"Disco Inferno"
Artwork for 1978 reissued US vinyl single
Single by the Trammps
from the album Disco Inferno
B-side"You Touch My Hot Line" (original)
"That's Where the Happy People Go" (reissue)
ReleasedDecember 28, 1976
Recorded1976
StudioSigma Sound, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
GenreDisco
Length
  • 10:59 (album version)
  • 3:35 (radio edit)
LabelAtlantic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Ron "Have Mercy" Kersey
The Trammps singles chronology
"Ninety-Nine and a Half"
(1976)		 "Disco Inferno"
(1976)		 "I Feel Like I've Been Livin' (On the Dark Side of the Moon)"
(1977)
Audio
"Disco Inferno" on YouTube
"Disco Inferno" (radio edit) on YouTube
Side-A label of the 1977 US vinyl single

"Disco Inferno" is a song by American disco band the Trammps from their 1976 fourth studio album of the same name. With two other cuts by the group, it reached No. 1 on the US Billboard Dance Club Songs chart in early 1977, but had limited mainstream success until 1978, after being included on the soundtrack to the 1977 film Saturday Night Fever, when a re-release hit number eleven on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[1][2]

It was also notably covered in 1993 by American-born singer Tina Turner on What's Love Got to Do with It,[3] and in 1998 by American singer-songwriter Cyndi Lauper on the A Night at the Roxbury soundtrack.[4] Among others who covered this are Damien Lovelock, Hardsonic Bottoms 3, and Vicki Shepard.

Song information

The song was originally recorded by the Trammps in 1976 and released as a single. It was inspired by the 1974 blockbuster film The Towering Inferno, in which a party in a top floor ballroom is threatened by a fire that breaks out below.[5] According to Tom Moulton, who mixed the record, the Dolby noise reduction had been set incorrectly during the mixdown of the tracks. When engineer Jay Mark discovered the error and corrected it, the mix had a much wider dynamic range than was common at the time. Due to this, the record seems to "jump out" at the listener. With "Starvin'" and "Body Contact Contract", it topped the U.S. Disco chart for six weeks in the late winter of 1977.[6] On the other U.S. charts, "Disco Inferno" hit number nine on the Black Singles chart, but it was not initially a significant success at pop radio, peaking at number 53 on the Billboard Hot 100.[7]

However, some radio stations, especially the AM, banned the song from the airwaves due to the repeated line "burn baby burn", which reminded people of the Watts riots in 1965.

"Disco Inferno" gained much greater recognition when the nearly 11 minute album version was included on the soundtrack to the 1977 film Saturday Night Fever. Re-released by Atlantic Records, the track peaked at number 11 in the U.S. during the spring of 1978, becoming the Trammps' biggest and most-recognized single. Later, it was included in the Saturday Night Fever musical, interpreted by 'DJ Monty' in the "Odissey 2001" discothèque. A cover version of the track was issued by the group Players Association in March 1978 on the Vanguard record label both in 7" and 12" format. It was produced by Danny Weiss and also issued as a track on their 1979 LP Born to Dance.

In 2004, a 12" version with the 10:54-minute version and "Can We Come Together" (from the album Where the Happy People Go) on the B side was released in the UK.[8] This version was certified Silver in 2021 by the British Phonographic Industry.[9]

On September 19, 2005, "Disco Inferno" was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame.[10]

Personnel

The Trammps
  • Jimmy Ellis – lead vocal
  • Robert Upchurch – lead and baritone vocal
  • Earl Young – bass vocal
  • Harold Wade – first tenor
  • Stanley Wade – second tenor
Additional Personnel

Charts

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[9]
with "Can We Come Together" 		Silver 200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Tina Turner version

"Disco Inferno"
Single by Tina Turner
from the album What's Love Got to Do with It
B-side"I Don't Wanna Fight" (single edit)
ReleasedAugust 16, 1993 (1993-08-16)[16]
Length4:03
LabelParlophone
Songwriter(s)Leroy Green, Ron Kersey
Producer(s)Tina Turner, Chris Lord-Alge, Roger Davies
Tina Turner singles chronology
"I Don't Wanna Fight"
(1993)		 "Disco Inferno"
(1993)		 "Why Must We Wait Until Tonight"
(1993)

American singer and actress Tina Turner covered the song for the What's Love Got to Do with It soundtrack. Released as a single in August 1993, it charted at number 12 on the UK Singles Chart, and reached the top 20 also in Belgium, Iceland, Ireland, and the Netherlands. The single included remixes by the Beatmasters.

Critical reception

In an retrospective review of What's Love Got to Do with It, the Daily Vault felt "Disco Inferno" "has a dated title to begin with and the arrangement's enthusiasm doesn't live up to Turner's singing".[17] Upon the release, Alan Jones from Music Week gave the song four out of five, writing, "From the woman whose interpretations are often a million miles away from the original, this is a disappointingly standard interpretation of the old Trammps hit. Having said that, it is a highly commercial song and Tina's one-of-a-kind voice has many admirers, so another big hit is in prospect."[18] A reviewer from People Magazine noted its "dance dramaturgy" and the "characteristic flair and energy that have made Tina the envy of every singer this side of Aretha."[19] Sam Wood from Philadelphia Inquirer found that the "joyous, over-the-top treatment" of the disco classic "reeks of campy white polyester suits and oily sweat under a dance-floor glitter ball."[20] Toby Anstis reviewed the song for Smash Hits, giving it four out of five. He said, "Tina pulls off this cover really well. It's nice hearing a rauchy female rock voice like that. I think I prefer this version to the original. I'd boogie to that any time at a party. I think I'd go and see the film about her soon too. Yeah, she's great."[21]

Track listings

Charts

Cyndi Lauper version

"Disco Inferno"
Single by Cyndi Lauper
from the album A Night at the Roxbury
ReleasedAugust 3, 1999[34]
Recorded1999
GenreDisco
Length3:18
LabelJellybean Records
Songwriter(s)Leroy Green, Ron Kersey
Producer(s)Cyndi Lauper, Mark Saunders, Jan Pulsford
Cyndi Lauper singles chronology
"Early Christmas Morning"
(1998)		 "Disco Inferno"
(1999)		 "Shine"
(2001)

American singer and songwriter Cyndi Lauper performed this song live for the first time at New York, Bryant Park on June 21, 1998.

