Van McCoy

I can say this, and the only person at the table that's old enough like me to remember it would be you, Gene.

Like, The Hustle by Van McCoy and the South Soul Orchestra was hot in 1976.

Don't play that in 1983.

People are going to walk off the dance floor.

Do the hustle.

Van McCoy.

Ho, ho, ho, it's magic.

Like the pilot.

And it was packed and there's this big catwalk.

And it was Van McCoy's The Hustle, Van McCoy and the Soul City Symphony playing.

And all I had to do was walk on this catwalk, show off my T-shirt, go back, see my mum at the far end like that with a glass of sherry in her hand, falling asleep, right? Not interested...

Got on that catwalk.

Delivered with real feeling and driven by a rhythm that just refuses to sit still.

Behind it was Van McCoy, the songwriter and arranger who would later become internationally famous for the hustle.

But long before disco, he was creating some wonderful soul records, working with groups like the Spellbinders alongside producer David Capralake.

The group never quite achieved the commercial success they deserved and they split up in 1967.

The group was dissolved in 1970 when Herb Fame decided to enter the police academy.

After six years of working as a policeman, Herb Fame was lured back into the recording studio by Van McCoy.

McCoy then recruited a new third woman for the Peaches role in the duo.

In 1977, a new album and a pair of singles were released by Peaches & Herb, following the duo's established soul singing style.

Um, and so a lot of guys came along and they're like, "Boy, these guys are kicking." I mean, we had a sound.

You know, Thomas, Kashif, Paul Laurence, Mavis Morgan, um, Van McCoy, Evelyn King.

I mean, list- Howard Johnson, So Fine.

I mean, we had a whole thing that was going on, and it was through my success really kind of took it to a whole 'nother level where people were like, "Oh, we can do this too." So yes, Hush Productions, as crazy as it ended, ended, ended up being, was, was a leader in the forefront.

Remembering that as well as a captivating performer, he was an outstanding songwriter.

The tale of success is all about the B side, You're Messing Up My Mind, a song written by Van McCoy and first released by Herb Fame.

Judy's version was produced by Peter Robinson and John Farrar and recorded at the legendary Bill Armstrong Studio in Melbourne Sadly, the success was not found on the charts, but in its adoption as a Northern Soul classic.

Many people interested in selling records love to tag some 45s as Northern Soul classics.