Let Your Body Go Downtown

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"Let Your Body Go Downtown" is a song co-written by Lynsey de Paul and Mike Moran, [1] [2] [3] and recorded by the Martyn Ford Orchestra as a single on 18 March 1977 on the Mountain record label. A 12-inch single was also released. [4] It was also released in France, Germany, Italy and The Netherlands on Vertigo Records. [5] It was a BBC Radio 1 "Record of the Week" and playlist by a number of UK regional radio stations. [6] As noted by Record World magazine, it took the single three months to enter the UK Singles Chart. [7] However, the song reached No. 38 on that chart, [8] [9] No. 34 on the NME singles chart, [10] No. 37 on the EveryHit Retrocharts [11] and No. 12 on the UK Disco Chart, published by Record Mirror . [12] It was also released as a track on the album Ronnie Jones Presents Let-Your-Body-Go-With-The-Disco released on the Phillips record label in Italy [13] and it received numerous radio plays there as listed in "Radiocorrier". [14] A live performance of the song featuring Ford, his orchestra and backing singers was shown on the 12 May 1977 edition of Top of the Pops . [15]

The song was followed by another de Paul/Moran penned release, "Going to a Disco", [16] in a similar vein, [17] also released on the Mountain record label in 1977 as a 7 inch and 12 inch single [18] but did not chart although it received a positive review from the British DJ James Hamilton, [19] [20] as well as in the British mainstream press. [21] It is also mentioned alongside "Let Your Body Go Downtown" in the books The Virgin Encyclopedia of 70s Music [22] and Complete UK Hit Singles 1952-2006. [23]

"Let Your Body Go Downtown" is still played on the radio, [24] [25] most recently on the Ana Matronic Disco Devotion radio show on BBC Radio 2, [26] on Funky Tuesday [27] and on Disco Magic. [28]

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References

  1. ↑ [ dead link ]
  2. ↑ "Martyn Ford". IMDb.com. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  3. ↑ Eurovision 2023: The Eurovision Song Contest singers you didn’t know were from Yorkshire by Nathan Hyde published 17th Jun 2022, Yorkshire Post
  4. ↑ "Martyn Ford Orchestra - Let Your Body Go Downtown". 45cat.com. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  5. ↑ "The Martyn Ford Orchestra - Let Your Body Go Downtown". Discogs.com. 1977. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  6. ↑ 26 March 1977, Record Week
  7. ↑ Record World, 28 May 1977, p. 73
  8. ↑ "let+your+body+go+downtown - full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  9. ↑ "A CANTERBURY TALE -". Recordcollectormag.com. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  10. ↑ New Musical Express, 28 May 77
  11. ↑ "Retrochart for Mid May 1977". Everyhit.com.
  12. ↑ "Record Mirror articles, interviews and reviews from Rock's Backpages". Rocksbackpages.com. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  13. ↑ "Ronnie Jones Presents Various - Let Your Body Go With The Disco". Discogs.com. 1977. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
  14. ↑ Radiocorriere, 26 August 1979
  15. ↑ "12/05/77, Top of the Pops - BBC One". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  16. ↑ "Martyn Ford - Going To A Disco". 45cat.com. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  17. ↑ "Martyn Ford". IMDb. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
  18. ↑ "Martyn Ford - Going To A Disco". Discogs.com. 12 August 1977. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
  19. ↑ "James Hamilton - Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
  20. ↑ "September 10, 1977: Meco, Eddie Henderson, Pioneers, Smokey Robinson, Giorgio". Jameshamiltondiscopage.com. 10 September 1977. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
  21. ↑ Kent Evening Post, 19 August 1977, p. 21
  22. ↑ The Virgin Encyclopedia of 70s Music, Colin Larkin, Virgin, 2002, ISBN   9781852279479
  23. ↑ Complete UK Hit Singles 1952-2006, Graham Betts, Collins, 2006, ISBN   9780007200771
  24. ↑ "The Martyn Ford Orchestra - New Songs, Playlists & Latest News - BBC Music". BBC. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  25. ↑ "DISCO Magic with Dr. Rob - The World's Most Sophisticated Radio Show (Remembering the Glory)". Discomagic.org. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  26. ↑ "21/05/2017, Ana Matronic's Disco Devotion - Music Played - BBC Radio 2". BBC. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  27. ↑ "Funky Session 2 hours of pure Fun(k!) #14". Funkytuesday.dk. 30 January 2018. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  28. ↑ "DISCO Magic with Dr. Rob - The World's Most Sophisticated Radio Show (Remembering the Glory)". Discomagic.org. Retrieved 23 March 2023.



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