#walter murphy & the big apple band

[edsmusicblog]

walter murphy & the big apple band - a fifth of beethoven

1976

[boricuacherry-blog]

All I think of now when I hear this beat is Robin Thicke.

Walter Murphy & The Big Apple Band - A Fifth Of Beethoven

Disco era classic… revisiting classical music !

Released in 1976.

[poll-position]

Putting these in alphabetical instead of Top 12 order so not to skew the results.

[hit-song-showdown]

Year-End Poll #27: 1976

[Image description: a collage of photos of the 10 musicians and musical groups featured in this poll. In order from left to right, top to bottom: Wings, Elton John & Kiki Dee, Johnnie Taylor, The Four Seasons, Wild Cherry, The Manhattans, The Miracles, Paul Simon, Gary Wright, Walter Murphy & The Big Apple Band. End description]

More information about this blog here

Disco has officially breached containment.

I've talked a bit about the stylistic origins of disco from the Philly soul scene and it's growing popularity in the Black and gay community. However, I haven't talked much about disco's presence in mainstream America. And now, since this is the year that Billboard started publishing their national Dance Club Songs charts (the previous two years gathered their data from dance clubs in major cities), this seems like the perfect chance.

To set the stage (or dance floor) for what will happen eventually, disco was everywhere at this moment in time -- not just in the clubs and also not just on the disco stations. As disco became the hot new thing, it seemed like everyone was scrambling to tear off a piece for themselves.

We're also seeing more disco fusions this year. Silly Love Songs by Wings is notable for its disco influence. However, the true sign of the times for me is Wild Cherry's Play That Funky Music. Twenty years before, there was a song on the Billboard Charts called The Rock and Roll Waltz, in which Kay Starr sings about seeing her parents try to dance the waltz to a rock and roll song. For the 1956 poll, I wrote about how this signifies the cultural shift in the mainstream (I like it when songs on here are about music. Gives me more to talk about). Play That Funky Music is notable for similar reasons, as even though it is a blend of these two styles. However, the lyrics seem to suggest that for a rock band to evolve, they had to incorporate funk and disco into their sound. Needless to say, not everyone was thrilled by that message. Parallel to the rise in disco's commercial popularity, the anti-disco backlash was growing as well -- and it was about to get ugly. But we'll get to that later.

Also, the first wave of punk rock was growing in popularity around this time in New York and London. Sadly, we won't see much of this movement represented in these polls. I still felt the need to mention it here, both for its place in music history, and we will be discussing the various descendants of this movement in due time.

[icarusthelunarguard]

This Week’s Horrible-Scopes

It’s time for this week’s Horrible-Scopes! So for those of you that know your Astrological Signs, cool! If not, just pick one, roll a D12, or just make it up as you go along. It really doesn’t matter. Better yet! Check out “Heart of the Game, Fredonia” - they can sell you those D12’s with the symbols on them! Get in contact with them on Facebook, shipping to the U.S. only, and tell them “Shujin Tribble” sentcha. “Hail, Hail, Fredonia!” Home of the Blue Devil!

Everything OLD is NEW again! Doesn’t mean it’s good or that it’s quality. But this week we’re helping you realize you can be inspired from the past to get things working again. So ditch your worries about coming up with new ideas and creatively acquire some old ones. But try to do it better than some of these selections.

Aries 

Originally composed in 1943 by Aaron Copland, Emerson Lake and Palmer recorded a version of ‘Fanfare for the Common Man’ in 1977 - which was quite the hit! Apparently Copland himself objected to the extended keyboard solo that forms the last half of the album version. Because of that his estate has put a ban on people covering it any more. So This Week… It’s an AMAZING musical experience. Go see a symphony orchestra performing it sometime before the end of the year.

Taurus 

Keeping the spirit of musical reinvigoration alive, let’s get you to a song that was written by Irving Berlin May 1927, but got a new lease on life TWICE. The first was almost 50 years later when performed by Gene Wilder and Peter Boyle in the film ‘Young Frankenstein’ in 1974. And then 1982 Dutch Musician Taco brought it back to the pop circles with his pop-synth edition! So This Week… The original song is almost a century old! Start planning for its birthday now!  

