Donald Charles Baldwin
Encyclopedia
Donald Charles Baldwin (born 20 April 1953) is a United States musician, arranger and composer who achieved significant commercial success with recordings he wrote, arranged and performed for Motown Records and Invictus
/Hot Wax Records from 1970 to 1980. Notable work includes his recordings with many widely known musical acts including: Temptations, Commodores
, Bonnie Pointer
, Chairmen of the Board
, Lionel Richie
, Freda Payne
, Smokey Robinson
and members of Funkadelic
, as well as record producers Holland-Dozier-Holland
and Jeffrey Bowen
.
. During his school years, Baldwin learned to play the clarinet, bass clarinet, saxophone, oboe, English horn and bassoon, while studying composition. After writing his first Concerto for Strings and Horns in 1969, Donald formed a contemporary style band, Jasmine, in which he composed the music, played the piano and sang. Jasmine performed locally in and around the Detroit area, including performances held at Wayne State University
as part of the nationwide Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam
.
, the Vice-President of Holland-Dozier-Holland's Invictus/Hot Wax records. Like H-D-H, Bowen had been with Motown Records in the mid-'60s where he was an assistant to A&R chief Mickey Stevenson, the co-producer of the Temptations’ 1967 LP In a Mellow Mood (#1 R&B, #13 Pop) and the co-writer of “You” a 1968 hit for Marvin Gaye
(#7 R&B, #34 Pop). Not long after the legendary H-D-H team left Motown, they were joined by Bowen at their new company. Bowen discovered Jasmine through the drummer's father, the Detroit Symphony's 1st violinist - Felix Resnick, who at the time contracted and lead many of string sessions for Motown and Invictus
. Bowen was impressed enough by Baldwin’s band to arrange for Jasmine to rehearse with Ruth Copeland
, a British singer/songwriter who was signed to Invictus. In June 1970, Donald and Ruth co-wrote “The Medal”, the opening cut from Copeland’s second Invictus LP, I Am What I Am, a recording that features Ruth, backed by the members of Funkadelic along with guitarist Ray Monette of Rare Earth
. Within a few months, Donald Baldwin signed a contract with Invictus Records
and Gold Forever Music as an Artist-Songwriter-Arranger.
After several rehearsals, the original members of Funkadelic
(Billy Bass Nelson
, Eddie Hazel
and Tiki Fulwood
), along with current band member Bernie Worrell
and future Funkadelic Ron Bykowski, began to gradually replace all of the members of Donald's band, Jasmine, except for Donald Baldwin. Soon after, this lineup started touring as Ruth Copeland’s band. Funkadelic, were also backing up Parliament
, another Invictus act at the time. In between Ruth's tour dates, Donald and the rest of the band would back up other Invictus acts, locally, such as 100 Proof Aged in Soul, The Jones Girls
and Honey Cone
. In late-1970, the group began backing Ruth exclusively, as they became the opening act for Sly and the Family Stone throughout 1971-1972, including a couple of gigs at Madison Square Garden
and a couple of others where Sly pulled his infamous no-show act.
In 1972, Baldwin wrote and conducted the rhythm, string, and horn arrangements for three tracks produced by Holland-Dozier-Holland
on Freda Payne
for her Reaching Out LP. One of the three, "Mother Misery's Favorite Child", was included on the Invictus Club Classics Vol II compilation CD; While another, “Two Wrongs Don’t Make a Right”, became a minor R&B hit in the summer of ‘73, peaking at #75. During the 2nd half of '72, Ruth & her band opened several shows for Three Dog Night
, as well as David Bowie
, on the US leg of his Ziggy Stardust Tour
, including the tour's initial gig in Cleveland and a well publicized show at Carnegie Hall
in NYC. It was around this time that Ruth Copeland split from her manager Jeffrey Bowen and began working with a new manager Jeffrey Tofler. Soon after, Ruth & Co were once again opening gigs for Sly & the Family Stone. However, this new arrangement was quickly shut down, promptly Ruth to leave Invictus. Copeland eventually signed with RCA Records, working on material for a new album with Darryl Hall
, once she had been released from her H-D-H contract. As a result, the band suddenly found themselves recording and touring with the Chairman of the Board
, another Holland-Dozier-Holland/Invictus act.
