Courtney's first big break was as a songwriter with Adam Faith and Leo Sayer; Courtney co-wrote several hit songs with them (including "Giving it All Away", recorded by both Sayer and Roger Daltrey) and he co-produced Faith's 1974 album, I Survive.
He released one album of his own on United Artists in 1974 entitled David Courtney's First Day which had some success on both sides of the Atlantic, and peaked at number 194 on the US Billboard 200.
[3] As a producer, Courtney has also worked with musicians such as Roger Daltrey, Gene Pitney, Eric Clapton, David Gilmour and Jimmy Page.
In September 2015, Courtney celebrated his 50th anniversary in music with the release of his Anthology album on Angel Air Records.
In 2002, Courtney was responsible for introducing the first Walk of Fame cultural attraction in the UK, located in Brighton.