ONE(non)HIT WONDER: Toga

[remicks]

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This one has found its way to my turntable this week and I can't seem to let go of it :







Just plain ol' fashioned honest to goodness 1975/76 full-bodied styled disco ... hustle music . Pure and beautiful ... yet playful ... especially with the recurring male doing the Penny McLean LADY BUMP styled yell ......aaahhhhh
Tony Valor or Jumbo sounding.
Starts immediate and determined
"gimme some MORE ...
gimme some MORE ..
MORE !... MORE and MORE !
MORE ! ... MORE and MOOOOORE ! "

Then it kicks in to the actual old standard song MORE .... (TI GUARDERO NEL CUORE) ... yes slipping here some into cheeziness ..... but cheeze is not done better than this ..... with a great, very lively double string arrangement ... aggressive drumming ... perky flute ... the lyrical part of MORE is performed by both horn and string sections while a JB vocal grunts : gimme some more come on who-ah followed by the LADY BUMP : aaahhhhhhhhhhh!!

I want to try mixing this into I WOULDN'T GIVE YOU UP by Ecstasy Passion And Pain .... the shouted hollow & echoey chorused vocals are very similar ....

a lot to it .... but in just over three minutes total time .....
... "gimme some more" is exactly right ! ... ends much too soon ...

wait ... not finished though... ....this 45 has a great B side too .......so give it a flip

A LOVE SONG ...
Van McCoy meets Barry White with lots of flute and wah wah guitar. I'm reminded of HELLO STRANGER with its soft whispery feel

female/male chorus:

it's a looove song
it's a looove song
just a love song
lovers' song for you

gentle disco ...

*****

.......................anyone know this 45 or anything about TOGA ?????.... German ??

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[Dayna]

The only thing I know about More by Toga is that it's on this sellers list of FABULOUS 45's
I was reading the list trying not to faint~!!
FUNK SOUL DISCO 45 RECORD LIST

Your description of the song makes me want to hear it..Sounds like my kind of groove...

[Mixmachine]

Originally Posted by remicks

*****

This one has found its way to my turntable this week and I can't seem to let go of it :








a lot to it .... but in just over three minutes total time .....
... "gimme some more" is exactly right ! ... ends much too soon ...

wait ... not finished though... ....this 45 has a great B side too .......so
*****

.......................anyone know this 45 or anything about TOGA ?????.... German ??

*****

"More" By Toga was released on an extended Promo only 10", which I don't own so I don't recall exactly what was added or extended when comparing against the 7" retail 3:16 version.

Toga's version was a hit record in Miami's clubs at the time, I remember it was played at club Widow McCoy's
one of the early Disco clubs in the Miami scene.

This is where I first saw the 10" spinning on the Djs TT, but this extended version was impossible to get except for the lucky employed Djs of the day that were able to get a copy directly from the Label, or through some inside contacts, as I don't think there was any DJ Record Pool in Miami at this time yet.

The song "More" must be one of the most Disco-fied songs ever during the Disco years, besides this Toga version and the best known cover version by Carol Williams with Salsoul, I've found lately versions by

Alexander's Discotime Band, (Ariola 1976) this cover is not bad, faithfully sticking close to the original, very Disco Lounge, with the constant Hi Hat Disco pattern and all, jazzy synths and electric guitar doing the melody, string section, Horns , Sax, girly vocals towards the end peak as it fades.

Shaw (London Records 1976 UK import) this version intro features whispering girls singing "More", lots of congas, and heavy bass line, then the string section kicks in with the melody ,then jazzy synths with girly chorus "ToooTooo toooo" going along with the melody, not bad either, but not club material at the time.

Ac soulful synphony (Right on Records,Canada 1976) This is the cheeziest of them all, with girly chorus singing the complete vocal version, the strings solo are shooting for 'classical' arrangement over a slow disco tempo, it features a lame break with some conga and short Montana type vibes.

Pearly Queen (Lita Records, Miami, Fl year ? [70's]) Pearly Queen was a local Lounge band, their cover of "More" to me sounds great today more so than back in the day, probably 'cause this sound was so typical of Miami in those days and is long gone by now.

As expected this version is on the Latin side, with heavy conga percussion throughout the song, nice bass, and 70's styled synth/organ?? performing the melody, nice breakdown with lots of Congas and cowbells, the end is very nice as only the synth solo continues the melody slowing the tempo and softly fading away....

I’m sure there are many other Disco covers I can't remember……
.

[remicks]

Originally Posted by Mixmachine

I’m sure there are many other Disco covers I can't remember……
.

Thanks for the great info MM ....
..... any more disco MORE's, anyone ?????




By the way TOGA's MORE did chart !!!

for One week!!!!

THE DISCO COMPILATION CONSENSUS TOP 50 +3

Chart #81 (volume 2: #19 ): May 8, 1976

43) * MORE - Toga / (R) MORE – Carol Williams
(Private Stock 10" promo/ Salsoul 12" promo) (4 points each / F)
1 week/ 9 weeks on the chart/ DEBUT/ RETURN (last charted 4/24/76 @ #48.)

Thanks only to of all things ....the special guest city that reported that week :
Houston Texas !!!


******
.....a big record in Texas ...who knew ....