Late in '72, Jeffrey Bowen began producing the Skin I'm In album on the Chairmen of the Board in NYC, using Donald and the previously mentioned members of Funkadelic on the sessions. Often referred to as “the lost Funkadelic album”, Skin I’m In featured the hit-single “Finder’s Keepers" (#7 R&B, #59 Pop) as well as the "Life 'n' Death suite" (which has been described as a magnum opus based around a Sly Stone Track). Skin I'm In contained two Baldwin co-writes: “Morning Glory-White Rose" (co-written with Billy Bass Nelson and comprising two parts of the Life 'n' Death suite) and “Live With Me Love With Me” (co-written with Jeffrey Bowen & General Johnson). In the fall of ‘73, the band (Donald, Bernie, Billy, Eddie and Tiki) toured England with the Chairmen of the Board, where they received a heroes welcome. By the time the group left the UK, “Finders Keepers” was England’s #1 hit.
In 1974, Donald was signed to Motown Records
and Jobete/Stone Diamond Music as an Artist, Songwriter, Composer, and Arranger. While in transition between HDH and Motown, Donald and Jeffery Bowen, as ghost writers, co-wrote and arranged “I Feel Sanctified” for the Commodores
debut album, Machine Gun. The recording, which featured Billy Bass Nelson
and Eddie Hazel
on bass and guitar respectively, became a significant R&B hit (#12 R&B, #75 Pop) in late ‘74. As credited writers, producers and arrangers, this team of Bowen & Baldwin had its first gold and platinum success with The Temptations album A Song For You
(Jan '75). Often credited with updating the Temptations Norman Whitfield
sound, this #1 R&B LP (#13 Pop) featured Baldwin, as well as Funkadelics Nelson & Hazel as its musicians. The lead off single, “Happy People
” (co-written by Donald Baldwin-Jeffery Bowen-Lionel Richie
), reached #1 on the R&B charts on February 8, 1975, and was the first of three Top-40 pop hits culled from the LP. “Shakey Ground
” (written by Eddie Hazel-Al Boyd-Jeffrey Bowen) became the album’s second single to reach #1 on the R&B chart (April 26, 1975) and featured a soprano sax solo by Donald Baldwin. “Glasshouse” became the album’s third Top-10 R&B single, as well as a Top-10 hit on the Disco/Dance chart. In addition to co-writing “Happy People”, Donald co-wrote the quiet storm
classic “Memories” with Bowen & Kathy Wakefield, a song which features a standout lead vocal by Dennis Edwards
.
Donald Baldwin contributed his talents to a variety of tracks produced by Jeffrey Bowen on several Motown artists for albums recorded and released between 1974–1980. These albums, for which Donald shared writers and/or performance/arranger credits were: Wings of Love by the Temptations (#3 R&B, #29 Pop); Rose Banks' (aka Rose Stone
: Sly’s sis & ex-Family Stone member) eponymous solo debut; Deep in My Soul by Smokey Robinson
(#16 R&B, #47 Pop); as well as two self titled albums by Bonnie Pointer
(formerly of the Pointer Sisters
): Her 1978 solo debut (#34 R&B, #96 Pop) as well as her 1979 sophomore effort (#40 R&B, #63 Pop). During this time, Donald Baldwin’s co-writing credits included the following: “Mary Ann”, “Dream World” & “Paradise” (all three written by Donald Baldwin-Jeffrey Bowen-Jimmy Ford); from the Temptations Wings of Love LP (March '76); “You Cannot Laugh Alone” (another “quiet storm
” classic) & “If You Want My Love” (both written by Baldwin-Bowen); featured on Smokey Robinson's Deep in My Soul LP (Jan '77); “I Love to Sing to You”, “I Wanna Make it in Your World”, “More and More” & “My Everything” (all four by Baldwin-Bowen); from Bonnie Pointer's "Red" LP (Oct '78); And one from Bonnie Pointer's "Purple" LP (Nov '79) titled “Deep Inside My Soul” (by Donald Baldwin-Bonnie Pointer).
While with Motown, Donald worked on a number of unreleased recordings produced by Bowen on Marvin Gaye
, Rose Banks, Jermaine Jackson
, Diana Ross
, Bonnie Pointer and Cuba Gooding Sr (formerly of the Main Ingredient). The material intended for Marvin Gaye featured Donald along with Billy Bass Nelson, Eddie Hazel, Bernie Worrell & drummer Ollie Brown
. Donald left Motown around 1980, when his contract with the label expired.
