About

— 2026 Reissue, as part of the Jazz Dispensary Series.
— Pressed on 180g heavyweight vinyl.
— Housed in a tip-on jacket.
— Cut from the original master tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio.

—

Originally released on Wes Farrell’s Roxbury (US, Canada and Jamaica) and Chelsea (Europe) labels, William DeVaughn’s 1974 masterpiece “Be Thankful For What You Got” is one of the most widely recognised soul releases of the last 50 years.

Recorded at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia with a who’s who of that iconic music scene – from backing band MFSB to John Davis (to be part of Sam Records with his Monster Orchestra moniker). The album features the cream of Philadelphia International’s musicians, which gives the album a true Philadelphia recording vibe with lush orchestral and soulful arrangements and soaring strings.

Born and raised in Washington D.C., DeVaughn had previously worked as a government employee, whilst a singer in his spare time. WdV wrote the song ‘A Cadillac Don’t Come Easy’, which was eventually re-written to ‘Be Thankful For What You Got’ in 1972, which addressed inner-city sensitivities.

A much-sampled track, ‘Be Thankful For What You Got’ reached #1 on the US Billboard R&B Charts and #4 in the US Billboard Hot 100, remaining popular throughout the decade that he re-recorded the song with a new contemporary dancefloor beat, reaching #44 in the UK Singles Chart in 1980. The album also includes the Singles ‘Blood Is Thicker Than Water’, ‘Give The Little Man A Great Big Hand’ as well as ‘Kiss And Make Up’.

His socially conscious and semi-religious lyrics, define Soul Music, with positivity and resilience in the face of life’s hardships. — (via Label)

—

For me 1974 was a dismal year for music, most of my favorite artists were in serious decline, it was also the year of my first concert (Traffic at the New Haven Coliseum) other than that the year pretty much sucked music-wise. However there were a few shining moments here and there, William DeVaughn’s American hit single “Be Thankful For What You Got” was one of them.

This is a very soothing and hypnotic record that begins with some cool “Booker T” type organ and mellowed out chunky almost reggae style guitar chords William then joins in on vocals, he has a really smooth voice somewhere in the Billy Stewart, Curtis Mayfield territory. I really dig the lyrics too William sings “You may not drive a great big Cadillac, gangster whitewalls TV antenna in the back, you may not have a car at all but remember Brothers and Sisters you can still stand tall”. Right on! — (via Head Heritage)

↓
Label: Demon Records
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Limited Edition, Reissue, Stereo
Reissued: 2026 / Originally Released: 1974
Genre: Jazz, Funk / Soul
Style: Soul

File under: Soul-Jazz / Jazz-Funk
⦿