Disco version of the 1926 song written by Henry Akst and Benny Davis; reached #14 Pop in the USA in March 1976.
Wing and a Prayer Fife and Drum Corps was an American disco group. The "fife and drum corps" was actually an assemblage of studio musicians put together by Harold Wheeler; the group's vocalists were Linda November, Vivian Cherry, Arlene Martell, and Helen Miles.
Their 1976 album, Babyface, hit #47 on the U.S. pop album chart and #19 on the Black Albums chart, due to the success of the single, "Baby Face", which had previously reached #1 for Jan Garber in 1926 and Art Mooney in 1948. The single went to #1 on the U.S. Club Play chart, #6 AC, #32 Black Singles, and #14 on the Top 40.,the single also reached number 12 in the UK singles chart.
Walter Anthony Murphy, Jr. (born December 19, 1952) is an American instrumentalist, songwriter, and arranger who rose to cult status with the hit instrumental "A Fifth of Beethoven", a disco adaptation of some passages of the first movement of Ludwig van Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, in 1976, when disco was at the height of its popularity.
Born and raised in Manhattan, Murphy attended the Manhattan School of Music and studied jazz and classical music. Upon graduation, Murphy served as an arranger for Doc Severinsen and the Tonight Show Band. In the early 1970s, Murphy wrote jingle music for television advertising and acted as the frontman of WAM, a soul-R&B band who frequently performed in New Rochelle.
During the 1970s, Murphy developed interest in adapting classical music into disco, and mailed a demo tape to various record labels in New York. Although response was unimpressive, a rendition of Beethoven's "Symphony No. 5 In 'C' Minor" generated interest amongst the owner of Private Stock Records, Larry Uttal. Murphy agreed to produce the song under contract and recorded it in 1976, creatively dubbing it "A Fifth of Beethoven". The record was credited towards "Walter Murphy & The Big Apple Band" upon encouragement from the company, who believed it would become a hit if credited towards a group rather than an individual. However, two days following the record's release, Private Stock discovered the existence of another Big Apple Band; the record was later re-released and credited towards "The Walter Murphy Band" before dropping the tradition altogether.
The song was a smash hit, and reached number 80 on the Hot 100 on May 29, 1976, eventually reaching number 1 within nineteen weeks, where it stayed for one week. An album under the same name was released later during the year; the album notably featured a rendition of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's "Flight of the Bumblebee" entitled "Flight '76", which reached number 44 on the Hot 100. He released four albums within the following six years, and in 1982, released his final single, a medley of "Themes From E.T. (The Extra-Terrestrial)" which climbed to number 47 on the Hot 100.
1975 turned out to be their most successful year chart-wise, chalking up a Top 40 Pop album (In the City) and their biggest hit, the Top 10 Pop/#1 R&B smash "It Only Takes a Minute", which was later successfully covered by Jonathan King, Take That and recently sampled by Jennifer Lopez.They parlayed this success into a spot as an opening act for the Jackson 5. KC and The Sunshine Band was also on this tour. This was followed by a string of hits: "Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel" (1976), "Don't Take Away the Music" (1976), and "Whodunit" (1977, another #1 R&B hit), among others. In 1977 they also recorded "I Wanna See You Soon", a duet with Capitol label mate Freda Payne which received airplay on BBC Radio 1 but failed to chart.
"Where Do I Go From Here"
(written by E. Holland, B. Holland)
Recorded by The Supremes (Mary Wilson, Cindy Birdsong, and Scherrie Payne)
Single produced by Brian Holland
from Motown album #828, The Supremes (1975)
The Ritchie Family was the name of an American vocal group, based in Philadelphia, who achieved several hits during the disco era.
The four original members were not related; the group was created by Jacques Morali who soon after also created Village People. The group took its name from record producer Ritchie Rome, and originally consisted of four singers Jean Davis, Cassandra Wooten, Gwen Oliver (who eventually married musician Fred Wesley), and Nadine Felder. They were originally known as Honey & The Bees. Then they were reformed as a trio with Cassandra Wooten, and Gwen Oliver as the new line-up. (Honey and the Bees was a totally different group) Honey and the Bees was managed by Jimmy Bishop, a successful Philadelphia radio personality. He also managed Barbara Mason. After Honey and the Bees disbanded, Cheryl Mason-Jacks, Gwendolyn Oliver and Cassandra Wooten begin singing with the idea to do background vocals. A few years before Nadine Felder and Cassandra Wooten had done background work for Jacques Morali. He called them a few years later when he wanted to form a group. By then, Gwen, Cheryl and Cassandra were preparing to get session work. Jacques liked their sound, and, thus, the Ritchie Family was born.
Their first hit single, a reworking of the 1930s song "Brazil" reached the Top 20 in the United States in 1975, and the album, also titled Brazil, sold well. The following year they released the album Arabian Nights, and with it the single "The Best Disco In Town". The song was essentially a medley of recent disco songs linked together with an original chorus and it became a worldwide hit.
Their follow up albums Life is Music, which followed a 1930s theme, and African Queens were only mediocre successes. Each of these four albums was a concept album featuring songs of a similar theme as suggested by each album title. Each album also featured a long medley, usually running from 15 to 20 minutes.
By 1978, the three members had been replaced by Jacqui Smith-Lee, Theodosia "Dodie" Draher and Ednah Holt. Their 1978 album, American Generation, was a slight departure from disco and more in the style of europop, although one of the singles from it was called "I Feel Disco Good." The group abandoned the exotic and highly kitsch costumes of their earlier incarnation in favour of a more contemporary, sexually provocative style. This album was followed by the album "Bad Reputation", at which point Holt departed (and formed her own group Ednah Holt and Starluv) and was replaced by lead singer Vera Brown; the group enjoyed success with "Put Your Feet To The Beat."
The Ritchie Family lineup of Brown, Smith-Lee and Draher next recorded the Give Me A Break LP which contained the hits "Give Me A Break" and "Never Be Able to Set You Free." Continuing with album releases, the next was a markedly different partnership with Jacques Fred Petrus and Mauro Malavasi, the pair behind Change. The album they recorded was I'll Do My Best For You Baby; following that was All Night All Right. By the time of 1983's "All Night, All Right" lp, Dodie Draher had left the group and newcomer Linda James took over her spot.
In 1980 they joined Village People for the movie Can't Stop the Music. The film was a resounding failure and still appears on many critics' "worst ever" lists; however the soundtrack album sold well in some parts of the world. By this time disco music had already reached its peak, at least in the US.
Also in 1980, Wooten and Mason-Jacks sang background vocals on John Lennon's final album, Double Fantasy.
After deciding to split, when group owner Jacques Morali discovered he had AIDS, the group continued as Vera Brown and the Rich Girls for one song called "Too Much Too Fast" that crashed completely. Vera Brown has reformed The Ritchie Family, with Dodie Draher and Jacqui Smith-Lee, but without further releases.
With original members Wooten, Mason-Jacks and Oliver, the group achieved its highest grossing sales.
The 1975 debut album of the Ritchie Family titled "Brazil." It includes their first big Disco hit of the same name along with Peanut Vendor. This album was essentially a Philly production utilizing many Philly session musicians. Although not credited on the album cover it is said that the female vocalists where the one and only "Sweethearts of Sigma" - Carla Benson, Evette Benton and Barbara Ingram.
The Brazil album was released on 20th Century Records, but the Ritchie Family later moved to Marlin Records and then Casablanca Records. The female lineup also changed throughout their history.
