Dennis Coffey
Dennis James Coffey (born November 11, 1940 in Detroit , Michigan ) is an American studio guitarist who was best known for his work as a session guitarist for the Funk Brothers for the Motown Records record label from 1967 onwards.
There he played on recordings for the Temptations ( Cloud Nine ) or the Isley Brothers ( It's Your Thing ) with the wah-wah effect typical of his guitar work . His work can also be heard on Marvin Gayes I Want You , RJ's Latest Arrival , The Jackson Five and David Ruffin .
He made recordings of fusion and jazz rock for the Sussex label . In 1971 he had his own hit with the instrumental title Scorpio as Dennis Coffey & The Detroit Guitar Band . The single reached number 6 on the United States' pop charts and sold over a million copies. The following single Taurus reached number 18 on the Hot 100. With two albums, Evolution and Goin 'For Myself , it also entered the album charts in 1972. Together with Luchi De Jesus, he composed the soundtrack for the blaxploitation film Black Belt Jones: Free Journey into the Hereafter in 1974 .
Coffey stayed with the Sussex label until 1975 when he moved to Westbound . He released several singles and LPs as an interpreter with "Wings of Fire". He became popular in the English jazz-funk scene in 1977 and produced and co-produced CJ & Co. that year and had another hit with Devil's Gun .
In the 1980s, Coffey produced a high fashion album and worked with Mike Theodore (with whom he had worked since 1971) and Kashif. His last studio album to date was released in 2011, Dennis Coffey . Two other album releases, Hot Coffey In The D (2016) and One Night At Morey's: 1968 (2018), contained historical recordings from 1968.
Discography
Singles
- Getting It On (1971, US # 93)
- Scorpio (1972, US # 6)
- Taurus (1972, US # 18)
- Getting It On '75
- Our Love Goes On Forever (1977)
- Wings Of Fire / Free Spirit (1977)
Albums
- Hair and Thangs (1969)
- Evolution (1971, US # 36)
- Goin 'for Myself (1972, US # 90)
- Electric Coffey (1973, US # 189)
- Instant Coffey (1974)
- Dance Party (1974)
- Gettin 'It On (1975)
- Finger Lickin 'Good (1976, US # 147)
- Back Home (1976)
- Sweet Taste Of Sin (1978)
- Under The Moonlight (1989)
- Motor City Magic (1990)
- Rise of the Phoenix (2006)
- Dennis Coffey (2011)
Web links
- Dennis Coffey at allmusic (Engl.)
- Album track lists of Sussex labels (Engl.)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Dennis Coffey And Luchi De Jesus * - Black Belt Jones (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack). From Discogs.com, accessed October 6, 2019.
- ^ Dennis Coffey - Dennis Coffey. From Discogs.com, accessed October 6, 2019.
personal data | |
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SURNAME | Coffey, Dennis |
ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Coffey, Dennis James (full name) |
BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American studio guitarist |
DATE OF BIRTH | November 11, 1940 |
PLACE OF BIRTH | Detroit , Michigan |