"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
