He first worked for Motown in 1959 , and wrote arrangements for the Temptations , Stevie Wonder , and the Supremes among others . He later worked for the Stax label , working with leading musicians such as the Staple Singers , the Dramatics and Isaac Hayes . After arranging strings and horns on Hayes ' album '' Hot Buttered Soul '' , the pair worked together on '' Shaft '' , and at the 14th Annual Grammy Awards in 1972 jointly won the award for Best Instrumental Arrangement for " Theme From '' Shaft '' " . Allen also worked consistently with Detroit producer Don Davis at his United Sound Studios , providing arrangements for acts such as Johnnie Taylor and The Dells
14th Annual Grammy Awards
14th Annual Grammy Awards
Johnny Allen (arranger)