... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... LP, Vinyl record album

A huge crossover album of the 70s – one that took an east coast disco groove, and introduced influences from a wide variety of classical themes – best summed up in the title hit "A Fifth Of Beethoven", which was a surprisingly successful radio tune at the time! The effort's a strange one, but was part of a larger movement at the time that was introducing many older musical modes – such as standards or showtunes – onto the dancefloor in an effort to give the less underground clubgoers something to sink their teeth into. And while the approach seemed like a bit of a gimmick, it was also probably inspired by Deodato's big hit with "Zarathustra" and a few other classical themes – echoed here by Murphy's great keyboard work on a few other numbers. The album features the classical tracks "Flight 76", "Night Fall", "Fifth Of Beethoven", and "Russian Dressing" – plus the non-classical Murphy originals "California Strut" (with vocals by Angie Bofil), "Be Your Own Best Friend", "Suite Love Symphony", and "Midnight Express". LP, Vinyl record album

With themes from Jaws, Poltergeist, Superman, Close Encounters Of The Third Kind, Raiders Of The Lost Ark, and Star Trek. LP, Vinyl record album

Mixed compilation featuring tracks by Andrea True Connection, Salsoul Orchestra, Ritchie Family, Gwen McCrae, Kool & The Gang, Walter Murphy, KC & The Sunshine Band, George McCrae, Crown Heights Affair, Flash Cadillac & The Continental Kids, and Ecstasy Passion & Pain. LP, Vinyl record album

Yes, it was a mega-hit – and yes, it was one of those records that everyone who lived through the 70s seemed to own at one time – but after all these decades, you can't deny the power of the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack – especially for the way that it mixed club soul classics with new original material! Obviously, the Bee Gees cover placement make them big stars of the record – but the set's also got some great early disco gems – like "Open Sesame" by Kool & The Gang, "Disco Inferno" by The Trammps, "KJEE" by MFSB, "Calypso Breakdown" by Ralph MacDonald, "Fifth Of Beethoven" by Walter Murphy, "If I Can't Have You" by Yvonne Elliman, "Boogie Shoes" by KC & The Sunshine Band, and "More Than A Woman" by Tavares. The Bee Gees reinvent themselves from the early days – and sing "Stayin Alive", "How Deep Is Your Love", "More Than A Woman", "Jive Talkin", "You Should Be Dancin", and "Night Fever" – and the set also features a few instrumentals by David Shire – "Manhattan Skyline", "Night On Disco Mountain" and "Salsation". LP, Vinyl record album

A tight bit of dancefloor funk from the duo of Frank and Eddie Dillard – one on guitar, one on bass, and both on vocals – both working here with some great clubby production from Walter Murphy! The set's got a bit more edge than Murphy's own records – thanks to the emphasis on the Dillard instrumentation – and the rhythms are often nice and sharp, in that disco style that's almost hinting at a break at points – and which might have been at home in a South Bronx mix as much as in the clubs! The set includes the single "Full Tilt Boogie" plus other tracks that include "I Like Funky Music", "Sky High", "Everybody's Got One, "We Came To Play", and "Bad Motor Folk". CD