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For a short time before I left Toledo for Wisconsin at the end of 1975, I worked as a disco DJ at the 2001 Club on Dorr Street. I mention this because one of the songs I played there with great success, “7-6-5-4-3-2-1 Blow Your Whistle” by Gary Toms Empire did NOT translate into success at the discos in Wisconsin. I tried to make it work, but unfortunately, I failed.
It did, however, reach #5 on the Rhythm and Blues Chart in 1975, and was also a staple at roller rinks, so it wasn't just me who liked the song.
One more thing: It was directly responsible for the early disco mini-fad of bringing whistles to clubs and rinks and blowing them in rhythm during certain songs. (You may remember Donna Summer's 1979 #1 song “Bad Girls,” the biggest hit to showcase this oddity---and a “Great Song” I will highlight separately in the future.)
I have always thought “7-6-5-4-3-2-1 Blow Your Whistle” was an under appreciated “Great Song of the '70s,” and the few I've run into who actually remember it agree!
If you're one of those people, let me know. :-)
(1975) Gary Toms Empire:
(1979) Donna Summer (“Bad Girls”):
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