"I had to rewrite 'Ring My Bell' when Anita did it," explained Frederick. 'Ring My Bell' was something real special, and unique." However, Stacy signed with Henry Allen and Cotillion Records. It was conceived strictly for Stacy, because I believe a kid that young needs a special piece of material. "It was then a teenybopper song, about kids talking on the telephone. The original "Ring My Bell" was written for eleven-year-old Stacy Lattisaw, whom Frederick had hoped to sign to his production company. Frederick went home, and the next day returned with "Ring My Bell." Anita had a few doubts about the song, but wound up cutting it anyway. Basic tracks were completed, but after they were played back, everyone agreed that the album needed one more up-tempo tune. Out of that," said Frederick, "came 'Ring My Bell.'"Īctually, that song was not intended to be on the album. Shortly after recording began, though, he became "so impressed by her ability, that we went out and completed an entire LP. He knew what it was like to have a hit record "I've Been Lonely for So Long" had made the Top 30 for him in the summer of 1972.įrederick agreed to help Anita by producing the three-song session with her. Finally, through her manager, she met singer-songwriter Frederick Knight. It was all right, but she longed for a show biz career. Later, she put out another album with her own gospel quartet.Īfter graduation, Anita got a job as a substitute teacher in Memphis elementary schools. She was always interested in music, and while still a student, sang with the Rust College A Cappella Choir on an album with Metropolitan Opera star Leontyne Price. In 2011, the recording was added to the Library of Congress National Recording Registry and was recognized "to have launched an entire genre," adding that "the song's inventive rhymes, complex counter-rhythms and brash boastfulness presage the tenets of hip-hop."Įnjoy the 1979: The Year In Music in the playlist.Nita Ward was born in Memphis, the eldest of five children. It was a banner year for classic releases including The Wall by Pink Floyd, Rust Never Sleeps by Neil Young, Damn The Torpedoes by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Off The Wall by Michael Jackson, the Gang of Four's debut album, Entertainment!, Tusk by Fleetwood Mac, Cheap Trick's At Budakon, and perhaps rock music's greatest double album, London Calling by The Clash.įinally, 1979 was still very much a nascent year in the development of rap and hip-hop music, and during the summer, The Sugarhill Gang released "Rapper's Delight," which sampled Chic's "Good Times," making it the first hip-hop single to reach the Billboard Top 40. Donna Summer's "Bad Girls" and "Hot Stuff" established pop chart dominance during the year.
Chic's "Le Freak" and "Good Times" from their Risque album held dance floor and pop music power. Despite the cries of "disco sucks" throughout that evening, disco was thriving. Thousands of anti-disco fans overran the park and Dahl exploded hundreds of disco records. Other major hit songs that rocked that year were "My Sharona" by The Knack, AC/DC's "Highway To Hell," and "The Long Run" by The Eagles from its final studio album.įor many music fans, disco was still very much a part of our lives, despite the attempt by Chicago DJ Steve Dahl - who at the time was on rock station WLUP - to hold a " disco demolition night" at Comiskey Park during a Chicago White Sox game. 1 hit, "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)" on heavy rotation along with much of the rest of the American radio listening audience at the time. 1 with its slow jam, "Reunited." And if you liked piña coladas, then you had Rupert Holmes' No. 1 with its album Breakfast In America, Rod Stewart ruled the top of the charts with his disco flavored "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?" Peaches & Herb spent a month at No. Classic releases from multiple genres like rock, rap, R&B, disco, and new wave were crashing up against our ears on our radios, our boomboxes, and - in the Summer of '79 - on a new device called the Sony Walkman.ġ979 was the year of some major No. Looking in the rear view mirror to 40 years ago, we couldn't help but notice the overabundance of musical riches from the year 1979. The Clash's Joe Strummer (R), Mick Jones (C) and Paul Simonon.