i am back with another #fiveforfriday !
each week i pick a different theme and share some good tunes with. this week, i bring you:
5 disco version cover songs
disco gets a lot of hate, but a lot of people don't realize that disco snuck its way into pop music a long time ago and a lot of songs are disco influenced. if we arent paying attention, we just might not even notice it!
now-for better or worse, 5 disco cover versions, in no particular order:
rosebud
"money"
(pink floyd)
1977
i only have one of the singles, but apparently they did a whole album of pink floyd covers! i was just listening to "one of these days" and it had some pretty cool synths, but this song is far more recognizable, so ill leave it for you. you should never forget that pink floyds very own "another brick in the wall" is basically a disco song.
boys town gang
"can't take my eyes off of you"
1982
this is some late era for disco, being in the 80s-and a great example of "tough, macho" sweaty dudes on the covers (see also: the richie family, bad reputation). anyway, this is a solid version of the frankie valli "classic." i would go as far to say this version is better than the original.
The Universal Robot Band
"Flinstone Disco"
1977
who says you cant have a stone age disco song? one really wonders what the target audience is here..but it has some pretty cool moog sounds. i do particularly love when the guy yells "wilma"
Walter Murphy
"a fifth of beethoven"
1976
aside from cover songs, disco was no stranger to novelty songs... from disco duck to "me lost me cookie at the disco" by cookie monster, we have seen our share of the good and the bad. here is a modern take on some "modern" classical music that probably went unmatched until that scene from bill and teds excellent adventure where they take beethoven to the mall and he finds his way into the music store...just for fun, if youve never seen it, very ridiculous:
also see: Saturday night fiedler for what is essentially the opposite of this song: classical versions of disco songs.
santa esmeralda
"house of the rising sun"
1978
a lot of people assume this song is by the animals, but it is actually a traditional song. this version has a nice spanish guitar flare to it, it kinda reminds me of that song "the Mexican" by babe ruth. this is probably the best record out of this bunch, but ill let you decide!
just for fun, here is a great live version i stumbled on while looking up the record:
now they knew how to put on a show!
thanks for reading, i hope you learned a little something!