Madeleine Davis wrote the lyrics for the new Precious Wilson single "I Don't Know"

Artist Precious Wilson
Type Single
Released May 1982

I captured your heart and then I went away
From the beginning I planned not to stay
What kind of love do I have it's a puzzle to me

You were possessive and jealous of me
You are the man, so you have to be free
What kind of love that we feel it's a puzzle to me

This strange kind of love that we feel it's a puzzle to me

I don't know why I treat you so bad
I don't know why you make me so sad
I don't know why we waste all our time
I don't know why our love is so blind
I don't know what it is that we have

I don't know
Said I don't know
I don't know
I don't know
I don't know

We met in a disco three years ago
You wanted to marry me but now I don't know
What kind of love do I feel it's a puzzle to me

This strange kind of love that we feel it's a puzzle to me

I don't know why I treat you so bad
I don't know why you make me so sad
I don't know why we waste all our time
I don't know why our love is so blind
I don't know what it is that we have

I don't know
Said I don't know
I don't know
I don't know
I don't know

The first song with new member Reggie Tsiboe on lead vocals was an uptempo cover version of a Jimmy Cliff track Going Back West. An early mix had only vocal group La Mama (Cathy Bartney, Patricia Shockley, Madeleine Davis) on backing vocals.

Madeleine Davis, die in Columbus, Georgia, geboren wurde und aufgewachsen ist, begann ihre Karriere im Kindertheater am berühmten Springer Opera House, SOPHISTICATED LADIES und anderen Springer-Produktionen.

Sie hat in vielen Fernseh-, Film- und Theaterpräsentationen mitgewirkt, darunter:

GYPSY, A CHAINSAW CHORUS LINE XMAS CAROL, DIE HARVEY MILK SHOW, BABES IN ARMS, THE SOUND OF MUSIC, DIE 1940er RADIO STUNDE  und ARMED FORCES PROFESSIONAL ENTERTAINMENT.

Madeleine Davis wurde zur klassischen Sängerin ausgebildet und wurde Mitglied des ATLANTA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CHORUS, unter der Leitung des inzwischen verstorbenen Robert Shaw.

Als sie immer weiter die Karriereleiter nach oben stieg, bot man Madeleine Davis Ende der 70er Jahre an, nach München zu ziehen, wo sie schnell zur gefragtesten Background-Sängerin/Arrangeurin in Europa wurde.

Sie arbeitete für namenhafte Produzenten wie Ralph Siegel, Michael Kunze, Tony Monn, Giorgio Moroder, Sylvester Levay, Frank Farian und vielen anderen.

Madeleine Davis war als Backgroundsängerin auf Tourneen mit Peggy March, Michael Schanze, Hoyt Axton, Penny McLean, Klaus Doldinger, La Bionda, Claudja Barry, Rick Astley, Dusko Lokin, Amanda Lear, Englebert, Barclay James Harvest, Precious Wilson, Terence Trent D'Arby, Chilly, Sydney Rome, Roberta Kelly, Joan Orleans, Michael Holm, Michael Schanze, Heino , Roberta Kelly.

1981 gründete Madeleine Davis zusammen mit Patricia Shockley, Kathy Bartney und Rhonda Heath die Gruppe LaMama, die vor allem durch ihre Singles "Elephant Funk", "In And Out", „Chanson D´Amour", "Voulez-Vous Coucher Avec Moi (Lady Marmelade)" bekannt wurde. Während seiner Zeit in der Gruppe LaMama bat Frank Farian (Produzent von Milly Vanilli, Boney M., La Bouche) LaMama, sich an neuen Songs für Boney M. auszuprobieren.

LaMama wirkte bei vielen Boney M.- Songs als Backgroundsänger mit -  darunter auch bei „Going Back West“, „I Feel Good“, „Barbarella Fortuneteller“, „The Alibama“, „Happy Song“, „Todos Buenos“ und „Give It Up“.

