“The Hustle” is a disco song by Van McCoy and the Soul City Symphony. It went to number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 during summer 1975. It sold over one million copies. The song won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance in 1976 for songs recorded in 1975.
While in New York to record an album, Van McCoy composed the song after his music partner, Charles Kipps, watched disco goers do a dance known as “the Hustle” in the nightclub Adam’s Apple. The recordings were made at the Media Sound studio in New York City with pianist Van McCoy, bassist Gordon Edwards, drummer Steve Gadd, keyboardist Richard Tee, guitarists Eric Gale and John Tropea, and orchestra leader Gene Orloff. Producer Hugo Peretti hired piccolo player Philip Bodner to play the lead melody.
According to producers Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore, who owned the Avco record label that released “The Hustle”, Van McCoy met with them just before his death in 1979 to discuss producing a new, longer version of the song. Avco’s UK and German affiliates were clamoring for a 12″ disco single release. The new version, just under 6-and-a-half minutes long, was assembled after Van McCoy’s death as a remix, using parts of the original recording plus new parts, including drum, Syndrum, and a “little” Moog synthesizer. The new mix was credited to Van McCoy.
The song has been featured in numerous movies and television shows.