It’s A Bitch – Olympic Runners – Released May 1979, Polydor Records
It’s A Bitch is the final album by the British funk, soul and disco band Olympic Runners. The band already had six albums under their belt when they released this gem, which has just turned 45 this May.
Their seventh album kicks off with one of the band’s best-known tracks, The Bitch, which also served as the theme song to the 1979 movie of the same name, with Joan Collins in the titular role.
The Olympic Runners took their name from the famous Olympic Studios where they recorded their first track.
It all began as a jam session between a group of session musicians, the engineer hit record and the result was the hit record, “Put The Music Where Your Mouth Is.”
An album of the same name followed, released on London Records in 1974.
From there on the group released a new album each year, up until 1978, when they released two albums. This prolific streak was primarily a result of the group’s improvisational nature, they just got in the studio and jammed.
In addition to tearing up discotheques in the 70s, the Olympic Runners have been steady staples of hiphop throughout the 80s and 90s, having been sampled by acts such as Eric B & Rakin, Everlast, Guru, DJ Shadow and Ultramagnetic MCs.
It’s A Bitch would serve as the band’s swansong before the various members went off to do their thing.
The Bitch Is Back
So yeah, for the second time this month, we’re back in 1979 and we’re doing disco once more. And as a one-time disco sceptic myself, I know exactly what you’re thinking, will this be cheesy?
But you won’t have to wait long for an answer cuz this album comes out swinging.
It’s A Bitch is a raucous disco stomp with lyrics every battle-scarred man can relate to.
Though clearly a disco track, it also comes down on the right side of funky, with stunning production and musicianship on display.
Be warned, this track will get stuck in your head and play there all day if you let it.
Also, for any fellas out there going through a particularly painful breakup I can’t recommend this track enough. 😁
Being a disco hit there are obviously different versions of this, including a slower, extended version which I also quite enjoy.
I’d like to expand this review out more but I’m quite limited with what I can share this time around cuz YouTube’s being a twat.
As a consequence, some of the music on this album doesn’t seem to be available or if it is, it’s buried deep beneath hundreds of Olympic athletes who can invariably run much faster than this band, but are absolutely nowhere near as funky, so who gives a shit?
You know what is funky though?
This guy’s poundshop disco lights on a video out found with the track Closer To Paradise…
This one’s pretty disco too but again, it’s on the right side of funky for me.
As I mentioned on my previous Tantra Hills of Katmandu review, I realised late in life I actually like disco, provided it ticks those trippy and / or funky boxes, which this one most certainly does.
Ok this track’s online, phew, alright YouTube you’re not entirely useless, even if I have to have an army of plugins updating constantly to shut your ad-hole.
So we’ll finish off with Disco Smash, a track which delivers exactly what it promises.
It also features amusing lyrics, funky beats, extended instrumental bits including a short and lairy synth solo – it’s just a great feel-good track this one, perfect for summer cruisin’.
Chariots Of Disco
I was reminded, while endlessly scrolling through lots of Olympic-related videos trying to find videos for this review, how much I hated the Olympics as a kid.
It always infuriated me how, every four years for about a month at least, all my favourite shows were shunted out of the way to make room for synchronised swimming and shot puts and shite.
Grr!
I’ve now just realised the stupid thing is on again this year and immediately I had that same visceral reaction despite the fact that I don’t watch TV or even own a TV show anymore so who cares?
If you’d rather have a more enjoyable Olympic-related experience this summer I highly recommend going for disco gold by checking out this band’s back catalogue.