ALBUM TRACKLISTING: Side A 1. Peanut Vendor (6:40) 2. Frenesi (8:00) 3. Brazil (4:58)
Side B 1. Dance With Me (3:35) 2. Life Is Fascination (3:05) 3. Lady Champagne (2:25) 4. Let's Pool (3:50) 5. Pinball (3:00)
1. The original Jupiter LP comes with a poster of Penny. 2. The backing vocals were done by the real vocalists of Silver Convention's first album, Gitta Walther, Betsy Allen, Lucy O'Neal and Roberta Kelly. The (in)famous scream on "Lady Bump" was done by Gitta aka Jackie Robinson). Penny, however, screamed live on several TV-appearances. 3. Penny and her Silver Convention colleagues Ramona Wulf and Linda G. Thompson didn't sing on the first Silver Convention album - although they promoted the singles on TV. Jupiter Records therefore issued solo singles by each of the girls to prove they could sing. Penny by far got the best one - neither Ramona's cover of Save The Last Dance For Me nor Linda's Ooh What A Night could match Penny's "Lady Bump" in popularity.
disco version of the song written by Jerome Kern and Otto Harbach for the 1933 musical "Roberta", which became a hit for the Platters in 1958.
Penny McLean's debut album followed hot on the heels of Silver Convention's rise to fame with hits such as Save Me and Fly, Robin, Fly / Tiger Baby. "Lady Bump" was the big hit - and absolutely irresistible mid-70s disco. Pure 5 stars! The follow-up singles "1-2-3-4 Fire!" and "Devil Eyes" obviously built on the same formula and are also very catchy songs - however, they didn't fare as well. In short, all the other songs - including a disco cover version of "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" (the second single in the US) - are fun and fresh.
From The Motion Picture Soundtrack "THANK GOD IT'S FRIDAY" Written by Paul Jabara Produced by Giorgio Moroder and Bob Esty Casablanca Records 1978
Paul Jabara wrote this for the 1978 movie Thank God It's Friday. The movie takes place at a dance club, and Jabara played the role of Carl, a clueless club patron. The film didn't do nearly as well as Saturday Night Fever, which was released a year earlier and was also centered around a Disco. This song, however, was a huge hit and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song.
Summer performed this in the movie, which also featured a performance by The Commodores singing "Too Hot To Trot." It was Summer's first role in a major motion picture, and she played an aspiring young singer named Nicole. In the film, she tries to convince the DJ at a hot nightclub to let her sing, and at the end of the night, she gets her chance and performs this, knowing it might be her last chance.
Interview with Tom Moulton - The Godfather Of Mixology and Reid Whitelaw from Philly Groove Records talking about the upcoming "Philly Re-Grooved" project released on Monday 30th August 2010 on Harmless Records
Interview with Tom Moulton - The Godfather Of Mixology and Reid Whitelaw from Philly Groove Records talking about the upcoming "Philly Re-Grooved" project released on Monday 30th August 2010 on Harmless Records
The Love Unlimited Orchestra, formed by American R&B/soul musician, Barry White, was a 40-piece string-laden orchestra that served as a backing unit for White and female vocal trio Love Unlimited. From the mid 1970s on, they also recorded several albums under their own name.
Their biggest hit single was 1973's instrumental disc, "Love's Theme". The track, written by White, went to No. 1 for one week in the U.S. and No. 10 in the UK Singles Chart. The R.I.A.A. awarded a gold disc on 7 February 1974.
KC and the Sunshine Band is an American musical group. Founded in 1973 in Miami, Florida, their style has included funk, R&B, and disco. Their most well known songs include the disco hits "That's the Way (I Like It)", "(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty", "I'm Your Boogie Man", "Keep It Comin' Love", "Get Down Tonight", "Give It Up", and "Please Don't Go". They took their name from lead vocalist Harry Wayne Casey's last name ("KC") and the "Sunshine Band" from KC's home state of Florida ('The Sunshine State').
Tom Moulton has stated in a edition of KEEP ON magazine ( uk based ) that Swearin To God by Frankie Valli was the first available 12".
Valli had his first truly solo hit in the summer of 1975 (all of his prior "solo" hits were in fact Four Seasons productions) when the Bob Crewe-produced "Swearin' to God" followed "My Eyes Adored You" into the upper reaches of the Hot 100, peaking at the #6 position and capitalizing on the growing disco craze. The song was released in three forms: the eight-minute long album version, the ten-minute-long extended 12-inch single version, and the three-minute-long single version.
Earth, Wind & Fire is an American R&B and funk band formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1969 by Verdine and Maurice White. Also known as EWF, the band has won six Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards. They have been inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. Rolling Stone has described them as "innovative, precise yet sensual, calculated yet galvanizing" and has also declared that the band "changed the sound of black pop". In 1998, they were ranked at number 60 on VH1's list of the 100 Greatest Artists of Rock N' Roll.
"Love to Love You Baby" is a song by American singer Donna Summer released in 1975 (see 1975 in music). It became one of the first ever disco hits to also be released in an extended form.
Song information
By 1975, Summer had been living in Germany for eight years and had participated in several musical theatre shows. She had also released an album in Europe entitled Lady of the Night, written by Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte and produced by Bellotte, which had given her a couple of hit singles. She was still a complete unknown in her home country when she suggested the lyric "Love to Love You Baby" to Moroder in 1975. He turned the lyric into a full disco song and asked Summer to record it. The full lyrics were somewhat explicit and at first Summer said she would only record it as a demo to give to someone else. However her erotic moans and groans impressed Moroder so much that he persuaded her to release it as her own song, and "Love to Love You" became a moderate hit in the Netherlands.
A tape of the song was sent to Casablanca Records president Neil Bogart in the U.S. and he played it at a party at his home. He was so impressed with the track that he continued to play it over and over all night. He later contacted Moroder and suggested that he make the track longer - possibly as long as twenty minutes. Again Summer had reservations, and was not even sure of all the lyrics, so imagined herself as an actress (namely Marilyn Monroe)[1] playing the part of someone in sexual ecstasy. The studio lights were dimmed so that Summer was more or less in complete darkness as she lay on the floor. The final recording lasted over sixteen minutes, and contained the sexiest "simulated" orgasms ever found on vinyl; according to the BBC, it contained 23 "orgasms". It was also at this point that the song was renamed "Love to Love You Baby." The song took up the entire first side of the album of the same name, and was also released as a 12" single. Edited versions were also found on 7" vinyl, and the song became an international disco smash. Released in December 1975, it became Summer's first U.S. top 40 hit, spending two weeks at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in early 1976 and logged four weeks atop the Billboard U.S. disco chart, as well number three on the soul singles chart The song also charted highly on the UK Singles Chart upon its January 1976 release in the U.K., where it reached #4 despite the BBC's refusal to promote it. Summer would be named "the first lady of love," which labeled her with a sexually-oriented, fantasy image from which she would struggle to free herself.
Casablanca Records became responsible for the distribution of Summer's work in the U.S., and later in the majority of nations. President Neil Bogart was particularly keen for Summer to portray the image of a rich, powerful, sexy fantasy figure with which this song had labelled her. Upon Summer's relocation to the U.S., Bogart and his wife Joyce (who also became Summer's manager) would become close friends with Summer, but also begin to interfere with aspects of her personal as well as professional life. Summer eventually felt that she had no control over her life and suffered with depression and insomnia. She would later become a born-again Christian and leave disco, Casablanca and the Bogarts behind and file a lawsuit against them (which was eventually settled). It was at this time that Summer also made the decision to leave behind "Love to Love You Baby" forever. Some twenty-five years later, she would once again begin to perform a newly arranged version of the song in concert.
