Music Disco and Accessories

The Dark Side

2012-01-31T08:19:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of cool cuts from 1984. 1984 was an interesting year for music. The boogie greatness of 1982 was fizzling out, electro was king, and house was just getting started. These tracks highlight where genres converged and coalesced into some strange hybrids.

This first track by Zero Hour shows a lot of electro influence and can easily pass as a theme song for the oft overlooked comedy masterpiece Fletch Lives. Seems like it could have been produced by Herbie Hancock or Jan Hammer with a little help from Egyptian Lover.

The next track by Leon Love is an odd bird produced by proto house legend Patrick Adams with Ron Mindseed. It sounds a bit like electro coming dangerously close to Hi-NRG territory. Almost too close; but us in the Bay Area have a very low threshold for it.

Zero Hour - The Dark Side (Dub)
Leon Love - Once Is Enough (Dub)

Firefly

2012-01-29T13:56:00.000-08:00

We've covered Maurizio Sangineto's productions before on this site. Firefly was a dance music group composed of fellow Italians and released four LPs during their career. This track was a big tune at the Garage. The uplifting vocals get me every time. I also really like the brave use of some dynamic range in this 12" mix. It is rare to hear jams like this with such an impact when the beat comes in after the breakdown.

Firefly - Love (Is Gonna Be On Your Side)

Handsome Man

2012-01-26T23:37:00.000-08:00

Carol Shinnette put records out on Oakland's 'Optune' label. Don't ever call the 415 number printed on the front of her 7" sleeves, as the gentleman on the other end of the line will threaten to kill you. This B.E have learned the hard way.

Although the record is claiming our hometown, it turns out it was actually produced in Lake Charles, Louisiana, where Carol still resides to this day.

Carol Shinnette - Handsome Man

She's A Party Girl

2012-01-16T18:29:00.000-08:00

A younger and hipper DJ friend whose taste I admire bought a bunch of records and played me a couple from his haul that he thought I would like. One was a weird, left field, boogie proto rap type edit by a producer that he was into. I recognized it, and took smug, nauseating, sad dickhead like pleasure in telling him that I owned a copy of the original record that the edit was sourced from, but for the life of me couldn't remember what it was called, so I asked him to tell me the name and artist of the track but he couldn't, because whomever had done the edit had stuck his own name all over it and obscured that of the original artist. We then had an animated discussion as to the ethics of this sort of thing. I own plenty of bootlegs, and sometimes you simply can't find the original artists behind some of these more obscure records but none the less they deserve a repress for more people to play out and enjoy, there isn't much money in these short vinyl runs anyway, but can you really take the original artist's name off the track (I think it was obscured down to a two letter initial in this case) and stick yours on simply because you extended the drum intro? Perhaps the guy didn't want anyone to know the OG cut's name but why the secrecy? I see it a lot, it just seems like an exploitative way to prop up your own brand. I mean, you don't have to pay the guy who made the song that you looped up, but at least leave his name on there alongside yours.

Anyway, I went through my shelves and found it. Terrance Tee seems to have produced a couple of known early rap and boogie 45's that I have seen in auction lots etc, but this 12" doesn't seem to be listed anywhere. It came out on 'New York Town Records' and was written by Terrance Moore (no doubt Terrance Tee himself) and produced by T. Marcini. I cannot find anything on either of these people.

My copy is signed in scribbled pen "To Terri, From the M.C, Terrance Tee" . Terri, wherever you are, thank you for getting rid of this weird, weird record.

Terrance Tee - She's A Party Girl (Vocal)
Terrance Tee - She's A Party Girl (Instrumental)

I Wanna Feel Your Love

2012-01-13T18:42:00.000-08:00

Here is a great disco boogie jam produced in part by drummer Howard King. He was a member of Mtume's band and also contributed to some great LPs from Gary Bartz, D-Train, Eddie Henderson, and Stephanie Mills. This tune has pretty amazing breakdown and is just great soulful dance music start to finish. Definitely a sleeper and a kinda tough pull from the RCA disco 12" catalog.

Candy Bowman - I Wanna Feel Your Love

Digital Dj'ing - Using a Laptop or PC as part of your Mobile Disco

2012-01-09T21:24:00.000-08:00

Many Mobile Discos have made the change from a conventional CD or Vinyl based system to a software based one, usually running on either a full sized pc or a laptop. The fundamentals of both systems are largely the same, and so you shouldn't simply be taken in by reading other DJs horror stories about how their laptop overheated during the first dance at a Wedding or how their full sized PCs power supply exploded halfway through a gig. There are pros and cons of using both systems, but largely whether to use a full size pc or a laptop comes down to personal choice, practicality, budget and space, and you'll often find that DJ's criticising the opposite machine, have never actually used the system that they are criticising!. If possible visit a DJ who already uses a system to that which you intend to use yourself, nothing can sell an idea better than actually seeing it in use!, for the record, I have watched Mobile DJ's use both PC's and Laptops to DJ from, and neither, in my opinion, was more reliable or better than the other, so it should only be personal choice, rather than rumour or scaremongering which makes the decision on that score!.

Is running a Mobile Disco from a PC or Laptop reliable?

Anybody who has ever encountered the windows blue screen of death, or worn out the Ctrl+alt+del keys on their keyboard will possibly dread the thought of using such a system as a platform to their DJ'ing!. In essence, a decent dedicated pc or laptop with a clean install, good quality hard drive and a reasonable amount of memory will out preform most typical home pc set ups which may be running several applications at a time, be infiltrated with virus or spyware traces, and have a hard drive and registry full of corrupt enteries and partly uninstalled files.

The key to running a successful software based DJ system, is to buy a dedicated pc / laptop for the task, and to only run the operating system and DJ Software on there, and never allow it to run other applications or even connect to the internet. This way the installation runs and remains clean and largely error free, will rarely have a corrupt file, and won't get infiltrated or bogged down with several other applications. This advice is given by DJ's who have been using software and PC's for many years, and have found this method of DJ'ing to be just as reliable as conventional DJ'ing from CD's.

The advantages of using a Laptop or Pc to DJ

The advantages of converting your material to music files and using a Pc or Laptop to DJ from are many. The first is the most obvious, gone are the days where you are carrying several heavy boxes of CD's around with you, most DJ's CD collections can easily be converted to MP3 and will fit onto a 80gb - 200gb hard drive!. By converting to Software Dj'ing you also rid yourself of that long search through several hundred CD compilations in order to find that elusive requested track that you just know that you have got somewhere!. With most DJ Software, you can type in part or all of the artistes name or song title and find it within seconds!. It really is possible to find and cue up a request within 5 seconds - something which just can't be done easily or quickly with a CD or vinyl collection.

Other advantages of a software based DJ system, include the possibility to create playlists from frequently used tracks, and you could create playlists from all genres, for example a playlist for background music, one for dance music, one for the 70s and one for the end of the night slowies. Of course you can also group the tracks together and catalog them according to Genre which also makes finding tracks from particular era's easier too. Some DJ Software will also allow you to group tracks together which have a similar BPM - a boon for DJ's who mix.

Which DJ Software should I choose?

There are many different brands and types of DJ Software about, again it comes down to personal preference which type you choose. It is always a very good idea to check out reviews and discussions on DJ Forums and if possible to find a DJ who uses a system based on the software which is of interest to you, so you can actually see it in action, in a disco environment.

Some DJ Software comes with a free trial, which enables you to download and install the software on your system and try it for for free for a time limited period (usually 10 - 30 days). Depending on the cost of the software, there can be differing features. Some Dj Software will simply allow you to cue up and play music using 2 "players", others will have more comprehensive features, such as being able to fade between tracks, alter the pitch and tempo controls in a similar manner to conventional CD and Vinyl turntables, some of the more expensive software will even allow you to mix, or add a USB controller which looks and functions like a twin cd controller!, some Software will even mix the tracks for you!.

Remember that a feature is only worthwhile if you have a use for it!. Carefully consider what features you need, and which will be the ones that you will have any use for. It would be pointless buying a Dj Software package which allows you to mix, if you are a mobile dj who rarely has the requirement to beat mix. Most Software in its basic form, also comes with the option to add and install plug ins which give you additional updates and features, so its worth starting with the basic packages and then adding new features if and when you require them!.

My advice at this stage, if you are new to, or considering Software Dj'ing is to download the free trials of the various software which is available, try them for the time limited period, and then buy the one which suits you, and which is the most comfortable to use.

Some dj software titles which are currently popular and well reviewed by Mobile DJ's include OTSDJ, DSSDJ and PCDJ

What type of PC do I need to run my DJ Software package

When you have decided on a software package, it is then time to consider what pc or laptop to use it on. Contrary to rumour, you don't need the latest brand new pc or laptop to successfully run DJ Software from, and neither do you need a huge CPU processor. Most DJ Software will happily run on a pentium 3 processor with 600mhz speed or higher, many of the newer 1.2ghz+ celerons will also flawlessly run DJ software with no problems and without breaking into a sweat. Try and buy as much memory as you can afford, ideally 512mb of memory or a minimum of 256mb for most applications.

How big should I be :o)

A decent sized hard drive is the next consideration. Remember the bigger the hard drive the more individual tracks that you can fit on there. An average music file ripped at 192kbps is around 5mb in size and so a 100gb hard drive should fit around 20,000 tracks on there. However if you increase the quality of the track in MP3 format, then the file size rises also, so a 320kpbs mp3 could be as large as 11mb in size and so the same 100gb capacity would be reduced to holding only around 9000 tracks. Don't forget to factor in space for your operating software, drivers and DJ software when working out hard drive capacity!. You can of course expand your hard drive capacity by fitting external hard drives to USB ports, and these are also reliable. If possible try and use a system which runs USB2.0 or even firewire since these run at faster data speeds than conventional USB1.1 although many Dj's report no issues with hard drives and soundcards run from older 1.1 systems.

Give me Sound!

Using a good quality soundcard is a must!, many laptops and motherboard based sound chips on full sized pc's rarely do justice to sound quality or are designed with full time high quality audio playback in mind. Consider installing a pci sound card in your pc, or investing in a good quality USB external soundcard if you opt to use a laptop. Most 2 channel soundcards will suffice for DJ'ing in most mobile applications, where the audio is mixed between the players on the laptop and the single output is then fed through a pair of "L" and "R" connectors on the soundcard, and then into the mixer or amplifier.

However, if more creativity is required, or the software is to be used for mixing applications or the use of a crossfader between channels on a conventional mixer is likely to be utilised, then you need to buy a 5 channel soundcard. This allows the soundcard to be set up, in a manner which allows one pair of "L" and "R" outputs to be used for "Player 1" on the soundcard and fed into an individual channel on the mixer, and the same for "Player 2" - this allows each software player to have its own fader on the mixer - just like a conventional twin cd player.

What Quality?

Some Dj Software packages come complete with the means to "Rip" a cd. "Ripping" means placing the original Cd into the PC's CDROM and the process of converting the original music on the CD to MP3 Data, which is then stored on the hard drive as an MP3 File. In the case of OTSDJ, the option is also there to convert to a file called OTS, this is a custom files regonised only by the OTSDJ software, however it sounds just as good as MP3 and is also a slightly smaller file size, meaning that more OTS files can be stored on a hard drive when compared to conventional MP3 files.

If you use a DJ software package which does use conventional MP3 files, then you will need to select the quality at which to "rip". This figure is measured in "Kbps" and often ranges from 32kbps and 320kbps. Lower ranges are not recommended for professional use over a PA system since they can sound dull and even distorted. Ideally for professional use, the DJ should be looking at ripping their CD's to Mp3 files at 192kbps or greater.

192kbps is considered reasonable quality, however 320kbps is near cd quality and may be prefered by some Dj's - however on smaller audio systems the difference may be hard to detect. As the quality is increased, so does the file size, and a 320kbps file may be several mb larger than its 192kbps counterpart, it may also take longer to rip an entire CD at 320kbps than at lower rates.

For Dj Software which doesn't have ripping capability, Musicmatch Jukebox may prove to be an alternative for this process,

Are there any disadvantages to being a Digital DJ?

Now the disadvantages!. Obviously the initial cost of buying a PC / Laptop, a good quality soundcard, large hard drive and the Dj Software itself is likely to total far more than buying a conventional CD Player or turntables. It also takes time to "rip" your cd collection to Mp3 and store them on your hard drive. In some jurisdictions it is also illegal to convert original material to MP3 format for digital use without a licence, and this can prove to be expensive, if the Dj is to work on the right side of the law. It is the possible licence requirement that we discuss next.

Do I need a licence to play music from a laptop?

At the time of writing this article, an annual licence is required in Canada and the UK in order to use a PC or laptop to DJ from. In the UK, a further licence and possible royalty payment is also required for the conversion process. Although no fees have yet been advertised (April 2006) these controversal laws are likely to make this form of DJ'ing unattractive when compared to more conventional, and "licence free" alternatives.

Finally, my tips for Software Djing

* Always buy and use a dedicated pc / laptop purely for Dj use, do not be tempted to use the family pc or run other applications on the machine you use to DJ from, and do not allow this machine to connect to the internet. On a pre-used machine, also start from scratch with a format and fresh install of the operating system.

* Use a good quality soundcard, even if you need to upgrade or buy an external USB one

* Always rip the music direct from an original CD at 192kbps quality or higher. 320kbps is advised for higher quality pa systems and is near cd quality. 192kbps is okay for smaller systems used by the Mobile DJ.

* Don't be too concerned about buying the latest top of the range PC to run from. Most Dj Software will happily run from basic P3 600mhz machines, but do check out the minimum requirements on the software authors website.

* Read reviews on the various software packages available. Stick to the features that you will use, since you can always upgrade extras later. Take advantage of the free trials of DJ Software which are available and use the time to find the best software to suit you

* If you choose a full sized PC make sure that it is professionally flightcased - pc's are not designed to be carried around.

* Select a high capacity 100gb - 200gb hard drive from a reputable manufacturer. Where practical and legal always back up your data

* Fit your machine with at least 256mb of memory, and ideally 512mb.

* Check out the legal aspect of converting original music to MP3 and whether a licence is required to operate such a system.

Give Your New Year's Party Some Style With Disco Balls

2012-01-09T21:22:00.001-08:00

They are round, shiny, and fun no matter what their size or color- they are disco balls. Any party becomes more fun when these are displayed. New Year's is the time for celebration, so consider adding these to the party decoration list. Whether they are stationary or rotating, the light bouncing off them adds pizzazz to the celebration.

New Year's parties are always better when they have a theme, so consider a disco-era theme and have everyone dress in period attire. Party goers will be decked out in their bell-bottoms, stacked heels, psychedelic shirts, and some very interesting hairstyles. Why waste money on a rental when you can spend the same amount, or less, to purchase a brand new ball.

A silver mirrored ball is the traditional style and sizes range from four to 16 inches. Add a few of these to the dance floor and get a turning motor so the ball will continuously spin. There is nothing cooler than a rotating disco ball paired with different color spot lights shining on the dance floor while everyone gets a groove on to the disco tunes.

For a twist on the original style, try a rainbow ball that features multiple bright colors and comes in sizes from two and twelve inches. Pair this or the silver color with mini balls that can be strung around the room on garland or even a disco tree. Partyers can even be given their own 1 1/8-inch mini ball to wear throughout the evening.

Disco balls add some style to your New Year's party, whether or not you choose a theme. Everyone will have fun disco dancing underneath the glittering ball, feeling like superstars. Before long, someone is bound to break out a limbo stick or start a line dance, so get your best moves ready because it will soon be your turn!

The classic disco balls have made a resurgence and no party should be without one. If you are a club owner or getting ready to have a party, be sure to add disco balls to the room and when it gets turned on, watch the crowd go wild!

Get Your Walls Spinning With a Disco Mirror Ball

2012-01-09T21:21:00.001-08:00

More than just your walls will spin if you set up a disco mirror ball at your next gig.

A disco mirror ball is nothing more than a finely constructed ball of hundreds or even thousands of facets, most being of the same size, with each sporting a mirror finish.

It is normally located above the heads of the party goers present. It is in turn suspended from a device that causes it to turn steadily on a vertical axis and lit up by spotlights.

People present experience broken beams of colored light, coming from the spotlights, which are reflected off of it spinning around the room, causing an exciting visual effect.

Although many people today think of the disco mirror ball as a recent introduction to entertainment, it was in fact first used in 1919 by American jazz musicians to brighten up the atmosphere at their jazz concerts.

The size of this varies according to the reason behind its intended use. For instance a miniature ball can be used successfully as a novelty and used for decorative purposes. You have probably witnessed them on Christmas trees.

The introduction of networks has seen the disco mirror ball used as a means of dispersing infrared signals. One of the largest was used by entertainer Pink Floyd. It measured 4.9 meters in diameter before it was raised to a height of 21.3 meters where it was opened to a width of 7.3 meters.

Madonna used a mirror disco ball that weighed in at 2 ton and decorated with $2 million worth of crystals for her 2006 Confession Tour.

The disco mirror ball that you may be contemplating is unlikely to be of either size that the two entertainers above used but we can help you with your requirement.

The Prep

2012-01-03T23:28:00.000-08:00

Here is a late Christmas present. If my theory is true, and this is the only Minnesota disco rap ever recorded, then it also holds true that it is also the best one. To my ear its one of my top 5 disco raps of all time, the 1980 style party delivery with the 1985 era instrumentation make it unique. Sir Nature Alexander was a transplant to Minneapolis from Atlanta and became a well known fixture of the local music entertainment scene, most notably as the city's best breakdance instructor, going on to host his own show on local TV, and also working as a singer and producer on the Minneapolis funk circuit.

Sir Nature has a rare 1986 solo album with more of a contemporary for the time Minneapolis scene sound, but I don't own it sadly. He has been producing records constantly up and to this day, now more in the vein of Southern soul styled r'n'b, you can find Sir Nature Alexander current work here:

http://www.myspace.com/newjackblues

And you can find the first ever(?) rip of his electro masterpiece here:

Nature - The Prep

Candela

2012-01-02T08:54:00.000-08:00

The Bell family from Youngston, Ohio produced three brothers who made immense contributions to the jazz/disco/funk scene in the 70s and 80s. Robert and Ronald Bell formed a group The Jazziacs that eventually became Kool & The Gang. Kevin Bell, also known by his Arabic name Amir Bayyan, formed Kool protege group The Kay Gees. Kevin was a prolific musician and producer, also playing in the group Forecast and producing jams for Armenta, LaToya Jackson, Tomorrow's Edition, and Jimmy Cliff. Here is one of his tight one-off tracks under the name Candela released in 1982 and mastered by Herb Powers Jr.

Candela - Love You Madly (extended version)

Mirage

2011-12-24T00:00:00.000-08:00

So yeah this italo track from 1984 is probably one of the most lyrically confusing songs of all time. The vocalist implores you to "get down" all while scorning the concept of cheating and engaging in threesomes. Seems to be a bit counter intuitive to the whole 80's disco vibe in general, but that aside Get Down is a hot track.

Mirage - Get Down

P-5

2011-12-21T23:39:00.000-08:00

Just as Patrick Adams late 70's disco sound became defined by his Arp 2600 noodlings, pretty much every funk track Leroy Burgess cut in the boogie era had a Prophet 5 solo on it. Sequential Circuits factory patch # 32 to be exact for all you synth nerds out there. And if he really wanted to switch it up maybe he would go for patch # 17 instead. So in effect thanks to Leroy and company the Prophet 5 became the quintessential funk synth machine of the early 80's.

This is the Fantastic Aleems high water mark and it most certainly delivers. I must say I was a little bit surprised when I realized today that after nearly 5 years of doing Beat Electric none of us had ever posted this track until now. Either we have failed you all or it's a sign that we are far from done mining this territory.

The Fantastic Aleems featuring Leroy Burgess - Get Down Friday Nite

The Fantastic Aleems featuring Leroy Burgess - Get Down Friday Nite (Instrumental)

Breakin' In Space

2011-12-17T17:38:00.000-08:00

Could Radar Records do no wrong? Key-Matic's Breakin' In Space was by far the labels biggest 'hit', and the record holds a place in the pantheon of early electro master pieces. It has all the right ingredients, tastefully done vocoder (I'm by no means a vocoder collector/fan/nerd), non lame old school raps about space, dubbed out synths and cosmic overtones.

There are even a few young, future celebrities on this cut. The saxophone was done by Najee, who went on to rival Kenny G for a while as smooth jazz radio sax top dog, and we also have some scratches from Wizard K-Jee, a.k.a Keith Shocklee, future Bomb Squad member and the discoverer of Chuck D.

Here are all the cuts from the record.

