A Complete Introduction To Disco

What do most people want to hear on a disco compilation? Night Fever? Stayin' Alive? Disco Inferno? Boogie Nights? Boogie Wonderland? Rock The Boat? Funkytown? I Will Survive? Some Michael Jackson? Well - none of those appear on this collection, maybe rightly, maybe wrongly. 

What we get here is a detailed look, via four excellent and varied discs, of the sequential, year-on-year development of the phenomenon that was disco. From first soul with a beat, to more targeted disco soul to the eventual six minute-plus extended groove workouts that filled the disco sets of the late seventies we are taken on a glitter ball journey that educates and delights at the same time.

Disco was not all about The Bee Gees, believe me. Of course, their stuff was played a lot and filled many a dance floor, but many a disco I went to in the late seventies played a non-stop diet of 12" mixes. The 12" boom of the eighties started here, that's for sure. 

So get your wide lapels and your high heels on......but remember disco wasn't all medallions and white suits! Forget the ludicrous "disco sucks" movement too - disco was a joyous sound for everyone. Nobody should "diss" something that gives so much unbridled pleasure.

Disc One - Get Ready: Motown, Philly, Funk and the roots of Disco

1 Love's Theme - The Love Unlimited Orchestra

So much of disco was instrumental (or at least instrumental with occasional vocals) and we duly start here with one of the genre's landmark orchestral grooves, conducted by the big man himself - Barry White. Love's Theme is now instantly recognisable with its beautiful, sweeping strings and that distinctive wah-wah quacking guitar sound. There is a really addictive bass and guitar passage near the end too. This, and material from MFSB, Van McCoy and the Salsoul Orchestra did as much as anything to get that glitter ball spinning.

2 Backstabbers - The O'Jays

Some classic Philadelphia soul here. A song that moaned about problems in love and petty jealousy but did it against an intoxicating, soulful rhythm. This is an example of the "soul with a beat" I was speaking about in my introduction.

3 Law Of The Land - The Temptations

A true stomping soul stonker now. The Law Of The Land is the last truly great Temptations classic. It is a superb, uplifting, upbeat, pounding slab of soul magnificence. I love it and never tire of its infectious, pulsating rhythms. From its first few seconds, it kicks posterior. When the drums kick in - wow. One of my favourite tracks of all time, from anyone. Just perfect. That handclapping too - disco would subsequently use that a lot, wouldn't they?

4 Soul Makossa - Manu Dibango

A dip into cookin' world music now with Cameroonian Manu Dibango's kick ass funky and glorious Soul Makossa, which everyone surely knows by now influenced Michael Jackson on Wanna Be Startin' Something. The track has an irresistible beat to it that would make any disco's walls shake. Check out that bass and Manu's Afro Beat saxophone. breaks too. It stands as a fine example of early disco fusion. It has an ambience of Parisian disco, given the huge West African presence in that city.

5 Black Skinned Blue Eyed Boys - The Equals

It's a surprising return to the late sixties now for a real deep cut. Eighties pop-reggae star Eddy Grant's first band was multi-racial groundbreakers The Equals. Other hits they had were Baby Come Back and Viva Bobby Joe. Get an earful of the pounding rhythm on this pleas for racial equality together with its mid-song fuzzy guitar. Stick this on in any disco playlist and your listeners will not be disappointed, it seriously funks out in a way that brings to mind The Fatback Band's Do The Bus Stop. 

6 Hot Pants (I'm Coming, Coming, I'm Coming) - Bobby Byrd

Hold on! Help me! Is that James Brown I hear as the sweaty funk continues, big-time? No, it's sound-alike Bobby Byrd covering a Brown song in superb style. This was very much the sound of disco circa 1971.

7 Get Ready - Rare Earth

Get ready for a bit of rockin' funk now. Motown could do funk-rock too and they do it here with their surprising white funk signings Rare Earth. The group's cover of The Temptations's classic rocks out from the outset. White boys could do funk as well.

8 Beggin' - Timebox

Deep cut Heaven here, dating from 1968, unbelievably. Was there such a thing as psychedelic disco? Probably not. Cuts like this perky little piece of pop with a funky edge would have been a hit in the Northern Soul discos of late sixties/early seventies Northern UK.