Charts
Chart (1975/1976)↓ Peak
position↓
Australian Singles Chart 4
Austrian Singles Chart 9
Dutch Singles Chart 13
German Singles Chart 6
Italian Singles Chart 11
Irish Singles Chart 11
New Zealand Singles Chart 8
Norwegian Singles Chart 2
Swedish Singles Chart 5
Swiss Singles Chart 6
UK Singles Chart 4
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 2
U.S. Hot Dance Club Play 1
U.S. R&B Songs 3
1983 re-issue
Following the dance chart success of the Patrick Cowley remix of Summer's "I Feel Love" in 1982, Casablanca Records/PolyGram re-issued her first hit single "Love to Love You Baby". The single however failed to make an impact on the charts the second time around and it was to be their final single re-release of tracks from the Donna Summer back catalogue in the 1980s. In 1984 the Casablanca Records label was shut down by PolyGram.
"Love to Love You Baby
(1983 Re-Issue)"
Single by Donna Summer
from the album Love to Love You Baby
B-side "Love to Love You Baby (Part Two)"
Released 1983
Format 7" single, 12" single
Genre Disco, Pop, Soul, R&B
Label Casablanca
Writer(s) Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder, Pete Bellotte
Producer Pete Bellotte
Cover versions
* Bronski Beat recorded the song in a medley with "Johnny Remember Me" and Summer's "I Feel Love" in 1985.
* Samantha Fox recorded the song in a medley with another disco hit, Andrea True's "More More More", on her album Just One Night in 1991.
* No Doubt did a cover of the song for the Zoolander soundtrack.
* Artist Sam Taylor-Wood, under the guise of Kiki Kokova, collaborated with the Pet Shop Boys, in a limited edition 12" release of "Love To Love You Baby" in 2003.
* TLC sampled the refrain in their controversial single "I'm Good At Being Bad" off their album Fanmail. The lyrics of the song were so dirty that Donna Summer asked them to remove the sample from the song. All pressing after this do not include the sample.
* Beyoncé Knowles also sampled the refrain of the song for her hit "Naughty Girl" off her album Dangerously in Love.
* French DJ David Vendetta sampled the song and turned it into a hit in clubs, in 2006.
* The Ritchie Family sang a portion of "Love to Love You Baby" in their medley included in "The Best Disco in Town".
* Tom Tom Club covered the song on their album The Good the Bad and the Funky.
* "Love to Love You Baby" briefly appears in an episode of American TV series Eight Is Enough, played by the local band of a character in the show.
"Love to Love You Baby" is used briefly in the film "Thank God, It's Friday" (1978) with Donna Summer parodying herself shouting the title to the disc jockey.
"John, I’m Only Dancing (Again)" was a single by David Bowie. It was a re-recording of Bowie's 1972 track "John, I’m Only Dancing", made during the sessions for the album Young Americans.
Released after five years on the shelf, the re-recording featured a much more funk-influenced take on the track, and has some similarities with the song "Stay" recorded for the Station to Station album in 1976. Originally running at 6:57, the track was cut for a 7" single release, but the full version was issued on 12" vinyl – the first Bowie single to have a regular 12" release in the UK. For the B-side, the original version of "John, I'm Only Dancing" was remixed. After the relative disappointment of the singles from Lodger on the charts, the single gave Bowie some greater degree of mainstream exposure during a period when his work was increasingly being perceived as esoteric and experimental. The long 12" version was included on the 1991 Rykodisk/Emi remaster of Young Americans as a bonus track.
The reworking of "John, I'm Only Dancing" intentionally drops the original verses, only leaving the chorus' lyrics intact, perhaps given the supposed homosexual nature of the original piece. Rather, the new lyrics were simply an embrace of the dance floor and the spirit of disco. The chorus is delivered more slowly and unswung with dance beats instead of the rather retro blues beats of the original, giving time for Bowie to demonstrate vocal virtuosity. The changes were considered somewhat strange given the original's context, especially the transformation into the "overlong" dance track, given the 12" version's extended mix, in which half of the song is a repetitive riff consisting of the lyrics "dancing, dancing, dancing, woo woo woo-oo".
This US disco group, was formed in New York City in the early 70s, by bass player and later manager Donnie Linton . The group was initially known as the Nue Day Express. They took their new name from a district of their native Brooklyn. The group comprised Nue Day Express members Donnie Linton (Bass) ,Philip Thomas (vocals), William Anderson (guitar/vocals), and Raymond Rock (drums/percussion/vocals), alongside James "Ajax" Baynard (trumpet/vocals), Stan Johnson (keyboards), Darryl Gibbs (saxophone) and Julius Dilligard Jnr. (vocals). Arnold "Muki" Wilson later replaced Linton on bass and vocals. The group was initially signed by RCA Records, for whom they recorded a self-titled album in 1974 and enjoyed regional hit singles with "Super Rod" and "Leave The Kids Alone".
A number of personnel changes then ensued, with brothers Bert Reid (Bertram Charles Reid Jnr., 25 October 1956, New York, USA, d. 12 December 2004, New York, USA; tenor saxophone/vocals) and Raymond Reid (trombone/vocals) replacing Gibbs and Dilligard, and Johnson and Baynard making way for Howie Young and Tyrone Demmons respectively. The new look group switched labels to De-Lite Records, then home of Kool And The Gang, and recorded their second studio album. Under the guidance of producers/writers Freida Nerangis and Britt Britton and managers Thomas Nerangis and Donnie Linton , Crown Heights Affair leapt to the forefront of commercial funk, recording four hit R&B/pop singles from their first two De-Lite albums - "Dreaming A Dream", "Every Beat Of My Heart", "Foxy Lady" and "Dancin'".
De-Lite's subsequent worldwide pact with PolyGram Records saw the unit break internationally, with "Galaxy Of Love" hitting the UK Top 30 and "I'm Gonna Love You Forever' the Top 50 in 1978. Trumpeter James Baynard had by this point returned to the line-up in place of Demmons, while for 1979"s Dance Lady Dance, Skip Boardley was brought in to share lead vocals with Philip Thomas. The influence of new producer Bert DeCoteaux and the emerging songwriting abilities within the band consolidated their position in 1980, with "You Gave Me Love' reaching the UK Top 10. The single featured on the album Sure Shot, recorded without keyboard player Howie Young. While this represented the peak of their chart success, Crown Heights Affair continued to churn out competent singles and albums for much of the next decade. Bert Reid departed to pursue a production career before the release of 1982"s Think Positive, which featured the group's last US R&B hit, "Somebody Tell Me What To Do". Reid's brother Raymond and William Anderson also emerged as in-demand producers in the early 80s for Donnie Linton Management, which ultimately led to their departure from Crown Heights Affair in 1986. Bert Reid died of lung cancer in December 2004 . T.D.link
"Shame, Shame, Shame" is a 1974 hit song written by Sylvia Robinson and performed by American disco band Shirley & Company. The single hit number one on the soul singles chart for one week, and number one on the disco/dance charts for four weeks..The track was one of the first international disco hits and reached number 12 on the Billboard charts. It was however the sole success of this one-hit wonder band: the song was first released and the full-length LP Shame, Shame, Shame was recorded subsequently and came out in 1975.
