David Todd (producer)
Encyclopedia
Biography
David Todd was born in Bristol, PennsylvaniaBristol, Pennsylvania
Bristol is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, northeast of Philadelphia opposite Burlington, N.J. on the Delaware River. Bristol was first incorporated in 1720. Although its charter was revised in 1905, the original charter remains in effect, making Bristol one of the older boroughs in...
. He began his career in the music industry at a small retail record store in New York around 1970. Because of his discriminating ear and extensive knowledge of dance music, he was invited to DJ at Fire Island's prestigious Ice Palace in 1971. David continued to parlay his musical expertise and became the first working DJ to take a promotions and A&R role at a label for RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
.
While at RCA, Todd introduced the Latin Hustle to Van McCoy
Van McCoy
Van Allen Clinton McCoy was an accomplished musician, music producer, arranger, songwriter, and orchestra conductor. He is known best for his 1975 internationally successful song "The Hustle", which is still played in dance halls and on radio to this day more than thirty years since his death...
, inspiring McCoy to record "The Hustle."
The Hustle (song)
"The Hustle" is a famous disco song by songwriter/arranger Van McCoy and the Soul City Symphony. It scored #1 on the "Billboard Hot 100" and the "Hot Soul Singles" charts during the summer of 1975. It also peaked at #9 on the Australian Singles Chart and #3 in the UK...
Some of David’s remixes for the RCA label include "Shame"
Shame (Evelyn King song)
"Shame" is a 1978 hit single recorded by American singer Evelyn "Champagne" King. It reached number nine on the Billboard Hot 100, number eight on the U.S. Disco Chart, and number seven on the U.S. R&B Chart, earning a Gold certification by the RIAA that same year...
by Evelyn "Champagne" King
Evelyn King (singer)
Evelyn "Champagne" King is an American R&B, disco and post-disco singer. Some of her best-known songs are "Shame", "Love Come Down," and "I'm in Love."-Biography:...
, "Stubborn Kind of Fella" for Buffalo Smoke, and “Keep it Confidential” by former Labelle
Labelle
Labelle is an American all female singing group who were a popular vocal group of the 1960s and 1970s. The group was formed after the disbanding of two rival girl groups in the Philadelphia/Trenton areas, the Ordettes and the Del-Capris, forming as a new version of the former group, later changing...
member, Nona Hendryx
Nona Hendryx
Nona Hendryx is an American vocalist, producer, songwriter, musician, author, and actress.Hendryx is known for her work as a solo artist as well as for being one-third of the trio Labelle, who had a hit with "Lady Marmalade." Her music has ranged from soul, funk, dance, and R&B to hard rock, art...
.
In the early 80’s Todd returned to Philadelphia and served as the resident DJ for The Catacombs
Catacombs Nightclub Philadelphia
The Catacombs Nightclub was a gay after hours nightclub in Philadelphia that played underground dance music which became the precursor to house music...
. During that time, David partnered with local DJ turned A&R man Nick Martinelli
Nick Martinelli
Nick Martinelli is an American R&B and pop record producer. He worked with many R&B and pop music artists during the 1980s, many of which were based in the UK. The acts he worked with include Loose Ends, Five Star, Stephanie Mills and Regina Belle....
to form one of Philadelphia's most notable remix and productions teams since Gamble and Huff
Gamble and Huff
Kenneth Gamble and Leon A. Huff are an American songwriting and record production team who have written and produced over 170 gold and platinum records. They were pioneers of Philadelphia soul and the in-house creative team for the Philadelphia International record label...
. David Todd’s contributions to the music industry generated millions of dollars in sales revenue and helped redefine the house music
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
sub-genre named, Philly Classics.