9 Everyday People - Sly & The Family Stone

The short but incredibly uplifting Everyday People is just a delight. That beat, the stabbing guitar, the backing vocal, Sly’s beseeching “we got to live together”. It is just perfect. Also interesting was the fact that bassist Larry Graham claimed his performance on the song was the first use of the distinctive "slap bass" style that would feature on so much subsequent funk. The song highlights the utter playground-level inanity of racial abuse with its deliberately infantile chorus. The song, though, in its simplicity, sums up the pointlessness of it all and serves wonderfully as a two-line protest song.

10 I'll Take You There - The Staple Singers

Now for some top class gospel disco from the wonderful Staple Singers. The song is one of the most uplifting you will hear. Again, it espouses a typically early-seventies message of racial harmony. You can still dance to it, though, while knowing you are ideologically sound. A fine mixture. Mavis Staples will take you to church while you're at a disco.

11 Theme From Shaft - Isaac Hayes

Can you dig it? Damn right. It's Shaft - a complicated man who is only understood by his woman, much like yours truly. The soundtrack theme's iconic funky backing sums up the Blaxploitation urban funk sound of the early seventies as much as any other song but, notably, it also contains some classically disco string orchestration. That was something extremely influential on eventual trademark disco.

12 Tell Me What You Want - Jimmy Ruffin

Motown artist Jimmy Ruffin sounds more like a Southern Stax one on this serving of swampy Southern soul that dated from 1973. It is another one in that soul with a beat category.

13 Hey Girl Come And Get It - The Stylistics

Seventies soul smoothsters The Stylistics get in on the string-backed lush disco thing with this easy-going Van McCoy-produced number that perfectly exemplified much of the disco sound from 1974-75. Van McCoy was responsible for a lot of that, leading the way with his iconic semi-instrumental hit The Hustle. 

14 Rock Your Baby - George McCrae

Down to Florida now, as Harry (KC) Casey and TK Records gave us the first song with that distinctive guitar-picking, funk-lite Miami Hustle sound. This was the summer of 1974, and, for a couple of years this was, along with the afore-mentioned Van McCoy's productions, highly representative of disco. It was notable for having an extended six minute-plus album mix that the discos lapped up in preference to the edited radio 45 rpm version. You get an infectious instrumental break which would keep people dancing, for sure. It just gets into its effortless groove - the very essence of good disco, vocals returning every now and again.

15 Love Don't You Go Through No Changes On Me - Sister Sledge

Back to 1974 for Sister Sledge's first hit. For such young girls, as they were then, it is a remarkably mature-sounding cut. It has a great Philly-disco groove to it. Very 1974 beaty soul,

16 Girl You Need A Change of Mind - Eddie Kendricks

From Motown now, circa 1972, and Eddie Kendricks' People Hold On album. At that time Eddie was as much about extended disco cuts on his albums as he was sweet soul ballads. He went on to have a couple of dance floor fillers in Keep On Truckin' and Boogie Down in 1973 and 1874 respectively. This one grooves along to nearly seven minutes in length, exuding total class all the way. Check out that groovy instrumental break at around four minutes in, one that surely influenced Rose Royce's 1976 Car Wash.

17 Satin Soul - Gene Page

Gene Page was involved in much of Barry White's work and here Barry returns the favour, producing this very 1974 Hustle-style orchestrated instrumental classic groove. It is just so easy and effortlessly funky, disco-style. Check out those sweeping, expressive strings and the distinctive chicka-chicka guitars. Ideal mid-set fare.

18 Blue Eyed Soul - Carl Douglas

Carl Douglas had a surprise hit with his pop-funk novelty Kung Fu Fighting in 1974. This came from the album of the same name and was produced by "Summer Of '42" orchestra leader Biddu. Whatever Happened to him? It is a semi-instrumental full of disco strings, funk-lite and US cop-show soundtrack brass breaks. It is just so very 1974, isn't it? Once more it stands as a fine example of orchestrated disco 1974-75 Hustle style. The only vocals are "doo-doo-doo" backing ones, by the way. I'm not sure exactly what Carl did on the record.

