Andy Williams

This is such an epic number. That last note when he sings "she'll be there...." just goes on forever. Wonderful strings really sweep this track to a thundering climax along with the pounding timpany drums. Just because it's Andy Williams you might think it all a bit tacky but this is actually one of discos highlights. A gem.

I'm not as enthusiastic as Sparky, but he's right about the tympani; DJ David LaSalle spun it at the A-House on "Oldies' Night" recently, and I found myself pussyfooting nicely into the breakdowns; technically, this record a better production (albeit with NONE of the gay "je ne sais quoi") of Bob Esty's "Take Me Home" for Cher.

Personally, some of my built-up resistance to this record is political; Columbia gave Andy Williams the same red-carpet treament for his disco debut as they would for Johnny Mathis the next year. Although both singers are recalled in the same light these days, of course there was no comparison; and it showed, too, in their disco efforts: Jon-Mat's "Begin the Beguine," with its superb orchestration and microphone-blowout wailing of one of Cole Porter's most elusive songs, is a masterwork, with the pleasant bonus of "Gone, Gone, Gone" on the flip.

I must give "Love Story" props for creating an enjoyable time and space on the dance floor, but "Begin the Beguine"/"Gone, Gone, Gone" ranks high in my top 100.