| "Disco Inferno" | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by The Trammps | |||||||
| from the album Disco Inferno | |||||||
| B-side | "You Touch My Hot Line" | ||||||
| Released | 1976 | ||||||
| Format | 7", 12" | ||||||
| Recorded | 1976 | ||||||
| Genre | Disco, funk | ||||||
| Length | 10:53 | ||||||
| Label | Atlantic | ||||||
| Writer(s) | Leroy Green, Ron Kersey | ||||||
| The Trammps singles chronology | |||||||
|
|||||||
|
|||||||
"Disco Inferno" is a 1976 song by The Trammps from the album of the same name. It became a success in 1978 after being included on the soundtrack to the 1977 film Saturday Night Fever. The title alludes to the 1974 film The Towering Inferno, and the "Burn, baby, burn" chorus references a saying attributed to activist Bill Epton.
It was also notably covered by Cyndi Lauper on the A Night at the Roxbury soundtrack and Tina Turner on the What's Love Got to Do with It? soundtrack.
Contents |
The song was originally performed by the Trammps in 1976 and released as a single. Although it topped the U.S. Disco chart, it was not a significant success at pop radio, peaking at number fifty-three on the Billboard Hot 100. According to famed mixer Tom Moulton (who mixed the record), the Dolby levels 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 than was commonly accepted at the time. Due to this, the record seems to "jump out" at the listener.
"Disco Inferno" gained much greater recognition once it was included on the soundtrack to the 1977 film Saturday Night Fever, this time in extended form running nearly 11 minutes. Re-released by Atlantic Records, the track peaked at number eleven 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 the 'DJ Monty' in the "Odissey 2001" discothèque.
The song also became an unofficial theme song for former New York Yankees outfielder Bernie Williams. It was often played at old Yankee Stadium while the scoreboard and video systems displayed the phrase "Bern Baby Bern," a play on the song's refrain and Williams' first name.
In 1996, "Disco Inferno" was included on the soundtrack to the cult comedy classic Kingpin, and featured in two pivotal scenes in which Roy Munson (played by Woody Harrelson) confidently strolls into a bowling alley. The scenes and the song embody the promise of the mid to late seventies.
On September 19, 2005, "Disco Inferno" was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame.
The song was used during the trailer to the Adam Sandler comedy, Bedtime Stories.
| "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) | |||
| Released | 1993 | |||
| Format | CD Single | |||
| Recorded | 1993 | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 4:03 | |||
| Label | Parlophone Records | |||
| Writer(s) | Green, Kersey | |||
| Producer | Tina Turner, Chris Lord-Alge, Roger Davies | |||
| Tina Turner singles chronology | ||||
|
||||
| "Disco Inferno" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Cyndi Lauper | ||||
| from the album A Night at the Roxbury soundtrack | ||||
| Released | August 3, 1999[1] | |||
| Recorded | 1999 | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Label | Jellybean Records | |||
| Writer(s) | Green, Kersey | |||
| Producer | Cyndi Lauper, Mark Saunders, Jan Pulsford | |||
| Cyndi Lauper singles chronology | ||||
|
||||
Tina Turner covered the song in 1993 for the What's Love Got to Do with It soundtrack and it charted at number twelve in the UK Singles Chart, 4 places higher than The Trammps' version (#16). The single included remixes by The Beatmasters.
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. on December 16, 1999. Lauper performed it at many shows around the time of its release.
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | "Disco Inferno" | Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording | Nominated |
| Chart (1977) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play | 1 |
| Chart (1977) | Peak position |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 11 |
| UK Singles Chart | 16 |
| Chart (1993) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart | 12 |
| UK Airplay Chart | 3 |
| U.S Hot Dance Club Play | 8 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 13 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 25 |
| Chart (1999) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play | 8 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Singles Sales | 12 |
| Preceded by "Don't Leave Me This Way" / "Any Way You Like It" by Thelma Houston |
Billboard Hot Dance Club Play number-one single (with "Starvin'" and "Body Contact Contract") February 5, 1977 - March 12, 1977 |
Succeeded by "Do What You Wanna Do" by T-Connection |