Harvey Scales

Harvey Scales (born 1941) is an American R&B singer, songwriter, and producer. Scales has been active in the music industry since the 1960s, and has composed songs for groups such as The Dells, The Dramatics and The O'Jays. He is particularly notable for his co-authorship of the songs "Love-Itis" and "Disco Lady". Once called Milwaukee's "Godfather of Soul" by a local reporter, Scales credits James Brown and the sound of "funk" for influencing his music career.

Scales was born in Osceola, Arkansas, and grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he attended Roosevelt Middle School and North Division High School.

He was well known in Milwaukee, before his big break as a national songwriter. He was known as "Twistin' Harvey", in the early 1960s. In 1961, he and his longtime friend Albert Vance (1943–2003) formed the group, Harvey Scales and The Seven Sounds, which released several singles.

Harvey Scales and The Seven Sounds initially recorded for Cuca Records, and later for Magic Touch Records, a Wisconsin-based label owned by Lenny LaCour. The band's one hit was "Get Down", backed with "Love-Itis", which reached No. 32 on the R&B charts in 1967.

The band signed with Chess Records in 1969, recording for the Cadet Concept Records division, with LaCour continuing as producer. In 1970, the group had a regional hit with the LaCour-produced "The Funky Yolk". Through his familiarity with producer Don Davis at Chess, Scales met singer Johnny Taylor, who was at the time recording for Stax Records. Scales then moved from Cadet Concept to Stax, releasing several singles. Scales followed the career of Johnny Taylor when Taylor moved to Columbia Records. As described by Ed Hogan:

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