The Salsoul Orchestra: The Salsoul Orchestra - 1975
If you asked a number of people what seventies disco was all about, sound-wise, chances are they would say “the beat”, “the boogie” or “the rhythm”. They would be wrong.
Disco was all about strings. Sweeping, romantic orchestration powered so much mid-seventies disco, giving it a movie soundtrack feel. Indeed, it backed so many films at the time. Lush strings were everywhere, merged with funky wah-wah guitars, big band-style drums, jazzy keyboards, a touch of Latin influence and multiple high-pitched “doo-doo-doo” female backing vocals.
Maybe nothing exemplifies this generic sound more than the output of Philadelphia session musicians The Salsoul Orchestra, many of whom had been part of the MFSB Philly collective that to an extent launched disco with their eponymous single. This orchestrated semi-instrumental tradition was continued by the Barry White-associated Love Unlimited Orchestra and also Van McCoy of the Hustle fame.
Every track on this seminal album could have come from a movie. They are all long-ish largely instrumental workouts with occasional vocal interjection that were highly influential in the development of the whole disco thing. Saturday Night Fever would not have existed without this showing the way. Indeed, much of the soundtrack album is indebted to the foundations laid down here.
Highlights are Salsoul Hustle, Salsoul Rainbow, Chicago Bus Stop, You’re Just The Right Size and Tale Of Three Cities. All these drip with the essence of 1975-1978, they are slick, polished, beautifully orchestrated and what they may lack in grit or true soul they gain in a classy, rhythmic sensuality.
