A Fifth of Beethoven
"A Fifth of Beethoven" is a disco instrumental recorded by Walter Murphy and the Big Apple Band, adapted from the first movement of Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 5. The record was produced by production music and sound effects recording producer Thomas J. Valentino. The "Fifth" in the song's title is a pun, referencing a liquid measure approximately equal to one-fifth of a gallon, a popular size for bottles containing liquor, as well as Beethoven's Fifth Symphony from which the song was adapted.
| "A Fifth of Beethoven" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Walter Murphy and the Big Apple Band | ||||
| from the album A Fifth of Beethoven and Saturday Night Fever | ||||
| B-side | "California Strut" | |||
| Released | 1976 | |||
| Studio | Sound Ideas (New York) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:02 | |||
| Label | Private Stock | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
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| Producer(s) | Thomas J. Valentino | |||
| Walter Murphy and the Big Apple Band singles chronology | ||||
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| Official audio | ||||
| "A Fifth of Beethoven" on YouTube | ||||
Released as a single by Private Stock Records in 1976, the song debuted at number 80 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and climbed to number 1 within 19 weeks, remaining there for one week. In 1977, it was licensed to RSO Records for inclusion on the best-selling Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. The song is one of Murphy's few Top 40 hits.