As an independent artist, Donald wrote and performed in numerous local bands throughout the Los Angeles
area from 1981–1997. During this time, a third Bonnie Pointer album titled If The Price Is Right, (released in mid-84 on the Private I label) featured a new composition by Donald and Bonnie Pointer titled “There’s Nobody Quite Like You”. A song titled “Xanadu II”, originally written in 1976 by Donald and Emmy nominated Frankie Blue, was used in 2001 as incidental background music in one of the episodes for the ”The Huntress”, a syndicated TV show (USA Network), that starred Annette O'Toole
. Donald remains musically active working on a variety of projects including studio work by the Baldwin/Larsen Project and live work with the reggae legend Ras Michael
and the Sons of Negus. Most recently, Baldwin worked with Tony Newton
, the renowned live and session bassist with Motown and founding member of the HDH/Invictus group 8th Day, on a DVD profiling Newton’s musical career.
Invictus
"Invictus" is a short Victorian poem by the English poet William Ernest Henley .- Background :At the age of 12, Henley contracted tuberculosis of the bone. A few years later, the disease progressed to his foot, and physicians announced that the only way to save his life was to amputate directly...
/Hot Wax Records from 1970 to 1980. Notable work includes his recordings with many widely known musical acts including: Temptations, Commodores
Commodores
The Commodores are an American funk/soul band of the 1970s and 1980s. The members of the group met as mostly freshmen at Tuskegee Institute in 1968, and signed with Motown in November 1972, having first caught the public eye opening for The Jackson 5 while on tour...
, 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'...
, Chairmen of the Board
Chairmen of the Board
Chairmen of the Board is a Detroit, Michigan based soul music group active mostly in the 1970s, that is still touring today.-Recording career:...
, Lionel Richie
Lionel Richie
Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr. , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Since 1968, he has been a member of the musical group Commodores signed to Motown Records...
, Freda Payne
Freda Payne
Freda Charcilia Payne Some sources give a birth year of 1945, but this appears to be an error as all sources agree that she is older than her sister Scherrie, born 1944. is an American singer and actress best known for her million selling, 1970 hit single, "Band of Gold". She was also an actress in...
, Smokey Robinson
Smokey Robinson
William "Smokey" Robinson, Jr. is an American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. Robinson is one of the primary figures associated with Motown, second only to the company's founder, Berry Gordy...
and members of Funkadelic
Funkadelic
Funkadelic was an American band most prominent during the 1970s. The band and its sister act Parliament, both led by George Clinton, began the funk music culture of that decade.-History:...
, as well as record producers Holland-Dozier-Holland
Holland-Dozier-Holland
Holland–Dozier–Holland is a songwriting and production team made up of Lamont Dozier and brothers Brian Holland and Edward Holland, Jr. They are considered to be one of the greatest songwriting teams in popular music...
and Jeffrey Bowen
Jeffrey Bowen
Jeffrey Bowen was a songwriter and record producer, notable for his work at both Motown Records and Holland-Dozier-Holland's Invictus and Hot Wax labels. He is best known for his work with the Detroit male vocal groups Chairmen of the Board and The Temptations...
.
Early life
Multi-instrumentalist, arranger, performer and composer, Donald Charles Baldwin was born and raised in Detroit, MichiganDetroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
. During his school years, Baldwin learned to play the clarinet, bass clarinet, saxophone, oboe, English horn and bassoon, while studying composition. After writing his first Concerto for Strings and Horns in 1969, Donald formed a contemporary style band, Jasmine, in which he composed the music, played the piano and sang. Jasmine performed locally in and around the Detroit area, including performances held at Wayne State University
Wayne State University
Wayne State University is a public research university located in Detroit, Michigan, United States, in the city's Midtown Cultural Center Historic District. Founded in 1868, WSU consists of 13 schools and colleges offering more than 400 major subject areas to over 32,000 graduate and...
as part of the nationwide Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam
Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam
The Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam was a large demonstration against the United States involvement in the Vietnam War that took place across the United States on October 15, 1969. The Moratorium developed from Jerome Grossman's April 20, 1969, call for a general strike if the war had not...
.