Key-Matic – Breakin' In Space (Vocal)
Key-Matic – Breakin' In Space (Instrumental)
Key-Matic – Breakin' In Space (Lunar Beats i)
Key-Matic – Breakin' In Space (Lunar Beats ii)

Rysque' Records

2011-12-12T10:10:00.000-08:00

Like many record collectors it has always been a dream of mine to press something on wax. I have always wanted to contribute to the world of the black crack by putting something in print for anyone to enjoy rather than just repping older hard to find records.
A couple years ago I became good friends with a local collector Tim who during an extended car ride to a record lead told me about his activity playing in several bands growing up in Oakland in the 1980s. After some pestering on my part Tim reluctantly dug up boxes of cassette recordings from this era. I think he was content leaving them as skeletons in the closet but I managed to convince him people still enjoy drum machine soul. Tim got on craigslist and tracked down the same model Tascam Porta-one four track machine we needed to play back the tapes.

Tim played regularly with a band known as Davinity during this time and recorded hours of material from bedroom demos to proper studio tracks. Recording quality is dodgy at times but fortunately they insisted on using only hi bias tapes and generally hit them with a good level. After sharing some of our finds with Sean from Sweater Funk and Andrew at PPU we decided to take the plunge and let some of this see the light of day 20+ years after it was recorded.

So far we have two 45s available featuring our favorite tracks from the Davinity cassette archives. A huge thank you goes to Andrew from PPU who was the inspiration for this project and provided a great deal of help in the process. Peoples Potential is also distributing the records worldwide.

We are very excited to start releasing music for y'all, look for more in the future including a debut from Beat Electric Records in 2012.

download lo-rez samples here
RYSQUE 001 Pierre - Cherri Snow b/w Veronica - So In Love
RYSQUE 003 Tim Tucker - C'Kret b/w Davinity - Fishnets

records available for purchase from EARCAVE (Washington DC), Rush Hour (Europe), and many other fine vendors. or you can email me directly at rysquerecs AT gmail.

Hypnotize with the Dance

2011-12-06T21:50:00.000-08:00

We haven't put up any straight up hardcore disco in a long time so here you go. It is impossible to put these joints on and not want to invite all the foos in the neighborhood over for a dance party; unless you live where I live, then again, OK it's a bad idea altogether. Just convince BT to throw a matinee party at his house in LA and go hang out in his heated pool.

This Mandrill Jam reminds me or a mix between Tempest Trio's Do You Like The Way That It Feels and a song by Imagination. Sorry for the parts where it is clipping near the end, I am trying to dial in my new rig.

This early Tee Scott remix shows his knack for turning a straight forward disco hit into a dance floor classic with long drawn-out breaks with empty quiet backgrounds contrasting the disco anthem choruses.

Mandrill - Dance Of Love
First Choice - Love Thang (Tee Scott Remix)

94114

2011-12-03T16:13:00.000-08:00

Beatelectic is starting to look a little dated, we gave it a revamp a couple of years back, but the fact is it's a blogspot page, and in this day and age thats the equivalent of having your website up on geocities, with animated gifs of grim reaper skulls puking fire and popup ad's for cheap hotel rooms. All the new blogs I go to with the decent new electronic music on look like they were made by a team of trendy engineers with degrees in graphic design, then I come back to beatelectric and we look like shit. In reality I suppose to have had a blog this long hosted by google with direct mp3 links to unlicensed music is somewhat of a miracle, most got taken down due to copyright infringement complaints long ago, but I think its really a testament to the unpopularity of the under the radar dusty commercial failures that we post. And with that in mind, I'm about to post some private press Hi Nrg...

My apartment is on the corner of Castro and Market St in San Francisco, which has been the heart of the gay community here for decades, and as such when I go digging around my local thrift stores and yard sales I come up with endless San Francisco scene high energy and uptempo, euro disco. Not my genres of choice or expertise, but each to their own. A block either side of where I live were the homes of Megatone records, Moby Dick records, Hot Tracks records, some other labels and plenty of record stores specializing in dance music popular in the gay clubs at the time. Now and again, when searching around the 'hood something locally made that's a little outside of the norm shows up.

Sonny Padilla Jr.'s self released 1985 single is marked as coming out on Uno Records, the address of which is a few doors down the street from me, an old apartment complex, and probably the address of Sonny's living room office. It turns out that this record is actually well known and quite sort after on the digging circuit, fetching a couple of hundred bucks in mint condition, due to it's heavy utilization of the vocoder on the A side's It's Your Body, and as a rarity it makes it on to a lot of vocoder nerd's wants list. I actually prefer the instrumental of the B side, 'Talk To Me!', which doesn't appear to be on the internet anywhere.

In the sleeve notes Sonny states that the record was made at The Automatt, a well known studio which is now a parking lot on Fulsom St, the photo in this post was taken from the main room's mixing console. Sonny lived in San Francisco and worked in the music industry throughout his life before passing away in 2007, an obituary to him can be found here:

http://articles.sfgate.com/2007-11-30/news/17270905_1_memorial-tribute-naras-tv

Sonny Padilla Jr. - It's Your Body!
Sonny Padilla Jr. - It's Your Body! (Instrumental)
Sonny Padilla Jr. - Talk To Me!
Sonny Padilla Jr. - Talk To Me! (Instrumental)

Adult R&B

2011-11-28T12:07:00.000-08:00

Here are some slow jamz to cure your case of the mondays. This is the type of serious adults only R&B I like to vibe out to. "So Nice" is an album cut from Leroy Hutson's 1979 Unforgettable, unfortunately the rest of the record doesn't live up to the title. Don Blackman's "Heart's Desire" is a rare groove classic and needs no introduction. Bay Area funk artist Marvin Holmes shows us how it is done with a scorching late-period track from 1986. Don't be afraid of the lost years ('86-'89).

Leroy Hutson - So Nice

Don Blackman - Heart's Desire

Marvin Holmes - Feel So Good (instrumental)

Sypher

2011-11-20T00:55:00.000-08:00

I've been neglecting my duties for some time now and for that I am remorseful. Fortunately, Joel Brüt has picked up the slack sharing his deep Kenny G cuts with the boogie world. But please don't blame him for posting those questionable white guy jazz noodlings, it's simply not his fault. He is a wine maker in Napa Valley, and that's how they roll up there in wine country.

This Sypher track has some 80's saxophone as well but it doesn't blow me out too hard. The lead synth hook is so fucking legit that this could be a Vertical Horizon track and it would still work for me. Fonda Rae's commanding lead vocals don't hurt either.

Sypher - It's Got To Be Right
Sypher - It's Got To Be Right (Dub Version)

Love Fever

2011-11-17T19:04:00.000-08:00

I have never heard of a female audiophile. I have never met a girl that lusted after shiny knobs and had to have that preamp with a flowchart emblazoned onto the front to it. Knobs, switches, VU meters, equalizers, quadraphonic, and reverse stereo. I often wonder what a stereo would look that was designed by women. Probably much like my current stereo sadly, I am whipped!

Here is a slammin track that was released on Prelude records in 1981.

Gayle Adams - Love Fever (Instrumental)

Disco Halloween Costumes

2011-11-17T17:25:00.000-08:00

Whether you lived through the groovy 70s or simply want a fun costume, there's something for you this Halloween. If you'd rather go back to the 50s or the start of the flower power movement, we've still got you covered. You'll definitely have a night to remember!

There are plenty of women's go go girl costumes. The Go Go Girl Adult Costume comes with a short sleeveless dress. The print: dozens of multicolored flowers. It includes a white hat and matching boot covers. Add peace sign earring for the finishing touch. A completely different Go Go Girl Adult Costume comes with a black and white dress, with a matching hat and belt. It is still on the short side, but a little bit looser. It looks great with the Mod Black and White Hoop Earrings and the Gogo Adult Boots. For something really different try the Twister Sexy Deluxe Adult Costume.

If you'd rather cover your legs and wear bellbottoms, we've got great options for you. The skin-tight Funky Dancin' Fox Adult costume comes with a purple, blue and gold metallic jumpsuit. It looks great with Gold Glitter Earrings and the Discorama Mama Blonde Wig Adult. The Flower Power Adult Hippie Costume is equally cute, but a bit less revealing. This pink costume comes with bellbottoms and a baby-doll shirt. It's sure to look great on anyone. The Feelin' Groovy Female Accessory Pack is a great add-on too. It comes with shades, pink peace sign earrings and a matching necklace.

There are several kids' costumes too. The Candy Corn A-Go-Go Child Costume cleverly turns the go go dress into a vinyl life-sized candy corn. It includes a hat and boot covers. But, don't forget, little girls love their accessories! She can tuck her lip-gloss and mirror into the Candy Corn Wristlet. If you want to jump back to the 50s the Car Hop Girl Child Costume is super cute, as is the Polka Dot Rocker Child Costume. This costume comes with a dress that has a white shirt and a long black skirt with white polka dots. A red sweater is also included so your little can stay warm trick-or-treating.

Finally, guys can partake in the fun too. The Far Out Man Adult Costume comes with blue bell-bottoms and a multicolored flower power shirt. The Long Hippie Wig with Headband and the Hippie Porkchop Sideburns and Moustache will make your man look like he's been growing out his hair for ages. For something a little simpler, try the Dynamite Dude Disco Shirt Adult Costume. The metallic shirt says it all, but the sideburns aren't quite as necessary. But if you want to really to stand out, a two-piece lime green suit should do the trick. The Leisure Suit Deluxe Costume looks great with the 70s Guy Brown Wig. Peace out!

Disco Costumes - Funky Fresh Man!

2011-11-17T17:22:00.000-08:00

Disco costumes are a fun way to bring in Halloween. They are totally funky fresh and will liven up any party. Some of the disco styles are still being incorporated into our fashion today. Bell bottoms have made their way back into our everyday fashion and plaid pants are slowly easing their way in. Disco costumes replicate some of the same stunning ensembles in the unforgettable movie Saturday Night Fever. These costumes can add totally narly flair to the dullest parties and places. Disco costumes are favored and adored by everyone of all ages.

70's costumes for women are totally tubular. Choose from bold, colorful print mod dresses to one piece jumpsuits with wide bell bottoms. Mod dresses are flirtatious and sexy with wild retro prints, drawing all the necessary attention in your direction. Have fun on the dance floor and shake your groove thing baby! Turn up the fun with some Marci and Carol Brady costumes. Once you go disco you there is no going back.

Alright men, bring out the strobe lights and dance the night away under the disco ball. With a mens disco costume, you're bound to be the eye candy. Put on a pair of bell bottoms and a shimmering shirt that everyone will be talking about for years to come. Strut your stuff and show off your good looks in a leisure suit. Leisure suits are bright and colorful accented by retro print shirts. Leisure suits were very popular in the disco days. Mens 70's costumes are fun and entertaining for everyone. They bring smiles, joy, and laughter to all those near.

When picking out your favorite disco costume make sure that you purchase any accessories needed. Complete any and all of your 70's costumes with an afro wig, boogie dancing earrings, and a disco medallion necklace. We all know how women loves purses, so ladies, compliment your totally rad costume with a totally tubular 70's disco handbag.

"You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life, diggin' the dancing queen." Retro costumes make for some of the narliest parties. Relive your disco days as you earn the title of the disco dancing god. Boogie on down and get funky while you're grooving. Feel the funk in a far out 70's disco costume.

Organising A Disco Party - Tips And Tricks

2011-11-17T17:19:00.000-08:00

Nineteen-seventy disco decorations are becoming well-known again. Disco decorations are a great way to liven up and nightclub or party scene. For those who lived in the nineteen-seventies, disco decorations are a wonderful way to get a nostalgic sense to any social gathering. Disco adornments will have a lot of vivid lights and fast music to go with them. A nightclub might make an amazing night from a disco celebration. Naturally, the nightclub may need a disco ball and other variety of disco items to put people into the mood. There are quite a few locations to buy or lease disco stuff and there is a broad variety of decorations to choose from.

A nightclub is the great place to throw a seventies style party, as you will require a lot of space to make it happen. For individuals who plan to organize such events at their home, you will require to select a big room in your home or on the outdoor patio. Wherever the disco celebration is happening, you will require the space for all the required arrangements and for the people as well. Preparing a that kind of celebration might be exciting, especially when picking the decorations for the occasion. For the nightclubs that are making disco events, you may need to run an ad for the party. In that ad, you have to tell people to gear up with vintage clothes if they have them. All of those details will depend on the owner of the nightclub.

If you own your nightclub, there is a number of decorations and products that you will require to host the appropriate disco party. A disco party calls for a disc jockey with the proper music, food, drinks and appropriate decorations. A disco ball might be rented or acquired at a lot of different locations. Generally, the locations where you can lease or buy these amazing balls will have other various disco items too. Also, there will be need of proper lights in order to organize a party of this kind. Other than the disco ball, rope lights work very well for these old-school events. One can additionally get vintage disco stuff that offer the party the ultimate seventies age sense. Classic disco decorations are made up of cardboard cutouts of stars of that age, vintage artwork, vintage clothes and so on. There are a lot of different choices when it comes to nineteen-seventy disco decorations. With a small effort, everyone can throw a wonderful disco party with wonderful disco decorations.

ABBA - The Golden Era of Disco

2011-11-17T17:17:00.000-08:00

It is hard to place a single defining point to the origin of Disco, but the first disco style club was opened by New York city DJ David Mancuso in his house called The Loft in 1970. This was a private member-only dance club and proved to be forerunner to disco style clubs. The first disco songs were released in 1973; however there are claims that Manu Dibango's 1972 Soul Makossa was the first disco album being recorded. Disco was first written about in September of 1974 in the Rolling Stone Magazine by Vince Aletti and the first disco radio show was hosted on New York City's WPIX-FM in 1974.

The disco sounds have soaring, reverberating vocals over a steady beat and is known to be influenced by funk, soul music and Latin or Hispanic salsa influences. A lush background sound is lent by strings, electric guitars, horns and electric pianos made both singers and music producers equally famous and pivotal to the entire disco theme. Some of the most famous disco groups from the 70s are the Bee Gees, Diana Ross, The Jacksons and the ABBAs.

The history of one of the most famous groups began in 1966 when Bjorn Ulvaeus met Benny Andersson. Though they came from different music genres, they became great partners in composing songs. Bjorn was a member of the Hootenanny singers and their records were on the Polar Music record label owned by Stig Anderson. Stig went on to become ABBAs manager and contributed lyrics in the first few years as well. In the spring of 1969, Bjorn and Benny met the two women who became their fiancés and the other half of ABBA. Agnetha Faltskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad both had their own solo recording careers before they became a part of ABBA. Agnetha and Bjorn married in 1971 while Benny and Frida waited till 1978 to tie the knot.

In the beginning, the upcoming Swedish band called themselves Bjorn and Benny, Agnetha and Anni-Frid, and their first collaborated cabaret act Festfolk in 1970 failed. Then in the spring of 1972, their song 'people need love' became a medium-sized hit in Sweden. Encouraged by this, they went on to participating in the Eurovision song contest with the song 'Ring Ring', though they stood third, the song became a hit in several European nations and competed for the top slot in Sweden. By the time they entered again in 1974, they were calling themselves ABBA and their song 'waterloo' became a hit taking them to the finals in England. From their it was a roller coaster ride with songs like 'SOS', 'Mamma Mia', 'Fernando' and 'Dancing Queen' becoming a rage with the disco world. From 1976 to 1982, they belted out hits after hits; songs and albums and tours of Europe, Japan and USA. Despite the couples getting divorced in 1979 and 1981, the ABBAs were perceived as happy couples making music together and they continued working together till 1982 when they decided to take a break.

Though the ABBAs have not had a very long career together, just over a decade, Disco would have not been the same without them. Even today if you ask the DJ for a disco number, he is sure to play you 'Take a chance on me' or the 'dancing queen'. Disco just cannot be imagined without the melodious voice of the ABBA.

Kwick

2011-11-09T12:58:00.000-08:00

Kwick was a Memphis based group who released three LPs in the early eighties. The group has a great sound with perfect claps and catchy synth hooks. Their first LP is the easiest to find and has a slightly more disco tinged sound. Their second album To The Point features the killer track "You're The Kind Of Girl I Like" in more of a boogie mode. I finally found a nice (se`led) copy of the record and took the opportunity to rip the two best jams during the squeaky clean first play.

Kwick - You're The Kind Of Girl I Like

Kwick - Nightlife

Caught Your Fever

2011-11-06T14:23:00.000-08:00

I was speaking with some head recently and they brought up the locally sought after bay area 45 Disco Train by Brafa in conversation, which reminded me that there was an even harder to find Brafa 12" out there that someone (thank you whoever you were) a long time ago had ripped for me during my failed efforts to track down James 'Brafa' Bradford. Its called 'Caught Your Fever' and was put out on the same Lovebone Records label as the 45 single. It has a more straight ahead disco funk feel, but is equally indie and dusted. I hadn't seen this around anywhere else, so here it is:

Brafa - Caught Your Fever

Funky And Haunted

2011-10-31T21:55:00.000-07:00

In a couple more years I'm going to have run out of Halloween themed funk records, why did they never release the soundtrack to Bride Of Blackenstein? I would have been good to 2014.

Whodini - The Haunted House Of Rock
Whodini - The Haunted House Of Rock (vocoder version)

Party Themes For 12 Year Olds

2011-10-27T07:03:00.000-07:00

Turning 12 years old is something your child looks forward to. It is the period of being in-between. Your child is no longer a child but is also one year shy from becoming a teenager.

Your child will only turn twelve once in his life. Give him a party to celebrate this joyous occasion. It is important that at this age, you ask your child on the kind of party he or she wants. After all, being twelve, the child already had developed his or her own interests. He is old enough to be included in the decision making process of the upcoming party.

Most 12 year old girls would prefer pajama parties or slumber parties for their birthdays. Others will request for a pool party with their classmates and friends. However, there are those who would like to treasure their last day as a child and go for the child-like theme parties.

For pool parties, it will be easier to rent a clubhouse or a hotel as a venue. Ask the guests to bring their own swim wears. And make sure to be compliant to the rules and regulations of the rented venue.

Another idea is to have a beauty pageant theme. The guests can also be the participants of the pageant. At twelve, these girls already love to dress up and starting to develop their own unique identities already.

For boys, here are some party theme ideas. The Knight Party is done in a venue that looks like a castle. Put shield and sword-shaped cut-outs onto the walls, making it look like a castle or a castle hallway. Improvised helmets and shields can be given to guests instead of the traditional party hats. There can also be a cake that resembles a castle with cone-shaped roofs and flags, as well as brick walls.

For activities, you can have a princess or a knight makeover station where guests can come for them to look like a knight in shining armor for the male ones, and a glamorous princess for the females.

The Army Party can resemble a military base or camp site where soldiers train. The wall of the venue is green or camouflaged, similar to the print of a soldier's uniform. You can also use images of bunkers, watchtowers and barbed wires to add to the army or soldier effect. The cake should have a soldier figurine with military vehicle toys or miniature replicas on it.

Guests may wear paper soldier helmets as a replacement for party hats. Roast food similar to what military people eat on camps. Snacks suck as cookies, candies and biscuits can be shaped like bombs, guns or little soldiers. Games may include a crawling race or a tug-o-war. For giveaways, it can be soldier figurines, toy tanks or army badge replicas.

The Airplane Party theme is a good choice for a birthday party for boys. Starting with the invitation, it should appear like an airplane ticket or an airline brochure. The venue's walls should have cloud images to create a sky ambiance. Hang airplane scale models in the ceiling to create an accent and serve as an added attraction for the guests. The cake can be likened to an airplane also, or designed with clouds. You can also serve white cotton candy that looks like clouds. Giveaways can be airplane toy figures or stuffed toys.

Disco Balls Overview

2011-10-27T07:00:00.001-07:00

Ever wondered where disco balls came from and what it symbolize? Through this article you will get to learn some important details regarding this party accessory which will certainly make your party a hit!

Disco balls had been 1st utilized within the 1920's in nightspots. They symbolize the disco era with the 1970's and 1990's. This eye catching ball displays like in every track, making a distinctive exhibit of beam. The facades of these balls have many hundreds of facades, which have a number of geometrical figures. The disco ball for sale operates greatest if it's balanced on an axis, permitting it to spin. Tale has it that viewing the disco ball for sale was captivating, particularly for those below the influence of medicines.

This sensation produced this amazing ball very well-liked, not the outcome in the beam shimmering from it. This has by no means been verified. It is nevertheless utilized in several boogie nightspots right now. Most disco balls for sale had been reinstated by laser illumination inside the 1980's and with advance illumination methods in the 21st century. 90% of these balls created these days are completed in Louisville, Kentucky.