19 Doctor's Orders - Carol Douglas

Add one letter to the name and you have Carol Douglas, delivering a 1974 disco pop hit which provided a bridge between extended, string-backed grooves and short, catchy chart pop. Disco was about to hit the charts. UK readers may well associate the song with Sunny, who had a hit with it. 

20 Shame Shame Shame - Shirley & Company

A New York disco-soul-funk classic here, full of great vocals, kick-ass funky backing and bucketloads of gritty soul. It would be in any disco playlist of mine. Incidentally, it was written by Sylvia Robinson, who founded Sugar Hill Records and also had a sexy 1972 hit with Pillow Talk.

21 Machine Gun - The Commodores

Killer funky Motown instrumental fare here. This remains one of the most catchy funk instrumentals. It was rightly a huge hit and it positively overflows with funk.

Disc Two - Happy People: Do a little dance, make a little love

1 The Hustle - Van McCoy

The one that launched a hundred records in 1975-76, it is superb from beginning to end - its infectious whistly flute riff, its funky guitar breaks, its Latin-influenced brass bits, its deep drums, even the "do the hustle" vocal interjections. It is orchestral disco at its finest. Up there with Love's Theme. The sound of early disco to a tee.

2 Get Down Tonight - KC And The Sunshine Band

Man, those keyboards, those guitars, those drums - Floridian disco-funk at its most influential. It rightfully remains a mid-seventies disco classic. "Do a little dance, make a little love, get down tonight...". Exactly. At this period KC and his mates were the best disco outfit around.

3 Never Can Say Goodbye - Gloria Gaynor

Disco pop Heaven here in 1974 as Gloria Gaynor takes The Jackson 5's already-impressive number and got homosexuals turned on to disco. I'm not quite sure why. Maybe its grandiose slightly Broadway-style pizazz. It's funny how the gay disco thing was initially very big, particularly in New York City, yet by the time of Saturday Night Fever it was all about heterosexual, macho posturing. Whatever, its a great rendition and far more of a disco classic than I Will Survive, for me, anyway. 

 

4 It's In His Kiss - Linda Lewis

Disco pop continues with astonishingly-voiced Linda Lewis filling UK dance floors on her energetic cover of what was previously known as The Shoop Shoop Song. An interesting piece of trivia is that Luther Vandross was on backing vocals. Not that you can hear him much as Linda totally dominates this.

5 Forever Came Today - The Jackson 5

In 1975, The Jackson 5 were soon to become The Jacksons - kings of disco. This was one of their first blatant steps into the genre as they cover a Diana Ross & The Supremes romantic, dramatic ballad in classic string-backed disco-funk style. As a lover of the original, it doesn't quite work for me, but it certainly pointed the way to Michael and his brothers dominating the dance floor for years to come. I have to say the extended groove of the song eats into my senses, however. It certainly grows on me. 

6 Walking In Rhythm - The Blackbyrds

Dating from 1974, I would have sworn (if I didn't know, that is) that this was from the late seventies or indeed the mid-eighties. It is a super-smooth laid-groove. Perfect late-night radio jazz-funk. Shakatak must have been listening to this, mustn't they? It has that eighties wine-bar feel to it. Nice one. Ahead of is time, for sure.

7 Dreaming A Dream - Crown Heights Affair

Another excellent example of early disco-funk is this one. Classy 1975 New York disco at its very best. I like Crown Heights Affair a lot. They were pure disco quality and give the finger to anyone who says that disco was just froth. 

8 It Only Takes A Minute - Tavares

1975 was the year disco really kicked off, wasn't it? Forget 1977 and Saturday Night Fever, that merely jumped on the already very large bandwagon. Previous soul vocal groups like Rhode Island's Tavares got the disco bug and released highly catchy, upbeat disco pop like this, which has since become a standard. Tavares were included on the Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack too as a result of their disco success, contributing their superior version (to The Bee Gees' one) of More Than A Woman.

