🎵 AotW AOTW: The Ethel Merman Disco Album (SP-4775)

[LPJim]

Ethel Merman
THE ETHEL MERMAN DISCO ALBUM
A&M SP-4775

"For decades Ethel Merman has been the heart and soul of the American Musical Theater. Hearing this album, I'm convinced that this Disco Diva may be taking a whole new career! Not only are these songs among the world's favorites, but the sheer joy of Merman's voice makes me want to get up and dance. Bless you for boogeying, Ethel, you're hot as a pistol!" -- Paul Jabara
PS: When are you going to sing one of my tunes?

SIDE ONE

There's No Business Like Show Business 5:45
Everything's Coming Up Roses 6:26
I Get a Kick Out of You 5:59

SIDE TWO

Something for the Boys 5:15
Some People 4:47
Alexander's Ragtime Band 4:24
I Got Rhythm 5:04

CD Reissue Bonus Track: They Say It's Wonderful (previously unreleased)

Produced, arranged & conducted by Peter Matz (vocal & orchestral arrangements)
Executive producer: Kip Cohen

Guitars - Michael Anthony, Dennis Budimir, Mitch Holder
Bass - Chuck Berghofer & Greg Lee
Drums - Steve Schaeffer
Keyboards - John Berkman & Peter Matz

Trumpet Solos: Warren Luening
Sax Solos: Bud Shank and Ernie Watts
Perchussion: Paulinho and Garyno

Concertmaster: Jerry Vinci
Orchestral Conductor: Joe Soldo
Music Prepared by: Bill Forman
Background Vocals Directed By: Marilyn Jackson and Stephanie Spruill
Additional Background Vocals on "Something for the Boys" by George Ferren, Steve Smith, Manny Stali, Jon Randazzo, Bobby Borelli and John Joyce

Recorded and Mixed at A&M Recording Studios, Hollywood CA
Engineered by Don Hahn and Steve Mitchell
Mixed by Don Hahn Assisted by Don Koldon
Mastered at A&M Studios by Frank DeLuna

Management by Gus Shirmer
Special "Show Business" thanks to Herb Alpert, Randy Badazz and Andy Armer
Paulinho Da Costa appears courtesy of Pablo Records
Stephanie Spruill appears courtesy of Arista Records

Art Direction: Roland Young
Design: Amy Nagasawa
Front Cover Art: Lou and Pearl Beach
Photograph of Ethel by Mark Hanauer

Special thanks to Kip for having such a good idea; to Kip and Herb for bringing me into it; to Juliea for all the help along the way; to everyone at A&M for keeping it such a good place to work/play; and a very special thanks to Ms. Merman. If it werent' for her great talent, dedication to 'the work to be done', sense of humor, love of life, generosity and the ability to give of herself .. well then, most of us wouldn't want to do another hundred records, T.V. shows, state fairs, etc. .. with her.
Thanks, Ethel, for the continuing reminder of what it's all about ...
Love,
Peter Matz

Reissued on CD in 2002 by Fynsworth Alley, LLC, a division of UMG; originally released in 1979

JB

 

[Rudy]

Wooo baby, I'm gon' get down with my bad self!

No, I never owned this one...it was the butt of every musical joke back in the late 70s and early 80s.

 

[LPJim]

Ethel promoted DISCO ALBUM on the 'Tonight Show' with Johnny Carson. There's a link to Part 2, where she performs "Alexander's Ragtime Band."
JB

 

[Mike Blakesley]

I never owned it or even saw it either but it sure has some good names attached. Peter Matz was, I believe, the musical director for Carol Burnett. I recognize Warren Leuning on trumpet from a couple of Burt Bacharach albums. Steve Shaeffer played with Herb's 'T.J.B.' band, etc. So I guess it had the proper pedigree at the time!

 

[Rudy]

I actually never saw this in the stores! It's just that if I were shopping for R&B, funk or dance music, those were the sections I was looking in. This album never made its way there, and our local radio station WLBS never played it either. Wise move.

 

[Harry]

I'd never heard of the album until checking into A&M Corner, and I don't think it was a hot topic initially!

Harry

 

[Mike Blakesley]

I do remember seeing it on the "new release lists" that we used to get. I think I might have seen in browsing in a bigger store but we never had it.

 

[Mr Bill]

I'm the proud owner of a copy. Picked it up when it came out, as I did anything with Herb's name on it...

 

[LPJim]

Have had the album on vinyl for years but recently got the reissue with the extra track. Obsessive-compulsiveness taken to the next level.

 

[Dave]

Have had the album on vinyl for years but recently got the reissue with the extra track. Obsessive-compulsiveness taken to the next level.

Hmmmmmm..., and I saw that CD reissue of yours when you had me over.. Should'a had you play that "extra song"...

-- Dave

 

[Rudy]

I'm the proud owner of a copy. Picked it up when it came out, as I did anything with Herb's name on it...

Looking over the credits, they certainly threw a lot of talent$ behind it! Although one wonders about the bigger picture: Why? It might have been a brief novelty at the dance clubs, but the buyers of dance/R&B/funk wouldn't touch it, radio wouldn't know where to program it (no way they'd slot her music in next to Cameo, Instant Funk or Chic), and all but rabid fans of her usual music probably wouldn't want anything to do with "devil music" that had a disco beat to it.

Musically it probably ranks right up there (or down there?) with Maynard Ferguson's "Rocky II Disco" track from his album Hot!, although she didn't have Sly Stallone guesting on the track with punching bag sounds, grunts and groans. (No, I'm not making that up!) One of those ideas that seemed hip at the time, but grew increasingly embarrassing as years went on.