"The Hustle" | |
---|---|
Single by Van McCoy & the Soul City Symphony | |
from the album Disco Baby [1] | |
B-side | "Hey Girl, Come and Get It" |
Released | April 18, 1975 |
Recorded | 1975 |
Studio | Mediasound, New York City |
Genre | |
Length | 3:29 (Single Version) 4:10 (Album Version) |
Label | Avco Records |
Songwriter(s) | Van McCoy |
Producer(s) | Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore |
Music video | |
"The Hustle" on YouTube |
"The Hustle" is a disco song by songwriter/arranger Van McCoy and the Soul City Symphony. It went to No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and Hot Soul Singles charts during the summer of 1975. [3] It also peaked at No. 1 on the Canadian RPM charts, No. 9 on the Australian Singles Chart (Kent Music Report) and No. 3 in the UK. [4] [5] It would eventually sell over one million copies. [5] The song won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance early in 1976 for songs recorded in 1975.
While in New York City to make an album, McCoy composed the song after his music partner, Charles Kipps, watched patrons do a dance known as "the Hustle" in the nightclub Adam's Apple. The sessions were done at New York's Mediasound Studios with pianist McCoy, bassist Gordon Edwards, drummer Steve Gadd, keyboardist Richard Tee, guitarists Eric Gale and John Tropea, and orchestra leader Gene Orloff. Producer Hugo Peretti contracted multi-woodwind player Phil Bodner to play the piccolo lead melody.[ citation needed ]
On the week of May 16, 1975, "The Hustle" entered the Radio & Records Trend chart at no. 38. [6] The following week, "The Hustle" entered the Radio & Records Pop/30 chart at no. 30. [7]
During the summer of 1975, "The Hustle" became a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot Soul Singles charts. [3] Billboard ranked it as the No. 21 song for 1975. It also peaked at No. 9 on the Australian Singles Chart (Kent Music Report) and No. 3 in the UK Singles Chart. [4] [5]
According to producers Hugo & Luigi, who owned the Avco record label that originally released "The Hustle", McCoy met with them shortly before his death in 1979 to discuss ideas for a new, longer version of the song, in order to appease Avco's UK and German affiliates who were clamoring for a 12" disco single release. [8] The new version, clocking in at just under six and a half minutes, was assembled posthumously as a remix, using parts of the original recording plus new parts, including drum, Syndrum, and a "little" Moog synthesizer. [8] It was credited to Van McCoy alone or with an unnamed orchestra, mixed by "The Mix Masters", identity unknown. [9]
The song has been featured in numerous movies, such as Stuck on You , Vampires Suck , and The Lorax , and television shows including the Shark Tale short film Club Oscar , That '70s Show , SMG4 , Speechless , American Dad! , and Futurama . [10]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Canada (Music Canada) [29] | Gold | 75,000^ |
Japan | — | 500,000 [30] |
United Kingdom (BPI) [31] | Silver | 250,000^ |
United States (RIAA) [32] | Gold | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
The Hustle is a catch-all name for some disco dances which were extremely popular in the 1970s. Late 1970s, Bump, Hustle, Watergate and Spank were popular. It mostly refers to the unique partner dance done in nightclubs to disco music. Hustle has steps in common with Mambo and Salsa and basic steps are somewhat similar to Euro dance style "discofox", which emerged at about the same time and is more familiar in various European countries. Modern partner hustle is sometimes referred to as New York hustle, however, its original name is the Latin hustle.
Avco Records was a record label started by music producers/composers Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore together with film and TV producer Joseph E. Levine in 1968 as Avco Embassy Records.
"Never Can Say Goodbye" is a song written by Clifton Davis and originally recorded by the Jackson 5. The song was originally written and intended for the Supremes; however, Motown decided it would be better for the Jackson 5. It was the first single released from the group's 1971 album Maybe Tomorrow, and was one of the group's most successful records. It has been covered numerous times, most notably in 1974 by Gloria Gaynor and in 1987 by British pop group the Communards.
Van Allen Clinton McCoy was an American record producer, arranger, songwriter and singer. He is known for his 1975 internationally successful hit "The Hustle". He has approximately 700 song copyrights to his credit, and produced songs by such recording artists as Gladys Knight & the Pips, The Stylistics, Aretha Franklin, Brenda & the Tabulations, David Ruffin, Peaches & Herb, Lesley Gore, and Stacy Lattisaw.
