Don Davis (United Sound) reels

In the recent UNH show, George once again sang the chorus to Doing It In The Mud right after the one hour mark. I then happened to search online and came across an auction that had the reels! :astonished: … but it ended over a week ago, so I was pretty bummed out about it :pensive:, but I realized that there were quite a number of George reels that were auctioned over the past few years by Carolina Soul Records, in relation to the estate of Don Davis (Groovesville Productions, Detroit, MI).

I was surprised no one brought it up here, so I decided to compile a list of the tracks on the reels. I tried to order them chronologically as best I could, based on the bits and pieces of information out there. If the picture’s text was too blurry, I put it in brackets.

Auction: yyyy-mm-dd, name

2020-03-20
2020-04-23
2020-05-21

2021-03-05
2021-08-31

2022-03-01
2022-04-28
2022-10-04Re-Rockin’ of a Rock Star :exclamation: (40 second clip)
2022-12-20

2023-05-23
2023-07-19
2023-11-14
2023-12-12

Auction: 2023-07-19, FUNK PSYCH 1-SONG MASTER REEL: PARLIAMENT? “MAKE PLANS FOR TWO”

ISIPS STEREO
MASTER
REF. TONE ODB
TESTIFY
(1) Make Plans For Two

Auction: 2023-12-12

LEON WARE TRACKS:
I STILL WAIT FOR YOU
WARNING
I’LL WAIT
VOCAL:
I’LL WAIT: PAT LEWIS + PARLIAMENTS

Auction: 2023-07-19

ARTIST: G. CLINTON
PRODUCER: G. CLINTON
ENGINEER: [?] [?]
DATE: [5/9/81]

[?] [?]

Auction: 2023-12-12

Producer: George Clinton
Client: CBS
Record [For]: CBS
Date: 8/18/82
Engineer: Greg [Relly]
Assistant Engineer: [Dave Baker]
Artist: Jessica
Master

  1. Send a Gram (Full Mix)
  2. Send a Gram (Tag Insert)
  3. [garbage]

Auction: 2022-05-23

ARTIST: G.C.
ENGINEER: G.W
DATE: 3/4

1 OH-OH!
2. [REG] MIX w/ DRUM REP. - Rewound to [?] [?] [?]
EXTRA REGULAR OUTTAKES

Auction: 2022-11-14, Boogie Funk Inst. 3-Song Master Reel: George Clinton “Oh-Oh”

  1. “Oh-Oh” mix 1
  2. “Oh-Oh” mix 2
  3. “Oh-Oh” drum break

Artist: G.C
Engineer: GW
Date: 3/11

OH-OH!
(2) INSTR. MIXES
1 GOOD DRUM PIECE

Auction: 2023-12-12

CLIENT: NINE
ARTIST: GC
PRODUCER: GC
ENGINEER: [G]W
DATE: 3/13/85

DUBBING COPY
1 OH-OH! BASIC
2 OH-OH! [RED.] Drums

Auction: 2023-11-14, Boogie Funk 2-Song Master Reel: George Clinton “Bullet Proof”

  1. “Bullet Proof”
  2. “Bullet Proof” partial

Artist: GC
Engineer: [G]W
DATE: 3/13/85

1 BULLET PROOF TRACK
RECORDED NIGHT BEFORE MIX
“BRIGHT TRACK”

Is the “NIGHT BEFORE MIX” and the Night Before (1988) movie a coincidence?

Auction: 2023-11-14, Boogie Funk Inst. 2-Song Master Reel: George Clinton “Do It Good”

Note: Pleasures of Exhaustion

CLIENT: NINE
ARTIST: G.C.
PRODUCER: G.C.
ENGINEER: [G]W
DATE: 3/17/85

IK TONE
1 DO IT GOOD #2 FLUTE
2 DO IT GOOD BOTH FLUTES

Auction: 2023-07-19, Boogie Funk 6-Song Master Reel: George Clinton “Street Level”

  1. “Street Level”
  2. “Do Fries Go With That Shake”
  3. ?
  4. ?
  5. “He’s Your Continental Brother”
  6. “Freaks Bearing Gifts”

CLIENT: GEORGE CLINTON
ENGINEER: [?] [?]
DATE: 7-18-85

1 Street Level Ruff Mix
Do Fries Go With That Shake
[Too G???k] [arrow swap with next]
If I’m Wrong [arrow swap with prev]
He’s Your [Cross]Continental Brother
Freaks Bearing Gifts

Street Level is out there and DJ Quik did Street Level Entrance.

