David Porter (born November 21, 1941) is an American soul musician and memb… Read Full Bio ↴David Porter (born November 21, 1941) is an American soul musician and member of Memphis group Circle O'Fire. Porter is best known as the songwriting and production partner of Isaac Hayes at Stax Records during the 1960s. He later became a Stax recording artist himself.
As house composers for Stax Records, Hayes and Porter penned most of Sam & Dave's hits, including "Soul Man", “I Thank You,” “When Something Is Wrong with My Baby” and "Hold On I'm Comin'". They also wrote material for Carla Thomas (“B-A-B-Y”), Johnnie Taylor (“I Got to Love Somebody’s Baby” and “I Had a Dream”), and The Soul Children. Starting in the late '60s, Hayes became increasingly involved in his own recording career, eventually leading to the end of the partnership. The Hayes-Porter duo composed 200 songs during their collaboration.
Porter then began recording his own albums for Stax. He also released on other labels under the pseudonyms Little David and Kenny Cain, and had done a single for Stax itself in 1965, "Can't See You When I Want To", a remake of which became a Top 30 RB hit for Porter, and he cut several albums for Stax in the early '70s, including a concept LP, "Victim of the Joke?".
Porter began working with songwriting partner Ronnie Williams, and later went on to engineer the brief relaunch of the Stax label in 1978, after the bankrupt label's assets were acquired by Fantasy Records.
He and Hayes received Pioneer Awards from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation in 1999. On June 9, 2005, Porter was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame alongside Bill Withers, Steve Cropper, Robert B. Sherman, Richard M. Sherman, John Fogerty and his longtime writing partner Isaac Hayes.
As house composers for Stax Records, Hayes and Porter penned most of Sam & Dave's hits, including "Soul Man", “I Thank You,” “When Something Is Wrong with My Baby” and "Hold On I'm Comin'". They also wrote material for Carla Thomas (“B-A-B-Y”), Johnnie Taylor (“I Got to Love Somebody’s Baby” and “I Had a Dream”), and The Soul Children. Starting in the late '60s, Hayes became increasingly involved in his own recording career, eventually leading to the end of the partnership. The Hayes-Porter duo composed 200 songs during their collaboration.
Porter then began recording his own albums for Stax. He also released on other labels under the pseudonyms Little David and Kenny Cain, and had done a single for Stax itself in 1965, "Can't See You When I Want To", a remake of which became a Top 30 RB hit for Porter, and he cut several albums for Stax in the early '70s, including a concept LP, "Victim of the Joke?".
Porter began working with songwriting partner Ronnie Williams, and later went on to engineer the brief relaunch of the Stax label in 1978, after the bankrupt label's assets were acquired by Fantasy Records.
He and Hayes received Pioneer Awards from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation in 1999. On June 9, 2005, Porter was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame alongside Bill Withers, Steve Cropper, Robert B. Sherman, Richard M. Sherman, John Fogerty and his longtime writing partner Isaac Hayes.
Reach Out
David Porter Lyrics
Reach out and touch
Somebody's hand
Make this world a better place
If you can
Reach out and touch
Somebody's hand
Make this world a better place
If you can
(Just try)
Take a little time out of your busy day
To give encouragement
To someone who's lost the way
(Just try)
Or would I be talking to a stone
If I asked you
To share a problem that's not your own
We can change things if we start giving
Why don't you
Reach out and touch
Somebody's hand
Make this world a better place
If you can
Reach out and touch
Somebody's hand
Make this world a better place
If you can
(Just try)
If you see an old friend on the street
And he's down
Remember his shoes could fit your feet
(Just try)
Try a little kindness you'll see
It's something that comes very naturally
We can change things if we start giving
Why don't you
Reach out and touch
Why don't you (Why don't you)
Reach out and touch somebody's hand
Reach out and touch
Somebody's hand
Make this world a better place
If you can
Reach out and touch
Somebody's hand
Make this world a better place
If you can
Somebody's hand
Make this world a better place
If you can
Reach out and touch
Somebody's hand
Make this world a better place
If you can
(Just try)
To give encouragement
To someone who's lost the way
(Just try)
Or would I be talking to a stone
If I asked you
To share a problem that's not your own
We can change things if we start giving
Why don't you
Reach out and touch
Somebody's hand
Make this world a better place
If you can
Reach out and touch
Somebody's hand
Make this world a better place
If you can
(Just try)
If you see an old friend on the street
And he's down
Remember his shoes could fit your feet
(Just try)
Try a little kindness you'll see
It's something that comes very naturally
We can change things if we start giving
Why don't you
Reach out and touch
Why don't you (Why don't you)
Reach out and touch somebody's hand
Reach out and touch
Somebody's hand
Make this world a better place
If you can
Reach out and touch
Somebody's hand
Make this world a better place
If you can
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Nickolas Ashford, Valerie Simpson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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