Barry Lederer's Favorite Disco Song

[remicks]

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From his profile here:

Favorite Disco Song: Tell Me What You Want

Can't place it ....
Who is it by ???


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[markydefad]

It's on one of the Super Rare Disco discs:


4) TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT - Jimmy Ruffin
(Chess 7") (34 points/ 4 charts = ABCD)
7 weeks on the chart/ Last week: #2 (-2)

Amazon-U.S. | Amazon-U.K.

[remicks]

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Thanks!
You're five seconds ahead of me !!! Figured it was one of the early ones :


41) TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT - Jimmy Ruffin
(Chess/ 1974) P/W: Jimmy Ruffin
Timing: 3:12; BPM: approx. 102 bpm
Pop: n/c; R&B: #42; Disc-o-la Fortune 500: #307 out of 500
45: A) Tell Me What You Want; B) Don't You Know Me
CD Availability: "Super Rare Disco, Vol. I"
A= 73; B= 53; C= 68; D= 51; Total points = 245
14 weeks on the chart (*incomplete total) (*10/26/74 - 2/1/75)/ 6 weeks in the Top 10/ Peak: #2 for 2 weeks

Coffee finally activated the brain.


So fascinating what songs wind up being a person's favorite.
You just know there has to be a special story attached to that one for Barry.....



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[ashley]

Jimmy Ruffin "Tell me what you want" was an early disco hit from 1974 .. the extended Tom Moulton remix can be found on the "Disco Gold" CD compilation (Hip-O Records, USA):
Various - Disco Gold

.. and also on the Norman Jay CD compilation "Good Times #6"
Norman JAY/VARIOUS - Good Times 6
.. it's a classic .. I couldn't be without it ..

.. and it's a philly production recorded at Sigma ..

.. Disco_Funk & myself have been chattering about this record on here for months:
http://www.discomusic.com/forums/dis...s-finding.html
http://www.discomusic.com/forums/dis...remixes-2.html
.. one interesting fact is that when the single first got issued by Chess in the USA the record was completely overlooked by US radio stations & dance clubs .. however UK disco audiences loved it, creating a big demand for the record in Britain .. so Polydor in the UK licensed the track from Chess & released the single in the UK, where it quickly became a British pop hit .. which in turn brought the record to the attention of New York club djs, alerted by the buzz coming from London .. US club jocks found themselves having to scramble for British pressings on import from the UK ..

[remicks]

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Funny when i searched for TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT on youtube last night ...nothing .. .but searching under Jimmy Ruffin here it is :





discussed elsewhere:

Disco Funk:
I didn't want to start a new thread for this new philly discovery. Jimmy Ruffin - Tell Me What You Want. Originally released back in '74 on Chess, and produced by Richie Rome. It was already released in its short form on one of the volumes of Super Rare Disco (about 3 min)Now, I've discovered a CD compilation called 'Disco Gold' from Hip-O (Universal?), which features a previously unreleased Tom Moulton extended mix of 7 1/2 minutes! Just an fyi if you are a Philly soul completist such as myself:

Originally Posted by remicks
Ohhh .... would love to have that TM seven minute version

I haven't taken my Nyquil yet this evening ....so I presume what I'm about to say is apparent to all ..... .....
This song is a nice homage to Al Green ....

Disco FUNK :
I didn't quite catch that when I heard it, but now that you mention it, his vocals do sound like Al's. Funny about this track: I've had the Super Disco CD for almost a decade now. I've been a Philly disco fan for even longer. Yet, I didn't even realize that Jimmy Ruffin track was a Philly disco cut until I listened to it again yesterday. I don't how that one got past me! The way Earl Young plays the drums reminds me of The Ebony's Hook Up To Get Down, and a whole host of other mid-tempo dance groovers.

Jimmy Ruffin actually did a number of Philly-produced singles in the mid 70s. Another good one of his was Falling In Love... (I can't remember the full titled), which was included on the Spirit Of Philadelphia Vol.2 compilation. It was also produced by Richie Rome.

remicks:
So there was no album done at the time ??
Looking at Marky's additional info TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT did not break the Hot 100 nor even the Soul Top 40 .....I'm guessing there wasn't the feel for the need for yet another "Al Green" tune on the radio programmers' tight playlists .

That makes this one of those secret pleasure songs known only to the disco going crowd ......

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[remicks]

Originally Posted by ashley

Jimmy Ruffin "Tell me what you want" was an early disco hit from 1974 .. the extended Tom Moulton remix can be found on the "Disco Gold" CD compilation (Hip-O Records, USA):
Various - Disco Gold

.. and also on the Norman Jay CD compilation "Good Times #6"
Norman JAY/VARIOUS - Good Times 6
.. it's a classic .. I couldn't be without it ..