I guess this is when Freaks Bearing Gifts was done.

What is Too [?], If I’m Wrong and He’s Your Continental Brother?

Auction: 2022-10-06, Boogie Funk 2-Song Master Reel: George Clinton “Ruff Mix” - Unissued?

Note: I think this is the corresponding reel for Re-Rockin’ of a Rock Star.
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1760125127691824

CLIENT: GC/NINE/[?]
ARTIST: GC
ENGINEER: [T2]
DATE: 8/8/85

1 [Ruff Mix] R[?]
2 [Ruff Mix] R[?]

Also, the Rustee Allen Simple Rules - EP was mostly removed from the internet. However, a remix was put out.

Auction: 2022-10-04, Boogie Funk/80s Rock 6-Song Master Reel: George Clinton Mix - Unissued?

NINE RECORDS
Client: GEORGE CLINTON
Artist: [?] ([?] [?])
ENGINEER: [?] [?]y
Date: 8/15/85

“Drums” Inst. Rough mixes
“Drums” VOCAL Rough mixes
“He’s So Gould” Jessica C. Rough mixes
“He’s So Gould” Inst. Rough mixes
“Drop, Drop” D.CHONG Inst. Rough mixes
“Hot Ice”
“True Love”

Drums” is pretty vague; Maybe By Way of The Drum?

What is He’s So Gould? I haven’t studied Jessica Cleaves’ discography.

Drop, Drop or Hot Ice related to The Chong Show (1979), Melting In Your Heart (1977), the Family Series, Hard (1988) or Faucet (2018)?

Auction: 2023-12-12, Boogie Funk 4-Song Master Reel: George Clinton “Puppy Love”

Note: Last two songs are not there.

CLIENT: NINE
ARTIST: G. Clinton/Andre/
ENGINEER: Rufus
DATE: 3/87

KNOCK THE BOTTOM OUT OF MINE
PUPPY LOVE (TRACK)
WHO’S MAKIN’ LOVE
SOMETHING’S DUMB
THERE I GO AGAIN 7 1/2
WHEN ENDS MEET 7 1/2

Auction: 2023-12-12, Boogie Funk 7-Song Master Reel: George Clinton “Doing It In The Mud”

  1. “Doing It In The Mud” (full)
  2. “Doing It In The Mud” (breakdown)
  3. “Doing It In The Mud” (breakdown & bridge)
  4. “Doing It In The Mud” (background vocals & drums)
  5. “Doing It In The Mud” (background vocals, bass & drums)
  6. “Doing It In The Mud” (background vocals, bass & drums)
  7. “Doing It In The Mud” (full)

CLIENT: NINE
ARTIST: George Clinton
ENGINEER: Rufus Harris
DATE: 4-10-87

“DOING IT IN THE MUD”
(AS ON 24TRK complete track)

Trim on #1

Edit Pieces

  1. percussion w/fancy bass
  2. percussion breakdown
  3. percussion w/synths into bridge w/bass
  4. background w/ drums only
  5. background w/ bass & drums
  6. George w/ drums & perc. then bass then…
   E.O.T.

Auction: 2023-05-23, BOOGIE FUNK 2-SONG MASTER REEL: GEORGE CLINTON “DOING IT IN THE MUD”

CLIENT: NINE
ARTIST: George Clinton
ENGINEER: Rufus Harris
DATE: [?]

“Doing It In The Mud”
M → “Doing It In The Mud” ([?] [?] [?] [?] [?])
{ [?] [?] [?] [?] [?] }

[?] [?] [?] [?] ([?])

Auction: 2023-07-19

I wonder if the background song in the promo video is Johnny Was A Pimp with the talk about “rock rock rock” and “state of mind”.
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2213811422342268

CLIENT: [NINE] RECORDS
ARTIST: GEORGE CLINTON ([BRIDES])
ENGINEER: [?] [?]
DATE: [8-14-85]

1 JOHNNY WAS A PIMP RUFF MIX [??]
#2 [??]

Johnny Was A Pimp? vs Johnny Sold Rocks?

Auction: 2023-12-12, Boogie Funk 4-Song Master Reel: George Clinton “Kredit Kard”

PRODUCER: George Clinton
ENGINEER: Rufus Harris
DATE: 6-4-87

Kredit Kard
Cinderella Feeling
Cinderella Feeling *
Airbound (7 1/2)

I have heard a ~7 minute Kredit Kard demo floating around out there.

