By 1965, Melvin Davis’ enhanced reputation as a songsmith had enabled him to become a freelance writer, and he was frequently engaged to write for specific artists or producers.

“I’m gonna love you” and “Call me” for Edward Hamilton, “You’ve got to help me” for Clifford Binns at Lou Beatty’s La Beat set up, “Lonely you’ll be” and “It won’t matter at all” for Johnnie Mae Matthews, and  “Chains of love” and “I’m the one who loves you” for Don Davis at Groovesville, are but a few examples of his craft, and clearly show the quality of his talent. “I began to get a good reputation and that made it easy to take my songs in to different producers or owners.”

Thankfully, he frequently recorded many of his own songs to assist in the accuracy of delivery, and would always supervise the making of the backing tracks. “ It was so easy working with the musicians we had back then, Jamerson, Eddie Willis, ‘Pistol’, Earl and them , ‘cause I knew them and they picked things up real easy anyway. I’d show them the chord patterns and where the change ups were and they would do the rest. Once we got the rhythm tracks down it was just a matter of adding on the vocals, horns strings or whatever.”

In the case of Jackie Beavers “I need my baby” he not only wrote the song, played drums on the session, but financed the recording at Speciality too.

Davis had always maintained a close working and personal relationship with Clyde (Steve Mancha) Wilson, since their days together in The Jaywalkers, and this was revived at the Groovesville label.

Besides co-writing Mancha’s “Monday through Thursday”, they sang together on “I need my baby” and “I won’t love you and leave you”, both Davis compositions that were never released commercially. “Clyde and I worked well together. We really understood each other, and he was my buddy.” 

Among Melvin Davis’ finest songs during this period, are two that he recorded himself, “I must love you”, which was recorded at the same session as “I won’t love you and leave you” at Golden World on Davison, and Mancha’s “Still in my heart”.

It is perhaps ironic that Steve Mancha himself and David Ruffin both recorded the latter too – a throwback to their old days on the road perhaps? “We were all together (me, Clyde and David) late one night over at Golden World working on that song. We had the track down already, and David tried himself on it. There was no way it would ever have been released. He was tied to Motown.”

music: "I Must Love You" - Melvin Davis (Groovesville 1003a)

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