Gemini 

Let’s go Heavy Re-creation Shift this time! Pictures At An Exhibition” was written in 1874 by Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky, and is a longer piece - having 10 movements. But if you want to really bend your understanding of how it could sound, may we suggest finding the electronic music adaptation by Isao Tomita, done in 1975. It has all the hallmarks of sounding like it could be the soundtrack of a 1970’s sci-fi psychedelia movie. So This Week… Put this piece on while you watch the 1976 movie, “Logan’s Run” and tell us it doesn’t just FIT.

Cancer Moon-Child 

We’d be totally wrong for leaving out one of the most iconic of classical pieces and its most famous modern cover. So, of course, it’s time to mention A Fifth of Beethoven as recorded by Walter Murphy and the Big Apple Band in 1976. Naturally you should know that it was adapted from Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 written between 1804 and ‘08. Meaning it took over 160 years for Disco to catch up to Beethoven’s success. So This Week… If you want to be a hit with the masses, consider re-creating something that’s about 150 years old. It just might work.

Leo 

Let’s not stop with just ONE Disco Recreation, because we’ve got another for you. David Shire arranged a new version of another Mussorgsky classic from 1867; 110 years later gave us Night on Disco Mountain in 1977. Yes, these two were specifically for a movie soundtrack, but they got lots of radio play back in the day too. And, best of all, No Royalties to the original composer since, you know… kinda Not Around Anymore. So This Week… You claim to not like Disco, but we’ve seen the sequin-encrusted chunky-heel shoes you’ve got in the back of your closet. Let your freak flag fly this Halloween! The World Deserves To See!

Virgo 

Not so much a music as a film, and not with a happy ending. You remember a writer and illustrator named Theodor Seuss Geisel? Yes, that is Dr. Seuse’s real name! And you know what 50-years-later modern recreation of his works that ended poorly? The Cat in the Hat starring Mike Myers. Reminding you that the live-action version of How The Grinch Stole Christmas was a hit three years before, his estate hated this rendition so much that they’ve stopped authorizing any new reimaging works on his projects. So This Week… Try to stick closer to the script. If it fails you can always blame the writers.

Libra

Let’s get back to music again. For you we’re not only suggesting a song to hear, but reminding you of how to spell it. The song in question is "Sabre Dance", a movement in the final act of Aram Khachaturian's ballet Gayane from 1942. Yes, this is a fairly new addition to the list, but it’s still worthy. Because in 1991, in a concert in Spain, Dave Edmunds played the song on electric guitar and totally killed it! You should look that one up on YouTube sometime! So This Week… Only 50 years later this time? See, Libra! We bring you the Fresh New Stuff when we can! And remember, it’s spelt “S-A-B-R-E”. 

Scorpio 

One of the most popular singer/songwriter in the late-1970’s and 80’s, a one living legend Mister Billy Joel. His chorus from his song “This Night” from 1983 was taken from another Beethoven piece, “Pathétique Sonata” from 1798 - meaning nearly 200 years old! So This Week… Even legends deserve a little help once in a while. There’s only 88 keys on a piano.. You can expect someone to repeat something eventually.

Sagittarius 

This time it’s all 20th Century, both the original and the cover. In 1901, just into the century, Rachmaninov created “Piano Concerto No.2 in C minor”, which was… let’s call it “borrowed” by Eric Carmen in 1975 for his song, “All by Myself”! There was a whole To-Do discussing the influences and the inspirations and the possibility of plagiarism… And there was a settlement in it all, fortunately. So This Week… There’s nothing wrong with letting someone have co-writing credit on your stuff if you used their stuff. Try not to use something that visible next time. Meaning.. Learn to be a better thief!

Capricorn 

We don’t need to tell you what modern songs have been accused, usually correctly, for having been recreations of the original. You’ll get it. Originally from 1690… SIX-TEEN-NINE-TEE! Pachelbel’s “Canon in D” You know the song. You know the rant by Rob Paravonian. So This Week… SCREW YOU, Johann! On behalf of every Cello player… SCREW YOU, MAN!

Aquarius 

Ok, this time we’re actually caught off guard! Remember that Elvis Presley did a lot of cover songs, but how about this one? His 1960 single, “It’s Now or Never” can be traced back to 1898’s “O Sole Mio” by Eduardo di Capua! (*BEAT PAUSE!*) You just mentally sang both songs in your head, didn’t you? Yeah, we had to, too. So This Week… Learn how to sing at least ONE song in a language you don’t normally speak - something OTHER than Latin, at least. And remember: Opera was written because Italian is a THING!

