Song of the Week – Float On, The Floaters

Ignored           Obscured            Restored

Back in the ‘70s, in the Disco era, one of the most cliché’ pick-up lines was conceived – “What’s your sign?”  In some ways, it isn’t as corny as it seems today.  You see, back then there was a significant cultural meme around horoscopes and astrology.  The website at the link below documents the era.

Flashbak – What’s Your Sign?

Needless to say, that cultural phenomenon could not escape popular music!

“Float On,” by the soul group The Floaters, did their best to capitalize on the trend.

Each of the group’s singers states his sign, name and what attributes he desires in women.

Aquarius and my name is Ralph
Now I like a woman who loves her freedom

Libra and my name is Charles
Now I like a woman that’s quiet

Leo and my name is Paul
You see I like all women of the world

Cancer and my name is Larry, huh
And I like a woman that loves everything and everybody

The sultry r&b music holds up but the lyrics haven’t aged well.  Yet I still enjoy hearing it because it’s so ludicrous.  It always makes me smile.

The album version extends to almost 12 minutes of slow jam sensuality.  The single was cut to 4 minutes to accommodate radio programming.  In 1977 it reached #1 on US Hot Soul Singles chart and #2 on Billboard Hot 100.

“Float On” was the subject of a parody, “Bloat On,” by comedy team Cheech and Chong.  It was originally released as a single and later included on their Let’s Make a New Dope Deal album.

Harry Nilsson (featuring Gloria Jones and the Zodiac Singers) recorded a song called “What’s Your Sign” (1975) and Frank Zappa’s “Dancin’ Fool” (1979) is a scathing lampoon of the Disco culture and has the line “Love your nails … You must be a Libra… Your place or mine?”

Enjoy… until next week.