William DeVaughn

The session featured members of the MFSB group — guitarists Norman Harris and Bobby Eli, drummer Earl Young, vibraphonist Vince Montana and percussionist Larry Washington; secured by Allan Felder, who also developed the separate ad-lib back-up chorus with his sister's vocal group. John Davis played keyboards on the track. Frank Fioravanti, the executive producer and co-ordinator, secured the song's release on Roxbury Records, a subsidiary of Chelsea Records, run by industry veteran, Wes Farrell. The record sold nearly two million copies on its release in spring 1974, reaching #1 on the U.S. R&B charts and #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The track saw two chart entries in the UK, with the record peaking at #31 (1974) and also #44 (1980), in the UK Singles Chart. With a sound and content influenced by Curtis Mayfield, its simple and encouraging lyrics hit home, to the extent that it became featured on gospel radio stations. When his success as a recording artist seemed guaranteed, DeVaughn quit his government job. DeVaughn released an album, featuring mainly songs with a religious character, and the second single, "Blood Is Thicker Than Water", reached #10 R&B and #43 pop later in 1974; "Give the Little Man a Great Big Hand" had only minor R&B chart success early the following year. Live, DeVaughn preached to and admonished his audience from the stage. He lost interest in the music industry not long afterwards, working in a record store and again as a draftsman. Fioravanti kept DeVaughn under contract hoping to eventually get him to record again, but it was not until 1980 that they would hook up for a new project. Fioravanti gave the album, named after a new song by DeVaughn, Figures Can't Calculate to TEC Records in Philadelphia. The title song climbed to #37 in the Billboard R&B chart and a remake of "Be Thankful for What You Got" was also included on the album. TEC failed to pay out royalties. Soon after, DeVaughn recorded a Fioravanti tune, "Creme de Creme", released in Europe on the Red Bus label. In 2004, DeVaughn released a new single, "I Came Back", on his own Mighty Two Diamond Records.