David Bursey: A Soul Journeyman.
yet another one of soul music’s many unsung heroes
David Bursey: A Soul Journeyman.
David Bursey is yet another one of soul music’s many unsung heroes, a soul journeyman who has spent a life time living the dream of recording a hit record. David Charles Bursey was born on May 23rd 1943 in the town of Ripley Tennessee. In 1952, David’s family took the well trodden path north in search of a better life eventually settling in Milwaukee Wisconsin. Upon leaving school David worked intermittently in the construction industry during which time he began performing with a street corner group known as the ‘Four Souls’ whose line up also included David’s childhood friend Eddie L. Quinn, Lee Harris and Roosevelt Morgan. No recording were ever made. In 1967 David met his partner of forty four years, Ruby White. Together Ruby and David raised a family of six daughters. Also around this time David began employment as a Butcher at the United Packing Slaughter House. An occupation that David would eventually leave behind him to pursue a career as a full time performer. During the late 1960’s and early 1970’s David would feature in the line up of several notable Milwaukee harmony groups.
Photo:- James “JB” Young, Centre David Bursey, Right Robert Wardell. Front sitting down Celeste Campbell.
In 1965 David was a founding member of the Candi Bars with Celeste Campbell and James ‘JB’ Young. The group later grew to four members with the addition of Robert Wardell in 1966. Wardell remained with group for a period of circa twelve months before he moved on. The Candi-Bars solitary 45 recording was released during 1968 on their own Candi-Stix label, and was recorded at Tom Gress’s Studio in Milwaukee.The record sold well locally but never broke out nationally. Two presses of the 45 can be found the yellow first issue and a second release on the silver label design. A later reissue can be found on the Gule label. Many of the silver issues can be found with reversed labels. A possible explanation for this could be that on the first yellow issue ‘I Believe In You’ is credited as the A-side (100-A) but the songs master number in the run out groove is (100-B) thus when the record was re-pressed the pressing plant thinking by putting the A-side label with A-side master were doing the right thing ? David can be found as the co-writer along with Celeste Campbell on the ‘Your The One’ side a popular track with sweet soul collectors, while the flipside‘I Believe In You’ became a popular track with the emerging crossover scene in England in the mid 1980’s and remains a current favourite to this day. The Candi -Bars eventually broke up for personal reasons although they all still live in and around Milwaukee and have remained in contact to this day. After they broke up James ‘JB’ Young continued with his day job as a truck driver until his forced retirement due to renal problems. Celeste Campbell who previously to the Candi-Bars had been a member of a three girl high school group turned her back on a performing career choosing to devote her life to raising her daughter."¨
David joined Gerry Armstead’s group known as the ‘Phases’ and feature on their 1969 release ‘Anything You Wan’na Be/Sing Your Song (Capitol 2684).The group also included Tom Burke (now deceased). Both sides of the Capitol release were composed by Gerry Armstead and Bill ‘Bunky’ Sheppard with ‘Anything You Wan’na Be’ being chosen as the all too familiar X “Bunky’s PICK”. The Phases later broke up due to an alleged contract dispute between Armstead and Sheppard with David and Tom joining Robert Gardner and Clarence ‘Sijo’ McGee to form the group known as the Brothers By Choice. It was at this point David quit his day job at United. The Brothers By Choice headed west to Los Angeles to further their career. The firstly approached Capitol records on the strength of their previous release as the Phases, but Capitol weren’t interested. After a period of three years of no success David, Robert and Clarence later returned to their native Milwaukee, with Tom remaining in L.A eventually being ordained in to the ministry. Clarence then reformed the Brothers By Choice with his brothers Boss and Larry McGee alongside Robert Gardner who went on to record “You Think That I’m A Fool/Can’t You See” for Calgar records (0002) in 1973.
The Brothers By Choice circa 1970: - Tom Burke, Robert Gardner, SiJo Mcgee & David Bursey
Left to right: Tom Burke, Gerry Armstead and David Bursey
On his return to Milwaukee, David was invited by his old friend Gilbert Moorer to join the Esquires. During his involvement with the Esquires, David featured as the lead vocalist on the group’s “ Henry Ralph” recording and also as a backing vocalist on the release’s flipside” My Sweet Baby”. For a very long time this was thought to have been a UK only 45 release on John Abbey’s Action label. But eventually US 45 releases began to appear on Hotline records a division of Cutlass Records from Nashville, Tennessee. One would assume that this was part of the same deal that also saw former Esquire Mill Edwards (aka Mill Evans)” I Found Myself/Don’t Forget About Me” gain a Cutlass release.
David continued to perform through the rest of the 1970’s and early 80’s but with a frequent back pain from a injury sustained while working at a Hotel restricting his performances. In the early 1980’s David and Eddie L. Quinn were joined by Jimmy Taylor and Alvis Moorer of the Esquires to form a group known as “Ice” no recordings were ever released. . In 1988 David recorded the self penned popular modern soul dance track “Got To Get Away/Rainy Night In Georgia” under the pseudonym of Noah a childhood nickname given to him by his mother.
In 1991 David teamed up with again with former fellow Esquire Sam Pace and Eddie L. Quinn to form a group known as Fairplay. Several tracks were recorded but through lack of finances nothing was ever released. It is from these sessions that we at Soul Junction have taken the funky little dancer “ Don’t Let Our Love Go (vocal and instrumental versions ) for release (SJ517). Fairplay drifted apart for a while before reforming in circa 2006 this time with 5 members David Bursey, Eddie L. Quinn, Joe Hayes, Charles Ross and Chuck Mays. Again this was to be a short lived affair.
Photo:- Sylvester Mackintosh, David Bursey and the late Reverend Eddie L. Quinn
In 2010 David Bursey recorded a solo cd album entitled “If” which can still be found for sale via CD Baby.
David still continues to perform as much as his health permits, as can be seen in his most recent photo taken while on stage at the Milwaukee African World Festival of African Music in 2011.
Words by David Welding"¨"¨Acknowledgements to: David Bursey, Ruby White, James “JB” Young, Celeste Campbell and the late Reverend Eddie L. Quinn"¨Photographs: David Bursey & Ruby White."¨Label Scans: David Welding and the Candi-Bars on Gule courtesy of Bob Abrahamian.
Listen to the forthcoming Soul junction Release, "FairPlay" with "Don't Let Our Love Go"
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