Tom Moulton did the hype , but still ....

[remicks]

*****


some disco, despite Tom's gentle nudging ... deservedly or not , slipped through the cracks of the dance floor ... ..

Let's look at one : :icon_cool:.

1976 DISCO TITLES
that TOM MOULTON mentioned in his "DISCO MIX" column
that NEVER CHARTED on any BILLBOARD CHART in 1976

http://www.discomusic.com/forums/dis...tml#post154807

APRIL 1976:

4/03/76:
FUNKY BABY FEET - Strutt (Brunswick) ("Time Moves On" LP/ Producer: Benny Clark)
STRAIGHT UP - Exit 19 (Brunswick LP)
NUMERO 6 - Bobby Rodriguez (Vaya/Fania)
LOVE HAS GONE AWAY - Marlena Shaw (Blue Note 12" promo/Producer: Bert DeCoteaux & Tony Silvester)
CARETAKER/ TELL IT ALL/ IT CAME TO ME/ SELL THE HOUSE - Ashford & Simpson (WB LP: "Come As You Are")
HEART BE STILL/ HOW CAN I BE A MAN - Lee Garrett (Chrysalis LP/12" promo on 2nd title/ Producer: Eric Malamud/Tom Sellers
ARE YOU READY FOR ME? - First Choice (WB) ("So Let Us Entertain You" LP/Producer: Stan Watson)
SWEET GEORGIA BROWN - Moonlion (P.I.P. 12")

THE WAY YOU LOOK TONIGHT - The Lettermen (Capitol)

MUSIC TO MY HEART - Julie Budd (Tomcat 7"; later released on T.K. Disco 12"/Producer: Herb Bernstein)
WHERE IS THE LOVE/ LOVE WILL FIND A WAY - Margaret Singana (Casablanca LP "Where Is The Love"/ Producer: Trevor Rabin/Allan Goldberg)
THE MEDLEY - Chocolate Boys (Disques Fleur) ( from their 2nd LP---not sure which titles are in this medley--Discogs doesn't list this LP)

About The Lettermen (from WIKI!)

The Lettermen are an American pop music vocal group. The Lettermen's trademark is close-harmony pop songs with light arrangements. They were popular mainly with adult audiences during the 1960s.

The Lettermen were unknown until they signed with Capitol Records in 1961. Their first single for Capitol, "The Way You Look Tonight," succeeded on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart, and their next, "When I Fall in Love," reached the Top 10 in late 1962. They had several other Top 10 hits, such as the 1965's, "Theme From A Summer Place". In late 1967 Bob Engemann resigned, and was replaced by Jim Pike's younger brother, Gary Pike. The hits continued with the 1968 medley "Goin' Out of My Head"/"Can't Take My Eyes Off You", and in 1968 with "Put Your Head on My Shoulder", plus 1969's "Hurt So Bad", which reached number 12. The last successful single was in 1972, "Love" a solo by Pike.

The Lettermen have had 32 consecutive Billboard Magazine chart albums, 11 gold records, five Grammy nominations, an Andy Award, and a Cleo Award.

Their biggest hits were :

THE WAY YOU LOOK TONIGHT --- #13 September 1961
WHEN I FALL IN LOVE --- #7 December 1961
THEME FROM A SUMMER PLACE --- #17 July 1965
GOIN' OUT OF MY HEAD / CAN'T TAKE MY EYES OFF OF YOU --- #7 January 1968
HURT SO BAD --- #12 August 1969

Their first hit
reached # 13 on Billboard's HOT 100 in 1961 :


:icon_cool: original

Redone disco style and therefore mentioned by Tom Moulton in 1976 :

:icon_cool: disco






******

[markydefad]

oooooh remmy, that really SUCKS, doesn't it???? :icon_exclaim:

Moulton mentioned the remake was timed around a measly 2:20 something---this might have done better in 1975 when this remake crap was in vogue--but it still sucks!

[remicks]

****

You don't even like the Donna Summery Andrea Trueish Marliyn Chambersed female breathiness inserted at the end ????

Sort of LOVE AMERICAN STYLE in its feel good energy to me

We'll part company on this one Marky .... 'cause :icon_eek: I like it !! :icon_eek::icon_eek: (although maybe I'd have never danced to it )

nonetheless
I'll always have YOU to thank for bringing this version forward to be dearish to my heart so I thank you !! :icon_mrgreen::icon_cool:

*****

[markydefad]

I listened at work---it sounded lame to me. Let me listen here at home where I can crank it up, crank it up.

