It should be no surprise, as gospel gave birth to the profane, the blues, a few decades later, that gospel could be heard appropriating the sounds of the blues evolved: disco. Church players may have been the BEST Christians AND been singing praise-filled songs about Jesus, but they were also musicians interested in keeping up with pop trends, and there are tons of gospel groups/singers that crossed over into modern soul and funk. That said, the idea of pounding coked-up contemporary club/dance music in church on a Sunday morning seems ridiculous, but disco gospel IS OUT THERE! Sadly, my research didn't turn up any REAL killer jams, the tracks I found were stock, third-rate, period "disco" jams, so I had to ask a seasoned gospel collector for help! The track he gave me, Joubert Singers' "Stand on the Word," a Larry Levan remix from 1985, is, he said, considered one of the best gospel disco tracks. It's subtle, and a bit late to be "classic disco," but it's still relevant AND reverent.

This track was first found on an LP by the Celestial Choir of New York City, under the direction of Phyliss Joubert. Levan's mix "added the kick," crossing it over as a "Paradise Garage classic disco, proto house tune."