Van McCoy & the Soul City Symphony was a musical ensemble led by

Van McCoy Van Allen Clinton McCoy (January 6, 1940 – July 6, 1979) was an American record producer, arranger, songwriter and singer. He is known for his 1975 internationally successful hit " The Hustle". He has approximately 700 song copyrights to his c ...

. The group had several hits during the 1970s. Their biggest hit was " The Hustle".

Background

The ensemble which was led by

had three charting hits in the 1970s. They were "Love is the Answer", " Boogie Down", and " The Hustle".

Career

''Love is the Answer'' (album)

The ''Love is the Answer'' album was reviewed in the 26 August 1974 issue of ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

''. The review was positive with the reviewer saying that the soul hits from a number of sources, either funky tunes or soft ballads worked when arranged with a symphony orchestra. The reviewer said that the vocals on some of the tracks worked. " Touch Me in the Morning" and "Funky Feet" were singled out as the best cuts.

"Love is the Answer" (single)

The single "Love is the Answer" by Van McCoy & The Soul City Symphony was from the album of the same name. On the week of 15 June 1974 "Love is the Answer" by Van McCoy & the Soul City Symphony was in the ''

Record World ''Record World'' magazine was one of three major weekly music industry trade magazines in the United States, with ''Billboard'' and '' Cashbox''. It was founded in 1946 as ''Music Vendor''. In 1964, it was changed to ''Record World'' under the ...

'' editor Dede Dabney's Dede's Ditties to Watch list. On the week of 29 June, "Love is the Answer" debuted at no. 50 in the ''Billboard'' Top 50 Easy Listening singles chart. On the week of 27 July, "Love is the Answer debuted at no. 69 on the ''Record World'' R&B Singles chart. On the week of 3 August, "Love is the Answer" debuted at no. 96 in the ''Record World'' singles chart. The following week (10 August) the single peaked at no. 92. On 24 August, "Love is the Answer" was at its second week at no. 51 on the ''Record World'' R&B Singles Chart.

Avco Records Avco Records was a record label started by music producers/composers Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore together with film and TV producer Joseph E. Levine in 1968 as Avco Embassy Records. History Hugo and Luigi had previously worked together ...

ran a full-page ad for the single which appeared in the 31 August issue of ''Billboard''. It read "SEX IS NOT THE ANSWER TO EVERYTHING "LOVE IS THE ANSWER" AV 4639 by Van McCoy &The Soul City Symphony". It also had short reports of the song by Tom McLaine, Program Director, CKGM /Montreal, John Bettencourt, Program Director, KL1V /San Jose, Dean Tyler Program Director, WIP /Philadelphia, and Ron Vance Program Director, WING /Dayton. Also that week, at week ten, the song peaked at no. 22 on the ''Billboard'' Easy Listening Top 50 chart. On June 19, 1975, Van McCoy was in Montreal, Canada. He attended a reception at the Limelight night club, which was hosted by

Quality Records Quality Records was a Canadian entertainment company which released music albums in Canada on behalf of American record labels. They also released recordings by Canadian artists. The company operated between 1950 and 1985 with offices in Toron ...

. There he was presented with a giant award with the inscription, ''"Presented to Van McCoy by Quality Records Limited, in recognition of "Love Is the Answer"'' for the song's achieving hit status in Quebec. The function was to also commemorate the first concert appearance of Van McCoy and the Soul City Symphony at the Montreal Forum the following day on the 20th.

"Boogie Down"

" Boogie Down" backed with " A Rainy Night in Georgia" was released on Avco AV-4648. On the week of 1 February 1975 "Boogie Down" made its debut at no. 91 in the ''Billboard'' Hot Soul Singles chart. On the week of 22 February, it peaked at no. 67 on the chart. It spent a total of five weeks in the chart.