9 Ten Percent - Double Exposure

From the Salsoul label came this nine minute piece of rhythmic, Latin-influenced extended groove. It was now that lengthy semi-instrumental cuts like this were really beginning to make their presence felt on the dance floors, where dancers could hit their groove and just continue. There are actually a fair amount of vocals on here, actually, but it always comes across as more of an instrumental workout. Maybe I am doing the vocals a disservice, because there's a proper song in there. Trivia for you - it was the first commercially available 12" single.

10 That's Where The Happy People Go - The Trammps

I have always loved this one from The Trammps. 1976 disco Heaven right here. Disco Inferno was still to come from the group too. The Trammps had a sheer irrepressible energy and catchiness about them.

11 Young Hearts Run Free - Candi Staton

For many people, as them to name a seventies disco-soul hit and this is the one they will come up with. It was a perfect crossover from intense extended grooves to joyous, floor-filling pop. Even now, just stick this on and see them flock on to the floor. The sound of the boiling hot UK summer of 1976.

12 Open Sesame - Kool And The Gang

Sampling Eastern rhythms a la Earth, Wind & Fire, Kool & The Gang brought brassy, pumping funk to the dance floor and, notably, to the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. This was far more authentically disco than Night Fever ever was and probably featured on many more credible DJ sets.

13 Down To Love Town - The Originals

One-time Motown balladeers The Originals "converted" to disco - as many artists did at this time -  and delivered this infectious stomper. It was totally unrecognisable from the smooth output of the late sixties/early seventies. It remans one of those classic disco deep cuts. It is presented here in its glorious extended version.

14 Love Hangover - Diana Ross

For many, Diana Ross is the ultimate disco diva. Not until 1976 she wasn't. The story goes that after the slow, teasing ballad opening to the song (that goes on for over two minutes) she was not comfortable with gettin' on down. Disco lights and a bottle of vodka were supplied and the rest is disco history. As I said, many have subsequently viewed her as a disco artist!

15 Turn The Beat Around - Vicki Sue Robinson

Vicki Sue Robinson was already a veteran of stage, screen and TV but she turned her hand superbly to disco in 1976 with this upbeat number which features some convincing ad hoc vocal improvisations mid-song. It has a bit of the feel of Love Hangover about it. Something about its verve and vitality. It has the reputation of being an early disco classic and appears on many disco compilations. 

16 Cherchez La Femme/C'est Si Bon - Dr Buzzard's Original Savannah Band

Another great disco cooker from the vintage year of 1976 came from August "Kid Creole" Darnell's pre-Creole band. It showed that disco could be well-constructed, inventive, wry and downright clever. It is one of the great disco oddities. I love it. There is something of Grace Jones about it.

Disc Three - Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah: Disco in excelsis 

1 Don't Leave Me This Way - Thelma Houston

1977 was here. Now, so many people love Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes' version of this song. Me, it has always been this one. I love it and have done ever since January 1977. It positively bristles with rampant sexual energy and gave Motown longtimer Thelma her first big, unexpected hit. She wasn't thinking it was going to do as well as it did and was taken by surprise by its success.

2 Let No Man Put Asunder (It's Not Over) - First Choice

First Choice had a couple of soul-pop hits i 1973 with the excellent Armed And Extremely Dangerous and Smarty Pants. Here they made a comeback with a Philadelphia disco classic. Rochelle Fleming's vocal is superb throughout and was sampled on many house music tunes years later. The track cooks on a high heat from the very beginning. Great stuff. The album it came from, Delusions, was really good too. 

3 Cocomotion - El Coco

Disco jazz for you here, full of disco strings, with some clavinet-driven funk thrown in there too. Occasional ethereal sexy female vocals add to the track's light, breezy, early evening appeal. Check out that bassline half way through too.

4 Love In C Minor - Cerrone

The phenomenon of Euro-Disco arrived with this easy-on-the-ear instrumental groove - lots of strings, light funk and high-pitched girls on backing vocals. So many discos in Europe played this sort of thing non-stop at this time and continued to do so well into the eighties.

