Walter Butterball Davis On Dakar ?

[Dave Thorley]

Got an odd 45 the other day

 

Walter Butterball Davis - Girl Stop begging - Dakar WJ 100. Had the LaCade release a few times, but never seen this before. Looks like a local Chicago press and have asked Bob Abrahamian, but he has never seen it before either. Anyone else turned one of these up ??

 

Edited September 21, 2013 by Dave Thorley

[Toodarnsoulful]

I've seen this issue before and always wondered if it was a different cut?

[Tfk]

Hi Dave - great call and photo there for sure ...

1974ish on The La Cade label

Not sure we're the Dakar release came in yet ?

A wee bit of spiel on The La Cade release/label/hair care products, a great example and tale of how independent some of the independent record labels actually were - now did Dakar Records put this out due to its local demand/radio station plays or were they looking at getting into the hair care product business ?

La Cade Products was another of many Chicago-based black hair care firms (that I detail here) during the late 60s through the 1970s. Though not as well-known as Supreme Products (who created Duke and Raveen) or Johnson Products (who created Soft Sheen, Afro Sheen, and Ultra Sheen), La Cade left behind scant but fascinating evidence of its existence.

First off, it left some pretty great advertisements starting around 1972 (my favorite is above, from a 1974 issue of Ebony Magazine). How’s that for swagger? There’s a sort of street romantic and cinematic appeal to the image used. They also came up with some clever product names: one of which got them in legal trouble… but we’ll dig into that later in this post.

Most notably, to me (and probably, many Darkjive readers, as well) is that sometime around 1974 La Cade decided to put together a small recording division, based at their Corporate Headquarters (2411 South Michigan in Chicago). They recorded no less than two artists on two singles: both of which are as gritty and charismatic as the ad above.

The first is “Beginning of the Void” backed by “Love Me Too” by Danny Hunt (who sounds to me very much like a young Stevie Wonder on his records). I actually love this record. Very soulful, with a stone cold groove, the lyrics are remarkably socially aware and include:

Just another ghetto child

never see his Daddy smile

He’s in the beginning of his void

The following year, Hunt released a beast of a cut arranged by the iconic Tom Tom Washington and released on Dynamite Records (another tiny Chicago-based imprint). Last time I checked, Danny Hunt was alive and well in the Chicago-area singing Gospel music.

The other record I have found is by Walter “Butterball” Davis, titled “Baby (Wacha Doin to me)” backed by “Girl Stop Begging”. He had also put out a record called “Nobody Cares for a Junkie” on Butterball Records… it’s deep. Really deep. But, Back to “Girl Stop Begging”: the cut is a bluesy-funky little gem penned by Davis himself.

Regards TFK

Edited September 23, 2013 by tfk

[Dave Thorley]

Hi Dave - great call and photo there for sure ...

Not sure we're the Dakar release came in ?

A wee bit of spiel on The La Cade release/label/hair care products:-

La Cade Products was another of many Chicago-based black hair care firms (that I detail here) during the late 60s through the 1970s. Though not as well-known as Supreme Products (who created Duke and Raveen) or Johnson Products (who created Soft Sheen, Afro Sheen, and Ultra Sheen), La Cade left behind scant but fascinating evidence of its existence.

First off, it left some pretty great advertisements starting around 1972 (my favorite is above, from a 1974 issue of Ebony Magazine). How’s that for swagger? There’s a sort of street romantic and cinematic appeal to the image used. They also came up with some clever product names: one of which got them in legal trouble… but we’ll dig into that later in this post.

Most notably, to me (and probably, many Darkjive readers, as well) is that sometime around 1974 La Cade decided to put together a small recording division, based at their Corporate Headquarters (2411 South Michigan in Chicago). They recorded no less than two artists on two singles: both of which are as gritty and charismatic as the ad above.

The first is “Beginning of the Void” backed by “Love Me Too” by Danny Hunt (who sounds to me very much like a young Stevie Wonder on his records). I actually love this record. Very soulful, with a stone cold groove, the lyrics are remarkably socially aware and include:

Just another ghetto child

never see his Daddy smile

He’s in the beginning of his void

The following year, Hunt released a beast of a cut arranged by the iconic Tom Tom Washington and released on Dynamite Records (another tiny Chicago-based imprint). Last time I checked, Danny Hunt was alive and well in the Chicago-area singing Gospel music.

The other record I have found is by Walter “Butterball” Davis, titled “Baby (Wacha Doin to me)” backed by “Girl Stop Begging”. He had also put out a record called “Nobody Cares for a Junkie” on Butterball Records… it’s deep. Really deep. But, Back to “Girl Stop Begging”: the cut is a bluesy-funky little gem penned by Davis himself.

Regards TFK

 

 

I've got a copy of Ebony with that ad in, but never put 2&2 together, thanks, great little read.

[Garethx]

Agreed. Fascinating.

[Steve G]

 

Got an odd 45 the other day

 

Walter Butterball Davis - Girl Stop begging - Dakar WJ 100. Had the LaCade release a few times, but never seen this before. Looks like a local Chicago press and have asked Bob Abrahamian, but he has never seen it before either. Anyone else turned one of these up ??

 

walter butterball davis-dakar308.jpg

 

 

Hi Dave, pretty certain it's unconnected to the more famous Dakar label....