Notes
Lead singer on "Shame, Shame, Shame" - Shirley Goodman, was one half of the duo Shirley & Lee who had a mega hit in 1956 with the song "Let The Good Times Roll" for Aladdin Records.
The male vocalist on "Shame, Shame Shame" is Jesus Alvarez[4].
The song was covered by American singer Sinitta in 1992. It was released as a single, which peaked at number twenty-eight in the United Kingdom. It was later included on her third studio albumNaughty Naughty (1995).
A*Teens recorded a cover of the song for their album New Arrival (2003).
Linda Fields & The Funky Boys covered a nearly identical sounding version, released as a single (7") in 1975. Rereleased in 1983 as a 12" EP. This version appears on several disco compilations and is often confused with the original.
Henri Salvador recorded a French version of the song, with the title "J'aime tes g'noux" ("I love your knees")
Polish-Swedish singer Izabella Scorupco recorded a cover version of the song in 1992 which was a charted hit in a number of European countries. It appears on an extended version of her 1991 album
Oliver Sain (born March 1, 1932, Dundee, Mississippi – died 28 October 2003, St. Louis, Missouri) was an American saxophonist, songwriter, bandleader, drummer and record producer.
In 1949, Sain moved to Greenville, Mississippi to join his stepfather, pianist Willie Love, as a drummer in a band fronted by Sonny Boy Williamson, soon leaving to join Howlin’ Wolf where he acted as a drummer on and off for the following decade. After returning from the United States Army draft he took up the saxophone.
Sain is credited with launching the career of Little Milton, who became a vocalist is Sain’s band, and discovering Bobby McClure and Fontella Bass, who he originally hired as pianist for Little Milton.
Sain wrote "Don't Mess up a Good Thing" which was a number one hit in the US for Bobby McClure in 1965. In the mid-1970s, he recorded his own disco records such as "Bus Stop", "Booty Bumpin' (The Double Bump)" (1975), "Party Hearty" (1976) and "Feel Like Dancing" (1977).
Sain died 28 October 2003 from bone cancer, which followed on from previous bladder cancer.
reached #1 Pop in the USA in April 1974; #1 R&B in the USA in spring 1974
"TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)" is a 1974 hit recording by MFSB (Mother, Father, Sister, Brother) featuring vocals by The Three Degrees. A classic example of the Philadelphia soul genre, it was written by Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff as the theme for the American musical television program Soul Train, which specialized in African-American musical performers. The single was released on the Philadelphia International label, and it is arguably the first disco song to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
The song is essentially an instrumental piece, featuring a lush blend of strings and horns in the Philadelphia soul style. There are only two vocal parts to the song: a passage close to the beginning during which The Three Degrees sing "People all over the world!"; and the chorus over the fadeout, "Let's get it on/It's time to get down". The words "People all over the world!" are not heard in the original version. "TSOP" hit number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in the spring of 1974 and remained there for two weeks. It also topped the American R&B chart (for one week) and adult contemporary chart (for two weeks). The Three Degrees would revisit the top of the AC chart later in 1974 with their hit single, "When Will I See You Again".
Although it was rerecorded a number of times for future versions of the show, "TSOP" has remained the theme song for Soul Train through the disco, 1980s R&B, new jack swing, hip-hop, and neo soul eras of Black music.
"TSOP" was covered by Dexys Midnight Runners and released as a B-side on the 12" version of the "Jackie Wilson Said" single, later issued on the remastered version of the album Too-Rye-Ay. The band also used it to open some of their live shows.
Another cover was made in 1978 by reggae band Inner Circle, who had a history of covering American soul songs in the laid-back reggae style of the late 1970s.
Two more covers were made in 1987 (by George Duke), and 1999 (by Sampson); both versions would be used as themes for Soul Train. The 1999 theme would be used until ST's final episode in 2006.
The song is played at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia prior to every Phillies home game. Pilipinas, Game KNB?, a Philippines game show hosted by actor/politician Edu Manzano, used an adaptation of TSOP called "Papayo Yowza" as its theme.
Silver Convention was a German disco recording act of the 1970s. The group was originally named Silver Bird Convention, or Silver Bird.
They recruited vocalists Linda Thompson (real name Linda Übelherr, who would be billed on her solo records as Linda G. Thompson, formerly a member of Les Humphries Singers)
# Cicero Park (4:46)
# Could Have Been Born in the Ghetto (Theme from "Love Head") (5:49)
# A Love Like Yours (3:31)
# You're a Natural High (3:11)
# Emma (3:54)
# Changing World (4:34)
# Disco Queen (3:36)
# Makin' Music (3:49)
# Funky Rock 'N' Roll (4:51)
# Brother Louie (5:03)
Hot Chocolate are a British pop band popular during the 1970s and 1980s, formed by Errol Brown. The act had at least one hit every year between 1970 and 1984 and their song "You Sexy Thing" made the Top 10 in three decades
electro-disco; reached #1 Pop in the USA and UK in July 1974
One of the first hits of the Disco era, this sold over 11 million copies worldwide. The song was written by Harry Wayne Casey and Richard Finch of KC and the Sunshine Band, and it formed the basis for their wildly successful writing and performing partnership which yielded 5 more US #1 hits and pioneered the Disco sound. Casey and Finch worked for T.K. Records, which was a distributor and a studio, complete with a house band that would become KC and the Sunshine Band. One of the artists who recorded at T.K. was Timmy Thomas, who had a hit with "Why Can’t We Live Together?" Said Finch: "His organ was left up in the studio, and 'Rock Your Baby' became born unto this crazy drum machine that was inside of this Lowry organ that he left there. I used to use that as a tempo map, and I would play along with the drum machine. In the beginning it would hide my errors, but it would also teach me to be a better drummer, because I was paying attention to it that closely. Then we would build on that. We had a 1” 8-track machine and I had a cheap Japanese bass. We were just recording and recording and recording. And one night, this one track came out like better than anything else. It was like God was in the building or something - we had been blessed. It was like the hunger and desire was so incredibly overwhelming that some magical moment happened in there. We knew to build on that track. There were a bunch of records coming out at that point. Hues Corporation had a song called 'Rock The Boat,' and Harry and I were also paying attention to the chart actions at clubs, because club records, according to Henry’s direction, were doing better than just regular R&B Records. Back then you could sneak into a club and they didn’t check your ID, so Harry and I would once in a while go sneak into the local clubs. There was one on Southwest 8th Street in Miami, Florida, that played dance music. We’d go in there for about an hour or two until it got to be way too late for us to be there. And we’d pay attention to what brought the people to the dance floor, and what made them sit down. So we started gearing ourselves to writing more in that direction. 'Rock Your Baby' was inspired by the gathering of all that information."
First Choice was an American girl group vocal music trio from Philadelphia. The group produced the disco hits "Armed and Extremely Dangerous", "Smarty Pants", "The Player", "Love Thang", "Let No Man Put Asunder" and "Dr. Love".
reached #70 Pop in the USA in late 1974, #7 R&B in the USA in summer 1974
Betty Wright (born December 21, 1953) is a Grammy winning Miami-based soul and R&B singer who influenced a generation of female singer-songwriters and the world of hip hop, which has sampled some of her material. She should not be confused with the wife of gospel singer Rev. Timothy Wright who was also called Betty Wright.
reached #2 Pop in the USA in January 1975, #1 Pop in the U.K. in November 1974
You're the First, the Last, My Everything" is a popular song recorded by Barry White. Written by White, Tony Sepe and Peter Radcliffe and produced by White, "You're the First, The Last, My Everything" was White's fourth top ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, reaching #2; it spent a week at #1 on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart. The early disco class made it to number two on the disco/dance charts. In the UK it fared even better, spending two weeks at the top in December 1974. It appeared on White's 1974 album Can't Get Enough.