.. and it's a philly production recorded at Sigma ..

.. Disco_Funk & myself have been chattering about this record on here for months:
http://www.discomusic.com/forums/dis...s-finding.html
http://www.discomusic.com/forums/dis...remixes-2.html
.. one interesting fact is that when the single first got issued by Chess in the USA the record was completely overlooked by US radio stations & dance clubs .. however UK disco audiences loved it, creating a big demand for the record in Britain .. so Polydor in the UK licensed the track from Chess & released the single in the UK, where it quickly became a British pop hit .. which in turn brought the record to the attention of New York club djs, alerted by the buzz coming from London .. US club jocks found themselves having to scramble for British pressings on import from the UK ..

Wonderful history of a club song that wasn't so as the result of label promotion ... but simply by DJ tenacity .... I think Disco Funk's mention that it was produced by Richie Rome adds something to its' story too.

Wouldn't it be something if it were Barry Lederer who first caught wind of this song that was making it big in the UK and it was he who first really worked it here in the US .... thus making that part of the reason he has such affection for it ...

....just imagining ... ....






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[ashley]

.. interesting that the late Barry Lederer was a very close personal friend of Tom Moulton, who recently remixed "Tell me what you want" ..

.. under the circumstances, could Tom have remixed the tune with Barry in mind?

.. if so, what a lovely tribute to an old friend ..

[FrontPage22]

Thanks for introducing me to this cut...the female responses are sweet as is the sort of stepping bump tempo the cut has. Love the the key change as the vocal cuts in...starts out like the song is going to be a sweet number, but then there's a little sexy menace to the vocal portion.

[Disco Funk]

In case people don't check out the first link where I talk (to myself) about discovering the Jimmy Ruffin UK-only releases, Tell Me What You Want was put on two of those LPs. And the version on the first LP is a different mix from the 45 with drums off on one track, strings mixed out, and concert hall echo on the vocals (maybe not that drastic). The '73 LP was a mix of Jimmy Roach and Richie Rome produced songs. The Philly Richie Rome tracks are interesting because they feature most of the regular philly guys (Bobby Eli is most obvious), but the drummer isn't Earl Young. It's some guy (something) DiStefano, who I've never seen credited on a philly production before. He's a little more funk-based than Earl. Earl only plays on Tell Me What You Want, so I'm guessing the LP was a mish-mash of songs that were in the can.

The '75 LP featured an instrumental mix of Tell Me What You Want (no female background vocals, like the instrumental sections of the Tom Moulton remix), and is titled 'Jimmy's Theme'.

Disco Funk

[FrontPage22]

Love those Philly "Themes"...I am listening to "Viven's Theme" right now. Satin disco soul

As for the Jimmy cut, I have a 3:13 version-is this the 45" mix? Colour me ignorant...

AD:Wait, mine is the same as the version on the YouTube clip so must be the 45" mix. Damn. I am going to have to hunt this down...

[disco-disc]

Originally Posted by Disco Funk

In case people don't check out the first link where I talk (to myself) about discovering the Jimmy Ruffin UK-only releases, Tell Me What You Want was put on two of those LPs. And the version on the first LP is a different mix from the 45 with drums off on one track, strings mixed out, and concert hall echo on the vocals (maybe not that drastic). The '73 LP was a mix of Jimmy Roach and Richie Rome produced songs. The Philly Richie Rome tracks are interesting because they feature most of the regular philly guys (Bobby Eli is most obvious), but the drummer isn't Earl Young. It's some guy (something) DiStefano, who I've never seen credited on a philly production before. He's a little more funk-based than Earl. Earl only plays on Tell Me What You Want, so I'm guessing the LP was a mish-mash of songs that were in the can.

The '75 LP featured an instrumental mix of Tell Me What You Want (no female background vocals, like the instrumental sections of the Tom Moulton remix), and is titled 'Jimmy's Theme'.

Disco Funk

Well,Disco Funk, the plot thickens...
I just bought the JIMMY RUFFIN LP from 1973, the English copy, and the drummer is listed as Earl Young...? NO mention of DiStefano on my sleeve ?
The sleeve also lists Bunny Sigler, Dennis Coffey, Vince Montana, etc... -and was recorded at Sigma, and Pampa sound studios.
ANY further info appreciated as a quick look on web gives NO indications of LP...2383 240 SUPER on Polydor.
I got this froma little old shop in UK..Unplayed!!!!!