[markydefad]

No, it still sucks. If you were a DJ in 1976 with all the great records in release---would you waste 2:30 of peak time to play this???? Only to clear the dance floor at closing time, me thinks!!!

Last call. Time to play the Lettermen do disco. That'll send them heading for the doors. :icon_razz::icon_lol::icon_exclaim:

[remicks]

*****


You've still got it .....
the abiltiy to apply the same discerning ears that were necessary BITD to sort thru all the rubbish to find the gems.

I don't think I do . NOW in 2009 I'm so excited to discover all these unknown efforts that totally slipped by me back then ......I'm so appreciative and curious of those efforts that I listen to them differently than I would've then . Back then they'd get a thirty second spin & unceremoniously be deemed suitable or not and then its on to the "next!" one ....
But now just listening to them on their own merits out of context to their times & not competitively ... and not wondering if its sounding dated or with the thought of "will this one please them on the dance floor ?" .... without all that , songs like this, I like !! :icon_mrgreen:

Because if I did apply my '76 ears .... ... you are right ..... from the standpoint of why some of these Tom Moulton mentioned songs were destined to be non-charting stinkers , most of them, including this one, have good reasons .... starting with that ridiculous two and a half minute song length :icon_confused: ....what DJ in 1976 is going to bother with that !!!:icon_razz:

SO

Even though I find myself listening to this quite enjoyably today , well distanced from the original environment in which this song was intended (the discos of '76!!)
I have to admit your notion of using this as a send 'em fleeing , the party's over song...
well, is quite ....


......funny !!! :icon_lol:


*****

[markydefad]

I'm glad you're amused!

I understand your take-- but to me it sounds like a classic ballad [Fred Astaire sang this in a thirties musical] contrived/forced into an uncomfortable disco arrangement--- by an over-the-hill act desperately seeking a hit by updating their old material. That road was trod by many other acts--Bobby Hebb, Percy Faith, Frankie Avalon, Bobby Rydell, Frank Sinatra, Ethel Merman (!!!)--with varying degrees of success. Most not so good--but then it does depend on your fondness for kitsch.

But I do appreciate your enthusiasm for this genre.

[remicks]

*****

Did any artist(s) have an unmitigated "big hit" as a result of redoing one of their earlier songs disco??? :icon_confused:

Still unanswered ....who was the arranging/producing force behind this Lettermen disco redo ??? Maybe (?) somebody we all know and love !! (?)

And yes ....(how is it you know such things) ....true enough .... Fred Astaire originally sang this song back in 1936 to Ginger Rogers :



well , you often supply the rest of the story to these historically significant songs Marky ....but since you are being so dismissive concerning this one ....... I'll not take the chance ...


( from WIKI )

The Way You Look Tonight" is a song featured in the film Swing Time, which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1936.
It was written by Jerome Kern with lyrics by Dorothy Fields. Fields later remarked, "The first time Jerry played that melody for me I went out and started to cry. The release absolutely killed me. I couldn't stop, it was so beautiful." [1]

:icon_cool: :icon_cool: :icon_cool:

The song was sung by John "Lucky" Garnett (played by Fred Astaire) while sitting at the piano. Penelope "Penny" Carroll (played by Ginger Rogers) was busy washing her hair in an adjacent room, and feeling anything but beautiful at the time.
This song was also popularly performed by Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Ella Fitzgerald, Michael Bublé, Joey McIntyre, Rod Stewart, Andy Williams, Ray Quinn, Steve Tyrell , Phil Collins , and as a duet between Bing Crosby and his wife Dixie Lee. Jazz pianist Art Tatum has an instrumental recording in the collection The Complete Pablo Solo Masterpieces. The song was also performed by The Lettermen and became a hit for them in 1961 (Billboard #13 pop, #3 easy listening). Billie Holiday also recorded this song, in 1936 (it can be found on The Quintessential Billie Holiday, Vol.2). It has also been covered by Chad & Jeremy, and by Bryan Ferry.