Radcliffe originally wrote "You're the First, The Last, My Everything" as a country song with the title "You're My First, You're My Last, My In-Between", which went unrecorded for 21 years. White recorded it as a disco song, keeping most of the structure and two-thirds of the title, but he rewrote the lyrics.
Sylvia Robinson (born Sylvia Vanderpool, March 6, 1936, New York) is a singer, musician, music producer, and record label executive, most notably known for her work as founder/CEO of the seminal hip hop label Sugar Hill Records. She is credited as the driving force behind two landmark singles in the genre: "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five and "Rapper's Delight" by the Sugarhill Gang, the latter being the world's first rap record to be released by a hip hop act.
"Pillow Talk"
As a solo performer and billed as Sylvia (not to be confused with the country singer of the same name) she recorded and released the single "Pillow Talk" on the Vibration label in 1973. She had originally hoped "Pillow Talk" would be recorded by Al Green. But he turned it down, because it was too risqué, and against his religion. The drums on the recorded version seem to have been influenced by the productions of Willie Mitchell for Green.
"Pillow Talk" reached number one for two weeks on the R&B chart and number three on the pop chart, and is an early example of prototypical disco music. It sold over two million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A. in May 1973. The vocals are replete with moaning and heavy breathing, predating Donna Summer's orgasmic moans on "Love to Love You Baby". The drumming rhythm would reappear in 1985 on Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill", then again in 1987 on Fleetwood Mac's "Big Love".
The song returned to prominence by featuring on the soundtrack of the movie 54.
Few in 1963 would have expected that three talented teenage girls from Philadelphia would come together to form the origin of a group that would continue into the next century, but that was the beginning of the Three Degrees, an act that, through more than 40 years and multiple lineups, has become one of the most internationally popular and long lasting Soul groups in history.
Fayette Pinckney, Linda Turner, Shirley Poole, then in their early teens, were brought together by veteran writer/producer Richard Barrett as the vehicles for his vision of creating the next great girl group. Turner and Poole were quickly replaced by Helen Scott and Janet Harmon, and Barrett began the process of molding the trio into a regional favorite, training them extensively and booking them at record shops and talent contests throughout the Eastern United States .
The group was signed by Philly-based Swan Records in the mid-60s and scored a regional hit with "Gee Baby," working with a number of great local musicians, some of whom would become the backbone of the Philadelphia soul movement of the 70s. In 1966 Scott temporarily left the group and was replaced by Sheila Ferguson, already an accomplished solo singer, and Valerie Holiday took over Harmon's slot. The act was then signed by Roulette Records and in 1970 scored their first major national hit, a top 5 remake of the Chantels' "Maybe." They followed later that year with the popular "You're the One," and landed a brief appearance singing in the Gene Hackman hit movie The French Connection.
A major career move for the Three Degrees was their signing by Gamble & Huff's up-and-coming Philadelphia International Records in 1972. They made an immediate splash with the disco hit "Dirty Ol' Man" before joining with MFSB (the Philadelphia International house band) to record the Soul Train theme song "TSOP," which became an across-the-board #1 hit. They then followed the next year with what would become their signature song, the sophisticated ballad "When Will I See You Again," one of the greatest songs ever to come from Philadelphia , and the group's biggest international hit.
The Three Degrees continued with moderate success at PIR before moving over to Epic Records in 1975 and then to Ariola. During the next decade their success in the U.S. was limited but they became bigger than ever in the U.K. , where they continued to score with hits such as "Giving Up, Giving In" and "Woman In Love." Prince Charles proclaimed them his favorite group (they were guests at his wedding to Princess Diana) and they were consequently labeled by the British Press as "Charlie's Angels."
Helen Scott rejoined the group (replacing Pinckney) in 1976, and the lineup of Scott, Ferguson and Holiday continued for a decade, when Ferguson left the group, ultimately being replaced with Cynthia Garrison and resulting in the lineup (Valerie Holiday, Helen Scott and Cynthia Garrison) that continues to this day.
The influence and popularity of The Three Degrees is sometimes lost on US audiences who are largely familiar with the group for only one great song, but the trio has played an important role in bringing Soul music to the world and continues to be considered around the globe as one of the most important ambassadors of American Soul Music, more than four decades after its modest origin.
October 1971's "Theme from 'Shaft'" by Isaac Hayes (a #1 Pop hit in the USA in November 1971) was one of the first proto-disco songs, and it does have a high-hat disco stomp beat for a little less than a minute.
Take Me Home is the fifteenth studio album by American singer-actess Cher, released on January 25, 1979 by Casablanca Records. The RIAA certified it Gold on May 17, 1979. It has sold over 1,000,000 copies world-wide.
Album information
Take Me Home was Cher's first album of 1979, and was also her first album released by Casablanca Records. The record was produced by Bob Esty and Ron Dante, and most of the lyrics were written by Michele Aller and Bob Esty. This marked the beginning of Cher's brief venture into Disco music. Much to Cher's chagrin, she was pressured into recording an album of this genre. From the album, came a major comeback hit, "Take Me Home". Cher contributed a self-penned song about her failed marriage to Gregg Allman on the closing ballad "My Song (Too Far Gone)". This album is dedicated to "Butterfly".
Sales of the album may have been boosted by the image of a scantily-clad Cher in a Viking outfit on the album’s cover, which received a lot of attention at the time. Take Me Home was also the first album, to have three tracks mixed: "Take Me Home" (12" Mix), "Wasn't it Good" (12" Mix) and "Git Down (Guitar Grupie)" (12" Mix) available in the "Hell on Wheels" single. Gene Simmons, her boyfriend at the time, received a credit in the album due to his presence on the track "Git Down (Guitar Grupie)". Take Me Home has been released on CD together with her second Casablanca Records album Prisoner numerous times, in a CD entitled, The Casablanca Years. This CD unites all the tracks from both albums, merging them onto one single CD, the album was released in 1993 and re-released in 1996 with a different cover.
Promotion
To promote the album, Cher recorded a music video, for the lead single, "Take Me Home". The video was aired in an exclusive show called "Cher... and Other Fantasies". She also performed "Take me Home" along with the album tracks "Love & Pain" and "Happy Was The Day We Met" on The Mike Douglas Show.
Cher made her first solo tour, The "Take Me Home Tour". The tour was highly successful and two dates of the show were recorded for broadcast, in Monte Carlo and at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
a disco medley starting with "I Love Music" (originally by the O'Jays) and continuing with condensed covers of "Turn the Music Up!", "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)", "Lovely One" (originally by the Jacksons), "Celebration" (the Kool and the Gang hit), "Can You Handle It?" (the Sharon Redd tune), "It's A Love Thing", "Stomp!", "Don't Stop 'Til Ya Get Enough", "Let's All Chant", "Casanova" (the Coffee hit), "Is It Love That You're After" (originally by Rose Royce), "Boogie Wonderland", "A Lover's Holiday" (the Change hit), "I Shoulda Loved Ya" (the hit by Narada Walden Michael), "Make That Move" (the Shalamar hit), "Instant Replay", "Hot Stuff", "Cuba", and concluding with "I Haven't Stopped Dancing Yet" (originally by Gonzalez); reached #25 Pop in the U.K. in August 1981
reached #8 Pop in the USA in September 1981, #5 R&B in the USA in 1981, #53 Disco in the USA in late 1981
The Commodores is an American funk/soul band of the 1970s and 1980s. The members of the group met as freshmen at Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University) in 1968, and signed with Motown in November 1972, having first caught the public eye opening for The Jackson 5 while on tour. The Commodores have sold over 75 million records worldwide.
electro-disco cover of the 1979 Three Degrees hit.
