Do It (‘Til You’re Satisfied) – B.T. Express | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning
Chart Performance: Pop (#2) & R&B (#1); 1974
Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne
1974 marked the beginning of the “disco invasion” as dance-oriented groove tracks such as Boogie Down, TSOP (The Sound Of Philadelphia), and Dancing Machine raced up the R&B and mainstream charts.
In the vanguard was a New York-based band formed by members of the King Davis House Rockers. As the band added members, the name changed to Madison Street Express, then Brooklyn Trucking Express, and finally to just B.T. Express.
Along the way B.T. Express crossed paths with musician/songwriter Billy Nichols, who had banged out a tune on his newly-purchased drum machine – suddenly the hottest “instrument” on the scene – called Do It (‘Til You’re Satisfied). The title comprised the sum total of the tune’s lyrics.
Although this satisfied Billy artistically, he expanded them to please the group. With Billy handling the rhythm chores, B.T. Express nailed down Do It in just two takes, and in November it became their first hit.
This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2024 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.
Produced by:
- Dock Productions
- Jeff Lane
Lyrics Written by:
- Billy Nichols
Ed Osborne
Hi. I got my first record at age two and never looked back, spending a decades-long career in radio and the music business. Even after years of reading about and listening to all types of music, I am still fascinated by it. Apart from that, I’m endlessly intrigued by art, nature, and the inner lives of people (and dogs).