Career
Jasmine was discovered by Jeffrey BowenJeffrey Bowen
Jeffrey Bowen was a songwriter and record producer, notable for his work at both Motown Records and Holland-Dozier-Holland's Invictus and Hot Wax labels. He is best known for his work with the Detroit male vocal groups Chairmen of the Board and The Temptations...
, the Vice-President of Holland-Dozier-Holland's Invictus/Hot Wax records. Like H-D-H, Bowen had been with Motown Records in the mid-'60s where he was an assistant to A&R chief Mickey Stevenson, the co-producer of the Temptations’ 1967 LP In a Mellow Mood (#1 R&B, #13 Pop) and the co-writer of “You” a 1968 hit for Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
(#7 R&B, #34 Pop). Not long after the legendary H-D-H team left Motown, they were joined by Bowen at their new company. Bowen discovered Jasmine through the drummer's father, the Detroit Symphony's 1st violinist - Felix Resnick, who at the time contracted and lead many of string sessions for Motown and Invictus
Invictus
"Invictus" is a short Victorian poem by the English poet William Ernest Henley .- Background :At the age of 12, Henley contracted tuberculosis of the bone. A few years later, the disease progressed to his foot, and physicians announced that the only way to save his life was to amputate directly...
. Bowen was impressed enough by Baldwin’s band to arrange for Jasmine to rehearse with Ruth Copeland
Ruth Copeland
Ruth Copeland is an English singer known for her involvement with George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic.- Early career :Copeland was born in Consett, County Durham, in the north-east of England. She initially pursued her music career as a blues and folk singer, however she gained her first break...
, a British singer/songwriter who was signed to Invictus. In June 1970, Donald and Ruth co-wrote “The Medal”, the opening cut from Copeland’s second Invictus LP, I Am What I Am, a recording that features Ruth, backed by the members of Funkadelic along with guitarist Ray Monette of Rare Earth
Rare Earth (band)
Rare Earth is an American rock band affiliated with Motown's Rare Earth record label , who prospered in 1970-1972. Although not the first white band signed to Motown, Rare Earth was the first big hit-making act signed by Motown that consisted only of white members...
. Within a few months, Donald Baldwin signed a contract with Invictus Records
Invictus Records
Invictus Records was an American record label based in Detroit, Michigan created by Edward Holland, Jr., Lamont Dozier and Brian Holland...
and Gold Forever Music as an Artist-Songwriter-Arranger.
After several rehearsals, the original members of Funkadelic
Funkadelic
Funkadelic was an American band most prominent during the 1970s. The band and its sister act Parliament, both led by George Clinton, began the funk music culture of that decade.-History:...
(Billy Bass Nelson
Billy Bass Nelson
William "Billy Bass" Nelson is a U.S. musician, who was the original bassist for Funkadelic. He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, inducted in 1997 with fifteen other members of Parliament-Funkadelic....
, Eddie Hazel
Eddie Hazel
Edward Earl "Eddie" Hazel was a guitarist in early funk music in the United States who played lead guitar with Parliament-Funkadelic...
and Tiki Fulwood
Tiki Fulwood
Ramon "Tiki" Fulwood was a drummer for the funk bands Parliament and Funkadelic...
), along with current band member Bernie Worrell
Bernie Worrell
George Bernard "Bernie" Worrell, Jr. is an American keyboardist and composer best known as a founding member of Parliament-Funkadelic and for his work with Talking Heads. He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, inducted in 1997 with fifteen other members of Parliament-Funkadelic...
and future Funkadelic Ron Bykowski, began to gradually replace all of the members of Donald's band, Jasmine, except for Donald Baldwin. Soon after, this lineup started touring as Ruth Copeland’s band. Funkadelic, were also backing up Parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
, another Invictus act at the time. In between Ruth's tour dates, Donald and the rest of the band would back up other Invictus acts, locally, such as 100 Proof Aged in Soul, The Jones Girls
The Jones Girls
The Jones Girls were an R&B trio of sisters from Detroit, Michigan. They first recorded for GM Records in 1968, then recorded for Philadelphia International Records with Gamble & Huff.-History:...
and Honey Cone
Honey Cone
Honey Cone was an American R&B and soul all girl vocal group, who are best remembered for their Billboard #1 hit single, "Want Ads". They were the premier female group for Hot Wax Records, operated by Holland–Dozier–Holland after they had departed from Motown Records.-Career:Honey Cone comprised...