5 I Feel Love - Donna Summer

Talking of Euro-Disco. Here comes Giorgio Moroder. I had heard of him back then as, with the co-writer of this, Pete Belotte, he had been responsible for Chicory Tip's synthesiser-driven number one glammy hit Son Of My Father in 1972. Here he used only synthesised music apart from the bass drum sound and it gave Donna Summer a huge number one. It also seriously influenced so much subsequent electronic music and techno etc. I remember at the time everyone was captivated by its minimalist appeal and spacey sound - everyone liked it, even the punks. It was very much the sound of 1977

6 From Here To Eternity - Giorgio Moroder

Also from 1977 was Moroder's own, similar number, this time featuring him on vocals, but also using the same insistent electronic beat. Listening to these two you can actually hear disco changing over two records.

7 Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah) - Chic

Another disco icon made his entrance here - Nile Rodgers, who, together with Bernard Edwards, pioneered the Chic sound. I can't really describe that strummed guitar sound but it is instantly recognisable to anyone who hears it. He would also write and perform on disco hits for Diana Ross, Sister Sledge and even David Bowie as well as having several more huge, influential ones with Chic. Along with the Moroder sound, Rodgers' distinctive groove was so important in the late seventies/early eighties. For many, Chic were the best disco-funk band of the time and they still are. Again, everyone liked them.

8 I Need A Man - Grace Jones

Time for another disco icon - Ms. Grace Jones. This French-sounding number was typical of the camp, showy tunes on her first three albums. She diversified into a more mysterious, soulful and sometimes reggae-influenced sound but this was her at her Parisian disco diva height. 

9 Romeo And Juliet - Alec Costandinos

It's 1978 now. An inventive, rhythmic number here that I had no previous knowledge of. I do not remember it from the time, although the "Juliet I love you" bit rings a bell somewhere, so maybe. Whatever, it has a fine beat to it.

10 Risky Changes - Bionic Boogie

This was a New York disco-spawned number that boogied on for over seven minutes. Those previous string-dominated workouts were now replaced by drum, guitar and piano ones. They were the forerunners of house music. That funny explosion noise that goes off a couple of times during the track always makes me jump too!

11 In The Bush - Musique

In the same drum-powered rhythmic style was this delightfully sexy romp that urged men to "push push in the bush" to their heart's content. Girls had glorious full bushes in those days, of course! The song's beautifully synthesised rhythms were very influential on the eighties disco sound and on groups like The Style Council too. In comparison to Saturday Night Fever, though, this material was seriously underground and almost "cult". I didn't know of it at the time. I suspect it was played at the more serious dance clubs, not your local village hall disco. I love it. It kicks ass. And bush too. It's sexy as fuck. Now, please excuse me while I recall my girlfriend's bush, circa 1978.

12 Let's Start The Dance - Bohannon

I remember Hamilton Bohannon from 1974-75 cuts like Disco Stomp and South African Man. Here in 1978 he is in command of a scratchy, rhythmic thumper that I'm sure had a big influence on Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club. The strident,  shrieking female vocal from Carolyn Crawford must have had an influence on Black Box's 1989 Ride On Time as well. 

13 You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) - Sylvester

Straight from the San Francisco gay club scene came this 100% copper-bottomed disco classic. It is one that is almost guaranteed to appear on any disco compilation. It kicked gay ass and hell, it kicks mine too. As with all these recent tracks, it is here is full, extended form. Disco was no longer about short poppy numbers. Size was important, both in length of tracks and girth of bassy sound. From its very first notes the listener is hooked, it is simultaneously melodic and madcap. 

14 Souvenirs - Voyage

More spacey Euro-Disco in 12" form. It is notable for is jaunty, infectious and breezy piano riff. It has a bit of a wine bar late-night background music sound to it, however, as opposed to a "get up and dance" exciting vibe. It exudes class, however. 

Disc Four - Take me home: Ready for the '80s

1 Vertigo/Relight My Fire - Dan Hartman

1978 moves into 1979 and the taste for extended mixes is going strong. Here we get an introductory passage of jazz-funk, piano-driven instrumental before the now iconic Relight My Fire vocal bit arrives. It was a perfect serving of catchy disco pop and was duly a huge hit. The outstanding female vocal is provided by Loleatta Holloway, who also released some fine disco material in her own right.

