(February 12, 2019) Behind every classic soul music hit, there was a team of people who made it happen. And one of the people who helped make it happen many times during the 1970s was singer, songwriter and producer Harvey Scales, who sadly died today at at 77.
The Arkansas-born, Milwaukee-raised Scales made a name for himself principally as a songwriter, working with such notable acts as The Dramatics, The Dells, Instant Funk, The O’Jays and Johnny Taylor.
Scales began his career fronting the group Harvey Scales and the Seven Sounds, with moderate success. But when he began writing for other artists, his stock rose to incredible heights. And never would they be higher than when he co-wrote the double platinum #1 Johnny Taylor smash “Disco Lady.”
Scales’ work didn’t stop with “Disco Lady,” and he provided hits and album cuts for other artists over the years. He also cut a couple solo albums on the Casablanca label, and recording sporadically through the end of the 1990s. Scales continued to perform well into the new century.
Scales is another brilliant music man who never achieved broad acclaim, but who helped usher in some of the greatest music of a decade.