The biggest rotating party ball within the world is situated at the ABC nightspot in Glasgow, Scotland. An additional terrific attraction may be the TV Tower Berlin. It has a surveillance floor in the shape of this party ball. This floor is six ½ miles off the land. You can find 986 actions top to it.

For those not desiring to overcome them, elevators are accessible. It's an excellent place to see the place. An eating place can also be on website. It is possible to appreciate your meal and also have a stunning view at the exact same time.

Organising A Disco Party - Tips And Tricks

2011-10-27T06:21:00.000-07:00

Master Funk

2011-10-25T16:19:00.000-07:00

Master Funk Records was an '80s UK dance label founded by electro producer Tony Williams (not to be confused with the American jazz drummer who worked with Miles Davis). This 12" was one of the label's later releases from 1984. Both sides are great, I might actually prefer the B-side which sounds starts off sounding like a Sade instrumental until the deep bass line comes in. For more on Tony Williams check out this interview by Greg Wilson on the excellent Electro Funk Roots website.

Scratch - Keep On Searching For Love
Scratch - Eastern Lady

Runaway

2011-10-24T18:59:00.000-07:00

Here is a surprisingly good track from Bobby Orlando that came out on Prelude Records in 1983. It is a good version of that italo sound that he had for a couple of years before going full on HiNRG. Bobby O has an interesting story and I think we have covered him here a couple of times before. Basically, he was an ultra religious homophobe and in the mid to late 80's, he made the gayest music ever and it was pretty-much only listened to by gay men.

One -Two-Three - Runaway

Secret Weapon

2011-10-22T22:56:00.000-07:00

This came out of a dollar bin in Chicago last weekend. I had always heard the weirdly mixed vocal version of Secret Weapon's 'Must Be The Music' of their self titled and only (I think) album, but picked up a 12" with an instrumental mix on the flip when I saw it as the vocal is what always slightly turned me off the original. Result, they replaced the male sung passages with maybe the greatest guitar solo in funk history:

Secret Weapon - Must Be The Music (Instrumental)

Panic at the Disco Songs

2011-10-12T15:30:00.001-07:00

Ryan Ross (vocals/guitar) and Spencer Smith (drums) attended the same High School in Las Vegas. With a friend Brent Wilson (bass, ex-member) they started jamming together in the evenings. The informal practice sessions soon morphed the group into a rock band, christened Summer League. After a few gigs, the friends reckoned their band's sound was a bit on the 'thin' side, so a search started for an extra guitar player. Brent met Brendon Urie, inviting him along to audition to play guitar. But when it was realised that Brendon's singing voice was the best of the group, he was persuaded to take over lead vocals. To celebrate their new line-up, a new name was called for. The foursome settled on Panic! at the Disco (the ! was later discarded).

Pete Wentz (see Fall Out Boy Songs) saw PATD performing, and suggested to the band that they approach the Fueled by Ramen label. Pete's instincts proved correct as the record company offered PATD a contract. The band's first album A Fever You Can't Sweat Out came out late in 2005. Their first single - I Write Sins Not Tragedies - was released from the album. The single's video included a mock circus wedding - the circus idea is a constant theme of the band's tours. To raise their image, the band embarked on a protracted US tour, as a support act. By the end of the tour their popularity had increased to such an extent that they became the headline act. A second single from the album, But It's Better If You Do was released early in spring 2006, rising to number 26 in the charts. This single is many people's favorite of all Panic At The Disco songs.

On tour though, the internal squabbling in the band turned from playful to resentful. Eventually Brent Wilson made the decision to quit. This left the group short of a bass for the UK and European leg of their tour. Fortunately Jon Walker, who was a friend from school days, stepped up to fill the role.

The band's sophomore album, Pretty. Odd came out early in 2008. It reached #2 in both the US and UK albums chart. Key tracks off the album include Nine in the Afternoon and That Green Gentleman.

Disco Gives Birth To House Music

2011-10-12T15:29:00.000-07:00

Disco music gets a bad rap. People decry the genre as a plastic, soulless, producer-driven music fad that deserves scorn for being empty and unfulfilling. Many music fans were happy to see disco die in 1980, but the truth is that disco never passed on. It spawned a new generation of dance music that branched out and evolved into the global phenomenon known as house music. So how exactly did disco give birth to house music? Here's the story.

So a gay guy and a black dude walk into a warehouse....just kidding! Well, actually that's not too far off. Here's the short version.

    * Larry Levan started spinning disco records together at those crazy Paradise Garage parties in New York.

    * Soon after Disco Demolition Night (when white kids killed disco at a White Sox game), Chicago started developing a new, electronic, drum-machine happy sound.

    * Frankie Kunckles brought his gay-friendly crate of thumping disco tracks to Chicago and the kids got into it. Stuff like "Let No Man Put Asunder" from First Choice rocked the Warehouse in 1983.

    * Soulful, bangin' disco tracks collided with what-the-hell-sounding beats from Jesse Saunders, Farley Jackmaster Funk and a bunch of other DJs, remixers and record producer types in Chicago.

    * All the kids wanted to buy the records that were playing at the Warehouse in Chicago, and after some abbreviating -- the house music label was born.

    * In Detroit, Juan Atkins (/Cybotron), Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson originated a techno touch alongside the Chicago house music sound.

If you want to learn more, there's a video on it -- Pump Up the Volume. This documentary outlines the history of house music's muddied origins. From swinging disco tracks to squelching, experimental knob-turning, to the base kick of techno's first producers, this three-part video has it all.

Circuit Breaker

2011-10-09T14:33:00.000-07:00

Zig Zag appears to be another moniker for then Miami producer and KC & The Sunshine Band member Richard Finch, who producer a few small run electro releases with still active Colorado based r'n'b keyboardist Drusel White way back when. Drusel still plays the Colorado circuit and Rick Finch is fighting a legal rap in Ohio, where he and his wall of platinum records currently reside.

Zig Zag - Circuit Break (Vocal)

Zig Zag - Circuit Breaker (Instrumental)

Gloria Ann Taylor

2011-10-08T10:28:00.000-07:00

I hope you don't mind if I change it up and post something a bit different (less electric) than most of the material here. I think this record should appeal to many of our readers as fans of soul and left field disco.

The release date of the elusive Deep Inside You EP on Selector Sound is unknown, but I think tracks were probably remixes of material recorded much earlier, updated for the disco era. "Love Is A Hurting Thing" was also released on a 7" with the instrumental on the flip (listed as "How Can You Say It"), though this shorter version lacks the disco back beat and loose dub mixing style heard on the 12". It was probably the best pull of my record digging career when I found this last weekend at what Black Shag would call a car boot, and I am glad to share it with you all.

Gloria Ann Taylor - Love Is A Hurting Thing

French Boogie

2011-10-03T12:49:00.000-07:00

Here are a few french white guy attempts at making boogie cuts circa '82-'85. Thanks to our friend Didier from Paris for the source material.

Flash System - La Fille De La FM
Micky Milan - Quand Tu Danses
Style - Playboy En Detresse
Elegance - Vacances J'oublie Tout
Francois Feldman - Wally Bouile Noire

Disco Design Concepts And Games

2011-09-27T06:29:00.000-07:00

People really like to apply disco design concepts when making a party or a different event. A flash from the past is just what they need most of the time to liven up an event. There is no difference what kind of party you are organizing - for children or grown-ups, using some special disco design concepts can make it a one of a kind party for every person participating. Disco games at a party are a way of making it a lot more exciting for all the guests. They are fun and can engage people of all ages. One of the most popular things people use for disco design concepts is the disco ball. It has been preferred for years due to all the reflective light that it can beam, thus making the dance floor a lot more exciting for everybody.

Disco design concepts can consist of many elements including beaded curtains hung in a doorway. These beaded curtains remain in style today and are a preferred ornamental item in a kid's room, for example. If you have been of age in the seventies the beaded curtains and dark light may have been the way you decided to design your room. These styles have not really gone out of fashion and remain in style today. A disco design topic at an event is one way to provide a fun time for all of the guests. Disco party games such as dance games can actually help for a great entertainment. Once you think of disco, you may think of disco tunes and dances. A disco party should have a lot of this kind of songs to engage all the people.

Bring out all the disco songs and games to make every person recall that interval of time and to remember why it has been so exciting to dance to the tunes of these times. The disco concept includes every little thing you must have for a successful disco party. To make things a lot more exciting, offer out prizes to the very best dancer and for the very best seventies costume worn. This will motivate people to get a lot more creative and involved in the party. To make it even more exciting pass out prizes for the very best hair, very best footwear, very best dress and make up various fun things to excite the guests. All the disco elements that you put into the seventies party can make it seem like you have stepped backwards in time to have a great time.

Philly World Records

2011-09-26T00:05:00.000-07:00

Someone managed to plunder the master tape's of Philadelphia's Philly World Record's Alpha Studios and help themselves to all the choice instrumentals of their uptempo boogie numbers. Much respect, and thank you. You needn't book me for a DJ gig ever again, just play these off your laptop, sway in a gentle yet off balance motion out of time with the music, don't dress well and frown a lot, the experience will be the same as a BlackShag DJ set if not better, as your laptop won't trainwreck and blame it on the way the last DJ balanced the needles..

Kim Covington - All Of My Love (Instrumental)
Hipnotic - Are You Lonely? (Instrumental)
Colorina - Calle Ocho (Meet Me On 8th Street) (Club Mix)
Gypsy Lane - Cold Fire (Instrumental)
Reall Juice - Complicated Situation (Dub)
Brutus - Excitation (Instrumental)
Company B. - Fascinated (Instrumental)
Suzann Riches - Hungry For Your Love (Instrumental)
Russell Dabney - In The Middle Of The Night (Instrumental)
Sir Scott Rock With The Jammal - Learn To Jamm-A-Lott (Instrumental)
Erotic Drum Band - Love Disco Style (Instrumental)
Venus Starr - Ms. Sassy, Frassy, Classy (Instrumental)
Deborah Washington - Nothing But Drums
Lustt - Pillow Talk (Instrumental)
New Experience - Prove It To Me (Instrumental)
Sophie St. Laurent - Sex Appeal (Instrumental)
Joe Freeman - Sneakin' (No Respect) (Instrumental)
The Chestnut Brothers - Sweet Little Rita (Instrumental)
FM Funk - Take Off Your Make-Up (Let Your Hair Down) (Instrumental)
Akasha - Thunder In Your Love (Instrumental)
Allan Harris - You Bring Out The Best In Me (Instrumental)

garage house

2011-09-20T17:22:00.000-07:00

Here is a 1984 house classic in its 1985 special longer remix form. "You Don't Know" was produced by Paul Simpson and still sounds excellent today. As a bonus I'll throw in this garage flavored extended Shep Pettibone mix from Instant Funk.

If you are in the Sacramento area tonight I'll be playing records at The Press Club for a new weekly party, "FFFreak". Come hang out and dance to '80s music!

Serious Intention - You Don't Know (special remix)
Instant Funk - (Just Because) You'll Be Mine (Extended Club Mix)

Masterpiece

2011-09-17T18:01:00.000-07:00

I don't put up much italo, but this came up in a box of US r'n'b and disco recently and despite the rarity of any european pressed italo of note appearing in a dollar bin out in California (doesn't really happen that often), I thought the instrumental of Gazebo's 'Masterpiece' had a dark electro rhythm and a melancholy, wistful sort of feel to it that appeals to me, so I'll throw it on the BE.

Now, for all this instrumental's great qualities, the parts of the arrangement I like are spread sparsely amongst some sort of epic piano and atypical italo cheeseball bits, it comes with the territory. Its well worth listening through all 13 minutes, it gets deep and electro percussion heavy in the last couple but to many a modern DJ's tastes it could perhaps benefit from an edit, I don't have time for that, the producer wrote it this way for a reason and there are only so many hours in the day, so one of you should edit this up, stick it up on your soundcloud with your name all over it and be a hero.

Gazebo - Masterpiece (Instrumental)

Disco Balls - The All Time Favourite!

2011-09-13T06:26:00.000-07:00

Starting your own night club is undoubtedly among the hardest things in the world to do. Not only is the night club business among the hardest businesses to break into but you additionally have to encounter all of the competition and the simple fact that there exist a lot of other upscale or even regular scale clubs on the market, all using excellent night club decor! So if you are looking to break into the night club business area, you undoubtedly need some snappy and cool looking decor and what could possibly be much more fun, cool, awesome looking and all around amazing compared to a disco ball?

Now, you may be thinking that disco balls have been out of fashion forever, but let's honest, that statement is absolutely not true! There are a lot of factors why you must pick a disco ball as a part of your night club decor. Among the major factors is simply because it can undoubtedly attract a crowd! There are basically not enough night clubs that have a disco ball in their interior and who doesn't enjoy a disco ball? Think about it, when the lights are straight down low and all of the little disco ball mirrors are lighting up the dance floor and the space around it? Oh, people can fall in love with your night club and you can basically be the hottest thing!

Now that you have it in your thoughts that a disco ball will make your night club decor truly pop, the only question that you may have is how do you get one? Although there exist a lot of different companies that make these fantastic disco balls, you simply need to ensure that you are not going to buy a product that will disintegrate. Ensuring that the top quality exists is undoubtedly a thing that you should be doing in any aspect of your night club decor, but in particular when you are investing in the disco ball!

Not only do you want to find a company that produces top quality items, you additionally need to discover a company that will save you some money. There are a lot of different companies out there as detailed above, but you simply need to ensure that you are not only going to be staying inside your budget, but the product is still going to be top quality, even if you are receiving it at a big sale price.

The Amazing Disco Light Effects

2011-09-12T06:22:00.000-07:00

If you are looking for a way to spice up your nightclub or even your own house, disco light effects are the way to go. They are meant to light up your walls, ceilings and floors or any other part of your house or nightclub. Disco lighting and disco light effects are the great way to turn your house into a swinging nightclub or to change your nightclub into the hit of the town. However, those effects are a bit more modernized compared to what they were in the nineteen seventies. LED technology is the new wave of disco and it does the job wonderfully. LED lights are long-lasting and can offer off the true look of disco light effects once installed properly.

LED panels paired with DMX managed lighting is the way to bring disco light effects to your house or club. LED equalizer panels may be bought for walls, ceilings and floors. These panels are the cutting edge of lighting effect technological innovation. These LED panels can conserve on energy and provide you with state of the art lighting all in one. LED dance floors can make an entire nightclub or house need to dance into the earlier hours of the morning. Not only are these LED panels long-lasting and state-of-the-art, but they are also very affordable. If you try your LED panels with DMX lighting controls, it is easy to make a room come to life with disco light effects.

Of course, nightclubs in the nineteen seventies were not equipped with LED panels as a ceilings and walls. You would find light panels on the floor, but nowhere else. This can make the new age disco light effects one hundred percent better. These days, we are not only relying on the disco ball to make the light show. Nowadays's nightclub lighting is driven by new technological innovation and is energy-saving. This means that there are no new payments to take care of as soon as you have your lighting system installed. This is good for proprietors and homeowners. In actual fact, LED light panels may be rented instead of bought. This is a good option for homeowners who do not need to make investments in the light panels, but only need to lease them for a party now and again. There are plenty of options for individuals who are fascinated by building their house or nightclub into a disco party with good disco light effects.

We wanna play for all you fooz

2011-09-03T00:38:00.000-07:00

Here is a tight disco boogie jam especially for you. Have a great Labor Day weekend if you are one of the few that is employed; otherwise, enjoy vacation and the free tune.

Brief Encounter - We Want To Play

Last Funk

2011-08-28T13:46:00.000-07:00

Bevin Fagan was most well known as the lead singer and producer of one of the UK's biggest reggae acts, Matumbi. Yet in his time he was involved with and influenced by all sorts of music that was going on in South London during the seventies and early eighties, even being part of a prog rock band named 'Stonehenge' even at one point in his youth.

Guardian Angel was a roots reggae project with his wife (or maybe sister) Sylvia Fagan on vocals. They put out a few lovers rock type singles, but if you flip the accompanying album over, the B side is mostly (and oddly) unique sounding funk and disco tracks, of which 'Last Funk' is the most left of center and hard hitting of all.

Through some miracle over the years I have managed to come across two copies of this LP from British reggae collectors who don't rate it as Fagan's best work and are turned off by the funk on the flip. One man's trash as they say. If you want my double hit me up.

Guardian Angel - Last Funk

Disco Fever Dance Party

2011-08-27T06:43:00.000-07:00

Do you have Disco Dance Fever? If so, you need to celebrate! A Disco theme party can be a great way to celebrate a birthday of any age, honor a retiree or just plain have fun. Costumes and decorations will make this party even more fun and realistic.

Pick a theme for your dance party, whether it be disco, break dancing, rap or country and find coordinating decorations. A party supply store will have every theme for dancing the night away and all the trimmings to make your party a smashing success.

If Disco is your chosen theme, buy, rent or make a disco ball to hang in your party room. Whether it functions or not doesn't really matter, it adds to the ambience of the set. Find old posters of bands and singers from the disco era and hang around the house or room.

You can't have a Disco Dance Party without music! Use a karaoke machine to play only disco songs. Make it a competition for who has the best act. Turn it into an American Idol game and hand out personalized trophies as favorites or plastic records. Using the posters bought, see who can remember the names of the most acts. Winner gets to take an old record home for a prize.

Serve "Disco" food at your party. Serve things that are all round like the disco ball. Pizza, veggie trays, ham roll ups, cookies, brownies dips can all be made or put into circular dishes. Rename certain foods to give them a 70's flair. Make Bell Bottom Taco Dip or Groovy Potato Salad to serve the hungry dancers.

When serving food, buy all of your paper products from a party supply store. They will have every color and theme of plates, silverware, cups and napkins at your disposal. Have fun dancing.

Mrs. Party... Gail Leino is the internet's leading authority on selecting the best possible party supplies, using proper etiquette and manners while also teaching organizational skills and fun facts. The Party Supplies Hut has Dance Party Supplies, ideas, pinatas, games, costumes, decorations, and activities.

do you feel like a party

2011-08-25T08:53:00.000-07:00

Lee Moore was a disco producer who unfortunately only released a few tunes during his short career. His first and most common track came out on Source Records in 1979. It appears that after his brief relationship with a large label he took matters into his own hands and cut a track on his own LM imprint. This track has a raw feel that is apparent when the guitar comes in too early after a few bars of the loose drum and bass groove. The white noise synth sound used to accent the snare also gives the beat a lot of character.

Lee Moore - Do You Feel Like A Party

Disco Birthday Party Ideas

2011-08-24T06:39:00.000-07:00

When you are looking for ideas to plan the next birthday party for your favorite child make sure to investigate the many wonderful ideas available by making it a disco party. Children love these energetic events as the dance music makes an invigorating atmosphere and allows them to burn off excess energy in a positive manner.

Adding karaoke to your disco birthday party will enliven it even more. Every child wants to be a star. With the ease at which karaoke helps them get the words to their favorite song right, there is seldom any embarrassing moments to ruin the fun. It allows every participant to get the feel of being a real music pop star and helps reinforce positive social skills.

If you want to set up a specific theme idea for the disco birthday party, costumes can add to the fun. You can pick a specific retro decade for your theme and it shouldn't be too hard to find outfits to fit the mood. Adding karaoke to the mix will involve only a bit of work to find just the right songs to fit the event.

A bit of video editing can turn your child's disco birthday party into a fun documentary or an "episode" of a popular dance show. Creative editing of the dancers and performers can give you child a memento they can treasure for years.

Children do like to emulate adults so your disco birthday party ideas can range from the most casual of party events or go for an ultra formal event. The main idea is to make sure the fun factor is high. Whether your party is down to earth or a flight of high fantasy, adding the excitement of the dance will have them looking forward to the next birthday party so they can do it all again.

will you be the one

2011-08-15T13:43:00.000-07:00

Here is a later era downtempo lazer soul track released by the short lived New York Music Company in 1985. Vocalist Bernice Frazier delivers an outstanding performance here with her first recording. This tune was produced by Mitch Ervin AKA Mitch Race who also had tracks on the legendary 25 West Records. I love the minimal production with 808 drums, Juno 106 bass, and DX-7. Mitch discusses the details of his productions on his youtube page, check it out and drop him a comment if you appreciate his work.

Bernice Frazier - Will You Be The One

Jump Up With Beats At Your Disco Party

2011-08-10T06:36:00.000-07:00

When was the last time you attended a Disco Party. If you want to jump up with the beat, call out for a Disco Party of your own. It can be a very interesting event that you can provide for your family and friends. It would require you to think on different things that you can offer to make this party a huge success. A lot of people make a mistake of not doing their homework well and not looking at the different options that could have been much better than others, so from this we can learn that just believe in your ingenuity.

