Disco

The song was written by brothers Gerald and Peter Jackson.  They were keyboardists, session musicians,  and members of the R&B group Touch of Class. The song is simply about the music itself — especially the beat and the percussion. It was recorded by Vicki Sue Robinson in 1976 and became a disco classic. The song was released on Robinson’s 1976 debut album Gonna Let You Go. It was also released as a single backed with “Lack of Respect.” And in 1976, “Turn the Beat Around” went to #1 on the U.S. Billboard Dance Chart and #10 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and #15 on Cash Box. It  rose to #14 in Canada. It also charted in Australia, Belgium, France, The Netherlands, and the U.K.  Robinson earned a Grammy for Best Pop Female Vocal for the song.

There have been other popular versions by Laura Branigan and Gloria Estefan. It has also been featured in the TV shows The Sopranos and Ally McBeal. In film, it was featured in The Specialist, The Last Days of Disco, The Spirit of ’76, and The Martian.

Robinson was a theater and film actress as well as a singer. She was in the Broadway casts of Hair and Jesus Christ Superstar.

Here are the lyrics to “Turn the Beat Around” by Vicki Sue Robinson:

[Chorus]
Turn the beat around
Love to hear percussion
Turn it upside down
Love to hear percussion
Love to hear it

[Verse]
Blow horns you sure sound pretty
Your violins keep moving to the nitty gritty
When you hear the scratch of the guitars scratchin’
Then you’ll know that rhythm carries all the action
Whoa

[Chorus]
Turn the beat around (Turn it around, yeah)
Love to hear percussion (yeah yeah hey hey!)
Turn it upside down (hey hey hey hey yeah)
Love to hear percussion (my my my my my)
Love to hear it (GOT TO HEAR IT!)

Turn the beat around (go on go on go on girl!)
Love to hear the percussion (move your feet when you feel the beat, yeah)
Turn it upside down (HEY! yeah yeah)
Love to hear percussion (whoa!)
Love to hear it

[Verse]
Flute player play your flute cause
I know that you want to get your thing off
But you see I’ve made up my mind about it
It’s got to be the rhythm, no doubt about it, whoa whoa
Cause when the guitar player start playing
With the syncopated rhythm, with the scratch, scratch, scratch
Makes me wanna move my body yeah, yeah, yeah
And when the drummer starts beating that beat
He nails that beat with the syncopated rhythm
With the rat, tat, tat, tat, tat, tat on the drums, hey!

[Chorus]
Turn the beat around (ooooh I’m talkin’ ’bout the beat)
Love to hear percussion (Ah my my my my my)
Turn it upside down (ooooh yeah)
Love to hear the percussion (love the hear the beat nah nah)
Love to hear it
Love to hear it (WHOA!)
Love to hear it
Love to hear it (HEY….!!)

Turn the beat around
Love to hear percussion
Turn it upside down
Love to hear percussion
Love to hear it
Love to hear it (x2)

For More 70s Tunes

The System has daily featured music from all sorts of genres of 1970s music. You’re welcome to listen to any of the 40+ selections in The System. Thank you for stopping by. Hope you enjoyed “Turn the Beat Around” by Vicki Sue Robinson.