:icon_cool: :icon_cool:


*****

[JussiK]

Hey, this Lettermen disco track is great, presented widescreen & in blazing technicolour! Call it kitsch if you want I call it very good classic Americana. Just picture yourself transported to it's universe, in a canary yellow Mustang convertible, wearing tight slacks and a turtleneck sweater, looking like Herb Alpert. I'll have to seek a copy out and spin it at the next big budget disco extravaganza.

[markydefad]

I had a feeling you might like this Jussi!

[the disco kid]

I like it as well, those vocal harmonies are fantastic!
sweeping and grandiose, I agree that BITD I wouldn't have touched this with a ten foot pole, now I kinda ache for this stuff.

[SandraDee]

I actually quite like some of the 'camp revamps' that were around in the disco era (I absolutely luv 'How High The Moon' by Gloria G.) but there are some that just didn't work given a disco style. One that instantly springs to mind is 'Tomorrow' by Grace Jones from the Portfolio medley. It just sucks (unlike her fab versions of Autumn Leaves & La Vie En Rose), & this Lettermen update falls into the same category for me. They just sound like they're going through the motions.:icon_eek:

[kdavid13]

Random thoughts :

1- I just can't picture any DJ buying 2 copies of the 7" Lettermen disco ditty and trying to come up with a decent (?!?!) extended version.

2- I'm still in shock when I see that Yes member,Trevor Rabin is behind Margaret Singana's Where is the love and the Tee Cee's Disco love bite project.

That's it...

[markydefad]

Ah, now its 3 pro (remicks, jussi, the disco kid)
vs. 3 con (SanDee, kdavid & me)....

Revelation: the more I hear it, the less I hate it---but I still can't imagine people dancing to it!!! Jussi hopefully will prove me wrong.

[70spop]

Meh, put me down in the con column. :icon_confused:

I can't imagine this being played in a disco or people dancing to it. It definitely sounds like it falls in the "disco-ized to try to get airplay and hopefully revive a dead career" category.

Brian

[remicks]

*****





OK OK but check this out :icon_biggrin::icon_razz:

.... I think I've got this figured out .... this song is intentionally delivered as the antithesis of the drawn out LOVE TO LOVE YOU BABY approach to disco.

Tight, uplifting and squeaky clean ... everything you'd expect of The Lettermen ....:icon_cool:

AND so when Donna Chambers arrives for her "vocal" part at 2:00 .....well, the Lettermen ... having an image to uphold ... have no choice but to cut this song off at this point and quickly !!!!

literally interupting the disco charged Andrea Summer in mid ......er, "sentence"


:icon_lol::icon_lol::icon_lol:



*****

[70spop]

:icon_lol::icon_lol::icon_lol: haha!! I think you're right. :icon_eek:

[Disco Funk]

I think that ranks as one of the shortest disco songs ever. And a cold ending to boot!

Too cheesy, even for me. The three part harmony vocals don't really work, but the rhythm section is nice. Was there an instrumental mix put out as a B side for this track?

Disco Funk

[JussiK]

I can't imagine this being played in a disco or people dancing to it. It definitely sounds like it falls in the "disco-ized to try to get airplay and hopefully revive a dead career" category. Brian[/QUOTE]

Must have been filed under "desperate" BITD but that was then, and now after half an hour of robotically twittering cosmic/space/dark Lindström-Morodian-Röyksopp-etc disco, something like this Lettermen track comes across like a breath of fresh air. Trust me, when spinned right a thing like it works on a hip dancefloor.

[andyy]

I sort of find the posts rather amusing all this tongue and cheek and who eek eek but i must admit i find the track rather dull compared to the name of TOM MOULTONS Offerings into the Disco Era how the heck can you compare Toms flipsy flopsy non hit wonders to the giants he did it is like comparing a Mini to a Porche . Ah well we all have our own personal opinons somehow i dont think i can shake my stuff to this even then or now.:icon_smile:

[markydefad]

I sort of find the posts rather amusing all this tongue and cheek and who eek eek but i must admit i find the track rather dull compared to the name of TOM MOULTONS Offerings into the Disco Era how the heck can you compare Toms flipsy flopsy non hit wonders to the giants he did it is like comparing a Mini to a Porche . Ah well we all have our own personal opinons somehow i dont think i can shake my stuff to this even then or now.:icon_smile:

Don't misunderstand andyy....Tom Moulton just mentioned the release of the Lettermen remake of "The Way You Look Tonight" in his Billboard column. He had nothing else to do with the record.