Back in 1976 disco was in full swing and it seemed everybody and their brother or sister was getting into that four-on-the-floor groove. Case in point is today’s classic song of the day, “Cherchez La Femme,” from Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band. This single (official title: “Whispering”/”Cherchez La Femme”/”Se Si Bon”) went all the way to #1 on Billboard’s Disco chart and also hit #27 on the Billboard Hot 100, #22 on Billboard’s Easy Listening chart, and #31 on Billboard’s Hot Soul Singles chart.
The phrase “cherchez la femme” is French for “seek the woman.” The song “Cherchez La Femme” was written by Original Savannah Band members Stony Browder Jr. and August Darnell, along with John Schonberger, Richard Coburn, and Vincent Rose. It was inspired by the recent divorce of real-life soon-to-be music mogul Tommy Mottola, who got the band their record deal:
Tommy Mottola lives on the road
He lost his lady, two months ago
Maybe he’ll find her, maybe he won’t
Oh no, never, no, no
He sleeps in the back of his grey Cadillac
Blowin’ his mind on cheap grass and wine
Guess you could say
This man has learned his lesson
Now he’s alone, he’s got no woman and no home
For misery, cherchez la femme
Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band wasn’t from Savannah and didn’t have anybody in it named Dr. Buzzard. Instead, the group was formed in the Bronx with the concept of recreating a 1930s-era dance band, but with a disco beat and incorporating rhythms from all sorts of genres, including calypso, rhumba, and cha cha. They had a relatively short life, releasing just four albums between 1976 and 1984; “Cherchez La Femme” was their only big single.
In 1995, Cuban-American singer Gloria Estefan released a cover of “Cherchez La Femme” on her Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me album, itself an album full of covers. Her version, released as a single, went to #19 on Billboard’s Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. This one is today’s daily bonus track of the day.
