This Lively 1978 No 1, Which Led To A Best New Artist Grammy, Topped Charts 48 Years Ago Today

On September 7, 1978, more Americans were grooving to the jaunty and bouncy "Boogie Oogie Oogie" than any other disco song. A breakout success for A Taste of Honey, the energetic song was in the middle of its first of three weeks as the No. 1 song on Billboard's Hot 100. The first and biggest hit ever for A Taste of Honey, "Boogie Oogie Oogie" is one of the songs that defines '70s disco, powered by an extremely funky and confident bass line and guitar riff that support the commanding vocals of Janice-Marie Johnson, who co-wrote the song with bandmate and group co-founder Perry Kibble.

A Taste of Honey formed in 1971, long before disco had gone mainstream. The act found a niche entertaining U.S. military bases throughout Europe and Japan. After getting their big break when Jackson 5 producers Larry and Fonce Mizell got them an audition with Capital Records, A Taste of Honey started recording in 1978, and they topped the charts by year's end. "Boogie Oogie Oogie," a song with a seemingly nonsensical title and presumedly lightweight lyrics, is actually a reflection on the group's early days and serves as a retort to some rude audience members. Here's how the secret protest song conquered the pop chart.

A Taste of Honey never forgot its past making a living on the overseas military entertainment circuit. Janice-Marie Johnson and Perry Kibble were prompted to write "Boogie Oogie Oogie," a get-up-and-dance song, after getting frustrated and offended when a crowd at an Air Force club acted alternately bored and hostile. Some attendees were even openly nasty about the band having female members at the fore. "Boogie Oogie Oogie" gave control to the performer — the lyrics declare that the audience doesn't have a choice in the matter, and dancing to their groove is mandatory. The crowd is going to "listen to the music" and then "listen to my bass here," as Johnson says before delivering one of the best bass solos of all time.

"Boogie Oogie Oogie" was such a massive hit that it won A Taste of Honey the Grammy Award for best new artist in 1979. Seemingly falling victim to the best new artist curse, A Taste of Honey only scored one more Top 40 hit, with its English translation of Kyu Sakamoto's early '60s Japanese-language smash "Sukiyaki" peaking at No. 3 in 1981. Like "Boogie Oogie Oogie," that track referenced A Taste of Honey's military installation gigging past. Its existence was a tribute to a country that had warmly accepted the band more than any other place on Earth.