Pisces  

Another song with a modern cover, which itself has a cover twist. Barry Manilow released his song, “Could It Be Magic” in 1975, which was based on Chopin’s 1835 song, “Prelude in C Minor No. 20” And now, as Dalan puts it often, “BUT WAIT! It gets BETTER!” Barry’s version, itself, is a cover of a cover! The song was initially released in 1971 by a group called Featherbed, which was a group of session musicians featuring Barry Manilow, and the song was produced and co-written by Tony Orlando of “--and Dawn” fame! So This Week… Stop staring into Infinity Mirrors. They’re starting to stare back at you.

And THOSE are your Horrible-Scopes for this week! Remember if you liked what you got, we’re obviously not working hard enough at these. BUT! If you want a better or nastier one for your own sign or someone else’s, all you need to do to bribe me is just Let Me Know - or check out the Ko-Fi page ( https://ko-fi.com/icarusthelunarguard )! These will be posted online at the end of each week via Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook, Discord, and BLUESKY.

[maximuswolf]

Walter Murphy & The Big Apple Band - A Fifth of Beethoven [Disco Instrumental]

Walter Murphy & The Big Apple Band - A Fifth of Beethoven [Disco Instrumental] https://youtu.be/m-ZRg31XSo0?si=rL0bo7fYopt2f0s2 Submitted July 30, 2024 at 04:53PM by do-call-me-papi https://ift.tt/b9LQ7oG via /r/Music

[mondoradiowmse]

11/22/23 Mondo Radio Playlist

Here's the playlist for this week's edition of Mondo Radio, which you can download or stream here. This episode: "Glowing in the Dark", featuring classic disco and more. If you dig it, don't forget to also follow the show on Facebook and Twitter!

Artist - Song - Album

GQ - Disco Nights (Rock Freak) - Disco Nights

GQ - This Happy Feeling - Disco Nights

Dan Hartman - Love Is A Natural - Instant Replay

Thelma Houston - Don't Leave Me This Way - The Disco Years, Vol. 1: Turn The Beat Around (1974-1978)

Vicki Sue Robinson - Turn The Beat Around - The Disco Years, Vol. 1: Turn The Beat Around (1974-1978)

Loleatta Holloway - Dance What 'Cha Wanna - Love Sensation

Chic - Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah) - Chic

Sister Sledge - Lost In Music - We Are Family

Phones - Everybodys Got A Gun - Stick Man

Amanda Lear - Fashion Pack - Never Trust A Pretty Face

Amanda Lear - Black Holes - Never Trust A Pretty Face

ABBA - The Visitors (Crackin' Up) - The Definitive Collection

ABBA - Voulez-Vous - The Definitive Collection

Donna Summer - Journey To The Centre Of Your Heart - Bad Girls

Donna Summer - Our Love - Bad Girls

Sylvester - You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) - Mighty Real: Greatest Dance Hits

Hot Chocolate - Every 1's A Winner - Every 1's A Winner: The Very Best Of Hot Chocolate

Double Exposure - My Love Is Free - Ten Percent

Diana Ross - The Boss - The Boss

MFSB - Love Is The Message - Love Is The Message: The Best Of MFSB

Musique - Summer Love - Keep On Jumpin'

Musique - Keep On Jumpin' (Remix) - Keep On Jumpin'

Walter Murphy & The Big Apple Band - A Fifth Of Beethoven - Seventies Disco Ball

Atmosfear - Dancing In Outer Space - Dancing In Outer Space (Single)

[jeanettestellamarina]

Walter Murphy & The Big Apple Band - A Fifth Of Beethoven (1976 HD 720p)

[ljaesch]

AeschDance: August 11, 2006

AeschDance: August 11, 2006

This is the playlist for the August 11, 2006 broadcast of AeschDance: Jon of the Pleased Wimmin – “Passion” Lucrezia – “Live To Tell [Original Radio]” Selena – “Captive Heart” Walter Murphy & The Big Apple Band – “A Fifth of Beethoven” Indigo Girls – “Shed Your Skin [Stephen Nikolas Club Mix]” Madonna – “Love Makes the World Go Round” Jocelyn Enriquez – “Do You Miss Me [Energybox Mix]” Jon…

[contac]

[danbenzvi]

Just listened to: “House Of Gucci (Music From The Motion Picture)”

Track listing:

George Michael - “Faith”

Pino Donaggio - “La Ragazza Col Maglione (2004 Remastered Edition)”

Donna Summer - “On The Radio”

