The Village People studio band was called Gypsy Lane, conducted by Horace Ott, who also provided much of the musical arrangements for Morali, who did not play any instruments. Songwriters Phil Hurtt and Peter Whitehead wrote the lyrics for the first album (Willis would subsequently take over writing duties in 1978 for the group's biggest hits). Willis agreed to sing on the eponymous debut album Village People. After hiring Willis to sing background vocals on the four tracks, Morali approached him and said, "I had a dream that you sang lead on my album and it went very, very big". Morali had written a few dance tunes when he was given a demo tape recorded by singer/actor Victor Willis. In 1977, they moved to New York City to get into the American market. Jacques Morali, a French musical composer and producer, and his business partner Henri Belolo, known collectively as Can't Stop Productions, were enjoying a successful string of hits in France and Europe. In March 2020, the US Library of Congress described the last as "an American phenomenon" and added the song to the National Recording Registry, which preserves audio recordings considered to be "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant". The group quickly became popular and moved into the mainstream, scoring several disco and dance hits internationally, including the hit singles " Macho Man", " In the Navy", " Go West" and their biggest hit, " Y.M.C.A.". As of 2020, Victor Willis is the only original member of the group. The characters were a symbolic group of American masculinity and macho gay-fantasy personas. The group's name refers to Manhattan's Greenwich Village, with its reputation as a gay neighborhood. The group was originally formed by French producers Jacques Morali, Henri Belolo and lead singer Victor Willis following the release of the debut album Village People, which targeted disco's large gay audience.
Village People is an American disco group known for its on-stage costumes and suggestive lyrics in their music.