Ritchie Family - The Best Disco In Town (Marlin Records 1976)

"The Best Disco in Town" is a 1976 crossover disco single by Philadelphia-based group, The Ritchie Family. In the United States, the single was a top 20 hit on both the soul and pop charts. "The Best Disco in Town" went to number one for one week on the disco/dance chart. The song is a medley of pop and R&B hits, preceding other medleys like Shalamar's "Uptown Festival" by 1 year and Stars On 45's "Medley" by 5 years. Songs included on the single are "Reach Out I'll Be There", "I Love Music", "Bad Luck", "TSOP", "Fly, Robin, Fly", the group's own "Brazil". The extended single adds the songs "Love To Love You Baby", "That's the Way (I Like It)", "Lady Bump", "Express", "Lady Marmalade", and the group's own song from the Arabian Nights album, "Romantic Love." The Ritchie Family, an American vocal group based in Philadelphia, achieved several hits during the disco era. The four original members were not related; the group was a creation of Jacques Morali who also formed the Village People. The group took its name from record producer Richie Rome, who added a T to the name; it originally consisted of four singers: Jean Davis, Cassandra Wooten, Gwen Oliver (who eventually married musician Fred Wesley), and Nadine Felder originally known as Honey & The Bees. Their manager was Jimmy Bishop, a successful Philadelphia radio personality who also managed Barbara Mason. Morali remembered Felder and Wooten had done some session work for him, and he called them a few years later when he wanted to form a group and the Ritchie Family was born. Their first hit single, a reworking of the 1930s song "Brazil" reached the Top 20 in the United States in 1975, and the album, also titled Brazil, sold well. The following year they released the album Arabian Nights, and with it the single "The Best Disco in Town". The song was a medley of recent disco songs linked together with an original chorus and it became a worldwide hit. It's the best disco in town, number one in disco sound It's the place where hip people meet, hey, hey It's the best disco in town, bump and boogie all around It's no place to sit in your seat, hey, hey DJ's are the best there, you'll never get a rest there You may meet the right girl or guy When they play the right groove your body makes the next move Get up on the floor and get down to see that the music can take you high It's the best disco in town, funky music pound for pound Join the crowd, come on dance and sing, hey, hey It's the best disco in town, people come from miles around It's the place to do your own thing, hey, hey People dress the best there, the music is the best there They're the very best sounds, so high class If you make a request the DJ will do his best To lay down your favorite song so you or baby hold on the past Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh The hit sound of Motown (Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh) The hit sound of Motown I'll be there ‘Cause we love music I love music Any kind of music Bad love was good love The now sounds of Musique The only way we party is when you got You got me where you want me You've got me where you want me Woo It's the best disco in town, number one in disco sound It's the place where hip people meet, hey, hey It's the best disco in town, bump and boogie all around It's no place to sit in your seat, hey, hey DJ's are the best there, you'll never get a rest there You may meet the right girl or guy When they play the right groove your body makes the next move Get up on the floor and get down to see that the music can take you high Ooh, that's my baby I love to love you, baby I love to love you, baby Ooh, that's the way I like it Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh Bop me, baby, bop me, baby They call me lady bop, lady bop, it's alright, ah Here comes the express, the express Volez vous coo shea a me qua Volez vous coo shea a me qua Any time you want me, love Romantic world I won't let you down Give all my love Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh It's the best disco in town, funky pound for pound Join the crowd, come on dance and sing, hey, hey It's the best disco in town, people come from miles around It's the place to do your own thing, hey, hey People dress the best there, the music is the best there They're the very best sounds, so high class If you make a request the DJ will do his best To lay down your favorite song so you or baby hold on the past Shoo doo doo doo doo doo Shoo doo doo doo doo Shoo doo doo doo doo doo Shoo doo doo doo doo Get up on the floor and get down to see that the music can take you high