"Hot Cop" is a song by the American

disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...

group Village People recorded for their third studio album '' Cruisin''' (1978). It was written by

Jacques Morali Jacques Morali (4 July 1947 – 15 November 1991) was a French disco and dance music record producer and songwriter, known for creating acts like The Ritchie Family and Village People. Early life Morali was born in Casablanca, Morocco. ...

and Village People lead singer

Victor Willis Victor Edward Willis (born July 1, 1951) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is the founding member of the disco group Village People. He performed as their lead singer and was co-songwriter for all of their most successful singles. ...

. It served as Willis' theme song with the Village People. Although not released as a single, it was a

hit. A

medley Medley or Medleys may refer to: Sports *Medley swimming, races requiring multiple swimming styles * Medley relay races at track meets Music *Medley (music), multiple pieces strung together People *Medley (surname), list of people with this nam ...

with "

Y.M.C.A. YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams in London, originally ...

" reached number 2 on '' Billboard's'' Hot Disco Singles chart.

Composition

"Hot Cop" is a mid-tempo

song. Its danceability is enhanced by its cyclical beat.

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

critic Amy Hanson describes the vocals as having a "

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...

style" that ranges from "righteous rolling to spoken word come-ons a la Earth, Wind & Fire." The

bassline Bassline (also known as a bass line or bass part) is the term used in many styles of music, such as blues, jazz, funk, Dub music, dub and electronic music, electronic, traditional music, traditional, or classical music for the low-pitched Part ( ...

is similar to that which Spandau Ballet would use on their early songs. The lyrics are somewhat self-referential, as Willis dressed as a "Hot Cop" within the Village People concept, wearing a full policeman uniform.

Reception

Although

critic Amy Hanson found "Hot Cop" to be "dismally boring" she describes it as a "tribute to the triumph of the disco scene, as Victor Willis patrolled the floors, letting all who dared to dance know, 'this is the hot cop talking to you. I want everybody to get on their feet.'" "Hot Cop" was a disco hit during the late 1970s disco scene. A

with "

" reached number 2 on '' Billboard's''

Dance Music/Club Play Singles Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as th ...

chart.

's Hanson praises the song's vocals, both the "powerful vocals" of lead singer Willis and the backing vocals provided by the other Village People members. Marc Zakem of ''The Courier-Journal'' praises the lyrical wit and musical vitality of "Hot Cop" stating that it is "the first disco song I've heard in a long time in which I can actually imagine a roomful of dancing people." and Paul Green 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 advertise ...

'' criticizes the "standard

cliche" of the

refrain A refrain (from Vulgar Latin ''refringere'', "to repeat", and later from Old French ''refraindre'') is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in poetry — the "chorus" of a song. Poetic fixed forms that feature refrains include the vi ...

, with its "Party, boogie, boogie" lyrics. ''Classic Rock History'' critic Brian Kachejian rated it the Village People's 9th greatest song.

Other appearances

The Village People performed "Hot Cop" on the first episode of ''

Dance Fever ''Dance Fever'' is an American musical variety television series that aired weekly in syndication from January 1979 to September 1987. The series was technically created by Merv Griffin but his agent Murray Schwartz actually conceived the idea of ...

'' on January 13, 1979. They also performed "Hot Cop" on '' The Midnight Special'' on January 27, 1979. A live version of "Hot Cop" was included on the Village People's 1979 album ''

Live and Sleazy ''Live and Sleazy'' is the first live album and fifth studio album by the Village People and features a mixture of live and studio recordings. It was released as a double LP. The album featured numerous lead singers: original cop Victor Willis ...

''. ''

Billboard Magazine ''Billboard'' (stylized as ''billboard'') is an American music and entertainment magazine published weekly by Penske Media Corporation. The magazine provides music charts, news, video, opinion, reviews, events, and style related to the music ...

'' rated it as one of the "best cuts" from ''Live and Sleazy''. The Village People performed the song in Jean Yanne's 1978 French musical film ''Je te tiens, tu me tiens par la barbichette''. It has been included on a number of Village People

compilation albums A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several Performing arts#Performers, performers. If by one artist, then generally the tr ...

, including ''Greatest Hits'' and '' The Best of Village People''.

Chart performance

Weekly charts

References

{{Authority control Village People songs Disco songs 1978 songs Songs written by Jacques Morali Songs written by Victor Willis Song recordings produced by Jacques Morali