Auction: 2022-12-20, Boogie Funk Electro 5-Song Master Reel: George Clinton

CLIENT: [?] [?]
ARTIST: [G] CLINTON
PRODUCER: [G] CLINTON
ENGINEER: [?]
DATE: [?]

SERIOUS SLAMMIN
French Kiss
RITA
There I Go
Banana Boat Song

Auction: 2023-05-23

CLIENT: NINE
ARTIST: G. CLINTON
ENGINEER: CLAY
DATE: [?]

1 RITA
ROUGH MIX

Auction: 2022-12-20, Boogie Funk Electro 3-Song Master Reel: George Clinton “Cinderella Theory”

CLIENT: [?]
ARTIST: [?]
ENGINEER: [?]
DATE: [?]

  1. Serious Slammin
  2. Kredit Kard
  3. Cinderella

Auction: 2022-03-01, Electro Funk 1-Song Master Reel: George Clinton “Serious Slammin’”

  1. “Serious Slammin’” (rough mix)

CLIENT: [?] [?]
ARTIST: [?] [?]
ENGINEER: [?]
DATE: [?]

SERIOUS SLAMMIN ← [?] [?] [?], [?] [?]
SERIOUS SLAMMIN (Rough Mix)

Auction: 2022-10-04, Boogie Funk 6-Song Master Reel: George Clinton “Ruff Mixes” - Unissued?

CLIENT: GC
ARTIST: GC
PRODUCER: GC
ENGINEER: [HIT]
DATE: 8/1/88

Hot Monkey/Wet Goose Tip Toe ([TRACKy])
Hot Monkey/Wet Goose
Hot Monkey/Wet Goose ([TRAC?y])
Freeze On My Tongue (slow)
Mr. Tip (Me Tip)
Mr. Tip

Is this related to Suga Free/DJ Quik’s Tip Toe? I would have thought it a coincidence, except for DJ Quik doing Street Level Entrance which is on another reel…

Auction: 2022-12-20, Boogie Funk 1-Song Master Reel: George Clinton “Mathematics”

CLIENT: [?] [?]
ARTIST: [?] [?]
ENGINEER: [?]
DATE: [?]

Mathematics

“I originally wrote ‘Mathematics’ for Michael Jackson around the time of his Dangerous album”

Auction: 2023-05-19, BOOGIE FUNK 1-SONG MASTER REEL: GEORGE CLINTON “FREAKS”

CLIENT: [?] [?]
ARTIST: [?] [?]
ENGINEER: [?]
DATE: [?]

Freaks

2 Likes

Thanks for all this info, I’m gutted I missed the auctions.
It’s great it so much has the recording dates on, and it’s good to hear Rerocking of a Rockstar. The drum track was clearly used for Pleasures Of Exhaustion.
I didn’t realise as well that more Andre Foxxe and Clinton collabs were recorded.

I’m guessing these are from the unreleased Upsouth album, Clinton talks about the album in October 1985. With these being recorded August 85, I’m sure they’re for that album.

Yeah the hook is the same as the demo version outro of Outta Space, your right Quik uses the same hook. I reckon the track on this reel is the same as Outta Space, or very similar.

2 Likes

Thanks for this! Didn’t know about it either. So much cool stuff to go through.

1 Like

Updates

I missed Fresh Delic and Watch Out. I also missed some details for Johnny Was A Pimp, Serious Slammin’ and Freaks .

Auction: 2022-04-28, NORTHERN SOUL 2-SONG MASTER REEL: PAT LEWIS “WATCH OUT”

635-1965-076

DON DAVIS

2 - 7" DF

[Spa]

Pat Lewis - WATCH OUT
Solid [his] Rock TRK

Auction: 2023-07-19, ELECTRO BOOGIE VOCODER 2-SONG MASTER REEL: GEORGE CLINTON “JOHNNY WAS A PIMP”

  1. “Johnny Was A Pimp” mix 12
  2. “Johnny Was A Pimp” mix 2

Auction: 2023-07-19, BOOGIE FUNK 1-SONG MASTER REEL: GEORGE CLINTON “FRESH DELI”

Reel/box visually look speculatively look like the other stuff from 1985.

  1. FRESH DELI.

Auction: 2023-05-19, BOOGIE FUNK 1-SONG MASTER REEL: GEORGE CLINTON “FREAKS”

4/23/87.

