Dave Cortez

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Chart positions
Explanation of the data
Singles
The Happy Organ
  US 1Template: Infobox chart placements / maintenance / NR1 link 03/14/1959 (17 weeks)
The Whistling Organ
  US 61 06/06/1959 (8 weeks)
Rinky Dink
  US 10 07/14/1962 (14 weeks)
Happy weekend
  US 67 10/13/1962 (7 weeks)
Fiesta
  US 96 11/17/1962 (2 weeks)
Hot cakes! 1st serving
  US 91 04/13/1963 (2 weeks)
Organ Shout
  US 76 08/24/1963 (3 weeks)

Dave "Baby" Cortez (born August 13, 1938 in Detroit , Michigan; actually David Cortez Clowney ) is an American R&B musician and organist.

Live and act

Clowney learned to play the piano like his father, who was also a pianist. After ten years he switched to the organ. In the mid-1950s he played and sang in a band called "Pearls" (1955–1957). Then label owner Paul Winley brought him together with the Doo Wop band The Jesters , for which he was arranger and accompanist. As a studio musician, he played for Gladys Knight & the Pips , the Isley Brothers and the Chantels , and toured with Little Anthony & the Imperials . In addition, however, he also got the opportunity to make solo recordings.

First he tried it as David Clowney, then in 1958 he recorded the instrumental The Happy Organ , which he himself had written with Ken Wood and James J. Kriegsmann, and called himself "Dave Baby Cortez". The melody was a modification of the nursery rhyme Short'nin 'Bread and the new version was originally called The Dog and the Cat . It was intended as a pop-rock vocal piece with piano accompaniment. Clowney tried his Hammond organ and had his first major R&B hit with an organ. The instrumental reached number 1 on the US Billboard charts.

With The Whistling Organ , the three authors immediately followed up with a single in the same style, which, however, only made it to number 61 on the hit parade. This was followed by single after single, without another hit, and Dave Cortez would have remained a one-hit wonder , but with a change of record label, the success came back. The first single on Chess Records reached the top 10 of the charts three years after its last hit. Rinky Dink , co-written with Paul Winley, was a cha-cha-cha style instrumental .

By the end of 1963, Dave Cortez was able to book a few more chart positions for himself, then - even with the beginning of the "British Invasion" - things calmed down again. A few more LPs were released on various labels and in 1973 he had another R&B Top 50 hit with Someone Has Taken Your Place . At the end of the 1970s, however, he retired from the music business and has been doing a regular job ever since.

Discography

Singles

  • Movin 'n' Groovin '/ Soft Lights (1956 as David Clowney)
  • Hoot Owl / Shakin '(1957 as David Clowney)
  • Honey Baby / You Give Me the Heebie Jeebies (1958 as Baby Cortez)
  • You're the Girl / Eeny Meeny Miney Mo (1958)
  • The Happy Organ (1958)
  • The Whistling Organ (1959)
  • Piano Shuffle / It's a Sin to Tell a Lie
  • Dave's Special / Whispers
  • Deep in the Heart of Texas
  • I'm happy / you're the girl
  • Cat nip
  • The Shift / Hurricane
  • Summertime / Walking with You
  • Tootsie / Second Chance
  • Rinky Dink (1962)
  • Happy Weekend (1962)
  • Fiesta (1962)
  • Tweedle Dee / Gift of Love
  • Hot Cakes (1963)
  • Organ Shout (1963)
  • Happy feet / gettin 'to the point
  • You're Just Right / Let Me Come Home
  • Someone Has Taken Your Place (1973)

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Charts US
  2. ↑ http://www.uncamarvy.com/Jesters/jesters.html
  3. ^ Hit-Lexikon des Rock und Pop, Frank Laufenberg, Ullstein 2004

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Cortez, Dave
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Clowney, David Cortez (real name); Clowney, David; Clowney, Dave; Baby (nickname)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American R&B musician and organist
DATE OF BIRTH August 13, 1938
PLACE OF BIRTH Detroit , Michigan