Eargasm

by Ron WynnJohnnie Taylor's biggest hit album also proved his undoing. Stax had collapsed, and he ended up on Columbia's roster. The disco boom was beginning, and Taylor had the perfect single. "Disco Lady" was vocally quite similar to his earlier material, but its lyrics embraced the hedonism and dance-your-troubles-away ethic of the era. It was not only a number one hit, but the song of the year for 1976, and Taylor was shoved into territory he wasn't comfortable in. The rest of the album was standard soul, but this was overlooked in the rush. Taylor eventually left the label after subsequent attempts to pigeonhole him as a dance singer bombed.