Virtually no recording artists were able to escape the 1970s unscathed by the power of disco. People were actually shocked and appalled when Rod Stewart released a disco record; he'd been straight up guitar rock until then. Karen Carpenter tried her hand at a disco LP, but her brother suppressed its release (even to this day). Kiss went disco, as did Blondie, Ethel Merman, Diana Ross, Queen, and ELO.
Among the throngs of musicians clamoring for a buck and desperate to still seem "with it", were The Ventures (now calling themselves The NEW Ventures). These superordinate surf rockers had ridden the wave of beach music, and somehow lived to tell the tale. Their guitar vibes were translated to vinyl God knows how many times, recording classic hits with that distinctive Ventures flair. But even they weren't strong enough to survive disco.
Universally regarded as their worst LP in a career that spanned four decades, Rocky Road was a f***ing train wreck. Their trademark guitars are drowned out by horns, strings, a throbbing disco beat, and Kim Carnes (yeah, you read that right - she was a backup singer).
Here's their disco rendition of "Moonlight Serenade". Glenn Miller would not be amused.