Carol Douglas (born April 7, 1948) is an American singer whose hit "Doctor's Orders" (1974) was a pioneer track in the disco genre.
In 1981, Douglas' cover of the Three Degrees' "My Simple Heart" was released on 20th Century Records as by then the Midland International (aka Midsong) was defunct. "My Simple Heart" was also Douglas' debut on Carrere Records based in Paris where Douglas lived for a time: in the early 80s Carrère handled Douglas' European releases while in the US Douglas was signed to O'Loughlin's Next Plateau label.
The Boys Town Gang were a San Francisco based disco and hi-NRG band. Their popularity peaked in the 1980s, when the group reached number 5 on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play chart with the single "Cruisin' the Streets", and number 4 in the UK Singles chart and number 1 in the Netherlands with their cover version of "Can't Take My Eyes Off You"
In 1980 DJ Bill Motley saw an opportunity to form a group that catered to San Francisco's large gay clientele. In his search to form a group he auditioned hundreds of vocalists, both male and female. Local cabaret singer Cynthia Manley captured the lead spot.
The idea was originally for one 12" single with two tracks of high energy music. Motley, a Diana Ross fan, picked two Ashford & Simpson songs to form a medley for the A-side. For the B-side he wrote a disco drama in four acts. A record label was founded to release the two songs.
When "Remember Me" / "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" was released the song took off, with Manley's vocals propelling the song into the top of the club charts. The four-act explicit "Cruisin' The Streets" was a snapshot of Castro and Market Streets at sundown.
Manley departed after the release of these two records and Jackson Moore took over lead vocal responsibilities in 1981.
Band members
On the records "Remember Me" / "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and "Cruisin' The Streets" Cynthia Manley provided lead vocals with Robin Charin, Don Wood, Phill Manganello, Tom Morley and Keith Stewart providing back-up.
From the 1981 album Disc Charge and onwards Jackson Moore was lead singer with Tom Morley and Bruce Carlton as back-up.
British author Tim Lawrence sent DiscoMusic.com a copy of his insightful 498 page book, which delves headfirst into the history of Disco and dance music in the U.S. It is a great read based on over 300 interviews Lawrence conducted with those involved first hand in Disco. Makes a great birthday or Christmas gift.
From the back cover:
Opening with David Mancuso's seminal "Love Saves the Day" Valentine's party, Tim Lawrence tells the definitive story of American dance music culture in the 1970s from its subterranean roots in NoHo and Hell's Kitchen to its gaudy blossoming in midtown Manhattan to its wildfire transmission through America's suburbs and urban hotspots such as Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Newark, and Miami.
Tales of nocturnal journeys, radical music making, and polymorphous sexuality flow through the arteries of Love Saves the Day like hot liquid vinyl. They are interspersed with a detailed examination of the era's most powerful DJs, the venues in which they played, and the records they loved to spin�as well as the labels, musicians, vocalists, producers, remixers, party promoters, journalists, and dance crowds that fuelled dance music's tireless engine.
Love Saves the Day includes material from over three hundred original interviews with the scene's most influential players, including David Mancuso, Nicky Siano, Tom Moulton, Loleatta Holloway, Giorgio Moroder, Francis Grasso, Frankie Knuckles, and Earl Young. It incorporates more than twenty special DJ discographies listing the favorite records of the most important spinners of the disco decade and a more general discography cataloguing some 600 releases. Love Saves the Day also contains a unique collection of more than seventy rare photos.
"At long last, a candid, detailed, and authoritative look back on one of dance music's most seminal moments in time. This book on the genesis of the movement in 1970s New York will delight anyone from the researcher some serious unbiased fact-checking all the way to the casual music lovercurious for juicy anecdotes. It's about time." -- Fran�ois Kevorkian (DJ and founder/president of Waves Music)
Melvin Cheren, record label owner: born Everett, Massachusetts 21 January 1933; died New York 7 December 2007
The entrepreneur Mel Cheren, nicknamed "the Godfather of disco", played a crucial role in the evolution of dance music. In the mid-Seventies, while working at Scepter Records, he introduced the 12-inch single and the instrumental B-side, which enabled DJs to mix and loop tracks and build the excitement on the dancefloor. He was also one of the prime movers behind the Paradise Garage, the New York nightclub famed for employing the DJ Larry Levan.
In 1976, Cheren co-founded the equally influential West End Records. The label sparked off the house music movement in Detroit and also scored several hits in the UK, most notably with "Hot Shot" by Karen Young (1978), "Don't Make Me Wait" by the Peech Boys and "Do It to the Music" by Raw Silk (both 1982), and "Another Man" by Barbara Mason in 1984.
Born in Everett, Massachusetts in 1933, Cheren started as an office clerk at ABC-Paramount Records in New York in 1960, progressed to sales rep and eventually became head of production. In 1970, he joined Scepter and was an early mover in the New York disco scene with acts like B.T. Express.
After Scepter folded in 1976, Cheren and his colleague Ed Kushins launched West End Records with "Sesso Mato", a disco version of the soundtrack from an Italian comedy. The following year, Cheren provided the financial backing for his partner Michael Brody to open the Paradise Garage in Greenwich Village.
Since it was a private rather than a licensed club and didn't sell alcohol, the Paradise Garage could stay open all night and became the streetwise alternative to Studio 54. It also boasted the biggest dance-floor and the best sound system in New York, and hosted appearances by Grace Jones, Madonna, New Order, Phyllis Hyman, Colonel Abrams and Gwen Guthrie. In a notoriously faddish city and industry, the Paradise Garage managed to stay open until 1987.
West End became a very collectable label, in particular tracks like "(Everybody) Get Dancin'" by the Bombers from 1979 and the much-sampled "Heartbeat" by Taana Gardner from 1981. After a lengthy hiatus between 1985 and 1998, Cheren bought Kushins out and West End Records was reactivated. In 2001, the DJs Kenny "Dope" Gonzalez and Little Louie Vega compiled a non-stop mastermix double-CD to celebrate the label's 25th anniversary. "We were on the cutting edge without realising it," Cheren said, looking back. "I've always heard we had a special sound, but 'til today I still don't know what that was . . . If I liked a song, we would put it out."
In 2000, Cheren published an autobiography entitled My Life and the Paradise Garage: keep on dancin', calling it "the story of my gay generation, the world we built, and the world we lost".
Based on Mel Cheren's powerful autobiography, My Life and the Paradise Garage: Keep On Dancin,' The Godfather of Disco (G.O.D.) offers a "mesmerizing overview of the rise and fall of '70s-era dance music," according to Max Sparber of the Pulse of the Twin Cities (4/18/07). Through a series of interviews with a who's who of the dance music community, G.O.D. uses the arc of Mel's life to examine the early 70's musical and cultural currents that gave birth to disco, West End Records' contribution to that scene, the rise of Paradise Garage, and the onslaught of HIV/AIDS and it's impact on New York City. We look at Mel's activist years as he harnesses the power of music to fight AIDS via his charity work for GMHC and 24hrs for Life/LifeBEAT. Through it all, Mel has been there, done that, lived to tell the tale.