Miguel Bose - “Anna (Ana)”

Donna Summer - “Love To Love You Baby (Single Edit)”

Caterina Caselli - “Sono Bugiarda (I’m A Believer)”

Luciano Pavarotti, Dame Joan Sutherland, The London Opera Chorus, National Philharmonic Orchestra and Richard Bonynge - “La Traviata/Act I: Libiamo Ne’lieti Calici (Brindisi)”

Alice - “Una Notte Speciale (2005 Remastered Edition)”

Bruno Lauzi - “Ritornerai”

Eurythmics - “Here Comes The Rain Again (Remastered Edition)”

Donna Summer - “I Feel Love”

New Order - “Blue Monday (12″ Edition)”

Eric B & Rakim - “Paid In Full”

Walter Murphy & The Big Apple Band - “A Fifth Of Beethoven”

Blondie - “Heart Of Glass”

David Bowie - “Ashes To Ashes (Single Version) (2014 Remastered Edition)”

Black Machine - “How Gee”

Harry Gregson-Williams - “House Of Gucci Score Suite”

[bestofmidi]

original midi at http://bettyloumusic.com/afifthofbeethoven.mid

[whileiamdying]

SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER The Original Movie Soundtrack

Originally released as a double LP in late 1977, “Saturday Night Fever” has the considerable distinction of being the biggest selling soundtrack album ever (estimated in Joel Whitburn’s “Billboard’” US chart "bible", “Top Pop Albums 1955-1992”, as having sold 25 million copies). Before Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” overtook it in the mid-1980s, it was the biggest selling album of all time. It spearheaded the disco music craze of the second half of the 1970s, and of its 17 tracks, no less than 10 were hit singles in the US and/or the UK, including six US chart-toppers.

The undoubted stars of the “Saturday Night Fever” musical phenomenon were the Bee Gees, although they were not used as actors in the movie, which starred John Travolta as Tony Manero, a 20-year-old with a dead-end job. On Saturday nights, he forgets his weekday boredom to become a hotshot dancer in a New York discotheque, inspired to remarkable athletic heights by the disco music of the time, as exemplified by various contemporary hitmakers, but headed by the Bee Gees, who became the biggest act in the world in 1977/8 largely due to the exposure their hits received in this movie.

Barry Gibb and his twin brothers, Robin and Maurice, were born on the Isle of Man, but spent their formative years in Australia, where they had emigrated with their parents in 1958. They worked as the Bee Gees with some success in Australia, before returning to England in 1967, and only months later, released “New York Mining Disaster 1941”, a single which became their first hit on both sides of the Atlantic. They accumulated several early hits, but in 1969, Robin Gibb left the group to launch a solo career. Even though he rejoined his brothers less than a year later, the group’s releases during the early Seventies became less consistently popular, and by 1973/4, they seemed washed-up, with their glory days apparently behind them.

After a considerable change of musical direction, the Bee Gees achieved their first US Number One in mid-1975 with “Jive Talkin’”, which also gave them their first UK Top 5 hit since the 1960s. Australian-born Robert Stigwood, their manager and mentor, had achieved considerable success as producer of the “Jesus Christ Superstar” movie, and was working on another film, this time on a very different subject, the New York discotheque scene, about which British rock writer Nik Cohn had written “Tribal Rites Of The New Saturday Night”, a story published in a New York magazine. Stigwood commissioned the Bee Gees, who had meanwhile returned to the top of the US singles chart with another self-penned classic, “You Should Be Dancing”, to submit songs for use in the film’s soundtrack. Their comeback hit, “Jive Talkin’” was one of the songs included in the movie, also contributed three more million selling hits to the soundtrack album: “How Deep Is Your Love”, which topped the US singles chart for three weeks over the festive season of 1977/8, “Stayin’ Alive”, which spent the whole of February, 1978, at the top of the US chart, and “Night Fever”, their biggest ever hit, which was US Number One for eight weeks during the spring of that year. Between Christmas, 1977, and mid-May, 1978, a Bee Gees single was at the top of the US chart for 15 weeks out of 20, and when “Night Fever” eventually relinquished the pole position, it was replaced by RSO Records labelmate Yvonne Elliman performing “If I Can’t Have You”, also written by the Gibb brothers and featured in the film.

