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Walter Murphy – A Fifth Of BeethovenKeyboardist, songwriter, producer Walter Murphy hit it big when he contemporized a classical composition of Beethoven’s…
“A Fifth Of Beethoven” is a play on words meaning it’s using Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony as the base and reason for the song, and the updates, disco addition, referring to the “fifth” of hard liquor (fifth of vodka).
The song caught the attention of label owner, Larry Uttal of Private Stock Records and signed Murphy to a contract as Walter Murphy and the Big Apple Band, thinking it would be more successful and commerical if it was a group rather than just him.
Eventually, subsequent pressings were just Walter Murphy (without a band) and it sold out everywhere! This was the beginning of the disco movement in 1976 so it was a perfect song at the right time.
It debuted on the Hot 100 at #80 and in 19 weeks, topped the chart and then was licensed by Robert Stigwood and RSO Records to be used on the soundtrack of one of the biggest selling records of all-time, ‘Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack’.
Hear it again this Saturday on AT40 – The 70s!
