Disco Lady

Album

Eargasm

Label

Columbia Records

Genre

Disco

Duration

2:00

Composer(s)

Harvey Scales;Albert Vanc0;Don Davis

Entered Chart

Feb 7, 1976

Peak Date

Apr 3, 1976

Released

January 1976

Recorded

1975

Catalog #

Columbia 10281

B-Side

You're The Best In The World

Written by Don Davis, Harvey Scales and Lee Vance, this song was originally titled "Disco Baby." Scales brought the song to Davis, who was Taylor's producer, Davis came up with new lyrics inspired by an African dancer he saw in Spain who would draw all eyes to her when she started dancing. The Impressions had a song called "Gypsy Woman," and Davis used those themes to create his song - instead of a Gypsy Woman, he had a Disco Lady. Johnnie Taylor, nicknamed the "Soul Philosopher," recorded for Stax Records until the label imploded in 1975. Moving to Columbia, his first release was this massive disco hit, which finds Taylor singing the praises of a lady on the dancefloor. Members of George Clinton's crew, including Bootsy Collins and Bernie Worrell, played on the track, and Telma Hopkins - of "Shut Your Mouth!" fame - sang backup. It was recorded at United Sound Studios in Detroit, where Davis usually worked. The Platinum award was instituted in 1976 by the RIAA for albums selling one million units and singles selling two million units (in 1989 they lowered the requirements for singles so Gold was 500,000 units and Platinum was a million). This was the first single to ever be certified platinum and it's claimed that to celebrate his success, Taylor took a bath in Dom Perignon champagne. Though there had previously been several disco songs that had reached #1, this was the first Hot 100 chart-topper with the word "disco" in its title. "A lot of people thought it was disco," mused Taylor. "But it was not a disco tune. We were just talking about disco." This song was a huge hit on both the Pop and R&B charts, which it climbed simultaneously. It spent four weeks at #1 on the Hot 100 and six weeks at the top of the R&B chart.

Shake it up, Shake it down;
Move it in move it round, disco lady
Move it in move it out
Move in it and about, disco lady

Shake it up, shake it down
Move it in, move it around, disco lady

Hey sexy lady,
Said I like the way you move your thang,
Lord have mercy girl,
You dance so fine, and you're right on time
Girl you ought to be on T.V. On soul train
When you get the groove,
There ain't no stoppin',
Just can't help it, but I'm finger poppin'

Shake it up, shake it down;
Move it in, move it round, disco lady
Move it in, move it out;
Move it in, round about, disco lady

Shake it baby, shake it,
Baby shake your thang; (One time)
Shake it baby, shake it,
Baby shake your thang,

You got me groovin, (Wanna hustle baby)
I feel like movin, (Wanna hustle baby)
You got me movin, (Wanna hustle baby)
Can't sit still I'm groovin (Wanna hustle baby)
(I like that funky stuff)

Shake it up, shake it down,
Move it in, move it round, disco lady
Move it in, move it out,
Shove it in round about, disco lady

Hey sexy lady, (Shake it up, shake it)
Girl, you drive me crazy, (Shake it up, shake)
You dance so fine and your right on time (Shake it up, shake)
Girl you drive me right out of my mind (Shake it up, shake)
If it wasn't for the girl sittin' next to me, (Shake it up, shake)
I'd jump right up and outta my safety seat (Shake it up, shake)
You got me hypnotized, soul mesmorized (Shake it up, shake)
Girl, your movin' me girl your groovin' me (Shake it up, shake)

(Shake it up, shake)
(Shake it up, shake it down)

Shake it on down,
Move it up, move it down to the ground

(Shake it up, shake)
(Shake it up, shake)
(Shake it up, shake)
(Shake it up, shake)
(Shake it up, shake)

Shake it up, shake it down;
Move it in, move it round, disco lady
Move it in, move it out;
Shove it in, shove it out; disco lady

Hey, you've got me soulset in this discothek
Girl, your movin' me girl your groovin' me

Move it in, move it out;
Shove it in round about, disco lady

Shake it baby