Dennis Davis
- R&B
- soul
- funk
- rock
- jazz
- Drums
- percussion
Dennis Davis (August 28, 1951 – April 6, 2016) was an American drummer and session musician best known for his work with David Bowie, playing on ten albums—including seven successive studio albums—during the singer's classic mid- and late- seventies period, and on many hit singles, starting with "Fame" (1975).
Early life and military service
Davis was born and raised in Manhattan, New York City, and studied with drummers Max Roach and Elvin Jones before joining the Clark Terry Big Band in 1967. He joined the U.S. Navy and served on the USS Rowan (DD-782) from 1969 to 1970 during the Vietnam War. He was discharged from the U.S Navy in 1970 in San Diego, California.[1] He was wounded during his military service, but was able to hone his skills when he performed as part of the US Navy's Drum and Bugle Corps.[2]
Career
Davis met guitarist Carlos Alomar when they were both playing with Roy Ayers.[3] Davis was hired by David Bowie in 1974 for two tracks on Young Americans. Alomar, Davis and George Murray formed the "D.A.M. Trio" rhythm section which performed on seven successive albums released by Bowie in the 1970s, all of which are regarded as amongst the artist's best.[4] Davis also played on three live albums recorded during that period, two of which were released after Bowie's death. The snare sound used on Bowie's Low album is considered influential on many later records. It was the result of early pitch shifting technology coupled with Davis's sensitive touch as a performer.[5] In the late seventies Davis also teamed up with Stevie Wonder and worked on four albums over the following decade. In the early 2000s, he played percussion on David Bowie's live tours, including the artist's last, A Reality Tour, in 2003. The drummer for that band was Sterling Campbell, who was previously a student of Davis.[6]
Death, tributes and sons
Davis died on April 6, 2016, of cancer.[7] His youngest son, Hikaru Davis, made a series of interview videos from 2016 to 2019 speaking with musicians who knew his father.[8] When interviewed, Tony Visconti played Davis' drum and "thunderous" conga tracks from "Look Back in Anger", periodically exclaiming "great!", "amazing!", "that's killer!", and noting that Davis "plays so many things at once... and yet it doesn't sound busy".[9] The accompanying review says that Davis is "that most perfect of drummers too: endlessly inventive, yet never gets in the way of the funk." T-Bone Motta, an older son, has been the drummer for Public Enemy since 2012.[10]
Selective discography
With Roy Ayers
- Red, Black and Green (1973)
- Coffy (1973)
- Virgo Red (1973)
- A Tear to a Smile (1975)
- Vibrations (1976)
- Step in to Our Life (1978)
- You Send Me (1978) – "Can't You See Me"
- No Stranger to Love (1979)
- I'm the One for Your Love Tonight (1987)
- Wake Up (1989)
- Double Trouble (1992)
- Good Vibrations (1993)
- The Essential Groove – Live (1994)
- Naste′ (1995)
- Mahogany Vibe (2004)
With George Benson
- Good King Bad (1975) – "Shell of a Man"
- Pacific Fire (1983)
With David Bowie
- Young Americans (1975) – "Across the Universe", "Fame"
- Station to Station (1976)
- Low (1977)
- "Heroes" (1977)
- Stage (1978)
- Lodger (1979)
- Scary Monsters (1980)
- Live Nassau Coliseum '76 (2017)
- Welcome to the Blackout (Live London '78) (2018)
- Live in Berlin [1978] L.P. (2018)
- I'm Only Dancing (The Soul Tour 74) (2020)
With Zachary Breaux
- Groovin (1992)
With Ronnie Foster
- Cheshire Cat (1975)
- Love Satellite (1978)
- Delight (1979)
With Jermaine Jackson
- Let's Get Serious (1980) – "Let's Get Serious", "Where Are You Now", "You're Supposed to Keep Your Love for Me"
With Garland Jeffreys
- Guts for Love (1982)
With Iggy Pop
- The Idiot (1977)
With Smokey Robinson
- Where There's Smoke... (1979) – "I Love the Nearness of You"
With Stevie Wonder
- Journey Through "The Secret Life of Plants" (1979) – "A Seed's a Star/Tree Medley"
- Hotter than July (1980) – "Did I Hear You Say You Love Me", "As If You Read My Mind", "Master Blaster (Jammin')"
- Original Musiquarium I (1982) – "Do I Do"
- Characters (Motown, 1987) – "Free" with Jephté Guillaume & the Tet Kale Orkestra
References
- ^ "The Trap Set".
- ^ Blackard, Cap (April 7, 2016). "R.I.P. Dennis Davis, longtime drummer of David Bowie, has died". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
- ^ "Carlos Alomar Q&A". Teenagewildlife.com. Archived from the original on April 12, 2016. Retrieved October 11, 2011.