"The Hustle"

" The Hustle" was a Pop Pick in the 12 April 1975 issue of ''

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', is an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

''. The reviewer said that the song, a Hugo and Luigi production which was arranged and conducted by Van and his Soul City Symphony was a tapestry of vivid colors. The percussive undercurrent was noted and the reviewer said that it added spark to the production. The high chart potential was noted as well. On the week of 19 July, "The Hustle" was at no. 1 on the ''Cash Box'' Top 100 Singles chart. Pictured on page 16 in the 2 August issue of ''Cash Box'', Van McCoy was with Jim Tyrell, the vice-president of

CBS Records CBS Records may refer to: * CBS Records, a former name of Sony Music, a global music company * CBS/Sony, a former name of Sony Music Entertainment Japan, a Japanese music company division of Sony * CBS Records International, a label for Columbia Re ...

. He was at the Seafood Playhouse where F.O.R.E. (Fraternity of Record Executives) had their 4th annual disco party the previous week. With executives from most other record companies present, Avco-Embassy records presented McCoy with his gold record for selling a million copies of "The Hustle". McCoy was also presented with a plaque by F.O.R.E. for his outstanding achievement in the music bbusiness. McCoy was also pictured on page 30 in the same issue with Frankie Crocker, holding his gold record for achieving a million and a half sales.

''Disco Baby'' (album)

The album ''

Disco Baby ''Disco Baby'' is the second studio album recorded by Van McCoy & the Soul City Symphony, released in 1975 on the Avco Records, Avco label. History The album reached No. 12 on the Billboard 200, ''Billboard'' Top LPs chart and topped the Top R ...

'' was also reviewed in the 12 April issue. The album was produced by Hugo & Luigi and released in the US on Avco AV 69006 in April 1975. It was a ''Cash Box'' Pop Pick. Referring to the ten tracks on the album as pistol packin' power, the reviewer also said that it would be hard to keep your feet from workin' out. The tracks singled out were, "Disco Baby", "Fire", "Doctor's Orders", "Pick Up the Pieces", and "Get Dancin'". On the week of 19 April 1975, ''Disco Baby'' made its debut on the ''Cash Box'' 101 to 175 Albums chart. On the week of 10 May, ''Disco Baby'' debuted in the ''Cash Box'' Top 100 albums chart at no. 96. On the week of 7 June, ''Disco Baby'' was at no. 9 in the ''Cash Box'' Top 50 R&B Albums chart. On the week of 28 June, ''Disco Baby'' peaked at no. 4 on the ''Cash Box'' Top 50 R&B Albums chart. On the week of 12 July, ''Disco Baby'' had moved up from the previous week's position of no 13 to no. 10 on the ''Cash Box'' Top 100 Albums chart. It held that position for an additional two weeks.

Further activities

It was reported by ''Cash Box'' in the magazine's 5 July 1975 issue that in the week before, Van McCoy and his Soul City Symphony orchestra made a first-time appearance at the Montreal Forum. The event was a sellout. Also, with "The Hustle" going gold the previous week and it currently at no. 4 with a bullet, Bud Katzel the vice-president an GM for Avco reported that the sales volume was continuing to build.

Musicians

* Bass, Gordon Edwards * Drums, Herbie Lovelle * Drums, Rick Marotta * Guitar,

David Spinozza David Spinozza (born August 8, 1949) is an American guitarist and producer. He worked with former Beatles Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and John Lennon during the 1970s, and had a long collaboration with singer-songwriter James Taylor, producing T ...

* Guitar,

John Tropea John Tropea (pronounced 'tro-pay'; born January 7, 1946) is an American jazz guitarist and composer. Career Tropea began guitar studies at the age of 12. His musical education continued at Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he studied jaz ...

* Harp, Gloria Agostini * Keyboards,

Leon Pendarvis Leroy Leon Pendarvis (born 1945) is an American session musician. He plays keyboards and is a background vocalist. He is also an occasional guitarist. Early life The son of a first-grade primary school teacher, Pendarvis grew up in South Carolin ...

* Keyboards,

Richard Tee Richard Edward Tee (born Richard Edward Ten Ryk; November 24, 1943 – July 21, 1993) was an American jazz fusion pianist, studio musician, singer and arranger, who had several hundred studio credits and played on such notable hits as " I'll B ...

