You had know I was going to get around to doing this one, didn't you? It was the very first remix I ever attempted...and with all the seriousness going on today, you should take some time to laugh and shake your funky stuff! Who can forget the novelty disco tune "Disco Duck"? Ricky Dees (Rigdon Osmond Dees III) was catapulted to international stardom based on that song. He began a radio DJ career in Greensboro, North Carolina before he finished high school. He continued his education and received his bachelor's degree in Motion, TV and Radio Pictures, all the while working at various radio stations. While at the gym, he heard a man doing his duck voice and felt with the popularity of disco that he could use that to write a disco parody. He remembered Jackie Lee's "The Duck" and felt that a "Disco Duck" would make a good subject. It took three months to find someone willing to commit the song to vinyl, Estelle Axton of the famed Stax studios released the song locally on her Fretone label. The song exploded in Birmingham, Alabama so Dees went to California to shop the song. He was shut down by every major label, until Al Coury decided to take it home and have his kids listen to it. The kids liked and laughed at the song, so Coury leased the song for $3500.00. Soon, the "Disco Duck" was being heard all over the country, except in Memphis, TN where Dees was spinning tunes. Radio stations there were wary of playing it so as not to promote a rival station and Dees own station forbade him to play it. He did make a mention of the song's popularity on his morning show one day and was promptly fired by the miscreant station manager who felt it was a conflict of interest. He was immediately hired by WHBQ, the main rival who was owned by RKO. Memphis joined the national craze for "Disco Duck" and the song ended up sitting pretty at the pole position for one week in October of 1976. Rick has been on the air and in our hair since! Check him out at www.rick.com/

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