. In late-1970, the group began backing Ruth exclusively, as they became the opening act for Sly and the Family Stone throughout 1971-1972, including a couple of gigs at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
and a couple of others where Sly pulled his infamous no-show act.
In 1972, Baldwin wrote and conducted the rhythm, string, and horn arrangements for three tracks produced by Holland-Dozier-Holland
Holland-Dozier-Holland
Holland–Dozier–Holland is a songwriting and production team made up of Lamont Dozier and brothers Brian Holland and Edward Holland, Jr. They are considered to be one of the greatest songwriting teams in popular music...
on Freda Payne
Freda Payne
Freda Charcilia Payne Some sources give a birth year of 1945, but this appears to be an error as all sources agree that she is older than her sister Scherrie, born 1944. is an American singer and actress best known for her million selling, 1970 hit single, "Band of Gold". She was also an actress in...
for her Reaching Out LP. One of the three, "Mother Misery's Favorite Child", was included on the Invictus Club Classics Vol II compilation CD; While another, “Two Wrongs Don’t Make a Right”, became a minor R&B hit in the summer of ‘73, peaking at #75. During the 2nd half of '72, Ruth & her band opened several shows for Three Dog Night
Three Dog Night
Three Dog Night is an American rock band best known for their music from 1968 to 1975. During that time the band charted 21 Billboard top 40 hits in America, three of which reached Number One...
, as well as David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, on the US leg of his Ziggy Stardust Tour
Ziggy Stardust Tour
The Ziggy Stardust Tour was a concert tour by David Bowie in United Kingdom, North America, and Japan in 1972-73, to promote the studio albums Ziggy Stardust and Aladdin Sane.-The band:*David Bowie - vocals, guitar, harmonica...
, including the tour's initial gig in Cleveland and a well publicized show at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
in NYC. It was around this time that Ruth Copeland split from her manager Jeffrey Bowen and began working with a new manager Jeffrey Tofler. Soon after, Ruth & Co were once again opening gigs for Sly & the Family Stone. However, this new arrangement was quickly shut down, promptly Ruth to leave Invictus. Copeland eventually signed with RCA Records, working on material for a new album with Darryl Hall
Darryl Hall
Darryl Hall is a former Grey Cup champion and all-star Canadian Football League defensive back. He also played 3 years in the National Football League with the Denver Broncos and San Francisco 49ers....
, once she had been released from her H-D-H contract. As a result, the band suddenly found themselves recording and touring with the Chairman of the Board
Chairman of the Board
The Chairman of the Board is a seat of office in an organization, especially of corporations.Chairman of the Board may also refer to:*Chairman of the Board , a 1998 film*Chairmen of the Board , a 1970s American soul music group...
, another Holland-Dozier-Holland/Invictus act.
Late in '72, Jeffrey Bowen began producing the Skin I'm In album on the Chairmen of the Board in NYC, using Donald and the previously mentioned members of Funkadelic on the sessions. Often referred to as “the lost Funkadelic album”, Skin I’m In featured the hit-single “Finder’s Keepers" (#7 R&B, #59 Pop) as well as the "Life 'n' Death suite" (which has been described as a magnum opus based around a Sly Stone Track). Skin I'm In contained two Baldwin co-writes: “Morning Glory-White Rose" (co-written with Billy Bass Nelson and comprising two parts of the Life 'n' Death suite) and “Live With Me Love With Me” (co-written with Jeffrey Bowen & General Johnson). In the fall of ‘73, the band (Donald, Bernie, Billy, Eddie and Tiki) toured England with the Chairmen of the Board, where they received a heroes welcome. By the time the group left the UK, “Finders Keepers” was England’s #1 hit.
