"The Hustle"
Single by Van McCoy & the Soul City Symphony
from the album Disco Baby
Released	1975
Genre	Disco, R&B
Length	4:10
Label	Avco Records
Writer(s)	Van McCoy
Producer	Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore

"The Hustle" is a hit disco song by songwriter/arranger Van McCoy and the Soul City Symphony. The song was a huge crossover hit. It reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the Hot Soul Singles chart during the summer of 1975.^[1] It also peaked at #9 on the Australian Singles Chart (Kent Music Report).^[2] It would eventually sell over one million copies and is one of the most popular songs of the disco era. The song won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance in 1976.

While in New York City to make an album, McCoy was inspired to record the song after his music partner, Charles Kipps, watched patrons do an elegant dance called "the hustle" at the Adam's Apple club. The sessions were done at New York's Media Sound with pianist McCoy, bassist Gordon Edwards, drummers Steve Gadd and Rick Marotta, keyboardist Richard Tee, guitarists Eric Gale and John Tropea, and orchestra leader Gene Orloff. Producer Hugo Peretti brought in piccolo player Philip Bodner to play the lead melody.

[edit] Chart positions

Charts	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	1
U.S. Billboard Hot Soul Singles	1

Preceded by "Listen to What the Man Said" by Paul McCartney & Wings	Billboard Hot 100 number one single July 26, 1975	Succeeded by "One of These Nights" by Eagles
Preceded by "Slippery When Wet" by The Commodores	Billboard's Hot Soul Singles number one single July 12, 1975	Succeeded by "Fight the Power (Part 1)" by The Isley Brothers

[edit] References