Disco party invitations decorated with bell bottom pants and musical notes convey the dance theme of the 70's era. Your guests will come dressed and ready to disco dance the night away. As a general consensus, you must always call the people who you know and do not call the people who you don't. This is being said because the guests at the Disco Party are going to get drunk and the situation at times just seem to get out of control with the ones who you don't know.

Once you have listed your guests for the Disco Party, you are going to find that things have started to fall in place. The next thing that you need to do is to design the dance floor with the ball hanging in the center. It would be pretty good if you set lights at angles that would just make the ball glow perfectly. Apart from your dance floor the lights should be dim so that the dance floor area becomes the focus of attention and get the best Disco Party songs to make your guests rock. To say the least, for this party you just need to focus on how you are going to provide your guests with the best time and when you are successful, they will ask you to throw another party soon

Mrs. Party... Gail Leino takes a common sense approach to planning and organizing events, celebrations and holiday parties with unique ideas for disco party supplies and fun Disco party games. She explains proper etiquette and living a healthy life while also teaching organizational skills and fun facts. The Party Supplies Hut has lots of party ideas with hundreds of free holiday printable games and free birthday party activities. Over 100 adorable Themes including Disco Party Supplies to fit your birthday celebration, holiday event, or "just because" parties. Party themes include cartoon characters, sports, movie, TV shows, luau, western, holidays, and unique crazy fun theme ideas.

Blast From the Past Disco Party

2011-08-07T06:34:00.000-07:00

A disco party is a totally awesome way to get down and get funky. Put on your threads; your disco dresses, platform shoes, and leisure suits. Decorate with bean bags and lava lamps. Hang beaded curtains and psychedelic disco posters. Light the incense and candles. Have a disco dance video playing on your television, and add a glittery disco ball for added sparkle disco party style!

Once you have decided how many chicks and dudes you want to invite to your disco party, create your own disco mirrored ball invitations on the computer using your color printer. Include pictures of the disco clothing styles' people wore in the 70's; for those that never wore them, and to remind those that did. Award prizes for the best dressed authentic totally radical outfit.

Your guests will love to boogie down under a disco ball to 70's artists like; Donna Summer, KC and the Sunshine Band, Kool and the Gang, and the Police, so, crank up the jams and get down. Show a video of several disco dances like the YMCA, the Disco Train and the Bump. Have a disco dance contest for the best performance of the Hustle.

With all the disco dancing going on, your guests will need plenty of food to eat, so you'll want to serve a variety of easy to eat finger foods that may be eaten between dances. Cheese fondue served with skewered meat or chunks of bread will always be popular, as well as veggie trays with ranch dip, and chips and onion dip. Pizza was a favorite then, as now.

This will be an event to remember for years to come, so take lots of pictures at your disco party. You can download and print your pictures to give to your guests as parting gifts.

Mrs. Party... Gail Leino takes a common sense approach to planning and organizing events, celebrations and holiday parties with unique ideas for birthday party supplies and fun party games. She explains proper etiquette and living a healthy life while also teaching organizational skills and fun facts. The Party Supplies Hut has lots of party ideas with hundreds of free holiday printable games and free birthday party activities. Over 100 adorable Themes including Party Supplies to fit your birthday celebration, holiday event, or "just because" parties. Party themes include cartoon characters, sports, movie, TV shows, luau, western, holidays, and unique crazy fun theme ideas.

Seventies Party Games a Disco Era

2011-07-27T06:56:00.000-07:00

Every party that is based around a specific era is considered to be really interesting, because every participant has to represent the era through their costumes, their styles, shoes etc. Seventies era was known to be the era of change with rock n' roll, famous TV shows etc. So you can ask your guests to wear the costumes of seventies, which definitely will give your party an outlook of seventies. It is also important that you decorate your party on the theme of seventies so that for a moment everyone would feel that they have flown back in the seventies era. You can spice up the party with the Seventies Party Games.

What You Did In Seventies

In this Seventies Party Game, the guests are asked to share the different things that they had been doing in that decade. Every participant must be sharing the different events that they can remember and one by one they will share their part. This game will become really interesting with different people coming up with the exciting experiences in their life. It would be just like a story telling event by the fire and it will definitely absorb all the guests who will be definitely waiting for the next guest to share their part of the story.

Guess It Ladies

The Guess It Ladies game will require you to collect the different stuff from the era of seventies such as arts and crafts, and other things that were famous and well known at that time. You will then place all the stuff on the table and will pick it up one by one and the ladies are provided with pen and paper and they have to write as to what is that specific thing. The lady who is going to guess the most items right is going to be the winner of the Guess It Ladies Seventies Party Game.

Sometimes it becomes really difficult for an individual to come up with the party games and it is not a bad idea to consult a professional to cater the party for you. You might think that getting a party arranged can be really expensive but at least you need to check out as to how much it is really going to cost you rather than thinking on what you have heard.

Mrs. Party... Gail Leino takes a common sense approach to planning and organizing events, celebrations and holiday parties with unique ideas for seventies party supplies and fun free educational party games. She explains proper etiquette and living a healthy life while also teaching organizational skills and fun facts. The Party Supplies Shop has lots of party ideas with hundreds of free holiday printable games and free birthday party activities. Over 100 adorable Party Themes to fit your birthday celebration, holiday event, or "just because" parties is at the Party Theme Shop. Party themes include cartoon characters, sports, movie, TV shows, luau, western, holidays, and unique crazy fun theme ideas.

Why Kids Love Disco Karaoke Parties

2011-07-27T06:52:00.000-07:00

Ice cream and cake and a game of "pin the tail on the donkey" are just not very exciting to most modern children. When they party, they want to jump, shout and sing. Everyone wants to exhibit their own unique and vibrant social skill development and few places are more suited to making every child a star than disco karaoke!

At a disco karaoke party everyone who wants to can sing their favorite songs and be center stage. That is one of the big reasons kids love disco karaoke parties. The music is vibrant and dedicated to an enticing dance beat.

A good karaoke event planning business will teach the children how to perform. Being aimed at younger children, they do not read off of a screen. Rather the focus is not on getting the words just right, but letting loose and having fun!

The best disco karaoke establishments will provide a professional to help the shy kids along during the difficult spots so that everybody can shine when it is their turn on stage.

Disco music is designed to be danced to and the beats are easy to follow. You do not get complex lyrics or content too racy for the average child. The energy at a disco karaoke party tends to allow the best level of activity without it devolving to mischief. By the end of the disco karaoke party, children usually feel they have given it their best and are ready to settle back in the afterglow of a day well spent in enjoyment.

A good karaoke party will be designed to cater to the interests of the particular age group or musical interest. Kids love disco karaoke parties because it gives them the chance to be fully kids and fully involved with the fun. By being the star of the show, they can extend the fantasy into their daily lives and keep the bright dreams of childhood alive in a positive manner. By learning to function well in front of a crowd while young, they will be more able to carry that skill into their future and someday become the star they dream of.

DJ Lights - Top Tips and Advice For Choosing DJ Lighting Equipment and Party Disco Lights

2011-07-12T06:50:00.000-07:00

DJ Lighting Equipment is a very important aspect of any disco equipment setup and one which should not be overlooked or underestimated. However, once you have a good idea of the available options you will find that it is relatively easy to equip yourself with some great lighting solutions at affordable prices.

There are many types of DJ lights available and they differ greatly in price point so it is a good idea to plan out your requirement and understand that if you only ever do small or sometimes medium sized venues then you will NOT need a massive amount of lights or a big lighting rig as these may only get used a few times a year. In fact it may be more realistic and beneficial to buy a few good effect lights, a couple of moving head scanners, a laser and a smoke machine and on the rare occasion that you may require more lighting then you can always hire a few more lights from your local DJ warehouse.

If you are a newbie to disco lighting then you should gain a little more knowledge through reading the next part of this article which gives you the options for choosing DJ lights and lighting packages.

1) Moonflower Lights (Gobo) - This light produce patterns through the lens and can be very effective.

2) Scanners - Available as Fixed and Moving Head lighting units and these are probably the most popular and used the most throughout the mobile disco and nightclub scene. A scanner DJ light can be linked to one another, in a daisy chain, and attached to a lighting controller (DMX controller unit) and the linked units will work as a synchronised effect.

3) DJ Laser Lights - A laser light produces either fixed pattern effect in single or multi colours (requires multiple heads) and the more advanced units can produce some amazing animations which are typically controlled via a laptop running a DMX interface.

4) DJ Black Lights and UV Lights - These produce fluorescent and black light effects such as making any white clothing you wear stand out brightly. These Black Lights are perfect for mobile disco, home and bedroom, and nightclubs.

5) Party Disco Lights - These lights are widely available and offer an affordable solution to house parties, small disco's and other light applications. You can buy a complete Disco Party Pak from online DJ suppliers and these can turn any small venue into a flashy, colourful and atmospheric party palace.

There are many more options available including light boxes and LCD display panels, strobe lighting and Beacons also Oil Gobo Lights to name but a few. However, the main items listed above (1 to 5) are by far the most widely used lighting equipment and if you opt for a combination of those lights then you will not go far wrong.

Disco Down to a Good Time With This Disco Party

2011-07-09T06:47:00.000-07:00

Disco, that era that many prefer to forget is back and it's time to party again. It is said that all that is old will be new again. Fashions fade and reappear cyclically and so too, it seems, does pop culture. Disco parties are a great way to get friends and family together and have fun dancing and singing the night away. However all that hustling and electric sliding can work up an appetite bigger than John Travolta's hairdo. When that happens, this disco themed menu is sure to satisfy.

Begin the disco party with a classy cocktail bar. Have a variety of martinis ready to be shaken or stirred. Also have a special martini just for this party. There are several recipes available on the internet and you can rename them to fit the party's seventies theme. Perhaps add some hot cinnamon schnapps to create Saturday Night Fever or add Goldschlager, with its real gold flakes to create the sparkly Studio 54.

The appetizer of cheese fondue with crusty bread and apples is a great item for a disco party, as guests can grab and dance at the same time. Making cheddar cheese and beer fondue is simple using this recipe. Gather these ingredients:

1 pound sharp cheddar cheese, shredded, 1 tablespoon flour, 1 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard, a dash of cayenne (or add a dash of hot sauce to the melted mixture), 3/4 cup beer and 2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce. In a bowl, combine cheese, flour, mustard and ground cayenne; mix to blend well. In a fondue pot, combine beer and Worcestershire sauce. Set temperature at 375° and heat until bubbling. Gradually add cheese mixture and stir constantly until cheese melts and mixture is smooth, about 5 minutes. Reduce temperature to 200° and serve.

While the disco era was loved by some and lamented by others, one thing is unanimous. Serving this disco menu at your next disco party will make you a star!

Mrs. Party... Gail Leino takes a common sense approach to planning and organizing events, celebrations and holiday parties with unique ideas for Disco party supplies and fun party games. She explains proper etiquette and living a healthy life while also teaching organizational skills and fun facts. The Party Supplies Hut has lots of party ideas with hundreds of free holiday printable games and free birthday party activities. Over 100 adorable Themes including Disco Party Supplies to fit your birthday celebration, holiday event, or "just because" parties. Party themes include cartoon characters, sports, movie, TV shows, luau, western, holidays, and unique crazy fun theme ideas.

R.I.P. Loleatta Holloway (1946-2011)

2011-03-22T22:55:00.000-07:00

As some of you will know, it has been over a year since my last blog post here. I've had various ideas come to mind, but nothing seemed quite compelling enough. However, today that's changed. Last night, the news came down from her manager that Loleatta Holloway, one of the greatest vocalists to emerge from disco had passed away yesterday (March 21) at the age of 64..

An incredibly sad moment, speaking not only personally but for the disco and dance community at large. In my own life, while I've never had the opportunity to see her perform live, Loleatta was an inextricable part of my own personal soundtrack, having been one of the first voices to capture my heart back at a time when I was just starting to seriously explore the world of disco. Hearing Walter Gibbons' 12" Mix of "Hit & Run," on my old Salsoul Classics CD, Gibbons' handiwork and Loleatta's vocals put together, turned what was an already good, albeit innocuous Norman Harris piece of Philly disco with lyrics about "an old fashioned country girl," into an explosive masterpiece of soul, rhythm and release.. Her wailing vamps, sighs and extended ad-libbed vocal runs over the song's rhythm track turned "Hit & Run," from merely a good tune into something that I could only describe as head music, disco-style. Those 9 + minutes of Loleatta stand, among other things, as a testament to the underrated artistry of a true, gifted vocalist. Anyone who thought of disco as a sterile, soulless medium had obviously never heard a Loleatta Holloway song.

Listen: Loleatta Holloway - Hit & Run (Walter Gibbons 12" Mix) (1977, Gold Mind/Salsoul)

Loleatta Holloway - Hit & Run
Uploaded by ShelfSide69

In recent days, there had been some rumblinfs about her ill health. Starting on Sunday, there were vague, cryptic posts about "keeping Loleatta in your prayers" scattered across message boards and Facebook circles. Many of the posts seemed to have originated from an on-air announcement from the Chicago radio station V103, where a relative had made contact, asking programmers to play some of her music. Later that night, after posting what I had heard on Twitter, I soon heard from her manager, Ron Richardson (@RonAtHushtown), who tweeted back, asking me to contact him to get the full, correct information.

I had been told that Loleatta had reportedly suffered a heart attack not long ago and had been placed in a medically induced coma, as a result. While her condition seemed to be improving just before her passing (she was reportedly off life support and breathing on her own), sadly, it wasn't enough to pull her through.

While disco has often and correctly been cited as a producers' medium, the identity of the singer (as the traditional artist) often submerged in the production; the opposite argument could easily be made for Loleatta. For one thing, there was absolutely nothing anonymous about Loleatta's voice and in her case, there was probably nothing that captured the full glory of her vocals quite like her disco tracks. Initially at a loss to fill all of the extra time she had on these new disco tracks she had to record; her greatest disco moments turned out less like mere songs and more like musical canvases; a medium which gave her the latitude to display the full expanse of her fiery, spirited vocal power like never before (or since).

On a more sobering note however, I had read somewhere that when asked about the subject of royalties, Ms. Loleatta could give an earful whenever the subject was broached. I had later posed the subject to Dayna Newman, when she was soliciting questions for an interview she had lined up with her for discomusic.com, just to see what sort of response she'd give. It was dismaying, though not entirely surprising to read her answer. And while I understand she probably did fairly well for herself overall, she bluntly said that as far as royalties were concerned, she had never seen any; that artists like her had to rely mostly on gigs in order to capitalize on the success of their records. And that, apparently, was the censored explanation.

In that way, being the most sampled voice in dance music, a seminal bridge between the worlds of disco and house, was likely a mixed blessing of sorts. While it cemented her legendary status and relevance well beyond the realms of disco and R&B, it was also a situation that at times (see the infamous Black Box controversy) seemed to highlight the shady ends of the music business and the often unfair way artists of her time (and of her race, it should be said) were often exploited.

Ellis D - My Loleatta
Uploaded by RJJNY

Yet, while she never became a household name like some of her contemporaries in the disco world, she remains undoubtedly one of the most beloved, iconic vocalists to have emerged from disco. The rapid, immense outpouring of love and respect on Twitter, in the twelve hours following the announcement of her passing spoke to the incredible appreciation audiences felt for her (Loleatta Holloway was trending worldwide for much of that time) and her contributions. In the greatest way, she encapsulated the key qualities of the quintessential diva; that combination of strength and vulnerability; of sadness, joy and intensity of feeling that came through in her persona (as immortalized in Junior Vasquez' AKA Ellis D's My Loleatta bootleg), the same qualities she had amplified though her voice in the greatest gospel tradition. It is perhaps for that reason why myself and so many others took her to their hearts. So for those of you who have shared (and for those who have yet to) in the joy, passion and pain of Loleatta; you, as the lady herself once said, are the lucky ones.

Rest easy, Loleatta.

Update: Loleatta's manager, Ron Richardson, recently tweeted information about her homegoing service in Chicago, to be held March 31st.

PREVIOUS RELATED ENTRIES:
WHITNEY DOES LOLEATTA.. (FRIDAY AUGUST 7, 2009)
DISCO DELIVERY #36: LOLEATTA HOLLOWAY - QUEEN OF THE NIGHT (1978, GOLD MIND/SALSOUL) (WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 28, 2007)

LINKS:
CHICAGO TRIBUNE: LOLEATTA HOLLOWAY OBITUARY (GUESTBOOK)
NEW YORK TIMES - MUSIC: LOLEATTA HOLLOWAY, GOSPEL AND DISCO SINGER, IS DEAD AT 64 (BY JON PARELES) (MARCH 23, 2011)
BBC NEWS: DISCO SINGER LOLEATTA HOLLOWAY DIES AT 64 (MARCH 22, 2011)
THE INDEPENDENT - OBITUARY: LOLEATTA HOLLOWAY (BY PIERRE PERRONE) (FRIDAY MARCH 25, 2011)
BILLBOARD.COM: LOLEATTA HOLLOWAY, DISCO SINGER, DIES AT 64 (BY JASON LIPSHUTZ) (MARCH 22, 2011)
EXCLAIM.CA: DISCO GREAT LOLEATTA HOLLOWAY DIES AT 64 (BY DAVID DACKS) (MARCH 22, 2011)

THE GUARDIAN - MUSIC BLOG: LOLEATTA HOLLOWAY: MORE THAN A VOICE (BY BEN BEAUMONT THOMAS) (MARCH 22, 2011)
SOULMUSIC.COM - TRIBUTE TO LOLEATTA HOLLOWAY, 1946-2011 (BY DAVID NATHAN)
JOE.MY.GOD: DISCO LEGEND LOLEATTA HOLLOWAY DIES AT 64 (TUESDAY MARCH 22, 2011)
HISTORY IS MADE AT NIGHT: LOLEATTA HOLLOWAY (1946-2011) (TUESDAY MARCH 22, 2011)
LOVE IN C MINOR: RIP LOLEATTA HOLLOWAY (MARCH 22, 2011)
FAITHFANZINE: TERRY FARLEY REMEMBERS LOLEATTA (TUESDAY MARCH 22, 2011)
HI-FI MAGAZINE: RIP: LOLEATTA HOLLOWAY (MARCH 22, 2011)
POP TRASH ADDICTS: GOODNIGHT, MS. HOLLOWAY (TUESDAY MARCH 22, 2011)
THE GOLDEN ERA GOSPEL BLOG: R.I.P. LOLEATTA HOLLOWAY (TUESDAY MARCH 22, 2011)
BOINGBOING: LOLEATTA HOLLOWAY, DISCO AND SOUL VOCALIST, HAS DIED (BY XENI JARDIN) (TUESDAY MARCH 22, 2011)

SOULMUSIC.COM - CLASSIC FEATURE: 1977 INTERVIEW WITH LOLEATTA HOLLOWAY (BY DAVID NATHAN)
SOULMUSIC.COM - CLASSIC FEATURE: 1975 INTERVIEW WITH LOLEATTA HOLLOWAY (BY JOHN ABBEY)
DISCO-DISCO.COM - INTERVIEW WITH LOLEATTA HOLLOWAY
DISCOMUSIC.COM - INTERVIEW WITH LOLEATTA HOLLOWAY (BY DAYNA NEWMAN)
DJHISTORY.COM - INTERVIEW WITH LOLEATTA HOLLOWAY (BY BILL BREWSTER)
WHOSAMPLED - LOLEATTA HOLLOWAY
JAHSONIC: LOLEATTA HOLLOWAY

CATEGORIES: IN MEMORIAM..

Re-delivery: Guy Lafleur - Lafleur! (1979, Unison Sports)

2010-03-03T07:19:00.000-08:00

Generally, I tend not to reply to repost requests anymore, not because I'm trying to be rude, but it just got to the point where I had accumulated such a large backlog of them that I stopped replying altogether. I have saved all of them though, and out of everything that I've posted, I think I've gotten more requests for a repost of the Guy Lafleur disco album than practically anything else.

I know it's been quiet here for the last little while, but I figured with all the hockey-fuelled Olympic celebration here this past Sunday (fellow Canucks, you know what I'm talking about), I thought this would be a good time to finally get to this.

I had originally wanted to re-rip both the French and English albums, since I'd acquired a new and better cartridge/needle since the original post, but with my copy of the English LP being as warped as it is, that unfortunately didn't work out. Luckily, after a bit of frantic searching, I'd managed to dig up the burned CD that I had made from the original rips. After pumping up the volume a little and putting them through a tiny bit of noise reduction, here they are again..

Disco Delivery #46: Guy Lafleur - Lafleur! (1979, Unison Sports)
Aside from the music itself, I'd also put up a few more pictures and made a few edits to the original post. In doing so, saw that one of the album's producers, Peter Alves had left a comment behind on the post. It's not too often that I get comments from artists and producers, so that was a nice surprise.

