1976-1985: My Favorite Decade: Cash Box Chart Scrapers: The James Montgomery Band (1976)

First in a series. To be considered a "chart scraper" album, an artist must have had only one album make the Cash Box 200 album chart^* during the years 1976-85. Said album spent no more than two weeks on the chart, placing no higher than 196. They're all new to me.

The James Montgomery Band

Released: 1976 (Island)
Produced by: Allen Toussaint & Marshall Sehorn

Side One	Side Two
City Music Foot Floppin' Don't You Just Know It Hotcha Mama	Stoop Down Steppin' (Out in Style) Hang On to Love Teasin' You

Week	Position
December 25, 1976	199
January 1, 1977	200

click photos to enlarge

Rolling Stone Magazine, February 24, 1977

The Morning Record (Meriden, CT), December 31, 1976

It's no coincidence both critics compared the band's sound to K.C. and the Sunshine Band as the album's single was a disco-ish cover of Huey "Piano" Smith's 1958 hit, "Don't You Just Know It" (the album uses that title, the single used the title "The Gooba Gooba Song."):

Different titles on single and album can't be a smart marketing move. Based on track length, the 12" single version is identical to the album version. Both flopped.

I've only listened to the LP twice since it arrived here at blog headquarters earlier this week, but on first blush, I agree with the above critics. The playing is good, but the original material is weak and the covers of the New Orleans classics are uninspired. In other words, no stand out moments. If you took J. Geils, Average White Band, and generic disco music, mixed them in a New Orleans R&B blender, this would be the result.

Not sure if he doesn't like it or there's a publishing rights issue with Island, but this album doesn't get so much as a mention on Montgomery's official website.

I dig the album cover, which was listed in the 2012 book, Classic Album Covers of the 1970s.