Back in March, in a Throwback Weekends post about Johnnie Taylor’s ‘Disco Lady,’ I noted that it was the first #1 hit with the word “disco” in its title. I went on to write that only one other such song reached #1 in the future… and here we are.
‘Disco Duck,’ a novelty track by Memphis disc jockey Rick Dees, spent a single week atop the Billboard Hot 100 exactly 60 years ago.
‘Disco Duck’ was included in the movie Saturday Night Fever but not on the film’s soundtrack because Dees didn’t want to limit sales of his own album. Bad call, considered the Saturday Night Fever went on to become one of the top-selling albums of all time.
Kenneth Pruitt, a man Dees said he met at the gym, provided the the Donald Duck-like voice heard throughout the track. Pruitt sued Dees for increased royalties, claiming he was paid only $188 to record the song and promote it while wearing a duck suit on TV.
Old songs. Great memories.
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(Quack-quack, quack-quack)
(Quack-quack, quack-quack)
[Verse 1: Rick Dees]
Went to a party the other night
All the ladies were treatin’ me right
Movin’ my feet to the disco beat
How in the world could I keep my seat?
[Verse 2: Rick Dees & Kenneth Pruitt]
All of a sudden, I begin to change
I was on the dance floor, actin’ strange (Quack-quack, quack-quack)
Flappin’ my arms, I began to cluck (Quack-quack)
Look at me, I’m the disco duck
[Interlude: Kenneth Pruitt]
Ah, get down, mama
I’ve got to have me a woman, hahahahaha
[Chorus: Kenneth Pruitt]
(Disco, disco duck) Got to have me a woman
(Disco, disco duck) Oh, get down, mama
(Try your luck)
(Don’t be a cluck) Uh
(Disco) Disco
(Disco) Disco
(Disco, disco) Disco
(Disco, disco duck) Alright
(Disco, disco duck) Oh, get down, mama
Oh mama, shake your tailfeather, hahahahaha
[Verse 3: Rick Dees & Kenneth Pruitt]
When the music stopped, I returned to my seat
But there’s no stoppin’ a duck and his beat (Quack-quack, quack-quack)
So I got back up to try my luck (Quack-quack, quack-quack)
Why, look
[Chorus: Kenneth Pruitt]
Everybody’s doin’ the disco, disco duck (Disco, disco duck)
(Disco, disco duck) Disco, disco duck
(Try your luck) Wave it, mama
(Don’t be a cluck) Hahahaha
(Disco) Disco
(Disco) Disco
(Disco, disco) Disco
(Disco, disco duck) Disco, disco duck, my, oh my
(Disco, disco duck) Give me a woman
(Try your luck) Ah
(Don’t be a cluck)
(Disco) Disco
(Disco) Disco
(Disco, disco) Disco
(Disco, disco duck) Disco, disco duck
(Disco, disco duck) Disco, disco duck
(Try your luck) Wave to me
(Don’t be a cluck)
[Outro: Kenneth Pruitt]
I’m so happy to be here (Disco)
Thank you, Duck, for gettin’ down (Disco)
(Disco, disco) Do the disco duck!
(Disco, disco duck) Thank you so very much
You’re welcome (Disco, disco duck)
(Try your luck) Yeah
(Don’t be a cluck)
(Disco, disco) Yeah
(Disco)
