Orchestras have always had their place in pop music. The 70s 'disco boom' provided an opportunity for many of them to make a real impact in the record market whilst almost creating an industry of their own.
The growing interest in that era, especially in disco, has seen many of those old tunes reworked, sampled and plagiarised to produce new tracks that are fresh but also familiar. A quick look at the current Top 40 bears testament to the fact that a tried and tested formula can usually produce the desired effect.
Westbound Records enjoyed a degree of success during the hedonistic days of disco. Established groups like the Fantastic Four and Detroit Emeralds enjoyed heavy sales with tracks that had become popular through the clubs. Newer groups, such as CJ & Co, followed the same route with similar results.
One of the individuals at the cutting edge of the disco scene was Mike Theodore, one of the back stage stars of the movement and the driving force behind CJ & Co. Theodore was the unofficial house producer for Westbound during the disco boom. Aided and abetted by his 'Orchestra', he released two albums aimed specifically at the disco market. Contained on this CD are those two albums reissued, at last, for your listening, dancing or sampling pleasure. COSMIC WIND (Westbound 305) and HIGH ON MAD MOUNTAIN (Westbound 6109) perfectly capture the mood of the time and serve to remind us how pleasurable life could be on the dance-floor.