1989 wurde Madeleine Davis von den Mitgliedern der Gruppe Boney M (Marcia Barrett, Maizie Williams und Bobby Farrell) kontaktiert und ihr wurde angeboten,  die Stelle der Leadsängerin Liz Mitchell zu übernehmen.

Heute – über 30 Jahre später – tourt Madeleine Davis  noch immer durch die Welt.

2020 unterzeichnete Boney M. featuring Madeleine Davis eine exklusive Vereinbarung mit Nene Musik Productions, Llc. "Ich freue mich sehr, Boney M. featuring Madeleine Davis zu vertreten. Seit Jahren bin ich mit „La Bouche“ unterwegs und nun haben sich die Wege mit Madeleine und uns gekreuzt. Sie ist eine großartige Sängerin und Entertainerin -  und wir freuen uns, eine weitere Legende in unserer musikalischen Familie zu haben“, sagt Ruben Dario Martinez (CEO von Nene Musik).

Wenn Madeleine Davis nicht auf Tournee ist (sie ist auch Jazz und Blues-Sängerin), gibt sie Klavier- und Gesangsunterricht, ist zudem auch Vorsitzende des Ma Rainey International Blues Festival in Columbus, Georgia.

La Mama commenced work in 1981 on their first album, produced by Dietmar Kawohl and Mats Björklund. The Double A-side single "Elephant Funk" / "In and Out" was released in February 1982 ("In and Out" being the A-side on the 12" single) followed by a cover version of "Chanson D'Amour" a few months later. 

The single was released in December 1982, a cover of Labelle's "Voulez-Vous Coucher Avec Moi (Lady Marmelade)". The group's LP Voulez-Vous Coucher Avec La Mama was released in January 1983.

During this time Madeleine Davis contributed lyrics for Precious Wilson's single "I Don't Know", the group also did backing vocals on Boney M.'s "Going Back West". 

Frank Farian had Madeleine Davis and Patricia Shockley of La Mama together with Judy Cheeks record a medley of contemporary hits for an Aerobics album Aerobic Fitness Dancing with instructions by Sydne Rome - the album topped the German charts early 1983.

During 1983, La Mama contributed again uncredited backing vocals to Boney M.'s seventh album Ten Thousand Lightyears on the tracks "I Feel Good", "Barbarella Fortuneteller" and "The Alibama". By the end of the year, Precious Wilson's final album for Hansa, Funky Fingers - a medley-album of popular R&B, soul and disco classics - was released. The first edition of the album credited just Precious Wilson while the second edition credited Precious Wilson & La Mama.

During 1984, La Mama backed Boney M. on the single "Happy Song" and participated as a part of Frank Farian Corporation on the benefit single "Mother and Child Reunion" early 1985. At this time ex-Silver Convention member Rhonda Heath stepped in for session work on Boney M.'s final album Eye Dance on which Madeleine Davis and Patricia Shockley of La Mama also took part. They sang the choruses on the tracks "Todos Buenos" and "Give it Up".

". Before the group finally split, Patricia Shockley and Rhonda Heath furthermore sang additional backing vocals on Far Corporation's hit single, a cover version of Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven". 

In 1989, Madeleine Davis received a phone call by Boney M. member Maizie Williams who invited her to take the place of original lead singer Liz Mitchell who had just left the group. Davis appeared in the group's official video of "The Summer Mega Mix", toured extensively with the group and also sang on their 1989 single "Everybody Wants to Dance Like Josephine Baker".

La Mama a German pop and disco trio who has been active in the first half of the 1980s. Their name had been adapted from New York theater La Mama Experimental Theater Club.

La Mama released three singles and two albums and worked as backing singers on a number of recordings for other artists e.g., Boney M.

Original members of La Mama where Madeleine Davis, Patricia Shockley and Kathy Bartney, all girls where from the USA and settled in Germany in the late 1970s.  

