Biography
Amy Winehouse & Dale Davis, Isle of Wight Festival, 2007
Dale was determined to become a musician from the tender age of eight. However, his big leap of faith finally came at 20, when he packed his possessions into the back of his Renault 5 and moved to London to 'make it'.
After a year of playing in a trio in wine bars, he got his first big break at a WKD jam night, hosted by Steve Swindells, where he met drummer Shane Meehan. This led to an opportunity to join Norman Cook's Beats International and to work with Ashley Slater's Microgroove. Dale toured extensively with the band formed by Norman and Ashley's collaboration, Freak Power, playing bass and guitar on their seminal album 'Drive-Thru Booty'. During this period he also worked with American jazz-funk pianist, singer, and songwriter Don Blackman and recorded with Freak Power's keyboard player Cyril McCammon, on his eponymous 1995 album, 'Esperanto', on the Soul Jazz label.
Dale was spotted by recording artist manager John Campbell, which led to him working with a number of further artists including Marcella Detroit, Lucie Silvas, Lena Fiagbe, Howard New and Boyzone singer Mikey Graham. Through Tina Turner's keyboard player Ollie Marland, he also began to play across Europe at the phenomenally successful Night of the Proms, working alongside the Il Novecento Orchestra in the Electric Band led by John Miles. They backed guest performers such as Simple Minds, Paul Young, Debbie Harry, Lisa Stansfield, Al Jarreau, Randy Crawford and Andrea Bocelli night after night to huge audiences. He toured Australia with Tina Turner, also playing bass on a live Tina Turner DVD, toured Europe with Tony Joe White and played for four years in Paul Young's band.
At the end of the Nineties, having spent many years touring, Dale felt it was time to be back in the UK. He worked with Judie Tzuke and American singer-songwriter Shea Seger and collaborated with drummer Hugo Degenhart and guitarist Chester Kamen, forming The Twins of Evil. Together they played on the soundtrack of Bernardo Bertolucci's 2003 feature film, 'The Dreamers', backing male lead Michael Pitt in a cover of Hendrix's 'Hey Joe'.
While playing at a function, Dale met Ian Barter, who went on to become Amy Winehouse's guitarist and her first musical director. Dale joined Amy's band as her bass player, going on to become her musical director at the end of 2004. He was still her musical director, band mate and friend in 2011, when her life was tragically cut short. Whilst working with Amy, Dale also managed to tour with Mark Ronson, Daniel Merriweather, Archive and the hilarious Cuban Brothers and to record with the Cuban Brothers, Russell Watson, Dionne Bromfield, South Africa's Watershed, Poland's Ryszard Rynkowski and the Netherlands' Ben Saunders, among others.
Other projects have included archiving and restoring Amy Winehouse's musical back catalogue and collaborating on the Oscar, Grammy and Bafta winning documentary film, 'Amy', from acclaimed British director Asif Kapadia, as well as producing a track that features on the film. Dale toured with Alfie Boe, recorded an album with Hong Kong superstar singer-songwriter and actor Jackie Cheung and played bass on Lulu's latest album, 'Making Life Rhyme', which celebrates her fiftieth year as a recording artist. He played and recorded with Zak Starkey and Sshh Liguz's hard-hitting electronic punk band SSHH and has been touring and performing new music with Paul Young. Dale continues to work with members of Amy's UK backing band The KBs (dubbed The Knights Before by Amy herself) in a top flight function band featuring some of the country's best session singers, such as vocal powerhouse Angie Brown, as well as in various other capacities, including Forever Amy – an uplifting show that celebrates the life and music of Amy Winehouse. Dale also organised two on-screen bands, one of which he performed in, for the critically acclaimed Sky Arts drama Guerrilla, starring Idris Elba and Freida Pinto.
Recently, Dale has been working with Emeli Sandé as her Musical Director and bass player, touring Europe and the UK, as well as performing two BBC shows. He has enjoyed playing again with the ever-energetic Freak Power, who have also recorded a new EP. Dale also continues to work on an exciting musical project with Hard-Fi's Richard Archer.