Production Credits
| Artist | Song Title | Label / Catalog Number | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Faith Hope & Charity Faith Hope and Charity (US band) Faith Hope and Charity was the name of a disco band from Tampa, Florida. They are best known for their 1975 hit, "To Each His Own".-Career:Founding members of the group were Zulema Cusseaux, Brenda Hilliard and Al Bailey... |
Life Goes On | RCA Victor Records – PD-10950 | 1976 |
| Ralph Graham | What Am I To Do | RCA Records – JD-11038 | 1977 |
| State Department | Slow Love | RCA Records – JD-11095 | 1977 |
| Buffalo Smoke | Stubborn Kind of Fella | RCA Records – JD-11368 | 1977 |
| New York Community Choir | Express Yourself / Have A Good Time | RCA Records – PD-11006 | 1977 |
| Evelyn "Champagne" King | Shame Shame (Evelyn King song) "Shame" is a 1978 hit single recorded by American singer Evelyn "Champagne" King. It reached number nine on the Billboard Hot 100, number eight on the U.S. Disco Chart, and number seven on the U.S. R&B Chart, earning a Gold certification by the RIAA that same year... |
RCA Records PD-11213 | 1977 |
| The Choice Four The Choice Four The Choice Four were an American soul/disco group from Washington, D.C. who recorded for RCA Records. Several of the group's members had previously sung in The Love Tones and The Stridels. They had several minor hits on the Billboard charts in the mid 1970s.-Albums:*The Finger Pointers *On Top of... |
Come Down To Earth / Two Different Worlds | RCA Victor – PD-11094 | 1977 |
| The Skyliners The Skyliners The Skyliners are an American doo-wop group from Pittsburgh fronted by Jimmy Beaumont. The original lineup also included Wally Lester, Jack Taylor, Joe Verscharen, Louis M. Tutino and Janet Vogel... |
The Love Bug (Done Bit Me Again) | Tortoise International – YD-11345 | 1978 |
| Dee Dee Sharp Gamble | Breaking and Entering Breaking and Entering (song) Breaking and Entering is a 1981 dance single by Dee Dee Sharp-Gamble. The single was her first to chart on Billboard's Dance Play chart and marked a return the music charts by Sharp, who had not charted any singles in six years... |
Philadelphia International Records – AS 918 | 1980 |
| William DeVaughn William DeVaughn William DeVaughn is an American R&B singer, songwriter and guitarist, best known for the hit song "Be Thankful for What You Got".-Biography:... |
Be Thankful For What You Got | TEC Records – PR 102 | 1980 |
| Rose Royce Rose Royce Rose Royce is an American soul and R&B band. The group is best known for several hit singles including "Car Wash," "I Wanna Get Next to You," "Wishing on a Star", "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" and "I'm Going Down".-Career:... |
New Love | Montage Records – MS 620 | 1981 |
| Keni Burke Keni Burke Kenneth M. Burke , better known as Keni Burke, is an American R&B, soul, funk, and jazz singer, songwriter, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist who began his career as a member of the 1970s soul outfit, the Five Stairsteps.-Five Stairsteps:As a member of the Five Stairsteps, Burke wrote the... |
Let Somebody Love You | RCA Records – JD-1229 | 1981 |
| Brandi Wells Brandi Wells Brandi Wells was an American R&B singer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.Born Marguerite J. Pinder in Philadelphia, Wells sang with Fat Larry's Band, Breeze, and Slick before starting a solo career. Her debut album, Watch Out, appeared in 1981 on Fantasy Records and reached #37 on the US Billboard... |
Watch Out (Club Version) | WMOT Records – 1340 | 1981 |
| The Funk Fusion Band | Can You Feel It | WMOT Records – 4W9 02416 | 1981 |
| Chris Thomas | Celebrity Funk | DOC International Records – DC-101 | 1982 |
| Tavares | Got To Find My Way Back To You | RCA Victor – PD-13434 | 1982 |
| Stone | Girl I Like The Way You Move | West End Records – WES 22147(A) | 1982 |
| Raw Silk Raw Silk Raw Silk was an American dance band, originated in New York. Raw Silk is best known for their garage-boogie song "Do It to the Music". The group is consisted of two Crown Heights Affair members, Ron Dean Miller and Bert Reid, and three female vocalists Jessica Cleaves, Sybil Thomas, Tenita Jordan... |
Do It To The Music | West End Records – WES 22148 | 1982 |