Frank Farian, Boney M founder, was impressed with the harmonies produced by Madeleine Davies Patricia Shockley and Kathy Bartney used La Mama to demo new songs for Boney M. - including doing one Boney M. recording, "Gadda-Da-Vida" with La Mama and himself doing all the vocals. Also several tracks on Boney M.'s 1981 album Boonoonoonoos ("Silly Confusion" in particular, "Don't Kill the World" and "Malaika") featured La Mama's unaccredited backing vocals. 

The song "Everybody Wants to Dance Like Josephine Baker" tributes Josephine Baker. Marcia Barrett provided the backing vocal and a spoken part by Bobby Farrell. 

Marcia Barretts biography (now withdrawn), states the producers wanted to record Maizie Williams (who had never sung on Boney M.'s records) but try-outs proved unsuccessful.

Madeleine Davis  was present at the recording together with Maize, Marcia and Bobby and contributed the chorus answer-back lines "Lose your self-control, feel it in your soul" etc.

5:45

Madeleine Davis was born and grew up in Colombus, Georgia. Her career began by performing in children’s theatre at the famous Springer Opera House, Sophisticated Ladies, and other Springer Productions.

Gypsy, The Harvey Milk Show, Babes in Arms, The Sound of Music are just a fraction of the Film, Television, and Theatre Presentations she starred in.

Madeleine is a trained classical singer and became a member of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus where the late Robert Shaw was director.

As she became more successful, she also became more popular and in the late 1970’s was given the opportunity to move to Munich in Germany. It did not take long before she became an extremely sought-after background vocalist in Europe working with successful producers such as Frank Farian, Ralph Siegel, Giorgio Moroder, and many the like.

Madeleine’s tours began with Peggy March, Penny McLean, Engelbert, Precious Wilson, James Harvest, just to name a few, where she was part of the background vocals.

Along with Patricia Shockley, Kathy Bartney and Rhonda Heath, Madeleine Davis formed the group “La Mama”. Their best-known singles were “Elephant Funk”, In and out”, “Voulet-Vous”, “Give it up”, once again, just to name a few.

Madeleine was contacted by Boney M members, Maizie Williams, Marcia Barrett, and Bobby Farrell in 1989, inviting her to take the place of singer Liz Mitchell who was the lead vocalist of Boney M at the time.

More than 30 years later she is still a bundle of energy, touring the world, and when she is not on tour she offers piano and singing lessons.

Did you know that Madeleine Davis is also a wonderful Blues and Jazz singer/entertainer?

12.12.2021: Crazy Joe serviert
Eine Wiener Melange 297

Liebe Freunde des Wiener und wienerischen Liedes!

Habt ihr schon bemerkt, es weihnachtet. Aber irgendwie kommt keine richtige Stimmung auf. Trauer über das Ableben von vielen Menschen aus dem privaten, aber auch künstlerischen Umfeld bedrücken uns schon. Vertraute Menschen die einem fehlen. Und dazu noch immer diese schreckliche Corona-Pandemie, die uns einfach nicht in Ruhe lassen will und sich immer neue Erscheinungsformen sucht um nicht in Vergessenheit zu geraten. Die Zahl der Menschen die dies leugnen und Unruhe stiften wird gottseidank immer weniger. Aber das ist meine Meinung und ich hoffe sehr dass durch freiwillige Impfungen ohne Zwang bald wieder ein normales und geregeltes Leben möglich sein wird.

Aber nun zum Programm von dieser Woche. Der erste Teil meiner heutigen Sendung ist mit Erinnerungen über Ereignisse der letzten Zeit und Hörerwünschen die schon seit einiger Zeit auf die Umsetzung warten gestaltet. Im zweiten Teil der doch auch eine weihnachtliche Stimmung erzeugen soll liegt doch das Hauptgewicht auf Humor und stimmigen Geschichten und "Liederln". Weihnachten kann durchaus nicht nur andächtig sondern auch unterhaltsam sein.

Deshalb wünsche ich Euch ein frohes, stimmungsvolles und schönes Fest.

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und bleibt gesund!
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