SIXTIES

By the mid-60s Dave was 40 years old and something of a father figure to the young musicians at Motown. Future partner Darrell Goolsby remembers that Dave would often argue with Berry over full recognition and royalties for the Motown musicians, particularly the house staff such as James Jamerson, Benny Benjamin and Earl Van Dyke. This friction may have limited Dave’s work opportunities in later years, but as Motown was deserting Detroit for sunny California anyway, their ways were bound to part.

Dave didn’t need to rely on work from Hitsville; his reputation as a session man was well established. Apart from the Motown jobs, he had played lead guitar on John Lee Hooker’s blues standard ‘Boom Boom’, recorded with Todd Rhodes for Sensation, Paul Williams’ Orchestra for Savoy and several Hank Ballard and the Midnighters’ tracks for Federal.

He had another release with the Peppers in 1964, ‘Beatle Walk’ / ‘The Argentina’ on Fortune Records and in the same year, no doubt inspired by Berry Gordy’s success, he formed Temple Records. Known releases on the label were by Frenchy and the Chessmen, Harry Reid, Charmaine and James Lately. By the time of the last release a soulful dance music style was beginning to emerge.

Charmaine was actually Dave’s daughter who sang in either a Mary Wells or a ‘teen’ style. The pair had already worked together when Dave co-wrote ‘Young Girl’ for her with another great independent Detroit soul producer, Mike Hanks. This record gained a New York release on Al Sears’ Serock label in 1962 and is featured on the Ace compilation “Where The Girls Are” CDCHD 648. Hanks was one of several fellow producers who Dave collaborated with, also co-writing ‘Made Up Your Mind’ with him for Big Jack Reynolds on Hanks’ MAH’S label.

2548 Philadelphia, Detroit

The Temple recordings were made in Dave’s basement studio at his home on Philadelphia Street a few blocks from Motown’s Hitsville USA studio. It was a capable entry into the recording world but Dave knew working from home had limitations and went about establishing a professional set-up to compete with the other studios. In 1965 he decided on new premises at 1587, Highland by Woodrow Wilson Ave.

Capital was needed for the business and Dave got some investors interested in a new label, Topper Records, he was forming. Pianist Ted Sheeley and attorney Donnolly Hadden were attracted into the venture and helped with the set-up costs. From a practical point of view, one of Dave’s old Midnighter friends, Freddie Pride, had recently brought a 22 year old singer/songwriter named Darrell Goolsby to meet him. Dave was impressed by the young man - he was a good singer and an excellent writing partner. Darrell was able to raise some money himself to put into the operation and together they formed Da Da Music Productions, using the first two letters of their names. Da Da also became the studio name.

Darrell remembers the rent on the building was $50 per month but they had to build the studio into the rooms themselves; hands on and then some! They only had a two track Ampex ST 10 tape machine, so generally the instrumental backing track would be put on to one track and the vocal added to the second track. Once they were satisfied with the quality of the backing, the two tracks would be mixed down to mono for record production. The studios were still a short distance from Motown and Darrell remembers how the artists and musicians from Hitsville would stop off at Highland on their way home to “shoot the breeze” with Dave and hang out for a while.

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