If you were living in the late 1970s, you most likely first encountered David Naughton through the best Dr. Pepper commercials ever made. They were catchy enough to get me to retry the soft drink that I hated as a child– and I found out that, as an adult, my taste buds had changed. I was hooked and “I’m a Pepper” to this day– although a Diet Pepper!
Aside from the Dr. Pepper commercials, David Naughton is probably most famous for his role in the 1981 horror/comedy An American Werewolf in London. The film also starred Griffin Dunne (who was later Madonna’s love interest in the 1987 film Who’s That Girl?). American Werewolf made David Naughton a household name and he starred in several other movies and TV shows throughout the 1980s.
But few people probably remember that David Naughton was also a One Hit Wonder on the Billboard music charts. In 1979, Naughton had a starring role in ABC’s short lived TV version of Saturday Night Fever meets Happy Days— Makin’ It. Although the TV show was a flop, the title song, which Naughton sang, became an over night sensation in the Disco Clubs of the era.
The single version of Makin’ It peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became 1979’s 14th most popular song of the year, according to Billboard. The single spent five weeks in the Top 10 and 16 weeks in the Hot 100.
Although it was the only hit song David Naughton ever sang, it’s no wonder the song was such a great success at the time, despite the failure of the TV show. The song was written by Freddie Perren and Dino Fekaris, who were the equivalent of 1980’s hit makers Jam and Spoon, for the Disco Era. The duo had written several hits, including Reunited (#1 for 4 weeks) and Shake Your Groove Thing (#5) for Peaches and Herb and I Will Survive (#1) for Gloria Gaynor, among other hits.
Although the video quality of this performance of Makin’ It (above) is pretty bad, videos weren’t in the groove yet. This was filmed just two years before MTV launched. Radio still dominated. The song was also featured in an episode of the popular TV series C.H.I.P.S. Here’s a clip from that episode:
David Naughton hasn’t been a household name since the 1980s, but he is still acting to this very day in movies, video games and TV. I guess that’s what you call “Makin’ It!”
Meditation to the Groove! 