"Let Your Body Go Downtown" is a song co-written by
Lynsey de Paul and
Mike Moran, and recorded by the
Martyn Ford Orchestra as a single on 18 March 1977 on the Mountain record label. A 12-inch single was also released. It was also released in France, Germany, Italy and The Netherlands on
Vertigo Records
Vertigo Records is a record company with United Kingdom origins. It was a subsidiary of the Philips/Phonogram record label, launched in 1969 to specialise in progressive rock and other non-mainstream musical styles. Today, it is operated by Uni ...
. It was a BBC Radio 1 "Record of the Week" and playlist by a number of UK regional radio stations. As noted by ''Record World'' magazine, it took the single three months to enter the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
. However, this insistent funk/soul/disco song reached No. 38 on that chart, and No. 12 on the UK Disco Chart, published by ''
Record Mirror
''Record Mirror'' was a British weekly music newspaper between 1954 and 1991 for pop fans and record collectors. Launched two years after the '' NME'', it never attained the circulation of its rival. The first UK album chart was published in '' ...
''. It was also released as a track on the album "Ronnie Jones Presents Let-Your-Body-Go-With-The-Disco" released on the Phillips record label in Italy and it received numerous radio plays there as listed in "Radiocorrier". A live performance of the song featuring Ford, his orchestra and backing singers was shown on the 12 May 1977 edition of ''
Top of the Pops
''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show. For most o ...
''.
The song was followed by another de Paul/Moran penned release, "
Going to a Disco
"Going to a Disco" is an electro-funk-dance song written by Lynsey de Paul and Mike Moran, and released as the duo's second penned single for Martyn Ford
Martyn Ford (born 28 April 1944) is an English musician, best known for his orchestral co ...
", in a similar vein, also released on the Mountain record label in 1977 as a 7 inch and 12 inch single but did not chart although it received a positive review from the British DJ James Hamilton. It is also mentioned alongside "Let Your Body Go Downtown" in the books ''The Virgin Encyclopedia of 70s Music'' and ''Complete UK Hit Singles 1952-2006''.
"Let Your Body Go Downtown" is still played on the radio, most recently on the
Ana Matronic
Ana Kirby (; born August 14, 1974), known by her stage name Ana Matronic, is an American singer, best known as the female co-lead vocalist for the pop rock band Scissor Sisters.
Career
She joined Scissor Sisters, founded by Jake Shears and ...
Disco Devotion radio show on
BBC Radio 2.
References
1977 singles
Songs written by Lynsey de Paul
Martyn Ford Orchestra songs
Songs written by Michael Moran (music producer)
1977 songs
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