David Porter

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David Porter (born November 21, 1941) is an American soul musician. Porter is best known as the songwriting and production partner of Isaac Hayes at Stax Records during the 1960s. He later became a Stax recording artist himself.

Biography

As house composers for Stax Records, Hayes and Porter penned most of Sam & Dave's hits, including "Soul Man", “I Thank You,” “When Something Is Wrong with My Baby” and "Hold On, I'm Comin'". They also wrote material for Carla Thomas (“B-A-B-Y”), Johnnie Taylor (“I Got to Love Somebody’s Baby” and “I Had a Dream”), and The Soul Children. Starting in the late '60s, Hayes became increasingly involved in his own recording career, eventually leading to the end of the partnership. The Hayes-Porter duo composed 200 songs during their collaboration.

Porter then began recording his own albums for Stax. He also released on other labels under the pseudonyms Little David and Kenny Cain, and had done a single for Stax itself in 1965, "Can't See You When I Want To", a remake of which became a Top 30 RB hit for Porter, and he cut several albums for Stax in the early '70s, including a concept LP, Victim of the Joke? which includes an upbeat cover of The Beatles' Help!.

Porter began working with songwriting partner Ronnie Williams, and later went on to engineer the brief relaunch of the Stax label in 1978, after the bankrupt label's assets were acquired by Fantasy Records.

He and Hayes received Pioneer Awards from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation in 1999. On June 9, 2005, Porter was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame alongside Bill Withers, Steve Cropper, Robert B. Sherman, Richard M. Sherman, John Fogerty and his longtime writing partner Isaac Hayes.

Porter currently resides in Memphis, Tennessee.

Discography

Albums

All albums issued on Stax Records' Enterprise label.

• 1970: Gritty, Groovy, and Gettin' It
• 1971: Into a Real Thing
• 1971: Victim of the Joke? An Opera
• 1973: Sweat and Love

Singles

All singles issued on Stax Records' Enterprise label unless otherwise noted.

• 1970: "Can't See You When I Want To" b/w "Win You Over" (Stax)
• 1970: "One Part Love, Two Parts Pain" b/w "Can't See You When I Want To"
• 1971: "If I Give It Up, I Want It Back" Pt. I b/w "If I Give It Up, I Want It Back" Pt. II
• 1972: "Ain't That Loving You" b/w "Baby I'ma Want You" (with Isaac Hayes)
• 1972: "I'm Afraid the Masquerade is Over" b/w "Hang On Sloopy"
• 1972: "When The Chips Are Down" b/w "I Wanna Be Your Somebody"
• 1973: "Long As You're the One Somebody in the World" b/w "When You Have to Sneak, You Have to Sneak"
• 1974: "I Got You and I'm Glad" b/w "Falling Out, Falling In"

Songwriting and production with Isaac Hayes

• 1965: "Candy" by The Astors
• 1965: "You Don't Know Like I Know" by Sam & Dave
• 1966: "Let Me Be Good to You" by Carla Thomas
• 1966: "B-A-B-Y" by Carla Thomas
• 1966: "Your Good Thing (Is About to End)" by Mabel John
• 1966: "Hold On, I'm Comin'" by Sam & Dave
• 1967: "When Something is Wrong with My Baby" by Sam & Dave
• 1967: "Soul Man" by Sam & Dave
• 1968: "I Thank You" by Sam & Dave
• 1969: "So I Can Love You" by The Emotions (production only)
• 1969: "The Sweeter He Is" by The Soul Children
• 1969: "Soul Sister Brown Sugar" by Sam & Dave

References

External links

• David Porter at the Internet Movie Database
• David Porter at the Songwriters Hall of Fame