Album: A Fifth Of Beethoven (1976)

Charted: 28 1

License This Song 

Songfacts®:

• This disco instrumental was an adaptation of Beethoven's 5th Symphony. Convenient, since classical music is in the public domain and free to use.
• Walter Murphy was an orchestral leader who studied both classical and jazz music piano at the Manhattan School of Music. At one time he was the arranger for Doc Severinsen and The Tonight Show orchestra. Murphy played nearly every instrument on this song but was forced to credit it to an imaginary ensemble. It landed at #1 in the US on October 9, 1976 (ousted the following week by "Disco Duck").
  
  Murphy never had another Top 40 hit on the Hot 100. The closest he got was this song's follow-up, "Flight 76," based on Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's "Flight of the Bumblebee," which peaked at #44, and 1982's medley of "Themes From E.T. (The Extra-Terrestrial)," which reached #47. Murphy switched to writing jingles and music for TV shows and in 2002 his song "You've Got A Lot To See," written for an episode of the cartoon Family Guy, won the 2002 Emmy Award for Outstanding Music and Lyrics.
• This plays early in the 1977 film Saturday Night Fever in a scene where John Travolta's character walks into a disco. The song was included on the soundtrack, which spent 24 weeks at #1 in America.
• Robin Thicke's 2002 debut single, "When I Get You Alone," sampled this song.
• The rattle that starts shaking up the mix around the one-minute mark was created using a vibraslap, a popular percussive sound of the '70s in tunes like "Sweet Emotion" and "Fame."

Comments: 6

• Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn September 25th 1976, Walter Murphy* and the Big Apple Band performed "A Fifth of Beethoven" on the ABC-TV program 'American Bandstand'...
  Just over four months earlier on May 23rd, 1976 it entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #80; and on October 3rd, its 20th week on the Top 100, it peaked at #1 {for 1 week} and spent over a half-year on the chart {28 weeks}...
  It also reached #1 {for 2 weeks} on September 19th, 1976 on the Canadian RPM 100 Singles chart...
  He had two other Top 100 records; "Flight of '76" {#44 in 1976} and "The themes from 'E.T.'" {#47 in 1982}...
  Mr. Murphy was nominated for an Academy Award for 'Best Original Song' in 2012 for "Everybody Needs A Best Friend" from the movie 'Ted' {winner was "Skyfall" from the film 'Skyfall'}...
  He will celebrate his 62nd birthday in three months on December 19th {2014}...
  * Mr. Murphy played nearly every instrument on the record, but his record label, Private Stock, insistent that 'the Big Apple Band' be added to label.
• Neal from Hooterville, MiWalter Murphy does the music for "Family Guy" on TV.
• Jj from Washington, DcSounds a little bit like the "Judge Judy" theme song.
• Drew from B\'ham, AlIt'd be awesome if this were two-fifths of Beethoven. Then it would last longer! Better yet, one-half! Because 2/2 disco is being played at normal pace, not too slow, some orchestra parts sound as if they're having to be played a little fast to keep up w/ the beat. But I'm just telling what *I* hear. Y'all others may hear it a little differently.
• Clovis from Boca Raton, FlRobin Thicke's version sucks! Heard it the other day. He took a perfectly good disco song (if there is such a thing) and ruined it. He added some incomprehensible words and raps to the song. The dude can't even carry a tune. Whatever happened to originality?
• Jennifer Harris from Grand Blanc, MiThis was seen on an episode of Family Guy,when Joe,Cleaveland,Quagmire,and Peter were picking up Meg,and they were rollerskating to this.

More Songfacts:

Slow HandThe Pointer Sisters

"Slow Hand" was a #1 Country hit for Conway Twitty in 1982, a year after The Pointer Sisters recorded it.

The OneMemphis Bleek

Rapper Memphis Bleek's 2005 album track "The One" is notable for featuring a then-unknown Rihanna on the hook. It was the Barbadian singer's first-ever major-label appearance.

Here Comes Your ManPixies

"Here Comes Your Man" is the closest the Pixies came to a hit in America. It was rumored to be about a drug dealer, but Black Francis says it's just a story about some hobos who travel by train and die in an earthquake.

VoodooGodsmack

The line, "I feel the snakebite enter my veins," led many to believe the Godsmack song "Voodoo" is about drugs, but it's really about Wiccan ritual, inspired in part by the Wes Craven movie The Serpent and the Rainbow.

Strawberry Letter 23The Brothers Johnson

"Strawberry Letter 23" by The Brothers Johnson was written by Shuggie Otis, whose girlfriend would send him letters written on strawberry-scented paper.

VogueMadonna

Every film star mentioned in Madonna's "Vogue" has since died. The last was Lauren Bacall, who passed away in 2014.

Editor's Picks

Sarah BrightmanSongwriter Interviews

One of the most popular classical vocalists in the land is lining up a trip to space, which is the inspiration for many of her songs.

Al KooperSongwriter Interviews

Kooper produced Lynyrd Skynyrd, played with Dylan and the Stones, and formed BS&T.

Reverend Horton HeatSongwriter Interviews

The Reverend rants on psychobilly and the egghead academics he bashes in one of his more popular songs.

90210 to Buffy to Glee: How Songs Transformed TVSong Writing

Shows like Dawson's Creek, Grey's Anatomy and Buffy the Vampire Slayer changed the way songs were heard on TV, and produced some hits in the process.

Van Dyke ParksSongwriter Interviews

U2, Carly Simon, Joanna Newsom, Brian Wilson and Fiona Apple have all gone to Van Dyke Parks to make their songs exceptional.

Richard MarxSongwriter Interviews

Richard explains how Joe Walsh kickstarted his career, and why he chose Hazard, Nebraska for a hit.