Anyway, with this out of the way, maybe this'll finally get all you hockey fans off my back.. (Just kidding, of course). For all of you getting a taste of this for the first (or second) time, enjoy this little artifact from the disco era. To refresh your memories, here's a news story from the CBC Archives, covering the album's release party.

RetroBites: Disco Guy Lafleur
Uploaded by CBCtv

CATEGORIES: RE-DELIVERIES, CAN-CON DISCO

Disco Delivery #63: Je Te Tiens, Tu Me Tiens Par La Barbichette (Bande Originale du film de Jean Yanne) (1979, Barclay)

2009-12-24T14:10:00.000-08:00

The Ritchie Family - Forever Dancing (Te Deum)
Mimi Coutelier - Boogie Lady
The Ritchie Family - La Barbichette (You Make Me Feel It)
Village People - Hot Cop
Mimi Coutelier - Boogie Lady (Instrumental)
The Ritchie Family - La Barbichette (You Make Me Feel It) (Instrumental)
❚

Unfortunately I don't have anything especially seasonal for this year, but I figure something colourful, cheesy and fun like this would do for the time being..

Produced by Jacques Morali (who, for those who may not know, was the late mastermind behind The Village People and The Richie Family etc..); the soundtrack to the late French writer, director, actor and satirist Jean Yanne's 1979 film "Je Te Tiens, Tu Me Tiens Par La Barbichette" (which apparently translates into "I've Got You, You've Got Me by the Chin Hairs" or "I've Got You, You've Got Me By the Hairs of My Chinny Chin Chin") seems to be, at least on these shores, one of Morali's lesser known releases. A full-on disco soundtrack featuring exclusive originals by The Richie Family and one of the film's stars Mimi Coutelier (also Jean Yanne's paramour, it seems), along with one recycled Village People tune ("Hot Cop," from 1978's "Cruisin'" LP), it's not an especially long LP by any stretch. Filled however, with big, effusive vocals and the sort of Philly-on-steroids production bombast one would expect from Morali, anyone (like me) who has a soft spot for his work will likely find more than enough to love here anyway.

While, as far as I know, none of the soundtrack exclusives have been made available digitally as of yet, the film itself is currently available on DVD. I had actually ordered the DVD recently, but since I haven't been able to get the damn Region 2 thing to work on on my PC's DVD yet, I still have yet to see the film (not that I'd understand a whole lot with my severely limited French anyway, but still..). That being said, from what I've gathered through stilted Babelfish translations of the DVD synopsis and various viewer reviews out there (someone correct me if I've got any of this wrong), the film is apparently a big send-up of the French television business, revolving around the kidnapping of a famous TV presenter by anti-TV terrorists (how quaint) and the subsequent staging of a big disco TV special in order to generate the ransom revenue. Jean Yanne and Mimi Coutelier play two of the inspectors, with Coutelier's character eventually getting a part in the actual special itself (as seen below). Naturally, all of this along with Morali's soundtrack also make perfect excuses for The Ritchie Family and the Village People to make notable musical cameo appearances.

Aside from Morali and business partner Henri Belolo, notably the film's writer/director and star Jean Yanne and regular Morali collaborator Beauris Whitehead (AKA Peter Whitehead) are all given writing credits on the soundtrack exclusives. Two of those originals "La Barbichette (You Make Me Feel It)" and "Boogie Lady" are also included on the soundtrack album in their instrumental versions. A hat-tip to DJ's or perhaps just something to fill space, they're worthy additions, since they're just about as enjoyable as their vocal versions.

The Ritchie Family's "Forever Dancing" would have to be, at least in my opinion, one of the soundtrack's showpieces. Stumbling across that song's YouTube clip (and subsequently having that tune and those images burned and looped in my head) practically compelled me to go track the whole album down.

A disco adaptation of Marc-Antoine Charpentier's "Te Deum" (also known as the Eurovision theme song) I think this one has to be both heard and seen to be appreciated in its full colourful campy glory. With the bright, spandex costumes, stare-down dance routines and neon lights in the clip, I dare anyone to not have this running in their head for a good week or so thereafter.

One of my other favourites here is Mimi Coutelier's "Boogie Lady." Granted, her voice is practically weightless, with the Ritchie Family (I'm assuming) on background doing most of the heavy lifting, but it's so damn sweet and catchy, it hardly matters. The clip of Mimi's dance sequence (choreography courtesy of Marilyn Corwin) looks like yet another one of THE disco glamour moments here (which, it appears Madonna was quite taken with, also). With that high kicking, arm twirling solo dance routine, blinking projections in the back surrounded by every other manner of disco variety show glitz; for what was probably supposed to be a stinging parody, it looks so damn fabulous it might as well have been a tribute..

The Ritchie Family perform the title theme for the closing disco sequence, but you can see almost everyone, including a couple of the Village People and Jacques Morali himself (2.17-2.19 in the glasses and red shirt), as well..

Running just over thirty minutes and with only three original/exclusive tracks (not including the two instrumental versions), it may be somewhat short, but still a whole lot of fun and well worth tracking down for fans of Morali's work. Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas everyone.

PREVIOUS RELATED ENTRIES:
LOOK FOR AN ASCOT, A BIG CIGAR.. (WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 31, 2008)
DISCO DELIVERY #11: PHYLICIA ALLEN - JOSEPHINE SUPERSTAR (1978, CASABLANCA) (FRIDAY MARCH 17, 2006)
THE FUGUTIVE COP (WEDNESDAY MARCH 8, 2006)

PURCHASE:
JE TE TIENS, TU ME TIENS PAR LA BARBICHETTE (REGION 2 DVD)
AMAZON.FR

LINKS:
DISCOGS: VARIOUS - LA BARBICHETTE - BANDE ORIGINALE DU FILM DE JEAN YANNE
DISCOGS: THE RITCHIE FAMILY - LA BARBICHETTE/FOREVER DANCING (7" SINGLE)
DISCOGS: JACQUES MORALI
DISCO-DISCO: HENRI BELOLO & JACQUES MORALI
IMDB: JE TE TIENS, TU ME TIENS PAR LA BARBICHETTE (1979)
ALL MOVIE GUIDE: JE TE TIENS, TU ME TIENS PAR LA BARBICHETTE (1979)
NEW YORK TIMES - MOVIES: JE TE TIENS, TU ME TIENS PAR LA BARBICHETTE
WIKIPÉDIA: JE TE TIENS, TU ME TIENS PAR LA BARBICHETTE
IMDB: JEAN YANNE
THE INDEPENDENT - OBITUARIES: JEAN YANNE (BY PIERRE PERRONE) (MONDAY MAY 26, 2003)
ALL MOVIE GUIDE: JEAN YANNE
THE TELEGRAPH - OBITUARIES: JEAN YANNE (MAY 31, 2003)
IMDB: MIMI COUTELIER
WIKIPÉDIA: MIMI COUTELIER
IMDB: MARILYN CORWIN

CATEGORIES: DISCO DELIVERIES, VISUAL DISCO

Mix Fix #1: Let's Go Downtown

2009-11-10T07:38:00.000-08:00

Photo credit: GarySe7en @ Flickr

Thinking of maybe making this, a selection of my favourite mixes, a semi-regular thing here. What with some of the links that end up in my inbox and the others I've been exposed to lately via mix-sharing sites like Soundcloud (best new social sharing site, IMO), I don't think I've ever really listened to this many mixes before. Perhaps one of these days I might, just might even get one of my own up. For now though, there's plenty of excellent stuff out there.

To start things off, recently I was sent a killer 40 minute boogie mix by The Broadway Sounds. No-nonsense, straightforward mixing, great track selection and enough funky synth and slap-bass to get things up and moving.

The Broadway Sounds - C'mon Baby Let's Go Downtown Mix (download link)

Tracklist: Alvie John - "Give It All To Me" / Motion - "Emotion" / Lonnie Jordan - "Fine Foxy Lady" / Plush - "Free & Easy" / Flight - "Flying High" / Krystol - "Don't Change Your Ways" / Titus Williams - "Give Me Some Love Tonight" / Brenda Hillard - "Give Me All Of Your Love"

Sean Wolcott, one half of The Fascination Movement and formerly of the abruptly, but dearly departed blog, The Red Room (apparently taken down without notice, even to him) recently brought this to my attention. The Fascination Movement have an album in the works and not too long ago released their new single "Bringing Down The Walls". This mix was posted as a little companion to that on the AUBE Records blog. ~~Only streaming at the moment~~ Sean just provided a download link, definitely one of the best Italo-flavoured mixes I've heard lately. Tracklist and info HERE.

The Fascination Movement - DJ Sets Vol. 2 (download link)

Was recently turned on to Monorail's Monoblog via a recent posting on Beat Electric, having posted a killer boogie mix by Beat Electric's BT Magnum recently, just posted the fourth in their Riders Mix Series last week by one of my favourites, Codebreaker's Steven Hawley (see posting on their "Follow Me" single). Serously awesome mix with all the hyper, funked-up synthy excitement one would hear on a Codebreaker record. No tracklist at this time, but highly recommended.

Riders Mix #4: Together We Can Be Free - A DJ Mix by Steven Hawley of Codebreaker

In more Italo stuff, The good people at the Valerie Collective recently posted a mix by Italo Disco veteran Fred Ventura. For those who enjoy neo-Italo and who have yet to hear about this, just for the record, the Valerie Collective's "Valerie and Friends" compilation is a must-hear. Tracklist and info HERE.

Fred Ventura - Disco Relix Mixtape

In more straight-ahead disco territory, Professor Eddy, another D.D. friend and favourite (whose mixes I've posted previously) recently uploaded a sexy, funked up classic disco set up on Mixcloud. Great combination of well-appointed disco favourites like Beautiful Bend and funk treasures like the Chicago Gangsters. Tracklist & info HERE.

Professor Eddy - Steamy Soul, Funk & Disco

For those who haven't heard it yet, American Athlete's Pat Les Stache just posted a live mix from last month at the Go Bang! Party in San Francisco. With that many can't-go-wrong disco classics, it's a must-hear. Was in the Vancouver area at one point last year and am regretting not making it out to Seattle for Pat & T.M.L's HMA Studio parties now.

Pat Les Stache at Go BANG! 10-24-09 San Francisco Debut Set! by Go BANG!

Dick Gustavsson of Sweden, an old friend of this blog put up a seriously awesome podcast fairly recently on Podomatic. The mix for Autumn is one that I've been digging recently. Straight to the point, nothing but the funky goods. Nearly an hour of pure pleasure..

DixMix: Autumn Leaves

A mix from 2006, The Beat Broker recently put his Italo Keepers mix up on Soundcloud. Ace mix of some off-the-beaten path Italo Disco. Tracklist and info HERE.

Italo Keepers by the Beat Broker

lady midnight, she wants you tonight..

2009-10-31T15:21:00.000-07:00

Picked this one up in Toronto a few weeks ago. Credited to a group calling itself Halloween, I don't think anyone could expect anything other than a throwaway disco novelty, yet this turned out to be surprisingly solid..

Written and produced by one-time Motown staff producer Jerry Marcellino, who with Mel Larson had worked on The Jackson Five's later albums and most of Michael Jackson's early solo records; aside from the name, the Halloween novelty here is actually fairly subtle. With verses littered with lines about "midnight ladies dressed in black," "partying under the full moon," and "spinning magic spells," that's about as close as it gets on here..

Halloween - Lady Midnight (1979, Mercury/PolyGram)
Halloween - Come See What It's All About (1979, Mercury/PolyGram)

That being said, the solid grooves and production on here more than made up for the obvious lack of laughing vampires and screaming disco chicks. The A-side "Lady Midnight," opening with the sort of synthy disco pulses that always win me over and plenty of guitar action all over the breaks would have to be the choice track for me here. The bass-heavy, mid-tempo disco groove of "Come See What It's All About" is no less worthy though.

As stated on the single cover, both tracks here came off of the album "Come See What It's All About" (1979, Mercury/PolyGram), which at the time of this writing, has yet to be listed on Discogs. One that I'll be on the lookout for though..

PREVIOUS RELATED ENTRIES:
R.I.P. MICHAEL JACKSON (FRIDAY JUNE 26, 2009)
DISCO DELIVERY #57: NOCTURNA (ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK) (1979, MCA) (FRIDAY OCTOBER 31, 2008)
DISCO DELIVERY #47: HOT BLOOD - DISCO DRACULA (1977, DYNAMO) (WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 31, 2007)
I WANNA SUCK YOUR.. OOOOH! (TUESDAY OCTOBER 31, 2006)

LINKS:
DISCOGS: HALLOWEEN
ALL MUSIC GUIDE: HALLOWEEN - COME SEE WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT LP
ALL MUSIC GUIDE: JERRY MARCELLINO
DISCOGS: JERRY MARCELLINO
VEGAS COMMUNITY ONLINE - JERRY MARCELLINO

CATEGORIES: SIDE DELIVERIES

Funkytown, Montreal

2009-10-20T23:00:00.000-07:00

CBC Radio 2 - Inside The Music: Funkytown - The Montreal Disco Era
I'm quite a few months late with this, but came across this several months back while poking around on the CBC Radio 2 site one night. Originally aired in January of this year, Radio 2's "Inside The Music," hosted by Patti Schmidt aired this 53 minute documentary, entitled "Funkytown: The Montreal Disco Era" on the history of Montreal's disco scene. The backstory is explained on the Radio 2 blog:

In 1977, radio producer Colin MacKenzie (who has worked with The Signal) moved to the suburbs of Montreal and watched disco explode from a distance. Sometimes he joined in while circling a roller-rink, despite the fact that Led Zeppelin was scribbled across the back of his jean jacket. He had to admit it, he thought Earth Wind and Fire had some great moves -- and some great threads. (Editorial Aside: How come no one has resurrected that phrase? Great threads indeed.)

Recently MacKenzie moved back to Montreal and noticed that a lot of disco-era players were still alive and living in the city, either making music or involved in the entertainment business. He decided he needed to find out why Montreal had been such a major player in the world of Disco....

...By 1979 Hollywood stars, New York glitterati, politicians, royalty and the jet set were all beating a path to Montreal’s legendary disco clubs to dance the night away. What happened? Suddenly Montreal had platinum status admission to the VIP lounge of coolest of the cool disco cities right alongside Paris, New York, Berlin and LA. For a brief moment in time, the remnants of a cultural revolution, new wealth, and corruption were joined by sex and drugs and the pounding beats of disco for never ending nights let loose on Montreal’s dance floors.

While not without it's omissions, so far, this documentary is one of the few comprehensive, contemporary accounts of Montreal's disco scene that I've found (at least in English). One of the most notable (albeit perhaps arguable) facts highlighted in the documentary, which doesn't seem quite as well-recognized today, is how Billboard had once called Montreal the second most influential disco market in the world, right next to New York, of course.

While the history of disco in New York, and it's social context within American society, post-Vietnam, amid the undercurrent of decline in New York City itself have been well analyzed and documented, the unique circumstances that made Montreal a disco hot spot seem largely unexamined, by comparison. While there were similarities like the pioneering influence of the gay community; the rise of the Quebec nationalist movement and The Quiet Revolution, the city's linguistic/cultural duality - being geographically North American, yet culturally situated between Anglo-America and Europe are notable, albeit distinct parallels to the influences around New York's disco experience.

The rise of Montreal's disco scene is documented here by a series of interviews with writer William Weintraub, Montreal DJ Robert Ouimet, dance historian Michel Landry and industry players Michael and Dominique Zgarka, who discuss Montreal's place in breaking European disco records in the American market. Performers Pierre Perpall and Patsy Gallant are also given time here, with Gallant addressing the controversy around her biggest hit, "From New York To L.A.," a questionable adaptation of Gilles Vigneault's Quebecois anthem, "Mon Pays."

A valiant, albeit still incomplete examination of Montreal's disco history, it seems unfortunate (interviews and inspired subject matter aside) that there wasn't time to devote more attention to the other notable acts, records and producers that came out of Montreal at the time. A look at Montreal's disco history cannot be complete without any mention of Gino Soccio, Denis and Denyse LePage of Lime, the Unidisc label and the prominence of Montreal's Italian-Canadian community in the disco scene. I guess time limits and the need to present this for a general English Canadian audience were all limitations that needed to be considered here, however I suppose (or, rather hope) it's all potential material for a Part Two, if anyone at the CBC is willing.

PREVIOUS RELATED ENTRIES:
HELPING MYSELF (WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 4, 2009)
BBC RADIO 2: CLASSIC SINGLES - I FEEL LOVE (SUNDAY DECEMBER 30, 2007)
DISCO DELIVERY #46: GUY LAFLEUR - LAFLEUR! (1979. UNIDISC SPORTS) (SATURDAY OCTOBER 27. 2007)
KEEP IT COMING.. (WEDNESDAY JULY 4, 2007)
A MOMENT OR TWO.. (TUESDAY MAY 8, 2007)
DISCO DELIVERY #35: MONTREAL FEATURING UCHENNA IKEJIANI (1979, SALSOUL) (WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 21, 2007)
SUNSHINE ON MY MIND... (SUNDAY JANUARY 7, 2007)
BBC RADIO 2 - THE RECORD PRODUCERS: NILE RODGERS (SATURDAY JANUARY 6, 2007)

LINKS:
CBC RADIO 2 BLOG: MONTREAL'S DAYS OF DISCO (BY LI ROBBINS) (JANUARY 8, 2009)
CBC RADIO 2: INSIDE THE MUSIC
CBC RADIO 2: INSIDE THE MUSIC AUDIO ARCHIVES
DISCOGS: ROBERT OUIMET
WILLIAM WEINTRAUB - OFFICIAL SITE
THE CANADIAN ENCYCLOPEDIA: THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF MUSIC IN CANADA - DISCO

CATEGORIES: CAN-CON DISCO, INTERVIEWS

I'm hoping that you can..

2009-10-08T00:40:00.000-07:00

Flying off to Toronto for a week or so later today, hoping to see a couple of concerts and hopefully take in a few other things as well (I hear these guys throw a great party). I figured I might as well put up some music up before leaving..

Recently got a copy of this 12", (double A-side, same tracks on both sides) and have barely stopped playing it since. While this pressing is on the Canadian 6 AM/Rio label, I doubt the production itself is Canadian given the missing MAPL/Can-Con symbols; however (and I mean this in the best possible way), with a groove as economically funky as this is, it could easily pass for one.

Listen: Coco De Jour - Love Me Tonight (1982, 6 AM/Rio)

Written and produced by Ben Elliott and Burt Szerlip, aside from the credits All Music Guide and Discogs list for Burt Szerlip, mostly as an engineer who (among other things of course) had worked on notable disco albums like Ferrara's "Wuthering Heights" (1979, Midsong), Sister Sledge's "We Are Family" (1979, Cotillion/Atlantic) and Herbie Mann's Super Mann (1978, Atlantic) and is listed as a co-producer on the Front Page disco classic, "Love Insurance", I have no idea who they are. There are no other details on the 12", not even a copyright year (something that's inexplicably missing from many Rio label releases), however the other pressings listed (Discogs lists an Ariola Benelux release with a phased remix on the B-side, that I'm curious to hear) list it as a 1982 release.

Centred around those choppy, inescapable guitar riffs wrapped around a sexy vocal, that starts out nice, tender and teasing, but ends up graduating into a desperate plea by the end. Put it together with a fat, bumping bass and it all makes for some good nighttime disco lovin'..

PREVIOUS RELATED ENTRIES:
FAUST WAS RIGHT, HAVE NO REGRET.. (MONDAY OCTOBER 15, 2007)

LINKS:
DISCOGS: COCO DE JOUR - LOVE ME TONIGHT 12"
DISCOGS: BEN ELLIOTT
DISCOGS: BURT SZERLIP
ALL MUSIC GUIDE: BURT SZERLIP
DISCOGS: RIO RECORDS

CATEGORIES: SIDE DELIVERIES

Megatron Man: The Life & Times of Patrick Cowley

2009-10-07T08:52:00.000-07:00

Got the email on this a little while back, but for those who haven't heard yet, coinciding with the release of Patrick Cowley & Jorge Soccaras' long lost "Catholic" project, San Francisco's Honey Soundsystem and Mama Calizo's Voice Factory are putting together a wonderful memorial event and exhibition for Patrick Cowley, to be held in San Francisco on October 18th (on what would have been the eve of his 59th birthday). As part of the event, there will also be an ongoing exhibition, a "living altar" of sorts, with artifacts, interviews and multimedia installations about his life and work to be held until November 19th. The organizers are hosting an open call for Cowley-inspired/related works from fans, friends and colleagues. They've set up a website at www.megatronman.com with more details and contact info. Wish I could be there for this..

