By 1977, my #MusicalNes journey included sports, reading, television and the movies. I was a true little American pop culture monster in the making as a 9-year old. I’m not really sure how disco or the movie “Saturday Night Fever” or the silk shirts happened in my life. But I am also not sure that it could’ve been avoided during the previews at “Jaws,” “Network” or “The Bad News Bears” screenings.
Every Tuesday afternoon, my Pop got his paycheck from Bethlehem Steel and we walked over to Eastpoint Mall to cash it. He let me buy a few 45s at Sound Waves (where I had a normal job in my life, briefly in 1984). I got my baseball cards and wrestling magazines in Highlandtown. I never really owned this album until it was a CD a decade later but I think I owned eight of the 45s. Plus some of the others were on the K-Tel compilations of yacht rock and disco. I always loved John Travolta – and remember this was pre-Grease, too! I still think the movie is great and poignant and the music is vibrant and relevant almost FIFTY years later.
Not a bad song on there! K.C. leading the Sunshine Band. The Tramps burning it up. The Bee Gees in all their glory. Yvonne Elliman bringing it from the five oh. And who knew disco and Beethoven would work? I also think “How Deep is Your Love” and “More Than a Woman” (I always preferred the Tavares version) are two of the greatest songs ever written.
The Orioles – as well as the girls at Colgate Elementary – were also big culprits in instilling music as a tastemaker. Wild Bill yelling “Disco Sucks!” at games aside, I always remember hearing Bee Gees songs and Anita Ward’s “Ring My Bell” instead of organ music in 1978 and 1979 at Memorial Stadium as Mark Belanger and Rich Dauer tossed infield between innings toward Eddie Murray.
As for the greatest soundtrack ever recorded, start with “Boogie Shoes,” grab a Seven-and-Seven and open up the dance floor of your imagination.
Can you dig it? I knew that you could!
And now it’s alright. It’s OK. And you may look the other way…