Unsurprisingly, the hit-packed movie was a huge success, and when the soundtrack album emerged, it was soon at the top of the US chart, where it remained for almost six months (January to July, 1978), and was the biggest-selling LP of that year in both the US and UK. Apart from the chart-toppers written by the Gibb brothers, the album included another US Number One, the original tune of which was written by (of all people), the classical composer Ludwig van Beethoven - pianist Walter Murphy & The Big Apple Band had topped the US singles chart with “A Fifth Of Beethoven” (based on Beethoven’s Symphony No.5) in late 1976, and this track was most successfully revived in the movie.

Six tracks which topped the US singles chart is a pretty good score for any album, but the “Saturday Night Fever” soundtrack also included four other hit singles: another song written by the Gibbs, “More Than A Woman”, is included twice on the “SNF” album, once by the Bee Gees and also by Tavares, whose version was a UK Top 10/US Top 40 hit. Kool & The Gang’s “Open Sesame” was a US chart single, and “Boogie Shoes” by K.C. & The Sunshine Band reached the UK Top 40, while “Disco Inferno” by The Trammps was a US and UK Top 20 hit. A little-known fact - four of the Bee Gees tracks here were recorded in France at the celebrated Chateau d’HerouvilIe, immortalized by Elton John as the “Honky Chateau”.

“Saturday Night Fever” remains one of the biggest selling soundtrack albums in history, and this remastered reissue will surely reinforce that status. In 1978, it won a Grammy Award as Album Of The Year, while “Night Fever” also won a Grammy as Best Group Vocal Performance. As well as digital remastering throughout to enhance the sound, this spectacular and important reissue deserves to be part of any serious record collection.

John Tobler, 1995

(John Tobter has been writing about popular music since the late 1960s.)

[nerianasims]

Billboard #1s 1976

Under the cut.

Bay City Rollers – “Saturday Night” -- January 3, 1976

They prove they can spell Saturday a lot. Anyway, he's going out to dance with his girl on Saturday night. The song is bouncy to a fault -- I feel like the repetitive, samey beat is following one of those balls the mind-controlled kids bounced in A Wrinkle in Time. It sounds like a cheerleading chant. Something to do aerobics to, not to dance to.

C.W. McCall – “Convoy” -- January 10, 1976

So, besides the cb radio fad, 1976 was also the year of the OPEC oil crisis and basically, it seems the reason truckers became folk heroes evading The Man in popular consciousness had its roots in international relations. Anyway, it's a baritone story song, but about truckers instead of cowboys. I like the verse, "Well, we shot the line and we went for broke/ With a thousand screamin' trucks/ An' eleven long-haired Friends o' Jesus/ In a chartreuse micro-bus." It's a silly song with a lot of trucker lingo (or fake trucker lingo, idk), and I don't exactly dislike it, but I'm not gonna listen to it again either.

Barry Manilow – “I Write The Songs” -- January 17, 1976

It's obvious from the first lines "I've been alive forever/ And I wrote the very first songs" that Barry's not singing about himself. It turns out "music" wrote the all the songs. Except that's obnoxious too. People wrote the songs. Also possibly birds, but definitely people. And it's musical goo.

Diana Ross – “Theme From Mahogany (Do You Know Where You’re Going To)” -- January 24, 1976

It's a song about regretting letting an ex go, and probably more. There's a ton of orchestration that sounds like it belongs in a lightweight movie, and Diana Ross doesn't put much emotion into it. It is a thoughtful song, rather than one calling for melodrama, but I would like to hear some emotion here, and I am not getting it. A trifle light as air.

Ohio Players – “Love Rollercoaster” -- January 31, 1976

It's a funk/disco thing. I've listened to it three times trying to get anything from it at all. The lyrics are dumb, asserting love is like this or that amusement park experience. I'd think "love rollercoaster" would be about how there are huge highs and terrifying lows, but it's not. It's horribly repetitive. I guess it's danceable. But I find it dull.

Paul Simon – “50 Ways To Leave Your Lover” -- February 7, 1976

I love how pared down this song is. It's sort of funky, without all the funk orchestration. The simple drums are the main focus. The melody's also simple, without being dull. And the lyrics aren't complex; a woman is encouraging the narrator to leave his official lover for her. "Just get yourself free." But she's doing it so very nicely -- "I wish there were something I could do to make you smile again." Not that the song expects us to believe she or the narrator actually are nice. Or that it's really all that easy to leave your lover. But it doesn't tell you what to think about the situation either. An excellent song.

