Be Thankful for What You Got

Recorded in 1972 at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia after William DeVaughn paid for a demo session that developed into a full release. The session used members of the MFSB circle, including Norman Harris, Earl Young, Rusty Jackman, Vince Montana, Larry Washington, Allan Felder, and John Davis. Released by Roxbury in 1974, Be Thankful for What You Got became DeVaughn's breakthrough single and reached number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 1 on the R&B chart. Its understated message and Philadelphia studio sound made it one of the year's major soul crossover records. The song remains DeVaughn's signature recording and a widely covered and sampled soul standard. Its diamond in the back refrain became a lasting phrase in American popular music and later hip-hop vocabulary.