Thursday 6 January 2022

Van McCoy born 6 January 1940


Van Allen Clinton McCoy (January 6, 1940 – July 6, 1979) was an American musician, record producer, arranger, songwriter, singer and orchestra conductor. He is known best for his 1975 internationally successful song "The Hustle". He has approximately 700 song copyrights to his credit, and is also noted for producing songs for such recording artists as Gladys Knight & the Pips, The Stylistics, Aretha Franklin, Brenda & the Tabulations, David Ruffin, Peaches & Herb, Lesley Gore and Stacy Lattisaw. He enjoyed a long and remarkably prolific career prior to his premature death at the age of just 39. 

Born in Washington, D.C., as a child he sang with the Metropolitan Baptist Church choir, and by the age of 12 he was writing his own songs in addition to performing in local amateur shows alongside older brother, Norman Jr.

The McCoy siblings eventually partnered with high-school friends Freddy Smith and Paul Comedy in the doo wop combo the Starlighters. Serving as their lead vocalist, writer, and music director, Van masterminded the Starlighters' 1956 debut single, "The Birdland," a novelty dance record that generated enough local interest to earn them an invitation to tour the East Coast in support of drummer Vi Burnsides. As military and marital obligations forced the group to dissolve during the months to follow, McCoy entered Howard University to study psychology, but dropped out after a year to pursue a full-time career in music, relocating to Philadelphia and forming his own label, Rockin' Records. 

In 1959 Rockin' issued McCoy's debut solo single, "Hey Mr. DJ." While not a major hit, the record did earn the attention of Scepter Records owner Florence Greenberg, who hired him as a staff writer and A&R rep -- there he penned the 1962 hit "Stop the Music" for the Shirelles before signing on with producers Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller as a writer with their Tiger and Daisy labels. 

Over the next several years McCoy penned a series of hits, among them Jackie Wilson's "I Get the Sweetest Feeling," Gladys Knight & the Pips' "Giving Up," Betty Everett's "Getting Mighty Crowded," Ruby & the Romantics' "When You're Young and in Love," and -- best of all -- Barbara Lewis' celestial "Baby, I'm Yours." With then-girlfriend Kendra Spotswood, he also wrote, produced, and performed a series of pseudonymous singles, including the Pacettes' "You Don't Know Baby," Jack & Jill's "Two of a Kind," and the Fantastic Vantastics' "Gee What a Boy." (Under the name Sandi Sheldon, Spotswood also recorded the McCoy-penned stomper "You're Gonna Make Me Love You," one of the crown jewels of Britain's Northern soul club scene.) 


                              

During 1961, McCoy met Kendra Spotswood (also known as Sandi Sheldon) who lived near his family. For the next five years, they sang and recorded music together professionally. Their relationship ended when McCoy delayed their wedding plans because of a work contract he had signed with Columbia Records to record a solo LP, the Mitch Miller-produced Nighttime Is a Lonely Time. 

The following year he formed his own short-lived label, Vando, as well as his own production company, VMP (Van McCoy Productions, natch). Beginning in 1971, McCoy began a long and fruitful collaboration with fellow songwriter and producer Charles Kipps -- together they helmed a series of sessions, including David Ruffin's acclaimed 1975 Motown comeback, Who I Am, which yielded the smash "Walk Away from Love." McCoy also arranged several hits for Philly soul legends the Stylistics, but despite his success as a writer and producer, he still sought approval as a performer. In 1972 he issued a solo LP, Soul Improvisations (later retitled From Disco to Love), but it went nowhere. 

Expectations were similarly low for 1975's Avco label effort Disco Baby -- McCoy authored "The Hustle" after hearing about the dance from New York City disc jockey David Todd, and the song, written in under an hour, was the last track recorded for the album. "The Hustle" went on to top the Billboard pop chart in July 1975, also earning a Grammy, although McCoy acknowledged he felt extreme discomfort in his new and narrow role as a disco hit maker. McCoy became a star in his own right. He played Lincoln Center in New York City and toured Japan, the Philippines and Italy. 

A series of follow-up albums, among them The Disco Kid, 1976's The Real McCoy and Rhythms of the World, and 1979's Lonely Dancer, failed to recapture the massive popularity of "The Hustle," however, and he returned to writing and producing material for other artists including Faith, Hope & Charity, for the remainder of his career. He suffered a massive heart attack at his home on June 29 and was in a coma until his death on July 6, 1979 at the  Englewood Hospital in New Jersey, exactly six months shy of his 40th birthday. 

(Edited from AllMusic & Wikipedia)

4 comments:

boppinbob said...

