day to day basis. I did love the work Richard and Steve did on Bi-Coastal for Peter Allen. Richard and Steve do a lot of jingle work too. Thanks.

David

QUESTION:
Hi! My name is Leon, and I have just recently obtained an album that featured Luther Vandross, Arnold McCuller, and yourself from 1978 titled Good Vibrations. I liked the album very much -- it is very disco, and all the songs are cover versions of Beach Boy tunes. This album deserves to be re-issued because I think that a lot of your fans have never heard about this album. I am a huge Luther Vandross fan, and I know you are a close friend of his. I have a lot of early 70's Luther records that are huge collector's items. I have all the Gregg Diamond albums (your vocals on "Paradise" were awesome). 

There is an album that I am dying to find, but I heard the song on another Web Site. It is a cover version of the song "It's Cool" by the Tymes featuring Luther Vandross and yourself. The album is from a group called Mascara, and the title is See You In L.A. made in 1980. Hopefully I will find a version of this song soon because you and Luther's vocals are great together. 

I had no idea that you sang with James Taylor until I found an old album of his back in 1981. I love the song "Hard Times," and I can distinctively hear your vocals in the song. I met James Taylor's brother Livingston. He sounds just like James. I was in high school and I got to chat with Livingston a little bit after the show, and it was a very memorable experience. Just wondered if you knew him and wondered if you have sung for him also. Love your music and plan on getting some of your CDs soon.

Leon

DAVID'S ANSWER - 7/28/02

Dear Leon:

You are correct. The Mascara LP was Luther, Ula Hedwig (The Harlettes) and myself. I only have it on cassette (which I have misplaced) made from an LP, and I don't know where to get it. There is another great song by Holland, Dozier and Holland we do called "If You Don't Wanna Be in My Life (Tell Me and We Can Rearrange It)." (There's info on this and all the other groups I've been in on our GROUPS page.)

Thank you for the compliment on "Paradise." I love Bionic Boogie, too. I love the Good Vibrations LP on Casablanca as well. It's never been put out on CD in this country, although possibly it was in Japan.

I know Livingston Taylor a bit and have only sung in concert with him when I'm singing with James and they do "City Lights" at Great Woods.

Thanks for the great questions!

David

Webmaster's Note: 
You can hear "It's Cool" featuring Luther and David by visiting Luther's section on the Soulwalking Web Site and taking the link for the song toward the bottom of the page. While you're there, check out the section devoted to David on this site.

QUESTION:
Just wondering if you started singing when you were in Hair? And do you perform vocal exercises to keep your voice in check and watch how much you use your voice before a show?

Wysteria

DAVID'S ANSWER - 7/28/02

No, I started singing long before Broadway. You can check out my BIO for more details about my career. Also, I don't do vocal exercises. I try not to use my voice before a show unless it's a winter tour, and then I'd vocalize. In warm weather, your throat is more naturally warmed up.

David

QUESTION:
Hi. Any word on the Laura Nyro project? Thanks.

Ann

I've enjoyed your music for quite some time. I'd heard that you were working on an album of Laura Nyro songs and was wondering if that was true. Thanks for the beautiful sounds!

Danny

DAVID'S ANSWER - 7/28/02

Hello Ann and Dan:

Yes, I hope to complete the David Sings Laura Nyro CD, but it's a long way off. Dan, say hello to Jan, Laura's brother, if you speak to him. Thanks.

David