"More, More, More" is a song written by Gregg Diamond and recorded by American artist Andrea True. It was released in February 1976 as the first single from her debut album by same name (1976), becoming her signature track and one of the most popular songs of the disco era. In the US, it reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent three weeks at number three on the Cash Box chart in July of that year. In Canada it was a number one hit, and reached number five in the UK.
"Get Down Tonight" is a song released in 1975 on the self-titled album by the disco group KC and the Sunshine Band. The song became widely successful, becoming the first of their five No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. It also reached the top of the Hot Soul Singles chart and was an international chart hit, reaching No. 1 in Canada and charting in Australia, Belgium, the Netherlands, and the UK.
"This Is It" is a 1976 disco song written by Van McCoy, and performed by American singer and actress Melba Moore for her fifth album of the same name (1976).
"Shame, Shame, Shame" is a 1974 hit song written by Sylvia Robinson, performed by American disco band Shirley & Company and released on the Vibration label. The lead singer is Shirley Goodman, who was one half of Shirley & Lee, who had enjoyed a major hit 18 years earlier, in 1956, with the song "Let The Good Times Roll" for Aladdin Records. The male vocalist is Jesus Alvarez. The saxophone solo is by Seldon Powell, whose instrumental version, "More Shame", is the B-side.
"Doctor's Orders" is a song written by Roger Cook, Roger Greenaway and Geoff Stephens which, in 1974, was a hit in the UK for Sunny of Sue and Sunny; in the US the song was a hit for Carol Douglas.
"Last Dance/The Hustle/On the Radio" is the second single released from the motion picture soundtrack Selena (1997). The medley was recorded live on February 26, 1995 at the Houston Astrodome. It became Selena's final live recording before she was murdered on March 31, 1995. It interpolates the songs "Last Dance" and "On the Radio" by Donna Summer, "The Hustle" by Van McCoy and the Soul City Symphony, and "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor and "Funkytown" by Lipps Inc. The track reached number 25 on the Hot Latin Singles Chart.
"Mr. Jaws" is a novelty song by Dickie Goodman released on Cash Records in 1975.
Russell Allen Thompkins Jr. is an American soul singer, best known as the original lead singer of the vocal group The Stylistics and noted for his high tenor, countertenor, and falsetto vocals. With Russell as lead singer, The Stylistics had 12 straight Top 10 Billboard R&B singles, and 5 gold singles from 1971 through 1974.
This Is It is the fifth album by singer Melba Moore, released in 1976.
Disco Baby is the second studio album recorded by Van McCoy & the Soul City Symphony, released in 1975 on the Avco label.
"Get Dancin'" is a song written by Bob Crewe and Kenny Nolan and performed by Disco-Tex and the Sex-O-Lettes, led by Monti Rock III. The song was produced by Bob Crewe and arranged by Bruce Miller. The song was featured on their 1975 album, Disco Tex & His Sex-O-Lettes Review.
"Baby, Don't Change Your Mind" is a 1977 single by Gladys Knight & the Pips. It was originally performed by the Stylistics on their 1976 album Fabulous. The song was written by Van McCoy, who had a disco hit himself with "the Hustle". McCoy would go on to write "Come Back and Finish What You Started", a hit for Gladys Knight & the Pips in 1978.
"Sending Out An S.O.S." is a 1975 song for singer Retta Young. It charted in the US on the Billboard and Cash Box charts. It charted also in the UK where it did better. It is considered a classic disco song and appears on a multitude of compilations.
Leroy Leon Pendarvis is an American session musician. He plays keyboards and is a background vocalist. He is also an occasional guitarist. The artists he has worked with over the years include Bonnie Raitt on her Streetlights album which was released in 1974, Van McCoy on his Disco Baby album which was released in 1975, Barbra Streisand on her Songbird album which was released in 1978, Eric Clapton on his August album which was released in 1986, Don Johnson on his Let It Roll album which was released in 1989, Avril Lavigne on her Keep Holding On album which was released on 2007, and many more. He was at one time a member of the group Passion. He is also the musical director and conductor for NBC's Saturday Night Live (SNL) Band, with which he has played since 1980. Since 1986 he has been a member of The Blues Brothers band. He was the husband of singer and chorist Janice Pendarvis, who sang for Roberta Flack, Sting, Philip Glass, David Bowie, and the Naked Brothers Band.
"My Favorite Fantasy" was a 1978 hit single by American musician, composer and producer Van McCoy. It was from his album of the same name. Featuring McCoy himself on vocals, it charted in the United States, Canada and the UK. It registered in the Billboard Magazine, Cash Box, Record World, RPM Weekly and Record Mirror charts.
The Real McCoy is an album released by Van McCoy in 1976. Three songs from the album were hits.