Tyrone Davis: Mississippi Musician | Tyrone Davis: Classic Soul | VH1: Tyrone Davis |
The king of romantic Chicago soul, Tyrone Davis' warm, aching vulnerability and stylish class made him especially popular with female soul fans during a lengthy hitmaking run that lasted throughout the '70s. Best known for the classics "Can I Change My Mind" and "Turn Back the Hands of Time," Davis was a versatile baritone singer who could handle everything from pop-soul to funk to bluesy chitlin-circuit R&B, but smooth soul was his true bread and butter. Once Davis broke through in the late '60s, he never really stopped recording; although the R&B chart hits dried up by the early '80s, he was still going strong into the new millennium, decades after his first single was released.
Tyrone Davis was born May 4, 1938, in Greenville, MS and died Feb 9, 2005; he spent most of his formative years in Saginaw, MI, and moved to Chicago in 1959, where he eventually found a job as a valet and chauffeur for bluesman Freddie King. He befriended the likes of Bobby "Blue" Bland, Little Milton, and Otis Clay, among others, and began to pursue his own singing career in the clubs on the city's West and South Sides. Singer/pianist Harold Burrage took Davis under his wing and helped him refine his craft, and the budding blues shouter got his first shot in 1965 on the Four Brothers label. His first single, "Suffer," was recorded under the name Tyrone the Wonder Boy and written and produced by Burrage, as was the follow-up "Good Company." Unfortunately, Burrage passed away in late 1966, and after one more single Davis moved on to cut one-offs for Sack and ABC. He found a home at Carl Davis' new label Dakar in 1968, when a Texas DJ flipped his first release over and started playing the B-side, "Can I Change My Mind." Showcasing Davis' lovelorn pleading to best effect, the song went all the way to number one on the R&B charts, and reached the pop Top Five as well.
Teamed with producer/arranger Willie Henderson, who'd masterminded "Can I Change My Mind," Davis capitalized on his breakthrough with a string of orchestrated hits that emphasized his new, smoother style, and helped point the way for Chicago soul into a new decade. "Is It Something You've Got" reached the R&B Top Five in 1969, and it was followed in 1970 by the sublime "Turn Back the Hands of Time." It was his second R&B number one, and also his biggest hit on the pop charts with a peak at number three; plus, the accompanying album of the same name ranks among the best soul LPs of its time, producing two more hits in the R&B Top Ten "I'll Be Right Here" and "Let Me Back In." Davis hit the R&B Top 40 with steady regularity over the next few years, including the Top Tens "Could I Forget You," "I Had It All the Time," "Without You in My Life," and "There It Is." In 1975, he scored his third number one R&B hit with "Turning Point," but left Dakar for Columbia the following year.
Davis' ballad mastery was a main selling point for Columbia, which made his backing orchestrations even lusher than before, but he also made the occasional concession to contemporary dance trends, which informed his debut Columbia hit "Give It Up (Turn It Loose)," a number two R&B single from 1976. Further successes followed in "This I Swear" (1977), "Get On Up (Disco)" (1978), and the slinky ballad "In the Mood" (1979). Davis recorded his final album for Columbia in 1981, then switched to Highrise, where he promptly landed a Top Five R&B hit -- his last, as it turned out -- with "Are You Serious" in 1982. Short stints with Ocean-Front and Prelude followed before Davis settled in with Future for the latter half of the '80s. He spent the first half of the '90s on retro-soul label Ichiban, recording several albums, and then moved to Southern soul imprint Malaco in 1996 for an equally productive stay that lasted into the new millennium. Davis continued to release new albums every year or two, and toured the soul/blues circuit as restlessly as ever.
-- Steve Huey, All Music Guife
01. She's Looking Good 02. Knock on Wood 03. Have You Ever Wondered Why? 04. Slip Away 05. Good Times 06. Can I Change My Mind |
07. Open the Door to Your Heart 08. Call on Me 09. Just the One (I've Been Looking For) 10 You Can't Keep a Good Man Down 11. A Woman Needs to Be Loved |
01. Your Love Keeps Haunting Me 02. Was It Just A Feeling 03. This Time 04. How Could I Forget You 05. After All This Time |
06. Was I Just A Fool 07. Come And Get This Ring 08. You Wouldn�t Believe 09. I Had It All The Time |
01. Turn Back the Hands of Time 02. All the Waiting Is Not in Vain 03. Let Me Back In 04. Love Bones 05. I'll Be Right Here |
06. Is It Something You've Got? 07. Undying Love 08. Just Because of You 09. If It's Love That You're After 10. I Keep Coming Back |