On October 18th, 2009, Honey Soundsystem and Mama Calizo's Voice Factory will host Megatron Man: The Life and Times of Patrick Cowley an early evening event celebrating the life of a musician who we have bonded over and has influenced us on various levels including our sound, aesthetics and cultural upbringing in San Francisco. Often credited as the American Giorgio Moroder, Patrick's legend has become a symbol for a time when free love and technology would come together to forever change the social landscape. On this evening we come together to celebrate the journey and genius of Patrick to appease all the disco spirits of so many like him who fell victim to the AIDS crisis during the early 80's. An exhibition of never before seen artifacts, interviews, multimedia installations along with an open call for submissions that has generated responses from artists, music enthusiasts, and old friends and colleagues from all over the world. Those in attendance of the event are encouraged to bring their own offerings to what will be a living altar on the eve of what would be Patrick's 59th birthday. Directly following the exhibition will be a record release party down the street celebrating the worldwide premier of Catholic the "lost" Patrick Cowley/Jorge Socarras record finally seeing the light of day after 30 years via Macro Records.

Please join us in any way that you can to help celebrate our hero and our city by participating in either physical or inanimate form. The event will occur during the late afternoon at Mama Calizo's Voice Factory and feature various rarely seen artifacts from Patrick Cowley's days as well as video screenings and keynote speakers who were well acquainted with the man of the hour giving revealing insights about his life's murky history and a glimpse of San Francisco in the early 80s.

Finally, we will be hosting an open call of submissions for Cowley inspired works from fans all over the world to create a living and breathing exhibit that showcases the past, present and future of Patrick's influence. As far as content you can send us what ever medium you are comfortable with be it musical, graphical or textual. Even better, if you have old photographs, letters or anything else relaying the spirit of Patrick--send those in, we'll gladly accept digital copies as well.

If you simply want to just say a few words about how Patrick has inspired you, an anecdote or memory, or some other small gesture, simply email it to us and it will be printed and posted amongst the exhibition.

All submissions will find a home within the memorial no matter how big or small so please do not hesitate to participate and spread the word. Contact/more info at www.megatronman.com

*Please have all submissions to us by October 16th or you can bring them in person on the day of the event if you'd like.

In other "Catholic" news, D*ruffalo recently posted some of Patrick's original gear (tracked down by the Honey Soundsystem boys) as well as some info about the second 12" from the project, "Burn Brighter Flame" with mixes from Oni Ayhun and Morgan Geist. Recently, Jorge Soccaras was on WFMU radio, in conversation with Daniel Blumin, where they played selections from Catholic along with some other favourites. Part-way through they also play some thus far unreleased Patrick Cowley instrumentals on the program, which are a definite must-hear for Cowley fans (Patchwork Symphony - Section 3 says it all).

PREVIOUS RELATED ENTRIES:
DO YOU LOVE YOUR ROBOT CHILDREN? (TUESDAY AUGUST 4, 2009)
DISCO DELIVERY #50: BRENDA MITCHELL - DON'T YOU KNOW (1978, BARCLAY/POLYGRAM) (SATURDAY JANUARY 12, 2008)
LAST CALL! (SUNDAY NOVEMBER 26, 2006)
DISCO DELIVERY #7: SYLVESTER - M-1015 (1984, MEGATONE) (FRIDAY FEBRUARY 17, 2006)

LINKS:
MEGATRON MAN - THE LIFE AND TIMES OF PATRICK COWLEY
D*RUFFALO - THE DAILY MAGAZINE FOR EXCESS CULTURE: THE PROPHETS (SEPTEMBER 17, 2009)
WFMU - PLAYLIST FOR DANIEL BLUMIN (WITH GUEST JORGE SOCARRAS) (SUNDAY OCTOBER 4, 2009)
WORLDANDSOUND: PATRICK COWLEY & JORGE SOCARRAS - BURN BRIGHTER FLAME (ONI AYGHUN & MORGAN GEIST VERSIONS)
MAMA CALIZO'S VOICE FACTORY
MYSPACE: PATRICK COWLEY & JORGE SOCARRAS
MACRO RECORDINGS
PATRICK COWLEY TRIBUTE
RESIDENT ADVISOR NEWS: MACRO GET CATHOLIC (INTERVIEW WITH STEFAN GOLDMANN) (MONDAY JUNE 1, 2009)
DISCOGS: PATRICK COWLEY
DISCOGS: JORGE SOCARRAS
MYSPACE: JORGE SOCARRAS
HONEY SOUNDSYSTEM
MYSPACE: HONEY SOUNDSYSTEM

CATEGORIES: DISCO NEWS

And Party Every Day..

2009-10-06T07:46:00.000-07:00

A label which began in 1974 as a lowly independent in Warner's corporate constellation, to one of the industry's leading lights, and back again by the end of the decade, sucked into yet another conglomerate, hemmoraging money; the story of Casablanca Records has been oft-cited (as both success story and cautionary tale) yet, at least until the release of this book, still largely untold in it's entirety.

While it didn't start off as such, to many, the name Casablanca Records has become practically synonymous with Disco, with both it's successes and excesses, right along with Studio 54, and perhaps Saturday Night Fever, as emblematic of the beat and line driven juggernaut that was the enterprise of disco in the late 70's. So much so, that the company's reported overindulgences (the alleged secretary sent out to collect employees' drug requirements to name one well-circulated myth) have become the stuff of legend. What has gotten somewhat lost in the sensationalism of it's history however has been the bold, entrepreneurial spirit of it's late founder Neil Bogart, which fueled the company and was evident throughout it's roster, in all of it's major hits and misses (see the now infamous Johnny Carson album and the Kiss solo albums, which to quote one oft-cited Casbah anecdote, "shipped gold, and came back platinum").

While Casablanca's successes - it's roster lined with the likes of Kiss, Cameo, Parliament, The Village People and Donna Summer and it's place as perhaps the most commercial of the so-called Disco labels is well represented, its output beyond it's commercial side is just as revealing. The incredible works of Alec R. Costandinos and Giorgio Moroder, long-lost soul like Gloria Scott (one of the first major Barry White productions), James & Bobby Purify, Jeannie Reynolds to Hugh Masekela, Margaret Singana and funkstress Lalomie Washburn. Personally, they also get special credit for backing the unabashedly gay sensibilities of D.C. LaRue and Paul Jabara, not to mention the Village People's back-room leather bar counterparts, The Skatt Bros. along with Jacques Morali productions such as Dennis Parker, and the Ritchie Family as well. Beyond their well-known successes, the wealth of underexploited music still out of print in it's catalogue is immense. With acts that ranged from the outlandish to the influential and hopelessly obscure, it's not only emblematic of a label that seemed to thrive on doing things differently, but one that could have only been assembled by what was one of the industry's great music men.

Written by Larry Harris, cousin of Neil Bogart and one of the label's original co-founders, along with Curt Gooch and Jeff Suhs. While Harris according to some of his recent postings on discomusic.com attempts to "set the record straight" from some of the accounts described in Frederic Dannen's still definitive book "Hit Men," the previews and early reviews certainly don't paint this as a whitewash either. Today (October 6th) marks the official release (via Backbeat/Hal Leonard) of the three hundred page book, which so far looks to be the definitive account of the incredible rise and spectacular fall of what should be considered one of the great, and certainly most infamous record labels of it's time.

For a preview, the authors have set up a website with some choice passages at www.casablancabook.com. Aside from the official previews however, a fitting companion/primer to the book and to the Casablanca story as a whole would have to be Christian John Wikane's incredible series on the label, "Play It Again" at PopMatters. Until the release of this book, Wikane's piece has to have been one of the more comprehensive articles on Casablanca yet. Published this past August to commemorate the label's 35th anniversary, mostly focusing on the music, Wikane's series traces the Casablanca story in five parts, with interview quotes from more than 50 of Casablanca's artists and executives.

On the visual side of things, the people behind the Casablanca book have also set up a YouTube account to promote the book, where they've posted up some great, long lost TV ads and performances. Some of my favourites include the commercial ads for Alec R. Costandinos' "Romeo & Juliet," the final Munich Machine album "Body Shine," Space's "Just Blue" as well as the whispery candle-lit commercial for Donna Summer's "Love To Love You Baby," all of which I had to post below..

Alec R. Costandinos - 1978 "Romeo and Juliet" Promo Film
Uploaded by CasablancaBookTV

Munich Machine - 1979 "Let Your Body Shine" Promo
Uploaded by CasablancaBookTV

Space "Save Your Love For Me" 1979 Casablanca Records Disco Promo Film
Uploaded by CasablancaBookTV

Donna Summer - 1975 Casablanca TV Commercial
Uploaded by CasablancaBookTV

PURCHASE:
AMAZON.COM | AMAZON.CO.UK | PLAY.COM | BARNES & NOBLE | CHAPTERS.INDIGO

PREVIOUS RELATED ENTRIES:
VINCE ALETTI'S DISCO FILES (WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 4, 2009)
BBC RADIO 2: CLASSIC SINGLES - I FEEL LOVE (SUNDAY DECEMBER 20, 2007)
DISCO DELIVERY #40: MUNICH MACHINE - A WHITER SHADE OF PALE (1978, CASABLANCA) (SUNDAY APRIL 27, 2007)
DISCO DELIVERY #24: LOVE & KISSES (1977, BARCLAY/POLYDOR) (MONDAY JULY 31, 2006)
DISCO DELIVERY #16: BRENDA & THE TABULATIONS - I KEEP COMING BACK FOR MORE (1977, CHOCOLATE CITY/CASABLANCA) (FRIDAY APRIL 21, 2006)
DISCO DELIVERY #5: GIORGIO MORODER - FROM HERE TO ETERNITY (1977, OASIS/CASABLANCA) (FRIDAY FEBRUARY 3, 2006)

LINKS:
AND PARTY EVERY DAY - THE INSIDE STORY OF CASABLANCA RECORDS (OFFICIAL SITE)
BACKBEAT BOOKS: AND PARTY EVERYDAY - THE INSIDE STORY OF CASABLANCA RECORDS
DISCOMUSIC.COM FORUMS - "AND PARTY EVERY DAY" CASABLANCA RECORDS BOOK COMING OUT
THE VILLAGE VOICE - LA DOLCE MUSTO (TUESDAY AUGUST 18, 2009)
HITS DAILY DOUBLE (BOOK REVIEW) (SEPTEMBER 4, 2009)
THE VINYL DISTRICT: TVD RECOMMENDS - AND PARTY EVERY DAY: THE INSIDE STORY OF CASABLANCA RECORDS (THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 24, 2009)
POPMATTERS: CASABLANCA RECORDS - PLAY IT AGAIN (BY CHRISTIAN JOHN WIKANE)
SOULTRACKS: INCREDIBLE CASABLANCA RECORDS STORY REMEMBERED (AUGUST 17, 2009)
DISCO-DISCO.COM: CASABLANCA RECORDS
BOTH SIDES NOW: CASABLANCA RECORDS STORY
WIKIPEDIA: CASABLANCA RECORDS
DISCOGS: CASABLANCA RECORDS
WIKIPEDIA: NEIL BOGART

CATEGORIES: DISCO NEWS, VISUAL DISCO

Get up on it and ride..

2009-09-24T08:36:00.000-07:00

The Temptations - Bare Back (1978, Atlantic)

The Temptations - Mystic Woman (Love Me Over) (1978, Atlantic)
The Temptations - Touch Me Again (1978, Atlantic)
❚

For the record, while I'm definitely not endorsing any of the practices supposedly suggested or implied in this song, I do heartily endorse it's groove.

The title track from The Temptations' "Bare Back" (1978, Atlantic) album, their second and last during their brief, unsuccessful period on the Atlantic label in the late 70's, this was a single, but like all of their other Atlantic material, never went anywhere commercially. Supple basslines, spirited vocals (largely courtesy of lead vocalist Richard Street), and propulsive bass-heavy groove aside, perhaps it was better that it didn't, in retrospect. I suppose using the expression "riding bareback" as a metaphor for life and living may have been acceptable in 1978 pre-AIDS; to say that it's an expression which hasn't held up too well over the years would probably be an understatement. Then again, I suppose that depends entirely on one's perspective..

However, with the great production and the admittedly out-of-context naughtiness one can't help but read into it today, I personally can't get enough of it. With this track and practically the entire album produced and co-written by Motown veteran Brian Holland alongside brother Eddie Holland and their main writing partner at this time, Harold Beatty (essentially Lamont Dozier's replacement), this is just one of the many excellent, underrated productions that the Holland Brothers were involved with at the time. While there's no topping the legacy of Holland-Dozier-Holland as pop songwriters, Eddie Holland's bright, funk-bottomed, disco flavoured productions in the late 70's for acts like The Supremes (covered on here before), The Jackson 5, Eloise Laws and others like the short-lived group, New York Port Authority are top quality, in my opinion..

As far as the album goes, In spite of having pulled together a top-flight team of Philadelphia's finest (which included Norman Harris and future group member Ron Tyson) on their first Atlantic LP, "Hear To Tempt You" (1977, Atlantic), out of their two Atlantic albums, I'd consider this to be the best of them. While not as ambitious as their Norman Whitfield material, or their last big Motown record, the Jeffrey Bowen-produced "A Song For You" (1975, Gordy/Motown), the other disco-flavoured tracks on the record like "Mystic Woman (Love Me Over)" and "Touch Me Again," the sublime balladry in "Ever Ready Love" (also a single), and "I See My Child" (the only track not written by Holland, Beatty and Holland) make it solid and satisfying, nonetheless.

While I can't imagine any of the current Tempts revues get too many requests in their shows for the song in question, thankfully You Tube has video. One from a 1979 live performance on the Chicago TV show Soundstage, and another from the ever-reliable Soul Train. Also from the same Soul Train appearance, is a performance of one of the album's ballad tracks "Ever Ready Love," which, if I'm not mistaken, might have been their final single release for Atlantic.

The Temptations - Bare Back (1978)
Uploaded by 2007wiifit

Temptations - Bare Back (Soundstage Chicago 1979)
Uploaded by whatiship73

The Temptations - Ever Ready Love (1978)
Uploaded by 2007wiifit

PREVIOUS RELATED ENTRIES:
WHITNEY DOES LOLEATTA.. (FRIDAY AUGUST 7, 2009)
R.I.P. MICHAEL JACKSON (FRIDAY JUNE 26, 2009)
DISCO DELIVERY #51: THE SUPREMES - HIGH ENERGY (1976, MOTOWN) (SATURDAY JANUARY 26, 2008)
DISCO DELIVERY #41: TÁTA VEGA - TRY MY LOVE (1978, MOTOWN) (SATURDAY MAY 19, 2007)
THE SUPREMES - MARY, SCHERRIE & SUSAYE (REPRISE) (THURSDAY MARCH 8, 2007)
DISCO DELIVERY #12: DAMON HARRIS - SILK (1978, WMOT/FANTASY) (FRIDAY MARCH 24, 2006)
ALL I NEED'S A LITTLE POWER.. (WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 22, 2006)
DISCO DELIVERY #1 - THE SUPREMES - MARY, SCHERRIE & SUSAYE (1976, MOTOWN) (TUESDAY JANUARY 10, 2006)

LINKS:
DISCOGS: THE TEMPTATIONS - BARE BACK LP
ALL MUSIC GUIDE: THE TEMPTATIONS - BARE BACK (REVIEW)
DISCOGS: BRIAN HOLLAND
ALL MUSIC GUIDE: BRIAN HOLLAND
WARR.ORG: THE TEMPTATIONS - BARE BACK (REVIEW)
ROBERT CHRISTGAU REVIEWS: THE TEMPTATIONS

CATEGORIES: SIDE DELIVERIES, VISUAL DISCO

Disco Discharge and Other Recent/Upcoming Disco Releases & Reissues

2009-09-18T07:38:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I've done one of these posts, but Harmless' new Disco Discharge series are honestly some of the most pleasing disco compilations I've heard in a little while now. While not 100% devoted to rarities and obscurities, compiled around specific names or niche categories like most of the disco compilations that tend to pique my interest these days, I was, to be honest, half-expecting to be a little underwhelmed. To my own surprise, I've spent much of the last week or so indulging in these, discovering songs I never knew about (the awesome Bobby O. production by Free Enterprise - "Make It On My Own," "Take Me To The Top" by Advance, Massara's "Margherita," Johnny Mathis' "Gone, Gone, Gone) and re-acquainting myself with well-known classics that I've long taken for granted (Rose Royce's "Do Your Dance", the Shep Pettibone mix of Phyllis Nelson's "I Like You), or never even bothered with in the first place (Fern Kinney's "Groove Me," Manhattan Transfer's "Twilight Zone/Twilight Tone"). I have to give them credit with this, not only have they managed to mark a fine balance between choice rarities and the more well-known commercial hits, but across the four double-disc volumes in this series (Classic Disco, Disco Queens, Gay Disco & Hi NRG and Euro Disco), they've put together quite a broad-based series, well tuned to the current disco zeitgeist, balancing the classic disco of the late 70's with the increasing movement towards Italo, Boogie and Hi NRG.

As far as rarities are concerned, there are a good number of tracks on here which either don't seem to have ever been, or at the very least haven't been widely available on CD until now. While the track times are all listed, and the promo stickers advertise all tracks as "12" or long LP versions," not all of these special versions are specifically labeled on the tracklists, like, for example the rare Canadian 12" mix/extended edit of Amanda Lear's "Blood and Honey," mastered from the original tapes and exclusive to this series. With all of its sweet extended percussion breaks, finally being able to hear this track here in pristine digital quality is one of the major treats on here, especially given the prices that the original Direction label 12" release has commanded on eBay in the not too distant past. Also included among the other unlabeled versions on here are the John Luongo's 12" mix of Melba Moore's "Pick Me Up, I'll Dance", the extended mix of Sparks' Moroder-produced "Number One Song In Heaven," the seven minute version of Time Bandits' "Live It Up," the 12" version of Silver Convention's "Get Up And Boogie," and the "Roy Thode 12" version of Poussez' Come On And Do It, to give a few. It also has to be said, that any compilation that takes the care to track down the masters for both of Sylvia Love's classics - "Instant Love" and "Extraterrestrial Lover" (also exclusive to this series) is definitely in my good books.

In addition to the musical selection, the sound quality across the volumes is also refreshingly consistent and of high quality. While it may not always be possible, the care taken in tracking down original master tapes for the overwhelming majority of selections is commendable, given the number of compilations (excellent ones too) out in the disco world that don't. Luring the listener with a classic while keeping things interesting with a series delicately timed surprises; as a listening experience, this series this is pretty much everything good compilations should be.

One of the best functions of the compilation album - which doesn't seem to be going away, in spite of the changes in music consumption (in fact, I'd probably argue the opposite), is as one of the primary gateways into new avenues of music. As far as I'm concerned, while there's a lot here those for those well acquainted with disco and looking something new; for those who aren't, it's a perfect place to start.

The first volume, Classic Disco was already released September 7th, with Disco Ladies scheduled for release on September 28th, followed by Euro Disco on October 5th and Gay Disco & Hi NRG on October 19th via Harmless/Demon. All include liner notes by Alan Jones, co-author (with Jussi Kantonen) of "Saturday Night Forever: The Story of Disco" (read the essay from the Classic Disco volume here).

In the meantime, for those who would like a preview, Horse Meat Disco's Luke Howard has put together an excellent 30 minute Disco Discharge mix, featuring tracks from the series. Enjoy.

