Foxy: Expanded Edition

Many people think that 1978's Get Off was Foxy's debut album, which is understandable because the title song was the Latino band's big commercial breakthrough. But in fact, Foxy's first album came in 1976, when it provided this self-titled LP for the TK-distributed Dash label. While Foxy didn't contain any major pop/Top 40 radio hits, it enjoyed a fair amount of club exposure. Those who know Foxy for "Get Off" or "Hot Number" might be surprised to hear that the band wasn't nearly as funky or as in-your-face in 1976; catchy, if unremarkable, tunes like "Let's Love," "You Make Me Hot," and the club hit "Get Off Your Aahh and Dance" favor a lush, glossy, much softer approach that is best described as Euro-disco with Latin overtones. One of Foxy's less European-sounding tracks is "Baby, I'm Leaving," which combines disco with the sort of Latin soul sound that artists like El Chicano, Tierra, Jose Feliciano, and Malo were known for in the 1970s. Not a gem but generally decent, Foxy isn't among the band's essential releases but is worth hearing if you're a hardcore disco collector. ~ Alex Henderson|