For “Van McCoy - The Hustle And The Best Of Van McCoy (1995 Amherst)” go here:

https://www.fireload.com/87a5addd95a56b15/5862.zip

01.- THE HUSTLE (Super Hustle Mix) (4:09)
02.- LOVE IS THE ANSWER (1974) (3:21)
03.- BOOGIE DOWN (1975) (3:03)
04.- KEEP ON HUSTLIN ´ (1975) (4:01)
05.- CHANGE WITH THE TIMES (1975) (3:19)
06.- PARTY (1976) (3:29)
07.- DISCO BABY (1975) (3:36)
08.- THEME FROM STAR TREK (1976) (4:40)
09.- LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT (1976) (4:33)
10.- HEY GIRL, COME AND GET IT (1975) (3:16)
11.- SOUL CHA CHA (1976) (3:27)
12.- NIGHT WALK (1976) (5:10)
13.- THE SHUFFLE (1976) (4:21)
14.- THE HUSTLE (Original mix) 1975 (4:10)
15.- MY FAVORITE FANTASY (1978) (3:22)

A big thank you to Tavasaci3 @ Music Rewind blog for the loan of above CD and active link.

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VA - This Is It! ~ More From The Van McCoy Songbook 1962-1977 (2019)

https://mega.nz/file/AihQ1K4A#VnRbWGtwo_HcO5KaIrK2YFboAGYGGnIvPcxiYaaZY_k

1. Kenny Carlton - Lost and Found (3:07)
2. Chris Bartley - The Sweetest Thing This Side of Heaven (2:57)
3. Sandi Sheldon - You're Gonna Make Me Love You (2:57)
4. The Exciters - Hard Way to Go (3:04)
5. Bobby Reed - I Wanna Love You So Bad (2:17)
6. Betty Everett - Gonna Be Ready (2:34)
7. Peaches & Herb - We're in This Thing Together (2:19)
8. The Spellbinders - Baby, I Miss You (2:32)
9. Erma Franklin - Abracadabra (2:08)
10. Major Lance - Wait Till I Get You in My Arms (2:29)
11. Toni Lamarr - Just in the Nick of Time (2:34)
12. The Vonettes - Touch My Heart (2:33)
13. Francine Barker - Mister D.J. (2:47)
14. Kenny Young - Ain't It Funny What Love Can Do (2:53)
15. The Ad Libs - Show a Little Appreciation (2:41)
16. Sharon Ridley - Where Did You Learn to Make Love the Way You Do (4:55)
17. Brenda & the Tabulations - Little Bit of Love (3:14)
18. The Choice Four - If I Don't Love You (3:09)
19. Laura Greene - Memories and Souvenirs (2:49)
20. Faith, Hope & Charity - You're My Peace of Mind (3:54)
21. Gladys Knight & the Pips - Baby Don't Change Your Mind (3:12)
22. Bill Harris - Am I Cold, Am I Hot (3:32)
23. David Ruffin - Everything's Coming Up Love (4:56)
24. Melba Moore - This Is It (3:31)

A big thank you to Polarbear @ Forward with the song Blog for the loan of this CD

This is the 2nd Cd of the Van McCoy Songbooks by Ace. Will post the first one as soon as I get a copy, unless someone beats me to it.

Dj Diego MC said...

A la pista, ¿quieres bailar? jjj

boppinbob said...

For “A Van McCoy Songbook - The Sweetest Feeling (Ace 2010)” go here:

https://krakenfiles.com/view/YgZM28sDob/file.html

01 - Erma Franklin - I Get The Sweetest Feeling (3:02)
02 - Jackie Wilson - I've Lost You (2:39)
03 - Spellbinders - For You (2:33)
04 - Betty Everett - Getting Mighty Crowded (2:07)
05 - Ruby & The Romantics - When You're Young And In Love (2:28)
06 - Nina Simone - Either Way I Lose (2:44)
07 - Barbara Lewis - Baby I'm Yours (2:32)
08 - Chuck Jackson - Who's Gonna Pick Up The Pieces (2:48)
09 - Little Esther Phillips - Some Things You Never Get Used To (2:26)
10 - Jerry Butler - I Can't Stand To See You Cry (2:43)
11 - Billy T Soul - The Way To A Woman's Heart (2:48)
12 - Teri Thornton - Why Don't You Love Me (2:55)
13 - Gladys Knight & The Pips - Stop And Get A Hold Of Myself (2:51)
14 - Irma Thomas - It's Starting To Get To Me Now (2:30)
15 - Nancy Wilson - Where Does That Leave Me (2:30)
16 - Oscar Weathers - The Spoiler (3:05)
17 - Ilana - Where Would You Be Today (3:16)
18 - Aretha Franklin - So Soon (2:45)
19 - Donny Hathaway - Giving Up
20 - G C Cameron - Let Me Down Easy
21 - Ad Libs - Nothing Worse Than Being Alone
22 - Sharon Ridley - Stay A While With Me
23 - Brenda & The Tabulations - A Love You Can Depend On
24 - Melba Moore - Lean On Me

Another thank you to Polar Bear for loan of this CD as well.

Gazz Gazeer said...

I plaayed This many a time when i Dj'd in Germany in the Early 70's Ty Bob for this Memory.