1975 · Behind the Songs
Carly goes to the disco — on her own terms.
By 1975 the dance floor was rewriting pop, and Carly Simon — the confessional singer-songwriter — decided to pay it a visit. “Attitude Dancing,” from Playing Possum and produced by Richard Perry, wraps her cool, observant voice around a strutting, disco-leaning groove, all poise and forward motion. The gamble worked: the single reached No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The song’s title became a small piece of seventies slang for carrying yourself well under pressure, and the track is a reminder of Simon’s sharpest gift — her perspective. She could walk into any genre, even one built for escape rather than confession, and report back like a journalist who happened to have a great voice.