2 After Dark - Pattie Brooks

Pattie Brooks was on the same label as Donna Summer - Casablanca - and she went under the radar somewhat. This is a corker, though, featuring a superb bass intro and a European-influenced Grace Jones-ish swirling, floaty vocal. This would have filled the floors of mainland Europe's discos. Love those cowbell percussion breaks too. It was also one of the first times that typically eighties disco spacey "boing-boing" noise was used in the backing, something that would soon become ubiquitous.

3 The Runner - The Three Degrees

The Runner saw the Philly darlings of the mid-seventies, The Three Degrees, teaming up with Giorgio Moroder on a great disco single that this time is presented in short, 45 rpm fashion. There was still room for an infectious, poppy sub-four minute single, wasn't there?

4 Take That To The Bank - Shalamar

Talking of great shorter poppy singles - here's another one. A perfect mix of disco and upbeat soul. Shalamar would become very much part of the early eighties disco sound, scoring several big charts hits - all catchy and singalong, like this one, their first big hit.

5 Dance With You - Carrie Lucas

The quality 45s continued on this slightly lesser-known one. Tracks like this were the commercial side of the late seventies/early eighties disco sound. I can hear hints of Michael Jackson's Off The Wall album's material in the smooth rhythms found on this cut.

6 Dancer - Gino Soccio

Back to an extended groove now, from Canadian Gino Soccio. It is sort of spacey Euro-Disco meets Funkadelic. Something that mustn't be underestimated was the influence of krautrock electronica from groups like Kraftwerk on disco in this period. This was very much a spacey electronic groover, lots of keyboard noodling and synths backing somewhat indistinct ethereal female vocals.

7 Space Bass - Slick

Most appealing is this effortless and infectious Latin-style groove, a track that merges the spacey sounds mentioned above with the natural rhythm of disco. It is a thoroughly intoxicating mix and a real forerunner of much of the eighties 12" disco mixes. Unsurprisingly, the bass on it is out there as is the drum sound, particularly the solo near the end. The track was an underground hit in the Us but went top 20 in the UK. I remember it well. 

8 Can't Live Without Your Love - Tamiko Jones

Spacey sounds were so de rigeur in 1979-80, weren't they? This groover is so typical of the period. Boing-boing sounds all over place, synth runs, Latin percussion and sexy-sounding airy female vocals. This was disco, 1979 style.

9 I Need Your Lovin' - Teena Marie

Into 1980 now with a superb little 45 rpm gritty, soulful disco smash from Rick James's personal sexpot Teena Marie. While I do enjoy the extended grooves, sometimes you just can't beat a prefect three minutes and so perfect disco 45 can you?

10 Casanova - Coffee

Another one that hailed from New York but failed to chart in the US but was big in the UK. I have real memories of it from 1980. It is packed full of hooks, bot musical and vocal. The chorus is often stuck in my head as I'm going about my business - "it's all over Casanova....it's all over Casanova". It is presented here in its full six minute-plus form, but the edited 45 version functions just as well. I love it. One of the best later-era cuts from this collection. My favourite from Disc Four.

11 The Boss - Diana Ross

Diana's back with one of her best disco cuts. Along with Love Hangover and I'm Coming Out, it was this material which helped gain her "disco diva" reputation. Funny how she was resistant to disco at the outset, wasn't it? This is an excellent, vibrant and attractive brassy groove. 

12 Take Me Home - Cher

Another diva here. On the Casablanca came this oh-so-very very 1979 sounding cut from Cher. The song has that easy-going, smooth sound that typified disco in this era. You will know what I mean upon hearing it. Incidentally, it was written by Bob Esty and Michelle Aller (who appeared on the 1972b Motown Singles Collection with her own deep cut 45). 

13 Last Dance - Donna Summer

Oh well, several hours of non-stop dancing its time for the last dance. After a minute and a half of balladry, the song bursts out into an upbeat, showtune-ish piece of sparkly, gay-disco-ish celebration. This sort of sound would become increasingly popular into the eighties. It is not quite to my taste, 100%, but I can understand its appeal. It has an irrepressible grandeur to it.

The two that have particularly stayed in my head after listening to this collection have been Walking In Rhythm and Casanova. 

It's been a great night. See you all next week!