In 1974, Donald was signed to Motown Records
Motown Records
Motown is a record label originally founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in Detroit, Michigan, United States, on April 14, 1960. The name, a portmanteau of motor and town, is also a nickname for Detroit...
and Jobete/Stone Diamond Music as an Artist, Songwriter, Composer, and Arranger. While in transition between HDH and Motown, Donald and Jeffery Bowen, as ghost writers, co-wrote and arranged “I Feel Sanctified” for the Commodores
Commodores
The Commodores are an American funk/soul band of the 1970s and 1980s. The members of the group met as mostly freshmen at Tuskegee Institute in 1968, and signed with Motown in November 1972, having first caught the public eye opening for The Jackson 5 while on tour...
debut album, Machine Gun. The recording, which featured Billy Bass Nelson
Billy Bass Nelson
William "Billy Bass" Nelson is a U.S. musician, who was the original bassist for Funkadelic. He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, inducted in 1997 with fifteen other members of Parliament-Funkadelic....
and Eddie Hazel
Eddie Hazel
Edward Earl "Eddie" Hazel was a guitarist in early funk music in the United States who played lead guitar with Parliament-Funkadelic...
on bass and guitar respectively, became a significant R&B hit (#12 R&B, #75 Pop) in late ‘74. As credited writers, producers and arrangers, this team of Bowen & Baldwin had its first gold and platinum success with The Temptations album A Song For You
A Song for You
"A Song for You" is a soulful love song written and originally recorded by rock singer-songwriter and pianist Leon Russell for his first solo album 'Leon Russell', which was released in 1970 on Shelter Records. A slow, pained plea for forgiveness and understanding from an estranged lover, the tune...
(Jan '75). Often credited with updating the Temptations Norman Whitfield
Norman Whitfield
Norman Jesse Whitfield was an American songwriter and producer, best known for his work with Berry Gordy's Motown label during the 1960s...
sound, this #1 R&B LP (#13 Pop) featured Baldwin, as well as Funkadelics Nelson & Hazel as its musicians. The lead off single, “Happy People
Happy People
"Happy People" is a 1974 single by The Temptations, co-written by Lionel Richie. The song was the first single from the A Song For You album. In the United States, the single went to number one on the R&B chart and number 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. "Happy People" also peaked at...
” (co-written by Donald Baldwin-Jeffery Bowen-Lionel Richie
Lionel Richie
Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr. , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Since 1968, he has been a member of the musical group Commodores signed to Motown Records...
), reached #1 on the R&B charts on February 8, 1975, and was the first of three Top-40 pop hits culled from the LP. “Shakey Ground
Shakey Ground
"Shakey Ground" is a 1975 R&B single by The Temptations. It was co-written by Funkadelic guitarist Eddie Hazel, who plays lead guitar on the song. Original Funkadelic bassist Billy "Bass" Nelson also plays on the song...
” (written by Eddie Hazel-Al Boyd-Jeffrey Bowen) became the album’s second single to reach #1 on the R&B chart (April 26, 1975) and featured a soprano sax solo by Donald Baldwin. “Glasshouse” became the album’s third Top-10 R&B single, as well as a Top-10 hit on the Disco/Dance chart. In addition to co-writing “Happy People”, Donald co-wrote the quiet storm
Quiet storm
Quiet storm is a late-night radio format, featuring soulful slow jams, pioneered in the mid-1970s by then-station-intern Melvin Lindsey at WHUR-FM, in Washington, D.C. Smokey Robinson's like-titled hit single, released in 1975 as the title track to his third solo album, lent its name to the format...
classic “Memories” with Bowen & Kathy Wakefield, a song which features a standout lead vocal by Dennis Edwards
Dennis Edwards
Dennis Edwards is a soul and R&B singer, most noted for being one of Motown act The Temptations' lead singers replacing David Ruffin. He is the father of Issa Pointer, whose mother is Ruth Pointer of The Pointer Sisters.-Career:...
.
Donald Baldwin contributed his talents to a variety of tracks produced by Jeffrey Bowen on several Motown artists for albums recorded and released between 1974–1980. These albums, for which Donald shared writers and/or performance/arranger credits were: Wings of Love by the Temptations (#3 R&B, #29 Pop); Rose Banks' (aka Rose Stone
Rose Stone
Rose Stone is an African-American singer and keyboardist. She is best known as one of the lead singers in Sly & the Family Stone, a popular psychedelic soul/funk band founded by her brothers, Sly Stone and Freddie Stone...
: Sly’s sis & ex-Family Stone member) eponymous solo debut; Deep in My Soul by Smokey Robinson
Smokey Robinson
William "Smokey" Robinson, Jr. is an American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. Robinson is one of the primary figures associated with Motown, second only to the company's founder, Berry Gordy...
(#16 R&B, #47 Pop); as well as two self titled albums by 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'...