Rhythm Heritage – “Theme From S.W.A.T.“ -- February 28, 1976

Apparently, there was a TV show about S.W.A.T., and this was its instrumental theme song. Which is exactly what it sounds like. Not a good TV theme either. I looked up 1976 shows, and here are some shows with better TV themes from that year: Charlie's Angels, Alice, M*A*S*H, Happy Days (which surprisingly only hit #5), All in the Family, Barney Miller, Welcome Back Kotter (which hit #1 later), The Jeffersons (that Movin' On Up doesn't seem to have been a hit is shocking), The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Sanford and Son, The Bob Newhart Show... look, all of them. All shows in 1976 that I can find had better theme songs than S.W.A.T., often to a staggering degree. But songs don't reach #1 for being good. Still, usually I can hazard a reason for them. I can't for this one.

The Four Seasons – “December, 1963 (Oh, What A Night)” -- March 13, 1976

It's about the narrator getting laid for the first time. He didn't even know the name of the woman, which completely undercuts anything happy or fun about this song for me, and makes it icky. At least it's not falsetto. I wasn't born when it came out, yet it was overplayed on the oldies stations in the 90s so much that I developed a deep and abiding hatred for it.

Johnnie Taylor – “Disco Lady” -- April 3, 1976

This is a song about disco that isn't a disco song. As such, it confuses me. It's kind of a mild funk/soul song, and it's about how turned on this guy is watching a woman disco. Johnnie Taylor can definitely sing, and I'd like to hear some more traditional soul/jazz stuff from him. This isn't doing it for me.

The Bellamy Brothers – “Let Your Love Flow” -- May 1, 1976

I saw the title and immediately the song shoved itself into my head. It's such a mellow song, but the hook is still monstrous. The song is about how it's the season for love, so grab your lover and "let your love flow." It's one of many 70s songs about sex that sounds like it could be a song about how pretty trees are. It kind of is about how pretty trees are too. I rather like it.

John Sebastian – “Welcome Back” -- May 8, 1976

Welcome Back, Kotter was not on Nick at Nite or WGN or anything else that ran old TV shows when I was watching TV (rather than the internet), so I've never seen it. The theme song lays it all out -- someone moves back to his old neighborhood, where they need him. As TV theme songs go, it's fine. Just fine, though. When "Movin' On Up" and "Love Is All Around" were also theme songs for TV shows in 1976, why this one? The rewards of mediocrity I guess.

The Sylvers – “Boogie Fever” -- May 15, 1976

It's literal. You come in contact with someone who can't stop boogie-ing, and you will catch the Boogie Fever yourself. Listening to the song will certainly make you want to boogie, unless you are immune. A fun dance song, and I wouldn't be surprised if Tik-Tok made it a hit again in the next year.

Wings – “Silly Love Songs” -- May 22, 1976

"Some people want to fill the world with silly love songs / What’s wrong with that?" Nothing.  Paul even emphasizes something important in it: "Love isn't silly at all." Still, I can't say it's one of my favorites. I get tired of it about halfway through, and it's a long song. A silly love song shouldn't be nearly 6 minutes long.

Diana Ross – “Love Hangover” -- May 29, 1976

It starts with Diana Ross making sex sounds that I find embarrassing. Then she goes into singing about how she doesn't want to get over "the sweetest love hangover", and a minute and a half in it becomes a disco song. I find the entire thing irritating.

Starland Vocal Band – “Afternoon Delight” -- July 10, 1976

"Afternoon delight" is sex, but these doofuses may as well be singing about tea and scones for all the excitement this song has. It still doesn't deserve the hatred it's gotten. But it's not good either. The number of sexless sex songs in the 70s is just... ugh.

The Manhattans – “Kiss And Say Goodbye” -- July 24, 1976

He has to break up with the person he's been cheating with. It's an achingly sad Philly soul song. It also manages to be way sexier than the vast majority of 70s sex songs. Real emotion (or the ability to fake real emotion) does a lot, as does being able to sing like this. And beautiful backing music. It's so sad, and so good.

Elton John & Kiki Dee – “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” -- August 7, 1976

This song isn't mutual. Elton John's the one who sings "don't go breaking my heart," and Kiki Dee's the one singing "I won't go breaking your heart." It is all and entirely and completely about the male character's feelings. Of course it's an Elton John song so I wouldn't like it anyway, but I really don't like this one, especially because it still gets airplay.