Auction: 2022-03-01, ELECTRO FUNK 1-SONG MASTER REEL: GEORGE CLINTON “SERIOUS SLAMMIN’”

  1. “Serious Slammin’” (rough mix)

CLIENT: George Clinton
ARTIST: Geo Marvin Gaye III
DATE: 4-28-87

Serious SLAMMIN ← TRKS# 14&15 FOR SAMPLING
Serious SLAMMIN (Rough Mix)

Was George working on an album for Marvin Gaye III? I did find an article that mentions George and Marvin Gaye III but… it is from 2003.

Additionally on the new star tip, filmmaker and 4-F funketeer Darryl McCane informs me, "George has been in production on the MG3 (Marvin Gaye III) debut CD ‘Radio Friendly’ (a great track George also performs with P-Funk), and he appeared on the Roger Troutman tribute CD.

Also, Wikipedia claims (unsurprisingly no source linked) George covered the song from the 1988 Pointer Sisters album, but the date on the tape is 1987. Thoughts?

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That sounds plausible.

If I’ve got the 1985 date right, maybe Johnny Was A Pimp is Johnny Sold Rock[s] and N*****ish (lyrics from Funk Um Agin… For The First Time)? Still no idea how Run Johnny fits in.

It’s strange the stuff George mentioned in 1998 doesn’t appear, at least on the surface, to connect what has been auctioned so far:

Yes, Lady likes Bottom, You Reap what you Hoe! , Refusing to pick the cotton out of a pill bottle -because I vowed never to pick cotton again-Died of a Headache.

I’ll post a cropped extracted video frame for the particular post you’re referring to. Can anyone make out the second track?

2023-07-19 street_level_reel_cropped

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It’s great you made out those track titles you did, I just used a computer graphics program and can’t make it out either.
I did contact Carolina Soul Records who were selling the reels, they said that was the last of the Don Davis tapes they had in for now.
I do remember Claudia White from The Inc Thang Band saying she recorded with a girl group and Andre Foxxe in the early 80’s in United Sound studios. Don didn’t think they were ready, so didn’t put any of their music out. I don’t think any of those tracks have shown up for sale.

"Client: GEORGE CLINTON
Artist: [?] ([?] [?])
ENGINEER: [?] [?]y
Date: 8/15/85

“Drums” Inst. Rough mixes
“Drums” VOCAL Rough mixes"

This one could be Primal Instinct Loic Gambas said he made it with Amp Fiddler in 1985, then George finished the track in L.A. Amp was from Detroit so he must have recorded at United Sounds at some point.

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:wink: Thanks but I only used my brains rather than my eyes to find most of that info. I used ValueYourMusic, WorthPoint, eBay and the videos on Facebook/Instagram to piece a majority of things together.

Cool you contacted Carolina Records. Yeah, I wondered if they were getting them sporadically with the sporadic auction dates.

On “Drums”, it looks like the Engineer is “Tony L??y” to me.

2 Likes

Did a little research through the US Copyright Office website and found some stuff that seems related.

Continental Brother / Cross-Continental Brother / Help Somebody Help Themselves

1985-09-04

  • Navarro Berman (vocalist on Cinderella Theory album)
  • Beverly Wilson (“almost lead vocal” on Some of My Best Jokes Are Friends album, writing and arrangement on Xavier’s What Goes Around)

Johnny on the run / Run, Johnnie, run

1986

  • Navarro Berman (vocalist on Cinderella Theory album)
  • Anthony Jones or A.J. Sparks (“Scratchin’ the Miz” on Cinderella Theory, ? on The Awesome Power Of A Fully Operational Mothership, engineer on Medicaid Fraud Dogg)

Just wanna put it out there. This version of doing it in the mud, over the livin the life osmium riff is actually referencing the most recently cut version for Mike Judge’s Tales From the Tour Bus Season 2. Same music and vocal arrangement. Featured George, Blackbyrd, Lige, Benzel, Greg, Bennie and myself as well as most of 3GP. This song was used heavily all over that season. btw, Byrd, Lige, Benzel and me did all the music for that entire season. 14 songs/cues

7 Likes

I’ve been following Carolina Soul Records’ PR this past year, 2024, but I haven’t seen any auctions with P-Funk reel stuff this year. Anyone seen something I’ve missed?

For the past two years there have been auctions in December, so I extrapolated earlier this year that something might go up around this time.

2 Likes