Disco Inferno by The Trammps Song Info
"Disco Inferno" is a 1976 song by The Trammps from the album of the same name. It became a success in 1978 after being included on the soundtrack to the 1977 film Saturday Night Fever. The title alludes to the 1974 film The Towering Inferno, and the "Burn, baby, burn" chorus references a saying attributed to activist Bill Epton. It was also notably covered by Cyndi Lauper on the A Night at the Roxbury soundtrack and Tina Turner on the What's Love Got To Do With It? soundtrack. The song was originally performed by the Trammps in 1976 and released as a single. Although it topped the U.S. Disco chart, it was not a significant success at pop radio, peaking at number fifty-three on the Billboard Hot 100. According to famed mixer Tom Moulton (who mixed the record), the levels had been set incorrectly during the mixdown of the tracks, resulting in a much wider dynamic than was commonly accepted at the time. Due to this, the record seems to "jump out" at the listener. "Disco Inferno" gained much greater recognition once it was included on the soundtrack to the 1977 film Saturday Night Fever. Re-released by Atlantic Records, the track peaked at number eleven in the U.S. during the spring of 1978, becoming the Trammps' biggest and most-recognized single. Later, it was included in the Saturday Night Fever musical, interpreted by the 'DJ Monty' in the "Odissey 2001" discothèque. The song also became an unofficial theme song for former New York Yankees outfielder Bernie Williams. It was often played at old Yankee Stadium while the scoreboard and video systems displayed the phrase "Bern Baby Bern," a play on the song's refrain and Williams' first name. In 1996, "Disco Inferno" was included on the soundtrack to the cult comedy classic "Kingpin," and featured in two pivotal scenes in which Roy Munson (played by Woody Harrelson) confidently strolls into a bowling alley. The scenes and the song embody the promise of the mid to late seventies. On September 19, 2005, "Disco Inferno" was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame. The song was used during the trailer to the Adam Sandler comedy, Bedtime Stories.