- ^ "The Making OF David Bowie's -D.A.M TRIO-". April 25, 2016.
- ^ "Sound and Vision". Recordingology.
- ^ "Features Stories". Modern Drummer Magazine. August 3, 2010. Retrieved March 20, 2016.
- ^ "Dennis Davis, Longtime David Bowie Drummer, Dies". Rolling Stone. April 7, 2016. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
- ^ "The HD Projects". YouTube. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
- ^ "The Amazing Isolated Drums of Dennis Davis, David Bowie's Master Drummer, Revisited by Producer Tony Visconti | Open Culture".
- ^ "The Trap Set".
External links
- Dennis Davis website
- v
- t
- e
- David Bowie (1967)
- David Bowie (1969)
- The Man Who Sold the World
- Hunky Dory
- The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
- Aladdin Sane
- Pin Ups
- Diamond Dogs
- Young Americans
- Station to Station
- Low
- "Heroes"
- Lodger
- Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)
- Let's Dance
- Tonight
- Never Let Me Down
- Black Tie White Noise
- The Buddha of Suburbia
- Outside
- Earthling
- Hours
- Heathen
- Reality
- The Next Day
- Blackstar
- Toy
With Tin Machine |
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- David Live
- Stage
- Ziggy Stardust: The Motion Picture
- Santa Monica '72
- LiveAndWell.com
- Glass Spider
- Live Santa Monica '72
- VH1 Storytellers
- Bowie at the Beeb
- A Reality Tour
- Live Nassau Coliseum '76
- Cracked Actor (Live Los Angeles '74)
- Welcome to the Blackout (Live London '78)
- Serious Moonlight (Live '83)
- Glastonbury 2000
- ChangesNowBowie
- Ouvrez le Chien (Live Dallas 95)
- Something in the Air (Live Paris 99)
- I'm Only Dancing (The Soul Tour 74)
- No Trendy Réchauffé (Live Birmingham 95)
- Look at the Moon! (Live Phoenix Festival 97)
- David Bowie at the Kit Kat Klub (Live New York 99)
With Tin Machine |
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- Christiane F.
- Love You till Tuesday
- Labyrinth
- Lazarus
- Moonage Daydream
- Baal
- BBC Sessions 1969–1972
- Earthling in the City
- Live EP (Live at Fashion Rocks)
- Space Oddity
- The Next Day Extra
- No Plan
- Is It Any Wonder?
- The World of David Bowie
- Images 1966–1967
- Changesonebowie
- The Best of Bowie
- Changestwobowie
- Rare
- Golden Years
- Fame and Fashion
- Changesbowie
- Early On (1964–1966)
- The Singles Collection
- Rarestonebowie
- The Deram Anthology 1966–1968
- The Best of David Bowie 1969/1974
- The Best of David Bowie 1974/1979
- Bowie at the Beeb
- All Saints
- Best of Bowie
- Club Bowie
- The Collection
- The Best of David Bowie 1980/1987
- iSelect
- Nothing Has Changed
- Legacy
- Sound + Vision
- The Platinum Collection
- David Bowie
- Five Years (1969–1973)
- Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976)
- A New Career in a New Town (1977–1982)
- Loving the Alien (1983–1988)
- Spying Through a Keyhole
- Clareville Grove Demos
- The 'Mercury' Demos
- Conversation Piece
- Brilliant Live Adventures
- Brilliant Adventure (1992–2001)
- The 1980 Floor Show
- Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
- Serious Moonlight
- Glass Spider
- Tin Machine Live: Oy Vey, Baby
- VH1 Storytellers
- Reality: Tour Ed.
- A Reality Tour
- Glastonbury 2000
- Love You till Tuesday
- Video EP
- Jazzin' for Blue Jean
- Day-In Day-Out
- Tin Machine
- Bowie – The Video Collection
- Black Tie White Noise
- Jump: Interactive CD-ROM
- Best of Bowie
- Reality
- The Best of David Bowie 1980/1987
- The Next Day Extra
- Cracked Actor
- Ricochet
- Black Tie White Noise
- Sound and Vision
- Moonage Daydream
With Tin Machine |
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- Major Tom
- The Thin White Duke
- Ziggy Stardust
culture
- "Bowie"
- David Bowie Is
- Jareth
- Phillip Jeffries
- Statue of David Bowie
- Lazarus
- Stardust
- Symphony No. 1 "Low"
- Symphony No. 4 "Heroes"
- Symphony No. 12 "Lodger"
- The Life Aquatic Studio Sessions
- We Were So Turned On: A Tribute to David Bowie
- Category