T-Connection was a funk and disco group from Nassau, the Bahamas, who scored two major hits on the Billboard Hot 100 between 1977 and 1979. They performed much better on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart, where they had five Top 10 hits, including "Do What You Wanna Do", which hit #1, and "Everything Is Cool", which peaked at #15 on the R&B chart. Group members included the brothers Theophilus "T" and Kirkwood Coakley, plus David Mackey and Anthony Flowers.
Discography
* Magic (Dash/TK) 1977
o "Do What Ya Wanna Do"
o "Disco Magic"
o "Go Back Home"
o "Got to See My Lady"
o "Crazy Mixed up World"
o "Mothers Love"
o "Monday Morning"
o "Peace Line"
* On Fire (Dash/TK) 1978
o "On Fire"
o "Prisoner of My Mind"
o "Lady of the Night"
o "Watching You"
o "Let Yourself Go"
o "Groove to Get Down"
o "Cush"
o "Playin' Games"
* T-Connection (Dash/TK) 1979
o "Funkannection"
o "Coming Back for More"
o "Funky Lady"
o "Don't Stop the Music"
o "Saturday Night"
o "At Midnight"
o "Midnight Train"
o "Love Supreme"
* Totally Connected (Dash/TK) 1980
o "Totally Connected"
o "Ecstasy"
o "Let's Do It Today"
o "I Like Funkin' with You"
o "Choosing"
o "That's Love"
o "Danger Zone"
o "Born to Boogie"
* Everything Is Cool (Capitol) 1981
o "Groove City"
o "Spend the Night with Me"
o "Spinnin'"
o "Paradise"
o "Everything Is Cool"
o "Give Me Your Love"
o "Heaven in Your Eyes"
o "We've Got a Good Thing"
* Pure & Natural (Capitol) 1982
o "Girl Watching"
o "Party Night"
o "A Little More Time"
o "Slippin' Away"
o "Might as Well Dance"
o "Rushing Through the Crowd"
o "The Best of My Love"
o "Goombay Time"
* The Game of Life (Capitol) 1983
o "The Game of Life"
o "Love Odyssey (Love Shines Forever)"
o "Superstar"
o "Is It Real"
o "Closer to Home"
o "Tonight's the Night"
o "I've Got News for You"
o "Time Is Short"
o "Say That You Love Me"
* Take It to the Limit (Capitol) 1984
o "Take It to the Limit"
o "Right Place, Wrong Time"
o "You Can Feel the Groove"
o "In Another Life"
o "Anything Goes"
o "Travellin' Man"
o "Burnin' with Desire"
o "You Found Someone New"
V.I.P. Connection - Please Love Me Again / West Coast Drive
Label:
Sirocco
Format:
Vinyl, 7"
Country:
France
Released:
1975
Genre:
Funk / Soul
Style:
Funk, Disco
Willie McKinley Hutchison, known professionally as Willie Hutch (December 6, 1944 — September 19, 2005 was an American singer, songwriter as well as a record producer and recording artist for the Motown record label during the 1970s and 1980s
Born Willie McKinley Hutchinson in 1944 in Los Angeles, California, Hutch was raised in Dallas, Texas and joined a doo-wop group, The Ambassadors, as a teenager. After graduating from Booker T. Washington High, Hutch shortened his last name as he started his music career in 1964 on the Soul City label with the song, "Love Has Put Me Down."
Moving to Los Angeles, his music eventually caught the eye of the mentor for pop/soul quintet The 5th Dimension, and Hutch was soon writing, producing, and arranging songs for the group. In 1969, he signed with RCA Records and put out two albums before he was spotted by Motown producer Hal Davis, who wanted lyrics to his musical composition "I'll Be There," which was to be for The Jackson 5. The song was recorded by the group the next morning after Hutch received the call. Motown CEO Berry Gordy signed Hutch to be a staff writer, arranger, producer, and musician shortly there afterward.
Hutch's later collaborations would be with the Jackson 5 and their front man Michael Jackson, Smokey Robinson, the newly rechristened Miracles and Marvin Gaye. In 1973, Hutch started recording albums for Motown, releasing the Fully Exposed album that year. That same year, Hutch recorded and produced the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film, The Mack. Hutch would have several R&B hits during this period, including "Brother's Gonna Work It Out" and "Slick" and also recorded the soundtrack for Foxy Brown. Hutch would record at least six albums for Motown, peaking with 1975's "Love Power," which reached number forty-one on the Billboard Hot 100 before leaving the label in 1977 for Norman Whitfield's Whitfield Records.
Hutch returned to Motown in 1982 where he scored the disco hit, "In and Out," that same year and also recorded a song for the film The Last Dragon in 1985. Hutch left Motown again by the end of the decade and by 1994 had moved back to Dallas. Hutch continued to record and perform while living comfortably on royalties from old hits and new samples. His manager, Anthony Voyce, said of Hutch: "I've never met a more generous and caring person." He died in 2005.
He is survived by six children, and was the uncle to Cold 187um of the rap group Above the Law.
Discography Albums
RCA releases
* 1969: Soul Portrait * 1970: Seasons for Love
Motown releases
* 1973: Fully Exposed * 1973: The Mack Soundtrack * 1975: Foxy Brown Soundtrack * 1975: Mark of the Beast * 1975: Ode to My Lady * 1976: Color Her Sunshine * 1976: Concert in Blues * 1977: Havin' a House Party
Whitfield releases
* 1979: In Tune * 1980: Midnight Dancer
Motown releases
* 1983: In & Out * 1985: Making a Game out of Love
Later releases
* 1985: The Last Dragon * 1994: From the Heart (G.G. It) * 1996: The Mack Is Back (Midwest) * 2002: Sexalicious (G.G. It)
Singles
* 1973: "Brother's Gonna Work It Out" (#18 R&B, #67 US) * 1973: "Slick" (#18 R&B, #65 US) * 1973: "Sunshine Lady" (#72 R&B) * 1974: "If You Ain't Got No Money (You Can't Get No Honey) Pt. I" (#70 R&B) * 1974: "Theme Of Foxy Brown" (#64 R&B) * 1975: "Get Ready For The Get Down" (#24 R&B) * 1975: "Love Power" (#8 R&B, #41 US) * 1976: "Let Me Be The One, Baby" (#95 R&B) Black Singles 95 * 1976: "Party Down" (#19 R&B) * 1977: "Shake It, Shake It" (#60 R&B) * 1977: "We Gonna Party Tonight" (#49 R&B) * 1978: "All American Funkathon" (#62 R&B) * 1978: "What You Gonna Do After The Party" (#40 R&B) * 1982: "In And Out" (#55 R&B) (UK #51) * 1985: "Keep on Jammin'" (UK #73)
based on "Flight of the Bumble Bee" by Nikolay Rymsky-Korsakov; reached #44 Pop in the USA
Walter Anthony Murphy, Jr. (born December 19, 1952) is an American instrumentalist, songwriter, and arranger who rose to cult status with the hit instrumental "A Fifth of Beethoven", a disco adaptation of some passages of the first movement of Ludwig van Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, in 1976, when disco was at the height of its popularity.
