Rhythm Heritage was never a band in the true sense of the word, it was a group of Los Angeles studio musicians thrown together by producers Micharl Omartian and Steve Barri. They were best known for disco funk versions of themes from movies and television cop shows.
The first LP Disco-fied (1976) contains its biggest hit “Theme from SWAT” as well as this slick remake of “Baretta’s Theme (Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow)” which was the second single. Sammy Davis Jr and Merry Claytone also did versions.
What’s the relevance of the ‘keep your eye on the sparrow’ in the title of the song? From the dictionary of catch phrases – something to do with being aware of the evil things, life and men do. An allusion to bird droppings at awkward moments.
Here’s the radio edit taken from the 7″, but for a longer version seek out the album from Discogs, or you can also purchase it digitally on iTunes.
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rhythm heritage were steely dan’s flesh (if fagen & becker were its meat and bones) if i remember rightly
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