[Chalky]

Was on ebay, is this the one Dave?  Have seen it on ebay before.

[Dave Thorley]

Hi Dave, pretty certain it's unconnected to the more famous Dakar label....

Yep Steve, I'm of the same thinking

[Dave Thorley]

Was on ebay, is this the one Dave?  Have seen it on ebay before.

 

 

Yep, that's the one Karl

[Robbk]

I've never seen it.  But it looks like a '70s label style.  It definitely looks like a Chicago pressing.  But doesn't look like it's connected to Carl Davis' Dakar Records.  Could this have been released in 1974?  Wasn't Davis' Dakar still operating in 1974?  I doubt that a second, separate Dakar records would have operated at the same time in the same city.  Could it have been a special pressing that Davis' Dakar made for La Cade, before they decide to press it up on a label with their own name?

[boba]

i can't believe i missed this on ebay, i'm slipping.

[boba]

omg, i just saw the listing, i saw it when it was up and ignored it because i didn't look close enough at the label

[Steve G]

I've never seen it.  But it looks like a '70s label style.  It definitely looks like a Chicago pressing.  But doesn't look like it's connected to Carl Davis' Dakar Records.  Could this have been released in 1974?  Wasn't Davis' Dakar still operating in 1974?  I doubt that a second, separate Dakar records would have operated at the same time in the same city.  Could it have been a special pressing that Davis' Dakar made for La Cade, before they decide to press it up on a label with their own name?

 

Dakar was still operating in 1974, but if a connection I am convinced that it would have had all the Brunswick insignia somewhere on it, this has none of it. As Dakar was a capital of an African country (Senegal) quite possible that it's usage as a name was more widespread than we might think.....Interesting though.

[boba]

Dakar was still operating in 1974, but if a connection I am convinced that it would have had all the Brunswick insignia somewhere on it, this has none of it. As Dakar was a capital of an African country (Senegal) quite possible that it's usage as a name was more widespread than we might think.....Interesting though.

 

no way was the label name re-taken from the capital of senegal. the person pressing it obviously knew the tyrone davis label. it was a small custom chicago press by someone (probably walter davis himself -- was he related to carl) who wanted the record to look important or who got "permission" to use the label or something similar.

[Steve G]

no way was the label name re-taken from the capital of senegal. the person pressing it obviously knew the tyrone davis label. it was a small custom chicago press by someone (probably walter davis himself -- was he related to carl) who wanted the record to look important or who got "permission" to use the label or something similar.

 

Well you are obviously now the expert on this Bob.....right?

 

Answer is none of us know and it's all speculation including the fact that the person pressing it "obviously knew the Tyrone Davis label" (I guess you mean Carl Davis). There is no evidence to suggest that permission was or wasn't given.....we don't know (yet).

 

Whilst not specifically on point, this is quite interesting from 73.....

 

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=U7EDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA44&dq=jet+dakar&hl=en&sa=X&ei=nMs-Uv_GAafL0AWk-YHgAQ&ved=0CD4Q6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=jet%20dakar&f=false

Edited September 22, 2013 by Steve G

[Tfk]

no way was the label name re-taken from the capital of senegal. the person pressing it obviously knew the tyrone davis label. it was a small custom chicago press by someone (probably walter davis himself -- was he related to carl) who wanted the record to look important or who got "permission" to use the label or something similar.

La Cade and Dakar/Brunswick/BRC Recording studio addresses were only 10 blocks apart on South Michigan Ave Chicago...

Tom Tom Washington May have been the connection (Bobo)

Tom Tom Washington | darkjive.com

darkjive.com/tag/tom-tom-washington/

5 Feb 2013 - The following year, Hunt released a beast of a cut arranged by the iconic ... Last time I checked, Danny Hunt was alive and well in the Chicago-area singing Gospel music. The other record I have found is by Walter “Butterball” Davis, titled .... A delicious record, it was recorded at Brunswick Records here in ...

Tfk

The other release by Walter "Butterball " Davis on his own label/logo looks very similar in colour and design to the early Dakar label releases ?

Edited September 22, 2013 by tfk

[Dave Thorley]

Well if nothing else, it's thrown up another one of those interesting singles that we all love

[boba]

Well you are obviously now the expert on this Bob.....right?

 

Answer is none of us know and it's all speculation including the fact that the person pressing it "obviously knew the Tyrone Davis label" (I guess you mean Carl Davis). There is no evidence to suggest that permission was or wasn't given.....we don't know (yet).

 

Whilst not specifically on point, this is quite interesting from 73.....

 

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=U7EDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA44&dq=jet+dakar&hl=en&sa=X&ei=nMs-Uv_GAafL0AWk-YHgAQ&ved=0CD4Q6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=jet%20dakar&f=false

 

yes, my post was clearly speculation. but it's pretty clear that he didn't come up with the label name in a vacuum and i was giving possible (speculative) scenarios as to how it might have happened.

[Steve G]

yes, my post was clearly speculation. but it's pretty clear that he didn't come up with the label name in a vacuum and i was giving possible (speculative) scenarios as to how it might have happened.

 

Ok fair enough Bob.....and I've given you another scenario that link to PUSH. Anyway I hope we find out!