Gloria Gaynor: (If You Want It) Do It Yourself
“Do It Yourself” remains Gloria Gaynor’s best overlooked gem
Before the disco diva dominance of “I Will Survive,” Gloria Gaynor had no problem working with the stuff that built the Honey Cone catalog. “(If You Want It) Do It Yourself” mixes some of the melody remnants of Michael Jackson “I Wanna Be Where You Are” and a little grit from Honey Cone’s “Want Ads” into one fine soulful track. Found on the Experience Gloria Gaynor LP, released a year after the successful Never Can Say Goodbye, “Do It Yourself” was right between the glitzy disco workout “Casanova Brown” and “How High the Moon.” Radio never worked it, but it should’ve been right up there with “Honey Bee” and even “Goin’ Out of My Head.”
The enclosed music video exclusively designed by YouTube’s Grant Smith is a remastered work-in-progress; compiling two separate performances from Gloria Gaynor in a sweet nostalgic way that reflects the innocence of Daptone Records. With the background disco lights and background singers pumping out some cool choreography, there’s no way you can opt out from shakin’ and dancin’ to this golden piece of disco inferno.
J MATTHEW COBB
