Silver Convention’s Get Up And Boogie

Title: Get Up And Boogie

Record Label: BBR

It’s interesting how much the disco genre had to be thankful to Europe for a lot of its content and many of its highlights. One of those supportive elements was this German-based outfit. Created by Michael Kunze and Sylvester Levay, the pair worked from Munich and were heavily influenced by America’s Philadelphia sound. Specifically, the string-laden Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff of Philadelphia International Records.

Kunze & Levay stepped off the mark by releasing the album, Save Me, in 1975 using a completely different trio of girls called Silver Bird. The team would soon settle on a new moniker, Silver Convention (which initially featured Donna Summer). The ‘Silver’ bit stemming from Sylvester Levay’s nickname.

Save Me did well and was followed up, in 1976, by this album. Even so, the changes were rung and a new line-up was drafted in to include: Penny McClean, Linda G. Thompson and Ramona Wulf. Offering an Abba-like vocal delivery, this European production featured carefully constructed lyrics, avoiding any black intonation or slang.

Although Get Up And Boogie was the hit single, DJs also plundered the rest of the LP for club dancer fare, which helped to promote the album on a broad basis.

Tracks such as San Francisco Hustle (a bit of a steal of Van McCoy’s The Hustle) as well as the overtly sexual No No Joe and the rather dreamy You Got What It Takes (To Please Your Woman) as well as the clever Play Me Like a Yo-Yo were club hits. Then there are more adventurous numbers on this album. Take the Boy With the Ooh La-La which moves away from the Euro disco framework and introduces elements of pop-reggae.

It might not live up to the quality of Save Me as an album project but Get Up And Boogie is, nevertheless, a fun pop, disco effort.