Bee Gees – “You Should Be Dancing” -- September 4, 1976

I hate the Bee Gees. Not on a personal level -- as far as I know they're perfectly decent people -- but their music. And I have a particular hatred for Barry Gibb's voice. His horrible falsetto has caused me immense pain in my life. If I should be dancing, then they need to shut up and sit down and let a band that I can dance to take the stage. As it is, I feel like a dog during the 4th of July; I just want to hide under a bed.

KC & The Sunshine Band – “(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty” -- September 11, 1976

Here's a command to dance that I can get behind. Or that my behind can get behind. Again, a great song for dancing but not for listening to from KC & The Sunshine Band.

Wild Cherry – “Play That Funky Music” -- September 18, 1976

Good for both dancing and listening. How you can listen and not get into that funk groove even when sitting, though, I don't know. Play that funky music till you die.

Walter Murphy & The Big Apple Band – “A Fifth Of Beethoven” -- October 9, 1976

This was the #1 hit the week I was born. It's a good one for me; it's by a guy who loved classical music enough to write contemporary music based on it. Whenever I'm faced with questions about what kind of music is my favorite, my answer is "the good kind." Anyway, this is a fun song.

Rick Dees And His Cast Of Idiots – “Disco Duck (Part 1)” -- October 16, 1976

Billboard used to base their hit songs on calling record stores and asking what was selling. I think that's how this stupid, stupid song reached number one. I think it was a prank by a bunch of stoned college kids who co-ordinated it over cb radio or something. It's about a duck. Who discos. With an obnoxious voice and obnoxious music. It's by a radio dj, and is as painfully unfunny as radio djs usually are.

Chicago – “If You Leave Me Now” -- October 23, 1976

This song makes me have a weird reaction. It gives me the warm, comfortable fuzzies, and makes me want to sleep. That last part might not be too surprising, as it is a soft song, but to me it is very much more than that. I have always had trouble sleeping at night, since birth. My parents hit on putting me into the car and driving around with soft music playing to get me to go lights out. I need to ask them if they played Chicago during that. I can't think of any other reason for my hindbrain association with this szzzzzzz....

Steve Miller Band – “Rock’n Me” -- November 6, 1976

Good bar rock, since it's the Steve Miller Band. Lyrically, it's also more complex than most of its genre. At first, he sings "I got to please my sweet baby, yeah." Then he starts singing about all the places he's been, including "Northern California where the girls are warm." And then "Babe, you know you are a friend of mine/ And you know that it's true/ That all the things that I do/ Are gonna come back to you in your sweet time." Well then. I can totally see @katatty's Duncan Huckleberry singing this song. And getting away with everything. It's a fun song, though (because?) the narrator is likely a dirtbag.

Rod Stewart – “Tonight’s The Night (Gonna Be Alright)” -- November 13, 1976

It's a sex song, and it is hugely skeevy. "Don't deny your man's desire/ You’d be a fool to stop this tide / Spread your wings and let me come inside." No, asshole, cover it up if you want to come near. And how about if you want her, you care something about her desire? This was a huge hit from a huge star, but I have never heard it until now. Ugh. I need to shower, this is gross. Also I hope whoever he's singing to is packing mace.

BEST OF 1976 -- "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover." I don't even think it's an amazing song, just a very good one, but the 1976 #1s don't leave me much to work with. Fleetwood Mac released some singles, but people wanted "Disco Duck" rather than "Over My Head." Tons of great music has survived from 1976, but most of it is not on this list. WORST OF 1976 -- "Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright)". "Disco Duck" is stupid, but it doesn't make my skin crawl.

[jazzanews]

Walter Murphy & The Big Apple Band - A Fifth Of Beethoven (1976 HD 720p)

[myrecordcollections]

From the Private Stock Record Label Singles Collection

Label founded in 1974 by Larry Uttal after being replaced as president of Bell Records by Clive Davis.

The label was shut down in 1978 when Uttal moved to London, where he died from AIDS in November 1993. His son, Jai Uttal, now owns the rights to the label's catalog but the master tapes have been lost after an unpaid storage bill forced their auction. As a result, CD releases of Private Stock material have been dubbed from vinyl.

The label's acts included Blondie, Samantha Sang, Frankie Valli, Nancy Sinatra, Cissy Houston, The Michael Zager Band, Starsky and Hutch actor David Soul, Austin Roberts, Walter Murphy and the Big Apple Band, Starbuck and French-Canadian disco diva Caroline Bernier.