Dale is as passionate about music as ever and is always on the lookout for exciting musical opportunities, including recording (studio-based or online), touring, arranging, musical direction and organising outstanding music for top class projects. If you have something in mind, he would love to hear from you, so please get in touch.
After a year of playing in a trio in wine bars, he got his first big break at a WKD jam night, hosted by Steve Swindells, where he met drummer Shane Meehan. This led to an opportunity to join Norman Cook's Beats International and to work with Ashley Slater's Microgroove. Dale toured extensively with the band formed by Norman and Ashley's collaboration, Freak Power, playing bass and guitar on their seminal album 'Drive-Thru Booty'. During this period he also worked with American jazz-funk pianist, singer, and songwriter Don Blackman and recorded with Freak Power's keyboard player Cyril McCammon, on his eponymous 1995 album, 'Esperanto', on the Soul Jazz label.
Dale was spotted by recording artist manager John Campbell, which led to him working with a number of further artists including Marcella Detroit, Lucie Silvas, Lena Fiagbe, Howard New and Boyzone singer Mikey Graham. Through Tina Turner's keyboard player Ollie Marland, he also began to play across Europe at the phenomenally successful Night of the Proms, working alongside the Il Novecento Orchestra in the Electric Band led by John Miles. They backed guest performers such as Simple Minds, Paul Young, Debbie Harry, Lisa Stansfield, Al Jarreau, Randy Crawford and Andrea Bocelli night after night to huge audiences. He toured Australia with Tina Turner, also playing bass on a live Tina Turner DVD, toured Europe with Tony Joe White and played for four years in Paul Young's band.
At the end of the Nineties, having spent many years touring, Dale felt it was time to be back in the UK. He worked with Judie Tzuke and American singer-songwriter Shea Seger and collaborated with drummer Hugo Degenhart and guitarist Chester Kamen, forming The Twins of Evil. Together they played on the soundtrack of Bernardo Bertolucci's 2003 feature film, 'The Dreamers', backing male lead Michael Pitt in a cover of Hendrix's 'Hey Joe'.
While playing at a function, Dale met Ian Barter, who went on to become Amy Winehouse's guitarist and her first musical director. Dale joined Amy's band as her bass player, going on to become her musical director at the end of 2004. He was still her musical director, band mate and friend in 2011, when her life was tragically cut short. Whilst working with Amy, Dale also managed to tour with Mark Ronson, Daniel Merriweather, Archive and the hilarious Cuban Brothers and to record with the Cuban Brothers, Russell Watson, Dionne Bromfield, South Africa's Watershed, Poland's Ryszard Rynkowski and the Netherlands' Ben Saunders, among others.
Other projects have included archiving and restoring Amy Winehouse's musical back catalogue and collaborating on the Oscar, Grammy and Bafta winning documentary film, 'Amy', from acclaimed British director Asif Kapadia, as well as producing a track that features on the film. Dale toured with Alfie Boe, recorded an album with Hong Kong superstar singer-songwriter and actor Jackie Cheung and played bass on Lulu's latest album, 'Making Life Rhyme', which celebrates her fiftieth year as a recording artist. He played and recorded with Zak Starkey and Sshh Liguz's hard-hitting electronic punk band SSHH and has been touring and performing new music with Paul Young. Dale continues to work with members of Amy's UK backing band The KBs (dubbed The Knights Before by Amy herself) in a top flight function band featuring some of the country's best session singers, such as vocal powerhouse Angie Brown, as well as in various other capacities, including Forever Amy – an uplifting show that celebrates the life and music of Amy Winehouse. Dale also organised two on-screen bands, one of which he performed in, for the critically acclaimed Sky Arts drama Guerrilla, starring Idris Elba and Freida Pinto.
Recently, Dale has been working with Emeli Sandé as her Musical Director and bass player, touring Europe and the UK, as well as performing two BBC shows. He has enjoyed playing again with the ever-energetic Freak Power, who have also recorded a new EP. Dale also continues to work on an exciting musical project with Hard-Fi's Richard Archer.
Dale is as passionate about music as ever and is always on the lookout for exciting musical opportunities, including recording (studio-based or online), touring, arranging, musical direction and organising outstanding music for top class projects. If you have something in mind, he would love to hear from you, so please get in touch.
