He also sang on many advertising jingles, and on recordings by musicians including Gary Moore, Ringo Starr, Barry Blue and David Essex; and appeared on Top of the Pops with both Elton John and Justin Hayward.
[4][6] In late 1973, he sang on a demo recording of "Sugar Baby Love", written and produced by Wayne Bickerton and Tony Waddington and initially offered to Showaddywaddy, who turned the song down.
Although the other musicians agreed, Da Vinci turned down the opportunity to perform with the group as, by the time of its release in 1974, he had signed a solo contract with Penny Farthing Records.
"Sugar Baby Love" – featuring Da Vinci's striking falsetto (he also sang all of the low vocal plus the two part harmony on the record) but with Alan Williams, who sang backing vocals on the record, appearing as the lead singer (some say miming, though this is disputed) on Top of the Pops – became a UK number one hit in 1974, also reaching number 37 on the US pop chart.
[6] He also sang on Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of Spartacus in 1992, appeared as the narrator of the West End production of The Who's Tommy in 1997, and, with his band, opened for Fats Domino in performances at the Royal Albert Hall.