In 1976, a sultry disco track titled More, More, More climbed the charts and became one of the defining songs of the disco era. Few listeners realised that the hit which would reach No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 was conceived, recorded and first released in Jamaica. Even fewer knew that its singer, Andrea True, had arrived on the island for entirely different reasons. The story of More, More, More disco success is inextricably tied to Jamaica’s rich recording history.
Who Was Andrea True – and How She Came to Be in Jamaica
Andrea True was born Andrea Marie Truden in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1943. She studied classical piano and music theory, later moving to New York where she worked in modelling, acting and commercial writing. In the early 1970s she became known for appearing in adult films, a career that brought notoriety but not long-term stability.
In 1975, True travelled to Jamaica to film a television commercial for a real estate company. At the time, the island had foreign exchange restrictions that limited the ability of foreign nationals to transfer money abroad. As a result, True faced a choice: forfeit her earnings or spend the money before returning to the United States. Rather than walk away from the funds, True used the opportunity to pursue something she had long wanted to do — record music. She chose to remain in Jamaica and invest the money in a recording session, a decision that would ultimately change the course of her career.
A Career Turning Point
True had maintained connections within New York’s music scene, including producer and songwriter Gregg Diamond. Diamond had previously written a dance track with his brother Godfrey but had not yet found the right vocalist. Seeing an opportunity for reinvention, True invited Diamond to Jamaica to collaborate on The Andrea True Connection recording project.
The session became her formal entry into the mainstream music industry, the recording marked her debut as a commercial pop artist and represented a decisive shift away from her previous career. Studio techniques, layered arrangements and Diamond’s production helped shape a sound aligned with the emerging disco movement.
The Jamaican Connection
More, More, More was recorded at Federal Studios in Kingston, operated by Federal Records. Founded in the 1950s by Kenneth Khouri, Federal was Jamaica’s first recording studio and pressing plant and played a foundational role in the island’s music industry, producing recordings across mento, ska, rocksteady and reggae. Decades later, the facility would become part of Bob Marley’s Tuff Gong recording legacy, but at the time it stood as one of the Caribbean’s most important recording hubs.
The track was recorded entirely in Jamaica with local session musicians contributing to the instrumentation, reflecting the island’s deep pool of professional studio talent. The single was first released in Jamaica in 1975 through Federal Records before being taken to the United States for broader distribution. After gaining momentum in New York dance clubs and receiving a remix by disco pioneer Tom Moulton, the song was issued internationally by Buddah Records.
Chart Success, Accolades and Legacy
Released globally in 1976, More, More, More rose steadily to No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped dance charts, becoming one of disco’s most recognisable anthems. The recording has since been consistently ranked among the greatest disco songs of all time by music authorities including Billboard and VH1, cementing its place within popular music history.
True followed with another Top 40 hit, New York, You Got Me Dancing, though none matched the cultural impact of her breakthrough single. The song’s iconic instrumental break gained renewed prominence in 1999 when it was sampled in Len’s Steal My Sunshine, introducing the recording to a new generation of listeners.
Andrea True died in 2011, but More, More, More endures as a timeless disco classic. Its origins in Kingston remain a remarkable chapter in Jamaica’s recording story — proof that one of the most celebrated dance hits ever made was conceived, recorded and first released on Jamaican soil before conquering dance floors around the world.