I’m a product of the ‘70s and ‘80s. So there are certain things from that time period that are close to my heart. One of those is dancing. In the early ‘70s, a dance was born in the New York clubs, basement and house parties that changed the way we danced and usher in a new genre of music. It was call the Hustle. Inspired by salsa and incorporating swing moves, the Hustle was not for the faint of heart or the casual dancer. A six count step with embellished moves coordinated in perfect synchronicity with a partner made for a style of dance at the club that had everyone watching when performed right. Music by artists like Barry White and MFSB provided the rhythmic tracks that paired perfectly with the dance. However, it wasn’t until 1975 when a single was released that married a song to a dance and created an anthem for an era. The song was called “The Hustle.” Written, produced and performed by Van McCoy and released on April 19, 1975, “The Hustle” brought this unique style of dancing mainstream and helped propel disco to new heights.
McCoy wasn’t a novice to the music industry. Prior to “The Hustle,” McCoy had been in the game for 20 years with only modest success. His claim to fame was actually putting together the singing duo of Peaches & Herb in the mid-60s and co-producing their first hit “Let’s Fall in Love.” He did studio work for a myriad of artist until 1973 when he heard about this dance couples were doing in the club called the Hustle. He was in the process of producing his fourth studio album, "Disco Baby," when the last song recorded for the album was “The Hustle.” The rest, as they say, is history. “The Hustle” went on to sell over a million copies and win the Grammy in 1976 for Best Pop Instrumental Performance. Later that year, McCoy struck gold again by produced another #1 hit this time for David Ruffin called “Walk Away from Love.”
So today we give props to “The Hustle” as forty-one years ago on July 26, 1975, it reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.
Thanks Van.
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The t-shirt we use to print the designs is from a company call Next Level Apparel. They make some of the best t-shirts in the apparel biz. Our base t-shirt is their premium tri-blend crew neck t-shirt. This t-shirt is a mashup of 50% polyester, 25% combed ring spun and 25% rayon. That mix makes for three things: an extremely soft t-shirt that drapes nicely with a vintage-type look. So you’re getting a cool looking shirt that feels great. The t-shirt weighs 4.3 ounces. So you’re not wearing a bulletproof vest but a mid-weight garment. And since the fabric is mostly polyester and rayon, there is little, if any, shrinkage. Now the t-shirt does run a little small so if you like a roomer fit, please select the next size above what you normally wear.
Also, we don’t believe in offering you a one-style-fits-all or “unisex” t-shirt (whatever that is). We give the fellas and ladies a t-shirt that’s specifically made for them and their unique features. If a particular style of t-shirt isn’t available for a gender then we’ll let you know and recommend a size in that shirt that may accommodate you.
In the future, we’ll rollout different styles of tees like a scoop neck (for that off-the-shoulder Flashdance look), long sleeve, hoody and ¾ sleeve raglan so you’ll have a variety of options to choose from year round.
We recommend turning your t-shirt inside out when washing. Please machine wash in cold water with like colors. It’s best to hang dry but it’s cool if you tumble dry on low setting. Please do not iron on the decoration.