Listen: Luke Howard - Disco Discharge Mix | LINK TWO

Luke Howard - Disco Discharge/Soulful Disco Mix (tracklist):
1. Idris Muhammad - Could Heaven Ever Be Like This
2. Glitter Band - Makes You Blind
3. Grey And Hanks - Dancin'
4. Lucy Hawkins - Gotta Get Out Of Here
5. Esther Phillps - What A Difference A Day Makes

VA - Disco Discharge. Classic Disco (2009, Harmless)
buy/pre-order @ play.co.uk | juno | phonica |amazon.com | amazon.co.uk | dustygroove.com

VA - Disco Discharge. Disco Ladies (2009, Harmless)
buy/pre-order @ play.co.uk | amazon.com | amazon.co.uk | dustygroove.com

VA - Disco Discharge. Euro Disco (2009, Harmless)
buy/pre-order @ play.co.uk | amazon.co.uk | dustygroove.com

VA - Disco Discharge. Gay Disco & Hi NRG (2009, Harmless)
buy/pre-order @ play.co.uk | amazon.co.uk | dustygroove.com

Recent & Future Reissues:

Aquarian Dream - Fantasy
(1978, Elektra / 2009, Warner Music Japan)
buy/pre-order @ hmv.co.jp | CDBANQ | dustygroove.com
This is one I'm personally very excited for. An Aquarian Dream album on CD - almost thought it wouldn't happen. While their first LP was reissued on CD in the 90s (now out of print, of course), this is probably their finest. For those who haven't heard, "You're A Star" is pure epic pleasure and as far as the rest of it's concerned, when it is produced by the great Norman Connors and reissued by the Japanese, you just can't go wrong. Note: both of their Elektra albums (this and 1979's "Chance To Dance") are available digitally (in the legit sense), so consider this one for those who still value the physical. (To be released October 14, 2009)
ALL MUSIC GUIDE: AQUARIAN DREAM - FANTASY (REVIEW)

Gregg Diamond Bionic Boogie - Hot Butterfly
(1978, Polydor / 2009, Funky Town Grooves)
buy/pre-order @ funky town grooves | dustygroove.com
An exciting release from Funky Town Grooves label. While this album had been reissued on CD in 2005 by the P-Vine label in Japan, the people at FTG (with the help of some discomusic.com forum members) tracked down five extra bonus tracks - 12" mixes of the title track, "Fess Up To The Boogie," "Cream (Always Rises To The Top), and two different 12" mixes of "Chains." A top shelf Gregg Diamond production, with Luther Vandross on vocals (along with Cissy Houston in the background), this is one of my favourites and one I'm personally looking forward to. FTG haven't listed a specific release date, but have posted an info page on their website. (Scheduled for release in October/November 2009)

Pattie Brooks - Love Shook/Our Ms. Brooks
(1977, 1978, Casablanca / 2009, Funky Town Grooves)
buy/pre-order @ funky town grooves
While the combination of Pattie's voice and Simon Soussan's production can be a little oversweetened for my liking at times, it's nice to see more Casablanca disco releases make it to CD (especially in times like this). One of the main people behind the Funky Town Grooves label confirmed on the discomusic.com forums that this reissue will be taken from the master tapes, so it certainly looks promising. (To be released September 28, 2009)

Jackie Moore - I'm On My Way/With Your Love
(1979, 1980, Columbia / 2009, Expansion)
buy @ soul music store | amazon.com | amazon.co.uk | dustygroove.com
These two classic disco albums, produced by Bobby Eli (and backed by the whole Philly studio gang) are finally making it to digital. The former, "I'm On My Way" is especially overdue, including her two big disco killers "This Time Baby" and "How's Your Love Life Baby," which are essentials on anyone disco selections, as far as I'm concerned. Note: Haven't heard it for myself yet, but an early review on Amazon.com says this was mastered from vinyl. Be warned. (Released September 8, 2009)

Gray & Hanks - You Fooled Me/Prime Time
(1978, 1981, RCA / 2009, Expansion)
buy @ soul music store | amazon.com | amazon.co.uk | dustygroove.com
The two albums Zane Gray and Len Ron Hanks did for RCA are also here, both in their entirety. Brought to you by the same folks who did the Jackie Moore reissue (above), the former "You Fooled Me," which includes their disco hit "Dancin'" (as included on the Disco Discharge Classic Disco set) was reissued on CD in Japan last year, but with this much more accessible release and with both albums included, this might be better way to go if you want it on CD (unless, of course, this is mastered from vinyl as well). (Released September 8, 2009)

George & Gwen McCrae - Together
(1975, Cat/TK / 2009, Shout!/Cherry Red)
buy @ cduniverse.com | amazon.com | amazon.co.uk | dustygroove.com
Perhaps more on the soul/R&B side of things, produced by Clarence Reid (AKA Blowfly) and Steve Alaimo, this is a great mellow grooving classic, I had to include this here. As far as soulful female voices go, I can never get enough of Gwen McCrae and this one fits in well with her material at the time (which was also produced mostly by Reid & Alaimo). This reissue includes six bonus tracks, all George McCrae solos, who, compared to his former wife, has been generally less represented in the world of reissues. (Released August 25, 2009)

Sylvester and The Hot Band - The Blue Thumb Collection
(2009, Hip-O Select/Universal)
buy @ hip-o select | amazon.com | amazon.co.uk | dustygroove.com
So perhaps not disco at all, but still a major release from a disco-historical perspective. Hip-O/Universal have at last gone out and filled one of the outstanding gaps in Sylvester's catalogue by making his first two albums, "Sylvester & The Hot Band" (AKA "Scratch My Flower") and "Bazaar" (along with a couple of rare bonuses) available on CD. An intriguing pair of records - heavy on covers, both albums are a departure from the disco he would later record on the Fantasy and Megatone labels during the height of his career. Crossing between folk, funk, rock and soul, it however fit right in with the eclecticism that the Blue Thumb label was known for. A must-have for Sylvester fans. (Note: for those wondering about the scratch-and-sniff flower on the original debut LP, Hip-O select have included one in air freshner form, in lieu of its omission on the cover. I believe this is exclusive to orders from their website though.) (Released June 12, 2009)
SOUL & JAZZ & FUNK: SYLVESTER & THE HOT BAND - THE BLUE THUMB COLLECTION (REVIEW)

Candi Staton - Chance
(1979, Warner Bros. / 2009, Wounded Bird)
buy @ cduniverse.com | amazon.com | amazon.co.uk | dustygroove.com
This was released a while back, but I had to put this here as this is a favourite of mine. Prior to the release of this I'd bought a sealed copy of the vinyl album to keep 'on ice,' so to speak. Had I known about this, I probably wouldn't have done that, but anyway, produced by Candi and noted disco mixer Jimmy Simpson, this album includes the hit "When You Wake Up Tomorrow" and the underrated title track. Soulful disco fans, take heed. (Released June 9, 2009)

Belle Epoque - Miss Broadway
(1977, Big Tree / 2009, Wounded Bird)
buy @ cduniverse.com | amazon.com | amazon.co.uk | dustygroove.com
Another one released in June, and one that I never expected either. Wounded Bird continue to mine the depths of the WEA archives for these things, and I couldn't be happier. Timely too, as I've been listening to Glass Candy version of the title track recently, but nothing tops the original. (Released June 9, 2009)

List updated September 21, 2009

PREVIOUS RELATED ENTRIES:
MILLION DOLLAR ORCHESTRA, ASHFORD & SIMPSON AND OTHER NEW/UPCOMING DISCO RELEASES (SATURDAY JANUARY 19, 2008)
UPCOMING SISTER SLEDGE REISSUES (FRIDAY AUGUST 10, 2007)
HAVE A COCKTAIL.. UPCOMING DISCO COMPILATIONS (JUNE 2007) (THURSDAY MAY 24, 2007)
NEW CERRONE REISSUES (THURSDAY OCTOBER 12, 2006)
DISCO REISSUES UPDATE (MARCH 17TH - APRIL 12TH) (THURSDAY MARCH 16, 2006)
UPCOMING REISSUES & RELEASES (APRIL 25 - MAY 30) (FRIDAY APRIL 21, 2006)
DISCO DELIVERY #7: SYLVESTER - M-1015 (1984, MEGATONE) (FRIDAY FEBRUARY 17, 2006)

CATEGORIES: REISSUES & RELEASES, DISCO NEWS

I'm very superficial, I hate everything official..

2009-09-15T06:18:00.000-07:00

Grace Jones - Private Life (Remix By Paul "Groucho" Smykle at The Fallout Shelter)
Grace Jones - Feel Up (12" Mix)
❚

Now that summer has unofficially ended, one of the highlights of this (at least for me) quick and dull summer was the week I spent in L.A. at the end of July. Initially planned around seeing Grace Jones at the Hollywood Bowl, as it turns out, taking a week off in L.A. was probably one of the best decisions I had made all year, although anyone looking at my bank account might disagree, but I digress..

Photo credit: Timothy Norris (LA Weekly)
As far as the show goes, despite her joking about shedding a few pounds in the L.A. heat, her presence that Sunday night at the Hollywood Bowl felt utterly and totally undiminished. While I'd obviously never seen her live before, much less when she was at the peak of her career, having arrived fashionably late (as always), armed with a whole new set of costumes (courtesy of Oscar winning designer Eiko Ishioka), she commanded the audience - comprised largely of hipsters, homosexuals and homosexual hipsters, with a style and dare I say, grace that completely belied her lengthy absence and her alleged 61 years. While it was a shared bill with local band Dengue Fever and indie darlings Of Montreal (who themselves commanded a major share of the audience), like a one-woman wrecking-crew though, she practically laid waste to the place, as the piles of raving press reviews seem to concur. She even, at least in my own biased opinion, made Of Montreal, who also came with their own formidable theatrics, which included (though wasn't limited to) live puppies and an on-stage marriage proposal, look like a bunch of kids playing dress-up.

Photo credit: CultureQueens
For anyone like myself, whose only concept of Grace Jones live was, until then, photos, fan recollections and the landmark "One Man Show" video, one of the things that came as a pleasant surprise was how much genuine personal charisma she had put into the show. For someone with a reputation as legendary and some might even say fearsome as hers is, and whose performances were often immortalized as either a kind of imposing, distant performance art, or reckless free-for-all in her underground years, talking to the audience from backstage during her costume changes, she managed to inject a surprising, even comforting level of warmth and intimacy into the night.

Sadly, none of my pix nor any of the video that I thought I was taking turned out well (so I nicked a couple of my favourites from L.A. Weekly and CultureQueens for this post), but it was probably one of the most electrically charged concerts I've been to in some time. I thought this video (and there are many out there) illustrated it quite well. I have to say, the "go, bitch, go!" remark towards the end, totally does it for me.

While I have to admit that the size and acoustics of the Bowl were impressive, I also have to admit also some disappointment with my seats, since somehow I thought I'd be quite a bit closer. Really though, there were no general seats close enough for my liking, and for someone as visual as Grace, that ended up feeling like a bit of a disservice (thanks to Enrique, Lala and Kevin for getting me that much closer though). While I suppose in the future I'd prefer to see her at a slightly more intimate venue, I'm glad I finally had the chance. While an apparent tiff between Róisín Murphy and Lady Gaga about who stole from who was raging on the blogosphere not too long after this, the woman whom they both so obviously (it doesn't even deserve to be argued) patterned themselves after, showed the children how it was done.

As far as these songs go, unfortunately she didn't perform either of them that night, but these are a couple that I've been going back to quite frequently lately. I had picked up this 12" several years ago, along with the similarly packaged Re-Mix Re-Mask set. As if I recalled hearing that there was a series of these 12" singles with the Grace masks on the covers, but I've only ever come across these two.

The remix of Grace's cover of The Pretenders' "Private Life" (which Chrissie Hynde herself had praised, quite lavishly - see the Compass Point Sessions liner notes) by renowned Reggae engineer and Don of Dub Paul "Groucho" Smykle (who had done a number mixes for Sly & Robbie, Black Uhuru and Grace herself around this time) had quite quickly become a favourite of mine. While not quite as compelling as the dark, dimensional (and originally unreleased) full-on dub mix included on the well-compiled Compass Point Sessions (1998, Island) set, taking out the distinctive percussion intro on the original mix, and instead highlighting Wally Badarou's distinctive synth work, all the while adding some extra drama, emphasizing and punctuating Grace's pointed delivery with a series of deep, echoey drum accents and vocal effects, the Groucho mix seems to meet half-way between the album version and the Compass Point Sessions dub mix. That, along with a series of guitar and percussion edits three-quarters of the way through make this a more spacious, dramatic mix compared to the original, at least in my opinion. A subtle, but ultimately effective job.

For a visual representation, the simple, yet compelling video of this is one of my favourites of her's. The eyes, the mask, the expressions - that's really all that there is, and yet is all that is needed.

Reportedly a song she wrote (and like many of them from the time, showing a distinct sense of humour) inspired by the time she supposedly ran off with the Hells Angels as a teenager (not making this up) "Feel Up" is supposedly "about being on a bike with a gentleman, where they do everything except have sex" (seriously, check the interview). This 12" of "Feel Up" has, as far as I know, not officially made it to CD/digital, I even recall this being a criticism of the Compass Point Sessions set when it came out, how neither this, nor the more elusive Larry Levan mix were included. Notably, the vocals and lyrics on this version are markedly different from the album version. It sounds like a completely different vocal take, for one thing, with additional verses, and in some parts, completely different lyrics altogether. A couple of minutes longer than the original and not quite as heavy on the patois either (I wish someone would translate), and a little more in line, at least it seems so, with the supposed theme. That being said, I'm a big fan of the extra prominent bass in this one, especially in the intro.

Anyway, in conclusion, while seeing Grace was one of the highlights (and I must see her again), I have to admit, getting lost in L.A. for about a week was actually good for my sanity, as ironic as that might sound. Do hope to be back for more one of these days.

P.S. Major thanks/shout out to Enrique for a great intro and helping me navigate. I really appreciate it!

PREVIOUS RELATED ENTRIES:
STRANGE WEATHER - THE TUMULTUOUS RE-EMERGENCE OF GRACE JONES (PART TWO) (TUESDAY JANUARY 6, 2009)
STRANGE WEATHER - THE TUMULTUOUS RE-EMERGENCE OF GRACE JONES (PART ONE) (WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 24, 2008)
DEAR SANTA.. (WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 24, 2008)
THE RETURN OF GRACE JONES? (FRIDAY JUNE 20, 2008)
RÓISÍN MURPHY AND SOME OTHER NEWER SHIT THAT GETS ME ALL EXCITED.. (THURSDAY APRIL 17, 2008)
NO HITTIN' BELOW THE BELT.. (THURSDAY JUNE 29, 2006)
DISCO REISSUES UPDATE (MARCH 17TH - APRIL 12TH (THURSDAY MARCH 16, 2006)

LINKS:
DISCOGS: GRACE JONES - PRIVATE LIFE/MY JAMAICAN GUY/FEEL UP/SHE'S LOST CONTROL 12"
DISCOGS: PAUL "GROUCHO" SMYKLE
WIKIPEDIA: GRACE JONES - PRIVATE LIFE (SONG)

LOS ANGELES TIMES: GRACE JONES IN A FLASH (BY REED JOHNSON) (JULY 26, 2009)
POP & HISS - THE L.A. TIMES MUSIC BLOG: LIVE REVIEW: GRACE JONES, OF MONTREAL AND DENGUE FEVER AT KCRW'S WORLD FESTIVAL AT THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL (JULY 27, 2009)
LA WEEKLY: GRACE JONES' TRIUMPHANT HOLLYWOOD BOWL DEBUT (BY RANDALL ROBERTS) (JULY 27, 2009)
VARIETY: GRACE JONES, OF MONTREAL, DENGUE FEVER (CONCERT REVIEW) (BY PHIL GALLO) (JULY 27, 2009)
BLACKBOOK - GRACE JONES' COSTUME ORGY AT THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL (BY ALISA GOULD-SIMON) (JULY 27, 2009)
MTV NEWSROOM: LADY GAGA, YOU ARE NO GRACE JONES (BY KATIE BYRNE) (JULY 27, 2009)
NME: A VIEW TO A THRILL - GRACE JONES AT THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL (BY LYNDSEY PARKER) (JULY 27, 2009)
CYANA TREND LAND: GRACE JONES AT THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL: THE DIVA REBORN (JULY 27, 2009)
POPBYTES: GRACE JONES DAZZLED AT THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL (JULY 27, 2009)
SOUNDBLEED: GRACE JONES AND OF MONTREAL SLAYED THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL (BY DAVID BOND) (JULY 27, 2009)
LA WEEKLY: GRACE JONES AT THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL (BY RANDALL ROBERTS) (JULY 29, 2009)
L.A. RECORD - GRACE JONES + OF MONTREAL @ THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL (JULY 30, 2009)
CULTUREQUEENS: DIVINE DIVA - GRACE JONES (AUGUST 3, 2009)

CATEGORIES: SIDE DELIVERIES, ARTICLES & RAMBLINGS, VISUAL DISCO

Whitney does Loleatta..

2009-08-07T06:17:00.000-07:00

..well, sort of.

It seems Whitney Houston's upcoming comeback single "Million Dollar Bill," produced by Swizz Beatz and written (quite partially) by Alicia Keys has leaked, and surprises of surprises (truly), it's based right off of Loleatta Holloway's Salsoul classic "We're Getting Stronger (The Longer We Stay Together)." Took me a few minutes to put it together, but from the opening basslines, I knew I was hearing something familiar. For all the press attention this has been receiving lately, I'm surprised this doesn't seem to have been mentioned (even vaguely) yet, but I guess it was only a matter of time.

Whitney Houston - Million Dollar Bill

Loleatta Holloway - We're Getting Stronger

The original track, off of Loleatta's "Loleatta" (1976, Gold Mind/Salsoul) LP her first for Salsoul, was produced by the late, great Norman Harris and written by Harris along with prolific Philly writers Allan Felder and Ron Tyson (currently of The Temptations). Tyson, Felder and Harris together had written the bulk of Loleatta's first Salsoul LP along other Salsoul staples like Loleatta's own "Dreamin'," First Choice's "Doctor Love," Love Committee's "Law & Order" to name a few. Back to the song though, the late Walter Gibbons' stunning remix needs to be heard as well, with all of it's exquisite instrumental breaks, really brings out the melody and vocals making it that much better, in my opinion..

Listen: Loleatta Holloway - We're Getting Stronger (The Longer We Stay Together) (Walter Gibbons 12" Mix)

Though personally, nothing can take away from Loleatta's original, it's probably the best out of all the leaks from Whitney's upcoming 'comeback' record and seems to have gotten the strongest reception so far. The sample itself is well done and the single goes a way in rehabbing her image from the 'Crack is Wack'/Being Bobby Brown lows (or 'highs,' depending on your perspective) several years back. If anything, probably the last thing that I expected a Swizz Beatz single to sound like, given what I've heard of his stuff. If it hits big, I can only wonder how long before other Philly/disco samples start hitting the airwaves again.

PREVIOUS RELATED ENTRIES:
DISCO DELIVERY #55: CISSY HOUSTON - STEP ASIDE FOR A LADY (1980, COLUMBIA) (FRIDAY JUNE 20, 2008)
DISCO DELIVERY #36: LOLEATTA HOLLOWAY - QUEEN OF THE NIGHT (1978, GOLD MIND/SALSOUL) (WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 28, 2007)
DISCO DELIVERY #8: CISSY HOUSTON - THINK IT OVER (1978, PRIVATE STOCK) (FRIDAY FEBRUARY 24, 2006)

LINKS:
DISCOMUSIC.COM: INTERVIEW WITH LOLEATTA HOLLOWAY
DISCOGS: LOLEATTA HOLLOWAY - LOLEATTA LP
DISCO-DISCO.COM: INTERVIEW WITH LOLEATTA HOLLOWAY
MYSPACE: LOLEATTA HOLLOWAY (OFFICIAL)
FOURFOUR: PUT ONE HAND IN THE AIR (AUGUST 7, 2009)
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS: WHITNEY HOUSTON'S 'I LOOK TO YOU' FIGURES FOR A STRONG RADIO RECEPTION (BY DAVID HINCKLEY) (MONDAY AUGUST 3, 2009)
POP & HISS, THE L.A. TIMES MUSIC BLOG: WHITNEY HOUSTON ENJOYS A COMING OUT PARTY (JULY 24, 2009)
WHUDAT: WHITNEY HOUSTON DEBUTS I LOOK TO YOU.. "LOVE ME LIKE I NEVER LEFT" (WEDNESDAY JULY 22, 2009)
DOSE.CA: WE LOOK TO NYC FOR WHITNEY HOUSTON'S ALBUM PARTY; YES, SHE'S LOOKING GOOD, SAME GOES FOR THE MUSIC (BY LEAH COLLINS) (WEDNESDAY JULY 22, 2009)
MIRROR.CO.UK: MY PREVIEW OF THE NEW WHITNEY HOUSTON ALBUM (BY DEAN PIPER) (JULY 19, 2009)
BILLBOARD: WHITNEY HOUSTON PREMIERES NEW ALBUM IN LONDON (BY MARK SUTHERLAND) (JULY 15, 2009)

CATEGORIES: DISCO NEWS

Do You Love Your Robot Children?

2009-08-04T07:40:00.000-07:00

While I have still to write about my L.A. trip and the Grace Jones show (will get to it soon), had to post a quick one after getting this update in the mail. The late, legendary, seminal disco producer Patrick Cowley, it seems, is getting the Arthur Russell treatment, with Stefan Goldmann (of of the d*ruffalo blog) and Finn Johanssen of the Macro label set to release a long forgotten project helmed by Patrick Cowley & Jorge Socarras (once of the group Indoor Life, for whom Patrick had produced an EP). The project, entitled "Catholic" and recorded between 1976 and 1979 was submitted to and subsequently shelved by Megatone Records. The project had effectively been forgotten until until the original masters were uncovered by San Francisco DJ Ken Woodard (of Honey Soundsystem) in former Megatone president John Hedges' basement in a 2008 move.

