Turn the Beat Around (1976) 3/27/20

When you consider the background story of today's "Great Song of the '70s," it's lucky the song ever saw the light of day!

In 1976, brothers Gerald and Peter Jackson of the group "Touch of Class" were recording an album when the girlfriend of studio engineer Al Garrison stopped by the studio, heard a song they were working on, and fell in love with it.

Turns out, the girlfriend was Vicki Sue Robinson, who was working on her debut album, and needed one more song to fill it out. After some begging, pleading and cajoling, Vicki and Al FAILED to convince Gerald and Peter to let her record it.

Case closed...until the very next day, when "Touch of Class" presented "Turn the Beat Around" to their record label...who flat out rejected it!

At that point, Gerald called Vicki Sue and told her she could record the song...and to meet him at the studio.

After multi-tracking several background vocal parts over the original instrumental mix, Vickie Sue then recorded her lead vocals IN ONE TAKE!

Her debut album was complete. Or was it?

Producer Warren Schatz at Vickie Sue's label (RCA) hated the song and could not see any hit potential. At that point, David Todd, RCA's head of Disco Promotion, asked to hear the song, and LOVED it!

To make a long story even longer, it made the album and was immediately released as a single. It quickly went to #1 on the Billboard Dance Chart as well as #10 on Billboard's Hot 100. In Canada, it went to #14.

It makes you wonder how many "Great Songs" were nixed by record companies before they were ever released.

In 1994, Gloria Estefan recorded the song with a slightly more Latin flavor...and the song became a hit again: #1 on the Billboard Dance Chart, #4 on the Adult Contemporary Chart, and #13 on the Hot 100. In Canada, it reached #7, and in Australia, it topped off at #8!

Turns out that "Turn the Beat Around" was a "Great Song of the '70s...and 90s!

Vicki Sue Robinson:

Gloria Estefan: