C J & Company ~ Devil's Gun 1977 Disco Purrfection Version

I wouldn't blame you if you thought that this was the Temptations doing disco. The vocal arrangements echo their classics where each one took a turn doing vocals like "Cloud Nine" and "I Can't Get Next To You".

The lead guitar and bombastic production orchestration come courtesy of Dennis Coffey, who as part of the Funk Brothers played guitar on countless Motown hits then helping to create the rock sound of soul with Norman Whitfield and his experiments with the Temptations. Also on board from the Funk Brothers was keyboardist Earl Van Dyke whose pounding notes added an urgency to "Devil's Gun" that helped to create a disco monster.

The group was first named C.C. & Company, the C.C. was Charles Clark who with members Constance Durden, Cornelius Brown Jr, Curtis Durden and Joni Tolbert sang on "Devil's Gun" a cautionary and urgent appeal to make the right choices. It was written by Ron Roker, Gerry Shury and Barry Green, who later on as Barry Blue would produce Heatwave's first LP that contained "Boogie Nights" and their second that contained "The Groove Line".

Issued by Westbound Records, the group was rebranded C.J. and Company when the album was picked up by Atlantic Records for distribution for some long forgotten reason. It hit immediately in the clubs and spent five weeks at #1 disco, peaking at #2 R&B. While it peaked at #36 on the Hot100, it spent an amazing 25 weeks on the survey entering the chart at #98 on May 21, 1977 and disappeared off the chart on November 5, 1977 when it last listed at #68.

It has been heard in the 1978 movie, "Crocodile" then included in the "The Get Down" soundtrack of the 2016 TV show that lasted only one season. In 2017 it was featured in the film "Borg VS McEnroe" a documentary of the two tennis champs. Reportedly, it will also be featured in the documentary "Studio 54" to be released some time this year. It is becoming a song for the ages now, after having been left behind. Hope you enjoy this remix!