With more in common with post-punk/no-wave than with disco, it's probably not too surprising that Megatone decided against releasing it at the time. While the recordings have definite hints of his more familiar (and seminal in itself) electro-disco style, the sound is ultimately experimental than his more familiar Hi-NRG disco recordings. "Catholic" in a way feels like the mid-point between the 1980 Indoor Life record he had produced and the material he would later release under his own name.

While "Catholic" might be a bit more leftfield than what some fans of his established work might be used to, extracts like "Robot Children" and the unapologetically sexual shuffle of "Burn Brighter Flame" provide a revealing glimpse into another side of Cowley's work and a more complete appreciation of his brilliance.

Patrick Cowley & Jorge Socarras - Robot Children

Patrick Cowley & Jorge Socarras - Burn Brighter Flame

More background information and full audio samples are available at the Myspace page Macro have set up, which also has a great three-part video interview with Jorge Socarras about the genesis of the project and the new interest in Patrick's work.

"Catholic" is currently scheduled for an October 19th release, in time for what would have been Patrick's 59th birthday, preceeded in September by a 12'' release for "Soon," with mixes from Morgan Geist and KiNK.

PREVIOUS RELATED ENTRIES:
DISCO DELIVERY #50: BRENDA MITCHELL - DON'T YOU KNOW (1978, BARCLAY/POLYGRAM) (SATURDAY JANUARY 12, 2008)
LAST CALL! (SUNDAY NOVEMBER 26, 2006)
DISCO DELIVERY #7: SYLVESTER - M-1015 (1984, MEGATONE) (FRIDAY FEBRUARY 17, 2006)

LINKS:
MYSPACE: PATRICK COWLEY & JORGE SOCARRAS
MACRO RECORDINGS
PATRICK COWLEY TRIBUTE
RESIDENT ADVISOR NEWS: MACRO GET CATHOLIC (INTERVIEW WITH STEFAN GOLDMANN) (MONDAY JUNE 1, 2009)
ELECTRONIC BEATS: UNRELEASED PATRICK COWLEY ALBUM TO SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY (TEXT: GARETH OWEN) (JUNE 6, 2009)
FACT MAGAZINE: PATRICK COWLEY'S CATHOLIC PAST UNCOVERED (TUESDAY JUNE 9, 2009)
RESIDENT ADVISOR: STEFAN GOLDMANN
MYSPACE: STEFAN GOLDMANN
RESIDENT ADVISOR: FINN JOHANSSEN
D*RUFFALO: THE DAILY MAGAZINE FOR EXCESS CULTURE
DISCOGS: PATRICK COWLEY
DISCOGS: JORGE SOCARRAS
MYSPACE: JORGE SOCARRAS
HONEY SOUND SYSTEM
MYSPACE: HONEY SOUND SYSTEM
DISCOGS: JOHN HEDGES
DISCOGS: INDOOR LIFE

CATEGORIES: DISCO NEWS, SIDE DELIVERIES

Together we can be free..

2009-06-28T08:42:00.000-07:00

Covered these guys on here a couple of years ago, and since then they just seem to have been getting better and better. Since setting up their new label - Disco Demolition Records in the last year or so, they've put out some amazing singles in that time. Last year, there was their great collabo with Kathy Diamond - "Fire" and an equally awesome, faithful cover of Jimmy Ross' Italo classic "First True Love Affair" for the Buffet Libre cover project, which I personally consider a step above the original, even. However, I have to say that their latest, "Follow Me" (not an Amanda Lear cover), is likely their best yet..

Out of everything they've done so far, I don't think anything else summarizes their sound, that melding of sleek, Chic-influenced guitar funk, with spacey, hyper-infectious electronics more perfectly than this. There's something about their sound, and their sound on this single, particularly that manages to be effortlessly current and forward-looking, yet at the same time genuinely authentic in it's tribute to the past and it's quest for the purest musical high. Plus, the single's artwork is killer too and makes for a great T-Shirt (had to get one!), which definitely doesn't hurt either.

With remixes from DFA's Juan MacLean, Bottin and The Outrunners, the 12'' makes for an impressive package, as well.. Out of the three remixes, I'd have to put The Outrunners' mix as my personal favourite, having replaced the bounce of the original with spacious arpeggiated Italo style synths and these ambient minor chord progressions, they manage to turn an already awesome track into a solid, neo-Italo classic. You can hear their remix on their Myspace page, along with some of their other stuff, like the Patrick Cowley-esque "These Girls Are Dressed To Kill," which, I have to say, is damn near genius..

After finding out about these guys a couple of years ago, it's to nice to still see them releasing great stuff and getting more and more attention lately. Hopefully just the beginning.

"Follow Me" is out now on 12'' and on iTunes.

PURCHASE:

FOLLOW ME (12'' SINGLE)
DUSTY GROOVE | TURNTABLE LAB | JUNO

FOLLOW ME (DIGITAL SINGLE)
iTUNES US | iTUNES UK

PREVIOUS RELATED ENTRIES:
CODEBREAKER: ARE YOU READY 2 LOVE? (SATURDAY APRIL 21, 2007)

LINKS:
MYSPACE: CODEBREAKER
MYSPACE: DISCO DEMOLITION RECORDS
DISCO DEMOLITION RECORDS (BLOG)
TWITTER: DISCO DEMOLITION RECORDS
FACEBOOK: CODEBREAKER (FAN GROUP)
DISCOGS: CODEBREAKER - FOLLOW ME 12''
ANTHEM MAGAZINE: Q&A WITH DISCO DEMOLITION RECORDS, CODEBREAKER (TEXT: NIK MERCER) (OCTOBER 3, 2008)
MYSPACE: THE OUTRUNNERS
MYSPACE: THE JUAN MACLEAN
MYSPACE: BOTTIN

CATEGORIES: NUDISCO

R.I.P. Michael Jackson

2009-06-26T07:22:00.000-07:00

It's still hard to believe. I was actually planning on posting something else today, but after hearing the news today, almost everything else had been put aside for the moment. I was at work, listening to the news on the radio, when I'd heard someone mention how for many of this generation, this is like Elvis or John Lennon dying. One of those moments where people, years from now, will remember where they were, what they were doing and what they did when they heard the news.. In the last several hours, seeing the sudden, massive outpouring of emotion, easily beyond anything that I've ever witnessed, has been surreal, to say the least. Hearing and seeing everyone who is anyone releasing statements, calling into Larry King Live with their tributes; I suppose the closest comparison I have in my lifetime was perhaps the passing of Princess Diana, but with the speed and scale of media coverage today, even that is no comparison. Given how almost everything he's ever done seems to have been on such a massive scale, it seems fitting that the public outpouring upon his passing would match.

I remember being 7/8 years old, just before sliding into what ended up becoming over a decade of damage to his reputation, watching him on television, seeing videos like "Bad," with the infamous crotch grab, "Smooth Criminal," "Remember The Time," with him spinning into a cloud of dust, the morphing faces in "Black Or White," there was nothing like seeing a Michael Jackson video at the time. As a kid, like many others, I was transfixed. I had never seen anyone who could dance and sing or create a production quite like he had done. Looking back, I have to admit that as I got older, I'd end up seeing some of those same moments in a less positive light; overdone and self-indulgent as opposed to truly inspiring, the same way one would half-cringe at the things which once entertained oneself as a child. Undenably too, the backlash that ended up surrounding him for the better part of the last decade certainly played it's part as well.. That being said, while one could still call a lot of those moments over-the-top, self-indulgent; at the same time, there's absolutely no denying the sheer awe that they had inspired at the time, and still do, and the level of excellence that he continuously reached for and more often than not actually achieved in his work.

In the coming years, I'd become fascinated by the spectacle as much as the music, if not more so. The surrounding circus; a massive, bizarre, fascinating phenomenon in its own right, not to mention the side show of his family: the camp (and troubled in its own way) spectacle of LaToya, the admirable success of Janet, Jermaine's once notorious jealousy, the shared spuses, their Father's abusive tendencies and extramarital child among other things. Scouring libraries and used book stores and indulging in every scrap of every trashy Jackson tell-all that I could find was practically a pasttime at one point. I guess it all stemmed from a fascination, a curiosity about how the Jackson family and Michael himself dealt with an immense success that for all the millions sold, hearts touched, seemed as much a badge of glory as it was an albatross around his neck, not to mention an impossible shadow for his family. For someone who seemed to be constantly trying to top himself, even until the end, it was starting to look like an excercise in destruction and sheer futility. It was the key to his greatness, perhaps, yet his tragic flaw, at the same time. With that kind of pressure from within, perhaps moreso than from without; at some point one had to realize how unsustainable it all was. The statement from his former publicist seems to reveal as much.

If there's one thing about the ongoing tributes lately, they seem to show how ultimately durable his legacy is. Rich at Four Four, as always, nails it on this point. Not too long ago, I remember hearing writer Steve Knopper on the radio talking about how Michael Jackson, in the early 80's, had practically saved a music industry still reeling from the disco backlash. It's easy to forget, especially before today, in a time when people waited and expected his next spectacular unraveling, the same way they once waited for his next record or video. I think it's safe to say, even though his final concerts will now no longer be possible, that the comeback that was supposed to follow has gone off, perhaps not as planned, but even beyond what probably could have been.

I suspect that like many celebrity deaths, the tinted tributes will eventually give way to all manner of potentially myth shattering, personally damaging revelations, even though I can't think of anyone whose had more myths shattered, and shattered again in life than Michael Jackson, in his last years. For the time being however, it has actually been nice to not just remember but live again, even in a slightly twisted, confused cloud of mixed emotions, a time when Michael Jackson was the penultimate, untouchable entertainer he once was, when calling him the 'King of Pop' was once again done in tribute, instead of in parody. Though it may have been a largely self-proclaimed title, no one could say that it wasn't entirely fitting as well. RIP.

Some videos from YouTube, capturing Michael in the disco era. In ways that I'm sure many would prefer to remember him:

Updates:

On Friday (while at work), I had caught As It Happens on CBC Radio One where they talked to Deepak Chopra, dancer/choreographer & musician Jeffrey Daniel of Shalamar, who taught Michael the Moonwalk, as well as Motown songwriter/producer Deke Richards a member of "The Corporation," the team which wrote and produced the Jackson Five's earliest hits. Listen below:

...and the saga continues (or is just beginning). The Nanny speaks.

PREVIOUS RELATED ENTRIES:
DISCO DELIVERY #54: WILLIE HUTCH - MIDNIGHT DANCER (1979, WHITFIELD/WARNER BROS.) (FRIDAY APRIL 11, 2008)
STARLIGHT DISCO (THURSDAY MARCH 13, 2008)
DISCO DELIVERY #33: JAMES BROWN - THE ORIGINAL DISCO MAN (1979, POLYDOR) (SATURDAY JANUARY 27, 2007)
UPCOMING REISSUES & RELEASES (APRIL 25 - MAY 30) (FRIDAY APRIL 21, 2006)

LINKS:
TIMES OF LONDON: WHAT NANNY WHO WORKED FOR MICHAEL JACKSON SAW (BY DAPHNE BARAK) (JUNE 28, 2009)
NEW YORK TIMES: AFTER MICHAEL JACKSON, FAME MAY NEVER BE THE SAME (BY DAVID SEGAL) (JUNE 27, 2009)
CBC NEWS: JACKSON FANS MOURN AROUND THE WORLD (FRIDAY JUNE 26, 2009)
LA TIMES OBITUARY: MICHAEL JACKSON'S LIFE INFUSED WITH FANTASY AND TRAGEDY (BY GEOFF BOUCHER & ELAINE WOO) (JUNE 26, 2009)
MYSPACE: LISA MARIE PRESLEY (BLOG) - HE KNEW (FRIDAY JUNE 26, 2009)
HUFFINGTON POST: MICHAEL JACKSON (INDEX)
TMZ: MICHAEL JACKSON (CATEGORY INDEX)
THE GUARDIAN: MICHAEL JACKSON (INDEX)

CATEGORIES: IN MEMORIAM..

Disco Delivery #62: Back In Time (1978, Cotillion/Atlantic)

2009-06-18T18:15:00.000-07:00

Back In Time - El Condor Pasa (If I Could) (Original Version)
Back In Time - The Sound Of Silence (U.S. Remix)
Back In Time - El Condor Pasa (If I Could) (U.S. Remix)
Back In Time - All I Wanna Love Is Love (U.S. Remix)
Back In Time - Love Is What We Need
Back In Time - The Sound Of Silence (Original Version)
Back In Time - All I Wanna Love Is Love (Original Version)
Back In Time - Back In Time
Back In Time - Proposition
Back In Time - Love Is A Game
❚

This was one of those albums which I had come across, and eventually passed by many times in the record shop before actually buying it. Somehow, the prospect of an album helmed by Simon & Garfunkel disco covers wasn't exactly an enticing one; the sort of thing that gave the impression of being completely and irredeemably cringeworthy.

Produced by Francois Bernheim, Jean-Louis Detry and arranged by the prolific Roger Loubet (AKA R. Black-Moog on the French release), all had been behind some notable recordings, namely Loubet (the only one of the three credited on the French release) who was one of the principals behind the amazing Baciotti 12'' "Black Jack" as well as the classic French cosmic disco LP "Disco Cosmix" (1979, Philips) by The Z.A.C.K., on which all three had been involved. Originally released in France on the Carrere label as "El Condor Pasa," Atlantic's Cotillion imprint evidently picked it up for U.S. release, retitling it as a self-titled LP with a slightly different "group" photo, enlisting Issy Sanchez (a regular mixer on Atlantic disco releases), Neil Dorfsman and Ray Wilhard (both of whom are also on the Z.A.C.K. LP and are perhaps uncredited on the original album) to remix three of the tracks into an extended medley on Side A.

In other notable personnel, all the vocals on the album were courtesy of French singer, composer and stage performer Roddy Julienne. Unfortunately, the opening track on the North American version of the album, a cover of "The Sound of Silence" wasn't exactly the most flattering showcase for Julienne's vocals. Admittedly, upon first listen, Julienne's vocals on "Silence" with his at-times nasal, abrasive, forceful phrasing didn't exactly do much to diminish my initial suspicions. It was only after further listens (to this song and the rest of the LP) that the brilliance of the album's dense, exquisite production started to reveal itself.

One of the things which ended up affirming that was the second track on the US version, the album's cover of "El Condor Pasa (If I Could)." With its deft, swirling strings, and deep supple basslines beneath a relentless electronic pulse, soaring Andean flutes, all emboldened by Roddy Julienne's forceful vocals which in this case provided the perfect aural companion to the heavy, lavish production. Ultimately the centrepiece of the album, in both of its versions, all the elements here end up turning what could have been another piece of curious, disposable euro-kitsch into something of epic disco elegance, capturing the soaring, anthemic quality of the original Peruvian standard.

Though both versions are approximately the same length, the US version, which is actually better overall with its much denser mix and great extended break towards the end, complete with extra emphasis on bass and strings; none of it diminishes the impact of the original version. With its coolly spare opening - a solitary synthesized pulse, drawn in by a sequence of strings and flutes, combined particularly with a much better placement right at the beginning of the record, the original still remains perhaps the most striking of the two versions. Notably, aside from the two different album versions, this song was included in a Tom Savarese mix on Disconet Volume 1, Number 12 (which I haven't heard yet).

The Side A medley on the US Version ends with "All I Wanna Love Is Love," which is possibly the strangest track on the album. Continuing the intense, driving pulse of "El Condor Pasa," the track opens with an initially incomprehensible monologue:

"she's cruel... just like a snake... she never stops... she scratches my back... she's a woman... a nice woman.. and she loves it..."

Which is followed by yet another stunning soliloquy:

"I'm strong.. just like a tiger.. I always want, you know... I'm proud of it.. but I'm a man!.. Only a man!.. and I'm tired!..."

Not sure that I get it.

Perhaps this is one of those instances where the intended impact was lost in translation, I'm guessing it's supposed to be a desperate man being chased by a gaggle of relentless, cooing nymphomaniacs. In between the stunning poetry, with the ladies screaming out "love! all i wanna love is love! Love! all I wanna love... is love," things don't go much further than that, with the man still ends up fighting them off with desperate NO's and declarations of his tiredness towards the end. Strange, but still worth it entirely, if not for its intriguing wierdness, but also for the awesome production, filled with some deep rich and detailed bass and percussion.

Side B continues the disco momentum with the opener, "Love Is What We Need". Originally the second track on the original French release, Roddy Julienne's vocals are back in full force here with lavish drums, deep layered guitars and cascading synths all around. Much better placed as the Side B opener on the US release, it makes for yet another one of the album's high points.

For the rest of the album, the intensity of the proceedings goes down a couple of notches, starting with the title track, "Back In Time." Despite being a withdrawal from the heavy disco of the previous tracks, and a more earnest return to the Andean feel of "El Condor Pasa," with its drum and guitar driven production, it ends up working much better and being much more memorable than I had expected. Same can mostly be said for the track that follows it, "Proposition," which, minus Roddy Julienne's (lightly processed) vocals sounds like it could have easily come out of one of those many French space disco LPs (much like the producers' own Z.A.C.K project).

Although "Love Is A Game," barring a decent melody and some nice strings, is a bit of a limp closer, this album, in both of its versions ends up being one of my more rewarding purchases in the last while. Though not without its moments of strange euro-cheese, even that is almost always redeemable. The lavish intensity of the album's production more than makes up the difference. Even if there was nothing else of note on the record, the album's stunning interpretation of Paul Simon's reading of the Peruvian standard "El Condor Pasa," is epic enough to be worth the price of admission, by itself. Even Roddy Julienne's vocals, which I'm willing to admit are formidable, if nothing else; in spite of their initial abrasiveness, end up making the most of the forceful production and often intense feel of the album's most distinctive disco tracks. At their best, his vocals made an ideal compliment to the production and tempo, with a gritty forcefulness that at times seemed to recall Tina Turner, that is, if Tina were a man, with a vaguely French accent and a penchant for the occasional jazzy scat.. That being said, I haven't been buying too many records lately, but I'm glad I gave in and made room for this one..

PREVIOUS RELATED ENTRIES:
INTERSTELLAR MESSAGES (SUNDAY FEBRUARY 22, 2009)
DISCO DELIVERY #50: BRENDA MITCHELL - DON'T YOU KNOW (1978, BARCLAY/POLYGRAM) (SATURDAY JANUARY 12, 2008)
DISCO DELIVERY #48: ASHA (PUTHLI) - L'INDIANA (1979, DASH/TK) (TUESDAY NOVEMBER 20, 2007)
DISCO DELIVERY #37: MIDNIGHT RHYTHM (1978, ATLANTIC) (WEDNESDAY MARCH 14, 2007)
TIMING, FORGET THE TIMING (WEDNESDAY JANUARY 31, 2007)

LINKS:
DISCOGS: BACK IN TIME - S/T LP (US VERSION)
BACK IN TIME - EL CONDOR PASA LP (FRENCH VERSION)
DISCOGS: DISCONET VOLUME 1, NUMBER 12 12'' (INCLUDES MIX OF 'EL CONDOR PASA')
HOTDISCOMIX: DISCONET VOLUME 1, NUMBER 12
DISCOGS: FRANCOIS BERNHEIM
DISCOGS: JEAN-LOUIS DETRY
WIKIPÉDIA: RODDY JULIENNE (IN FRENCH)
MYSPACE MUSIC: RODDY JULIENNE
WIKIPEDIA - EL CÓNDOR PASA (SONG)
WIKIPEDIA - THE SOUNDS OF SILENCE (SONG)
DISCOGS: ISSY SANCHEZ
DISCOGS: NEIL DORFSMAN
DISCOGS: RAYMOND WILLARD

CATEGORIES: DISCO DELIVERIES

Disco Delivery on Twitter

2009-05-09T21:38:00.000-07:00

Six months ago, I thought Twitter was the most inane, useless thing ever. That is, until recently, when I looked at at how many people I had started to follow, just through my own bookmarks... At this point, I figured, why resist it?

As far as social networking goes, I'm actually starting to prefer this now.. Easy and brief, and without either the privacy risks or restrictions of Facebook, it's much more open and inclusive.. Perfect for when I don't feel like writing long blog entries, which is most of the time, and which also means I'll be updating it much more frequently than the blog..

So, if you care to, follow me at: http://twitter.com/discodelivery

PREVIOUS RELATED ENTRIES:
NEW E-MAIL ADDRESS (THURSDAY MAY 31, 2007)

CATEGORIES:MISCELLANEOUS