01. It's So Good (To Be Home With You) 02. Turning Point 03. Forever 04. I Can't Bump, Pt. 1 05. Saving My Love for You |
06. Ever-Lovin' Girl 07. Don't Let It Be Too Late 08. I Can't Bump, Pt. 2 09. Turn Back the Hands of Time [1976 Version] |
01. All You Got 02. I Just Can't Keep on Going 03. If That's What It Takes 04. Playing in the Sand |
05. This I Swear 06. I Got Carried Away 07. You Need Love 08. Let�s Be Closer Together |
01. In The Mood 02. You Know What To Do 03. I Can�t Wait 04. Keep On Dancin� |
05. I Don�t Think You Heard Me 06. Ain�t Nothing I Can Do 07. All The Love I Need 08. We Were In Love Then |
01. Can I Change My Mind 02. A Woman Needs To Be Loved 03. Turn Back The Hands Of Time 04. There It Is 05. I Wish It Was Me 06. Without You In My Life |
07. Is It Something You�ve Got 08. I Had It All The Time 09. Turning Point 10. I�ll Be Right Here 11. Could I Forget You 12. Let Me Back In |
01. Can I Change My Mind 02. One Way Ticket To Nowhere 03. Turning Point 04. I Wish It Was Me 05. After All This Time 06. So Good(to be home with you) 07. I had It All The Time |
08. A Woman Needs To Be Loved 09. Turn Back The Hands Of Time 10. Without You In My Life 11. Is It Something You�ve Got 12. Have You Ever wondered Why 13. There�s Got To Be An Answer 14. You Keep Me Holding On 15. I Keep Coming Back |
01. I'm in Love Again 02. You Are the One 03. You Make Me Feel So Good 04. All of Me |
05. You're Everything (I Want in a Woman) 06. I Wanna Talk Love 07. I've Got You (You've Got Me) 08. Serious Love |
01. Turning Point 02. Are You Serious 03. Overdue 04. You Can Win If You Want 05. Be Honest With Me 06. Let Me Be Your Pacifier |
07. You Stay on My Mind 08. Where Did We Lose 09. One in a Million 10. Sexy Thing 11. More and More |
01. It's a Miracle 02. It Keeps on Flashin' Back 03. Try It Baby 04. Wrong Doers |
05. Do You Feel It 06. I'm Still in Love With You 07. Be Honest With Me 08. All the Love I Need |
01. Let Me Be the One 02. Save Me 03. Overdue 04. Satisfy You (Before I Satisfy Me) |
05. Sexy Thing 06. Forever 07. More and More 08. Be Honest With Me |
01. I'll Always Love You 02. Prove My Love 03. Talk to You 04. Let Me Love You |
05. Do U Still Love Me 06. Can I Change Your Mind 07. A Woman Needs to Be Loved 08. Mom's Apple Pie |
01. Something's Mighty Wrong 02. Running in and out of My Life 03. Big Cat 04. Ain't Gonna Get It |
05. Wishin' Well 06. I'm Learning 07. Don't Make Me Choose 08. I've Gotta Get Over You |
01. Do You Feel It 02. It�s A Miracle 03. (it keeps on) Flashing Back 04. Heart Failure 05. Overdue 06. Sexy Thing |
07. Come On Over 08. Wrong Doers 09. I�m So Excited 10. Be Honest With Me 11. You Stay On My Mind 12. All Of Me |
01. You Stay on My Mind 02. Let Me Be Your Pacifier 03. I Found Myself When I Lost You 04. All Because of Your Love |
05. You Can Win If You Want 06. I Won't Let Go 07. Something Good About a Woman 08. You're My Heart, You're My Soul |
01. Ain't That Good Enough 02. My Key 03. Freak 04. I Wish It Was Me 05. Where Are You Lady |
06. Please 07. Linger a Little Longer 08. Never Ever Let You Go 09. In the Mood 10 Can I Squeeze You |
01. U Should Be My Girl 02. Black Magic 03. Delicious 04. I Wanna Do You 05. Gotta Get You off My Mind |
06. Keep It Comin' 07. We Can't Go on Like This 08. Temporary Lovin 09. Let Me Please You 10. (Such an) Easy Question |
01. Call Tyrone 02. Turn Back the Clock 03. You Got What It Takes 04. I Can't Help Myself 05. Ooh la La |
06. Sleep With Me 07. Cheatin' in the Next Room 08. You Don't Love Me 09. All the Waiting Is Not in Vain 10. Leavin' |
01. I've Never Found a Girl 02. For the Good Times 03. I Love You Baby 04.You Made Me Beautiful 05. Comin' Back Baby 06. Turn Back the Hands of Time |
07. It's So Good (To Be Home With You) 08. Can I Change My Mind 09. Crossfire 10. You're Heaven Sent 11. My Place 12. It's All over Now |
01. Sugar Daddy 02. Kiss You 03. He'll Never Love You 04. Sure Wasn't Me 05. Leavin' Me |
06. What's a Man to Do 07. Power 08. Can't Help But Say 09. Family Affair 10. Tribute to Johnnie Taylor |
01. Po House 02. Tip Tow Through the Bedroom 03. Who's Been Rockin' 04. I Hit the Jackpot 05. Sweet Thang |
06. Love Line 07. You're Something Else (With Yourself) 08. Ring My Phone 09. I'm Hanging Up My Heart for You 10. Lover |
01. Dogg 02. Bangin� the Headboard 03. Come to Daddy 04. Tease 05. Rock Me 06. Whip Appeal |
07. Slide on Over 08. Back That Thang Up 09. Wrong Place 10. You Are 11. I Wake Up Crying 12. The Ties That Bind |
01. The Legendary Hall of Famer (Intro) 02. Get Your Groove On 03. Anyway 04. Try My Love 05. Hot Spot 06. Can I Stop By |
07. Handle Your Business 08. Let's Stay Together 09. Stepper's Holiday 10. Who's Loving You Now 11. Suspicious Mind |