Born and raised in Manhattan, Murphy attended the Manhattan School of Music and studied jazz and classical music. Upon graduation, Murphy served as an arranger for Doc Severinsen and the Tonight Show Band. In the early 1970s, Murphy wrote jingle music for television advertising and acted as the frontman of WAM, a soul-R&B band who frequently performed in New Rochelle.
During the 1970s, Murphy developed interest in adapting classical music into disco, and mailed a demo tape to various record labels in New York. Although response was unimpressive, a rendition of Beethoven's "Symphony No. 5 In 'C' Minor" generated interest amongst the owner of Private Stock Records, Larry Uttal. Murphy agreed to produce the song under contract and recorded it in 1976, creatively dubbing it "A Fifth of Beethoven". The record was credited towards "Walter Murphy & The Big Apple Band" upon encouragement from the company, who believed it would become a hit if credited towards a group rather than an individual. However, two days following the record's release, Private Stock discovered the existence of another Big Apple Band; the record was later re-released and credited towards "The Walter Murphy Band" before dropping the tradition altogether.
The song was a smash hit, and reached number 80 on the Hot 100 on May 29, 1976, eventually reaching number 1 within nineteen weeks, where it stayed for one week. An album under the same name was released later during the year; the album notably featured a rendition of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's "Flight of the Bumblebee" entitled "Flight '76", which reached number 44 on the Hot 100. He released four albums within the following six years, and in 1982, released his final single, a medley of "Themes From E.T. (The Extra-Terrestrial)" which climbed to number 47 on the Hot 100.
Murphy was born on December 19, 1952, in New York City, New York, and grew up in Manhattan. At the age of four, he attended music lessons hosted by Rosa Rio, where he learned to play a wide array of instruments, including the organ, piano, and keyboard. As a result of his impressive talent, Rio frequently opted for him to star in various television advertisements for the Hammond organ. Against the objections of his father, who was a real estate agent and wished to pass down his business to his son, Murphy enrolled in the Manhattan School of Music in 1970; recalling his experiences with his father, Murphy stated "He wanted me to be a doctor or lawyer—or something you can depend on."
During the year, Murphy married his wife Laurie, who worked in the plastics industry. In 1976, Murphy also served as an arranger for Doc Severinsen and the Tonight Show Band; later during the year, he wrote jingle music for a variety of fashion brands, including Lady Arrow shirts as well as Revlon and Woolworth's. Murphy was the leader of a band called WAM in the early 1970s that played the New York City tri-state area. The band was a poor man's Tower of Power and played R&B and Soul cover music. They frequently played a club in New Rochelle named Pearly's. Musical career
In the early 1970s, Murphy became interested in adapting classical music into disco songs and coming out with hits, after seeing two songs of different genres based on composer Johann Sebastian Bach's music, "Joy" by Apollo 100, and "A Lover's Concerto" by the Toys, become popular. To try to attain this feat, Murphy made a demo tape with disco adaptations of several classical and neo-classical works in it, and mailed it to every record label in New York City. The response was unimpressive, and only a rendition of Ludwig Beethoven's "Symphony No. 5 In 'C' Minor" generated any interest amongst the various labels. This interest led to the owner of Private Stock Records, Larry Uttal, giving Murphy the chance to record the rendition, which was creatively dubbed "A Fifth of Beethoven". However, despite poor reception, four of Murphy's demo LPs were released to public by Major Records in 1974 under the title Production Music; another album of the same name containing nine songs from Murphy was released by Major in 1975.
Even though Murphy played nearly every instrument on the instrumental, his record company cautioned that the record would stand a better chance if credited to a group rather than an individual. To Walter's annoyance, they came up with the name Walter Murphy and The Big Apple Band, only to discover two days after its release that there was already a Big Apple Band. The name on the label was changed to The Walter Murphy Band and then simply to Walter Murphy. The song when released entered the Hot 100 at number 80 on May 29, 1976, and took 19 weeks to reach number 1, where it stayed for one week. According to Casey Kasem on the August 19, 1977 edition of American Top 40, this tied for the slowest rising number one record in history. Early in 1977, it was licensed to RSO Records for inclusion on the soundtrack to the movie, Saturday Night Fever. The second single from the album, "Flight '76", based on Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's "Flight of the Bumblebee", didn't fare as well however, only reaching 44 on the Hot 100.
His next release was a 12" single, "Rhapsody in Blue", which featured "A Fifth of Beethoven" on the B-side that sold somewhat well, possibly due to the B-side. The song narrowly missed the top 100, but received significant play on "easy-listening" stations, according to Billboard. A second 12" single of "Gentle Explosion", failed to make the club or radio charts in 1978. A move to RCA in 1979 produced one more 12" single, "Mostly Mozart", which proved that Murphy had taken this concept as far as it could go. Murphy was also creator of the Uncle Louie album Uncle Louie's Here (Marlin, TK; 1979) which explored a more funk angle. His last chart entry was in 1982 with a medley of "Themes From E.T. (The Extra-Terrestrial)" which climbed to number 47 on the Hot 100.
Since then, Murphy has gone back to jingle writing, and has written music for numerous cartoons and TV shows, including Channel Umptee-3, Family Guy, its recent offshoot album, Family Guy: Live in Vegas, the main title music for The Cleveland Show and the main title music for American Dad!. The song "You've Got A Lot To See", composed for the Family Guy episode "Brian Wallows and Peter's Swallows" won the award for Outstanding Music and Lyrics at the 2002 Emmy Awards. Murphy described the orchestral score for Family Guy as "a combination of [big-band swing and action-orchestral]." Filmography Year Film Role Notes 1976 Don Kirshner's Rock Concert Self TV series (guest star) Episode: "Episode #3.5" Episode: "Episode #4.5" Credited alongside his orchestra as Walter Murphy & The Big Apple Band. The Midnight Special Self TV series (guest star) Credited alongside his orchestra as Walter Murphy & The Big Apple Band. Dinah! Self TV series (guest star) Credited alongside his orchestra as The Walter Murphy Band. 2005 Score! The Music of 'Family Guy' Self Special feature included on the Family Guy volume three DVD. 2009 Family Guy: Creating the Chaos Self Seth & Alex's Almost Live Comedy Show Self Discography
Albums
* Production Music (4 songs) (with Daniel Levine) (1974) * Production Music (10 songs) (with Jane Mullaney) (1975) * A Fifth of Beethoven (1976) * Rhapsody In Blue (1977) * Phantom of the Opera (1978) * Walter Murphy's Discosymphony (1979) * Uncle Louie's Here (as Uncle Louie) (1979) * Themes From E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial AND MORE (1982) * Family Guy: Live in Vegas (2005)
Singles
* "Disco Bells" (1975) * "A Fifth of Beethoven" (1976) * "Flight '76" (1976) * "Rhapsody In Blue" (1977) * "Could It Be the Music" (1977) * "Toccata and Funk in D Minor" (1978) * "Dance Your Face Off" (1978) * "A Night at the Opera" (1978) * "Gentle Explosion" (1978) * "The Music Will Not End" * "Bolero" (1979) * "Full-Tilt Boogie" (as Uncle Louie) (1979) * "I Like Funky Music" (as Uncle Louie) (1979) * "Mostly Mozart" (1979) * "Themes From E.T." (1982)
Vicki Sue Robinson (May 31, 1954 – April 27, 2000) was an American theatre and film actress and singer, closely associated with the disco era of late 1970s pop music; she is most famous for her 1976 hit, "Turn the Beat Around