(formerly of the Pointer Sisters
Pointer Sisters
The Pointer Sisters are an American pop/R&B recording act from Oakland, California that achieved mainstream success during the 1970s and 1980s. Spanning over three decades, their repertoire has included such diverse genres as pop, disco, jazz, bebop, blues, soul, funk, dance, country and rock.The...
): Her 1978 solo debut (#34 R&B, #96 Pop) as well as her 1979 sophomore effort (#40 R&B, #63 Pop). During this time, Donald Baldwin’s co-writing credits included the following: “Mary Ann”, “Dream World” & “Paradise” (all three written by Donald Baldwin-Jeffrey Bowen-Jimmy Ford); from the Temptations Wings of Love LP (March '76); “You Cannot Laugh Alone” (another “quiet storm
Quiet storm
Quiet storm is a late-night radio format, featuring soulful slow jams, pioneered in the mid-1970s by then-station-intern Melvin Lindsey at WHUR-FM, in Washington, D.C. Smokey Robinson's like-titled hit single, released in 1975 as the title track to his third solo album, lent its name to the format...
” classic) & “If You Want My Love” (both written by Baldwin-Bowen); featured on Smokey Robinson's Deep in My Soul LP (Jan '77); “I Love to Sing to You”, “I Wanna Make it in Your World”, “More and More” & “My Everything” (all four by Baldwin-Bowen); from Bonnie Pointer's "Red" LP (Oct '78); And one from Bonnie Pointer's "Purple" LP (Nov '79) titled “Deep Inside My Soul” (by Donald Baldwin-Bonnie Pointer).
While with Motown, Donald worked on a number of unreleased recordings produced by Bowen on Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
, Rose Banks, Jermaine Jackson
Jermaine Jackson
Jermaine La Jaune Jackson is an American singer, bassist, composer, a member of The Jackson 5, older brother of American pop stars Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson and occasional film director...
, Diana Ross
Diana Ross
Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...
, Bonnie Pointer and Cuba Gooding Sr (formerly of the Main Ingredient). The material intended for Marvin Gaye featured Donald along with Billy Bass Nelson, Eddie Hazel, Bernie Worrell & drummer Ollie Brown
Ollie E. Brown
Ollie E. Brown is an American drummer, percussionist and record producer. A prolific session musician, Brown has performed on over a hundred albums in the 1970s, 80s and 90s. Brown was also half of the American dance-pop duo Ollie & Jerry, which had a Top 10 hit with "Breakin'.....
. Donald left Motown around 1980, when his contract with the label expired.
As an independent artist, Donald wrote and performed in numerous local bands throughout the Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
area from 1981–1997. During this time, a third Bonnie Pointer album titled If The Price Is Right, (released in mid-84 on the Private I label) featured a new composition by Donald and Bonnie Pointer titled “There’s Nobody Quite Like You”. A song titled “Xanadu II”, originally written in 1976 by Donald and Emmy nominated Frankie Blue, was used in 2001 as incidental background music in one of the episodes for the ”The Huntress”, a syndicated TV show (USA Network), that starred Annette O'Toole
Annette O'Toole
Annette O'Toole is an American actress, dancer, and singer-songwriter. She is most recently known for portraying Martha Kent, the mother of Clark Kent on the television series Smallville.-Early life and career:...
. Donald remains musically active working on a variety of projects including studio work by the Baldwin/Larsen Project and live work with the reggae legend Ras Michael
Ras Michael
Ras Michael is a Jamaican reggae singer and Nyabinghi specialist. He also performs under the name of Dadawah.-Biography:...
and the Sons of Negus. Most recently, Baldwin worked with Tony Newton
Tony Newton
Antony Harold "Tony" Newton, Baron Newton of Braintree, PC, OBE , is a British Conservative politician and former Cabinet member...
, the renowned live and session bassist with Motown and founding member of the HDH/Invictus group 8th Day, on a DVD profiling Newton’s musical career.
External links
- http://www.bmi.com BMI Repertoire Search: Baldwin Donald C CAE/IPI#86581050
- http://www.myspace.com/donaldcharlesbaldwin
- http://www.myspace.com/baldwinlarsenproject
- http://warr.org/pointers.html
- http://answers.com/topic/deep-in-my-soul
- http://www.answers.com/topic/skin-i-m-in-1974-album-by-chairmen-of-the-board