* Keyboards,

* Horns,

Bernie Glow Bernie Glow (February 6, 1926 – May 8, 1982) was an American trumpet player who specialized in jazz and commercial lead trumpet from the 1940s to 1970s. He was born Bernard Abraham Glatzer on Feb 6 1926 in New York to Gustav (Gus) and Frances (F ...

* Horns, Dominick Gravine * Horns,

Garnett Brown Garnett Pompilius Brown (January 31, 1936 – October 9, 2021) was an American jazz trombonist who worked with The Crusaders, Herbie Hancock, Lionel Hampton, Earth Wind and Fire and others. Born in Memphis, Tennessee, he graduated from the U ...

* Horns, Jim Buffington * Horns, Marvin Stamm * Horns, Melvin Lincoln Davis * Horns, Paul Faulise * Horns, Robert Alexander * Horns,

Urbie Green Urban Clifford "Urbie" Green (August 8, 1926 – December 31, 2018) was an American jazz trombonist who toured with Woody Herman, Gene Krupa, Jan Savitt, and Frankie Carle. He played on over 250 recordings and released more than twenty albums a ...

* Horns,

Warren Covington Warren Covington (August 7, 1921 – August 24, 1999) was an American big band trombonist. He was active as a session musician, arranger, and bandleader throughout his career. Biography Covington, who was born in Philadelphia, played early ...

* Vibraphone, Dave Carey * Vibraphone, George Devens * Strings: Alfred Brown, Arnold Black, Charles McCracken, David Nadien, Emanuel Green, Emanuel Vardi,

Gene Orloff Gene Orloff (June 14, 1921 – March 23, 2009) was an American violinist, concertmaster, arranger, contractor and session musician. Background The son of a Russian immigrant violin maker, Orloff would try and get his father's violin down from th ...

, George Ricci, Harold Kohon,

Harry Lookofsky Harry William Lookofsky (1 October 1913 – 8 June 1998) was an American jazz violinist. He was also the father of keyboardist-songwriter Michael Brown, who most notably was a founding member of the Left Banke and Stories. Early life and fa ...

, Joseph Malignaggi, Julien Barber, Kathryn Kienke, Kermit Moore, Max Ellen, Paul Gershman, Phil Bodner, Romeo Penque, Selwart Clarke

Discography (USA or where otherwise specified)

Singles

* Van McCoy & the Soul City Symphony - " Love is the Answer" / " Killing Me Softly" - Avco AV-4639 - 1974 * Van McCoy & the Soul City Symphony - "African Symphony" / "Boogie Down" - Avco AVCO 3000X - 1974 (Canada) * Van McCoy & the Soul City Symphony - " Boogie Down" / " A Rainy Night in Georgia" -

Avco Avco Corporation is a subsidiary of Textron, which operates Textron Systems Corporation and Lycoming. History The Aviation Corporation was formed on March 2, 1929, to prevent a takeover of CAM-24 airmail service operator Embry-Riddle Compa ...

AV-4648 - 1974 / 1975 * Van McCoy & the Soul City Symphony - " The Hustle" / "Hey Girl, Come and Get It" - Avco AV-4653 - 1975 * Van McCoy & The Soul City Symphony – "Disco Baby" / "The Hustle" - Avco 16 049 AT (Germany, Netherlands)

Albums

* Van McCoy & The Soul City Symphony – '' Love Is the Answer'' - Avco AV-69002-698 - 1974 * Van McCoy & The Soul City Symphony – ''

'' - Avco AV-69006 - 1975.''Cash Box'', April 12, 1975
Page 27 cash box/album reviews, pop picks, DISCO BABY - Van McCoy & The Soul City Symphony - Avco AV - 69006 - Producers: Hugo & Luigi
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References

{{reflist Avco Records artists H & L Records artists American soul musical groups American disco groups Philips Records artists Van McCoy