In the Billboard magazine dated May 16, 1998, in the "Dance Trax" column, there was a story on remixers Bobby Guy and Ernie Lake, aka Soul Solution: "They are working with Cyn on a chest-pounding rendition of 'Disco Inferno'. The cut will be featured on the forthcoming soundtrack to A Night At Roxbury."

Although the original release date of the maxi single was August 3, 1999, it was distributed from July 24 in some regions. The single was officially released in the U.S. in August 1999. Lauper performed it at many shows, including her Summer Tour '99, around the time of its release. The song was nominated for a Grammy in the category of 'Best Dance Recording' for the 1999 awards.

Official versions

[35]

  1. Boris & Beck Roxy Edit Dub
  2. Boris & Beck Roxy Dub
  3. Club Mix
  4. Rescue Me Mix
  5. Soul Solution A Capella
  6. Soul Solution Drumapella
  7. Soul Solution Mix
  8. Soul Solution Radio Edit

Accolades

Year Nominee / work Award Result
1999 "Disco Inferno" Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording Nominated

Charts

Chart (1999) Peak
position
US Hot Dance Club Play (Billboard)[36] 8
US Hot Dance Singles Sales (Billboard)[37] 12

References

  1. ↑ "The Trammps Billboard singles". AllMusic. Retrieved January 21, 2012.
  2. ↑ Dys, Andrew (March 8, 2012). "'Disco Inferno' singer Jimmy Ellis of Rock Hill dies at 74". The Herald. Rock Hill, SC. Archived from the original on March 10, 2012. Retrieved March 9, 2012.
  3. ↑ "Disco Inferno Lyrics - Tina Turner". Sing365.com. Archived from the original on February 10, 2009. Retrieved June 28, 2014.
  4. ↑ "Disco Inferno Lyrics by Cyndi Lauper - Night At The Roxbury Soundtrack Lyrics". Lyricsondemand.com. Retrieved June 28, 2014.
  5. ↑ "DeepSoul: The Trammps - "Disco Inferno"". DeepSoul.com. Retrieved June 3, 2012.
  6. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974-2003. Record Research. p. 263.
  7. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 587.
  8. ↑ "The Trammps - Disco Inferno / Can We Come Together". Retrieved December 12, 2021.
  9. 1 2 "British single certifications – Trammps – Disco Inferno/Can We Come Together". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  10. ↑ "Trammps Frontman Jimmy Ellis of Disco Inferno Fame Dies | E! Online UK". Eonline.com. March 9, 2012. Retrieved June 28, 2014.
  11. ↑ RPM May 14, 1978
  12. ↑ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles, May 27, 1978". Archived from the original on February 14, 2015. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  13. ↑ "Top 200 Singles of '78 – Volume 30, No. 14, December 30 1978". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. July 17, 2013. Retrieved February 9, 2018.
  14. ↑ Musicoutfitters.com
  15. ↑ "Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 30, 1978". Archived from the original on September 29, 2018. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  16. ↑ "Single Releases". Music Week. August 14, 1993. p. 23.
  17. ↑ "What's Love Got To Do With It – Tina Turner". The Daily Vault. July 23, 1998. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  18. ↑ Jones, Alan (August 21, 1993). "Market Preview: Mainstream - Singles" (PDF). Music Week. p. 14. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
  19. ↑ "Picks and Pans Review: What's Love Got to Do with It". People. October 11, 1993. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
  20. ↑ Wood, Sam (July 13, 1993). "Musical Mementos of the Movies". Philadelphia Inquirer.
  21. ↑ Anstis, Toby (August 18, 1993). "New Singles". Smash Hits. p. 47. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
  22. ↑ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 285.
  23. ↑ "Tina Turner – Disco Inferno" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
  24. ↑ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles". Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 38. September 18, 1993. p. 12.
  25. ↑ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (23.09.1993 – 29.09.1993)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). September 23, 1993. p. 20. Retrieved March 9, 2018.
  26. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Disco Inferno". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
  27. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 47, 1993" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
  28. ↑ "Tina Turner – Disco Inferno" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  29. ↑ "Tina Turner – Disco Inferno". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
  30. ↑ "Tina Turner: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
  31. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 1993" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  32. ↑ "Árslistinn 1993". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). January 4, 1994. p. 16. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
  33. ↑ "Jaarlijsten 1993" (in Dutch). Stichting Nederlandse Top 40. Retrieved October 12, 2015.
  34. ↑ "Disco Inferno by Cyndi Lauper | MTV". Vh1.com. August 3, 1999. Retrieved June 28, 2014.
  35. ↑ "Cyndi Lauper - Disco Inferno". Discogs.com. October 6, 2016. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
  36. ↑ "Cyndi Lauper - Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
  37. ↑ "Cyndi Lauper | Awards". AllMusic. June 22, 1953. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
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