Big Disco Crossover Hits, part 4

1978 was the year that big Rockstars climbed onto the Disco bandwagon. This phenomenon wasn't always easily accepted by die-hard Rock fans. The biggest crossover controversy concerned the band that you get when you Google "the greatest Rock & Roll band in the world": the Rolling Stones.

Miss You was a smash hit, a #1 in the US and Canada, their eighth and final number one hit in the United States. It was also a top 3 in the UK, Netherlands, Belgium, and Ireland, as well as very successful everywhere else. At the time, lines were being crossed - now it's just a good and successful Rolling Stones' song:

This is the 12" version, which was titled Special Disco Version:

It's not that the Stones didn't warn their Rock fans; Hot Stuff, the opening track of their previous album, sounded great on the dancefloor:

Also, the lead single from their next album, Emotional Rescue, was also Disco-friendly:

Ian Dury's UK #1 Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick also made #79 on the US Disco chart:

Rod Stewart was another Rockstar that had a Disco hit that crossed over in a big way - Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?, a #1 US Disco hit, was a #1 Pop hit all over. Listen to it here. Other big crossover 1978 Disco hits that have been already presented here include the Bee Gees' Disco hits from Saturday Night Fever, I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor, Chic's big 1978 hits, the Village People hits, the Donna Summer hits, I Love The Nightlife by Alicia Bridges, Dance With Me by Peter Brown, I Can't Stand The Rain by Eruption, Shame by Evelyn King, Sylvester's big hits, Barry Manilow's Copacabana, Blame It On The Boogie by the Jacksons, Dan Hartman's Instant Replay, Supernature by Cerrone, I Love America by Patrick Juvet, and Singin' In The Rain by Sheila & B. Devotion.

What was not previously presented was Boogie Oogie Oogie by A Taste of Honey, a triple US #1 (Pop, R&B, Disco) and a UK #3:

Shake Your Groove Thing by Peaches & Herb was also a big US crossover hit (#5 Pop, #4 R&B, #2 Disco):

Get Off by a sexy-looking Latin band called Foxy was another such big US crossover hit (#9 Pop, #1 R&B, #18 Disco):

I'm Every Woman was Chaka Khan's debut solo single - and what a debut it was! A classic and a big international hit. A top 20 hit in most of Europe, it also left its mark in the States (#21 Pop, #1 R&B, #30 Disco). It was remade by Whitney Houston for the Bodyguard soundtrack:

George Clinton's brainchild, Funkadelic, presented us with the great One Nation Under a Groove (US: #28 Pop, #1 R&B, #31 Disco) and #9 in the UK:

The Theme Song from Which Way Is Up by Stargard appeared on the Richard Pryor movie of the same name. It was a hit (US: #21 Pop, #1 R&B, #12 Disco) and #19 in the UK:

Rick James was one of the major R&B artists of the 70s; he was later heavily sampled by most Rap and Hip Hop artists. His 1978 hit, You and I, did great in the US (#13 Pop, #1 R&B, #3 Disco):

I really want you to hear his big hit from 1981, Super Freak (US: #16 Pop, #3 R&B, #1 Disco):

Another good single from 1978 is Let's All Chant by Michael Zager Band. A big UK (#8) and US (#36 Pop, #15 R&B, #1 Disco) hit:

One of my favorite 1978 Disco hits is Got to Be Real by Cheryl Lynn, a big US hit (#12 Pop, #1 R&B, #11 Disco):

Don't Hold Back by Chanson was a sizeable UK (#33) and US (#21 Pop, #8 R&B, #11 Disco) hit:

War was one of the biggest Soul bands of the 70s. Galaxy was their crossover hit for 1978 (US: #39 Pop, #5 R&B, #8 Disco) and #14 in the UK:

Gene Chandler had his first US #1 in 1962 with the classic Duke Of Earl. 16 years later he came back in style with Get Down (US: #53 Pop, #3 R&B, #22 Disco) and #11 in the UK:

In the Bush by Musique spent 2 weeks at #1 on the US Disco chart. It was also a sizeable UK hit (#16), a mid-table US R&B hit (#29), and a not very impressive #58 on the US Hot 100:

Hot Shot by Karen Young also spent 2 weeks at #1 on the US Disco chart. It did OK on the R&B chart (#24), not to bad in the UK (#34), and so-so on the Hot 100 (#67):

Wouldn't you know it, our favorite 70s' Country diva, Dolly Parton, also had a Disco hit: Baby I'm Burning peaked at #15 on the Disco chart and at #25 on the Hot 100:

Come On Dance, Dance by Saturday Night Band did very well on the US Disco chart (#2), as well as in the UK (#16):

Chattanooga Choo-Choo was one of Glenn Miller's greatest hits. It received a Disco remake by a band that was named after another of Miller's iconic hits: Tuxedo Junction. It was a hit in the US (#32 Pop, #5 Disco):

Part 3 of this story included the Disco version of Star Wars by Meko. Part 4 includes the Theme from Close Encounters of the Third Kind. It was a hit in the US (#25 Pop, #33 Disco):

Givin' Up Givin' In by The Three Degrees peaked at #12 on the US Disco chart, but otherwise failed to chart in the States. It did hit #12 in the UK though:

As a special, here are the rest of 1978's US Disco chart #1s, the ones that didn't really cross over. This is If My Friends Could See Me Now by Linda Clifford (5 weeks at the top):

This is Dance Little Dreamer by Bionic Boogie (3 weeks at the top):

This is Romeo and Juliet by Alec R. Costandinos & the Syncophonic Orchestra (1 week at the top):

This is Come into My Heart by USA-European Connection (2 weeks at the top):

I'm not sure if I presented the French Disco group Voyage when I was talking about French Disco. If I didn't, I should have, since they had a US Disco #1 for 3 weeks in 1978. Here's From East To West:

Part 5 will deal with the Disco crossover hits of 1979. Then there will be one show where I will present your own Disco requests. It will be our last Disco show, so, if you have any requests, you'd better use the comments' section today. I'll play anything that I haven't played so far. See you next time - and be safe!