| (B. T.) Brenda Taylor | You Can’t Have Your Cake and Eat it Too | West End Records – WES 22149 | 1982 |
| Mahogany | Ride On The Rhythm | West End Records – WES 22150 | 1982 |
| Major Harris Major Harris (singer) Major Harris is an American R&B singer, associated with the Philadelphia soul sound.-Career:... |
I Want Your Love | Buzz International – VIBE 1 T | 1983 |
| Major Harris | All My Life | London Records – 810 276-1 | 1983 |
| Rocket | Here Comes My Love | Quality Records – QUS 033 | 1983 |
| Fredi Grace & Rhinestone | Head Over Heels | RCA Records – PB 3498 | 1983 |
| Evelyn "Champagne" King Evelyn King (singer) Evelyn "Champagne" King is an American R&B, disco and post-disco singer. Some of her best-known songs are "Shame", "Love Come Down," and "I'm in Love."-Biography:... |
Action | RCA Records – PC-3683 | 1983 |
| Nona Hendryx Nona Hendryx Nona Hendryx is an American vocalist, producer, songwriter, musician, author, and actress.Hendryx is known for her work as a solo artist as well as for being one-third of the trio Labelle, who had a hit with "Lady Marmalade." Her music has ranged from soul, funk, dance, and R&B to hard rock, art... |
Keep It Confidential | RCA Victor – PD-13438 | 1983 |
| Sunfire | Video Queen | Warner Brothers – 0-20150 | 1983 |
| Shirley Lites | Heat You Up (Melt You Down) | West End Records – WES 22155A | 1983 |
| Raw Silk | Just In Time | West End Records – WES 22159 | 1983 |
| Sybil Thomas | Rescue Me | West End Records – WES 22160 | 1983 |
| Bonnie Pointer Bonnie Pointer Patricia Eva "Bonnie" Pointer is an American R&B and disco singer, most notable for being the next-to-youngest member of the 1970s and 1980s family music group, The Pointer Sisters. She scored several moderate solo hits after leaving the Pointers in 1977, including a disco cover of The Elgins'... |
Premonition | Private I Records – 311118 | 1984 |
| LaToya Jackson | Hot Potato | Private I Records – 4Z9 05074 | 1984 |
| Mikki featuring Starz | Dance Lover | Rams Horn Records – RHR 3412 | 1985 |
| Evelyn "Champagne" King | High Horse | RCA Records – PW 13409 | 1985 |
| Kim Wilde Kim Wilde Kim Wilde is an English pop singer, author and television presenter who burst onto the music scene in 1981 with the number 2 UK Singles Chart new wave classic "Kids in America". In 1987 she had a major hit in the United States when her version of The Supremes' classic "You Keep Me Hangin' On"... |
So You Really Want Me | MCA Records – MCA-23678(B) | 1986 |
| Janice McClain Janice McClain Janice McClain is an American R&B singer, who signed to MCA Records in the 1980s. She scored a chart hit on the US R&B chart with the single "Passion & Pain".... |
Passion and Pain | MCA Records, Ltd. – MC 1109 | 1986 |
| Fat Larry’s Band | Sunrise Sunset | Omni Records/Atlantic DMD 956 | 1986 |
| Fat Larry’s Band | Teach Me (There is Something About Love) | Omni Records/Atlantic - DMD 991 | 1986 |
| Regina Belle Regina Belle Regina Belle is a singer-songwriter who first surfaced in the late 1980s. She is notable for her Grammy award winning duet with Peabo Bryson, "A Whole New World".-Biography:Regina Belle was born in Englewood, New Jersey... |
You’ve Got The Love | CBS Records (Canada) – REBE T1 | 1987 |
| Regina Belle | How Could You Do It To Me? | Columbia Records – 38-07735 | 1987 |
| Tracie Spencer Tracie Spencer Tracie Monique Spencer is an American pop and R&B singer-songwriter, actress, and model.-Biography:She began singing by the age of three and modeling in pageant competitions at age five. Tracie performed, produced and directed her first music videos before she was ten years of age... |
Symptoms of True Love | Capitol Records – 12CLX 490(B) | 1988 |
| Rick James Rick James James Ambrose Johnson, Jr. , better known by his stage name Rick James, was an American singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. James was a popular performer in the late 1970s and 1980s, scoring four number-one hits on the U.S. R&B charts performing in the genres of funk and R&B... |
Sexual Luv Affair | Reprise Records – 0-21036 | 1988 |
| George Benson George Benson George Benson is a ten Grammy Award winning American musician, whose production career began at the age of twenty-one as a jazz guitarist.... |
Let’s Do It Again | Warner Brothers Records - 0-21071 | 1988 |