The Disco topic--every forum needs one

[Ovi]

No mention of ABBA yet?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=za05HBtGsgU

[JK]

No mention of ABBA yet?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=za05HBtGsgU

Good call, Ovi. I'm not the world's biggest ABBA fan but I'm the first to admit that quality-wise their stuff is absolutely top-notch.

"Voulez Vous" is cool but for me ABBA is "Dancing Queen" (and "Dancing Queen" is ABBA): 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFrGuyw1V8s

[Ovi]

Good call, Ovi. I'm not the world's biggest ABBA fan but I'm the first to admit that quality-wise their stuff is absolutely top-notch.

"Voulez Vous" is cool but for me ABBA is "Dancing Queen" (and "Dancing Queen" is ABBA): 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFrGuyw1V8s

Yes! Incredible song. I'm also a huge fan of Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEjLoHdbVeE

[Ovi]

Blondie also had two disco masterpieces, Heart of Glass and Atomic. The latter in particular feels like pure ecstasy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aa911_8TP2s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbDdMqE49SA

[JK]

Blondie also had two disco masterpieces, Heart of Glass and Atomic. The latter in particular feels like pure ecstasy.

I've always loved "Heart Of Glass" but "Atomic" is new to me. Awesome synths and bass on that one too--thanks a lot, Ovi. 
 
This is one that was playing non-stop on Dutch radio in mid 1980. I'd say "Funky Town" is pure disco with only a suggestion of funk:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s36eQwgPNSE

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lipps_Inc.

[JK]

The lyrics of Cerrone's 1977 disco hit "Supernature" were written by an uncredited Lene Lovich before she became a star in her own right.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJ5V3OZdIZM

[JK]

Thanks to RR for reminding me about Michael Jackson. This floor-filler is from the peerless Off the Wall (with thanks to CB for pointing me at what is arguably his best album):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWnyCxva6bA

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Working_Day_and_Night

[JK]

I associate Clio's "Faces" with a time when my head wasn't in a good place. It's great to revisit it now that I've moved on. I love the mid-80s synth sound on this!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kw3mlykbAfk

https://vehlinggo.com/2015/01/14/clio-faces-italo-disco-beats-alive-1985/

[JK]

I often end the day by poking around on YouTube in some corner of the former Eastern Bloc. My most recent discovery in that part of the world is this wonderfully understated Czech electro disco gem from 1984 by Eva Hurychová & Jan Neckár whose title, "To chce mít svuj systém", I'm told means "it wants its system". The stunning intro is worth the price of admission alone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fHXOlNgnHU

https://www.discogs.com/Eva-Hurychová-A-Jan-Neckář-To-Chce-M%C3%ADt-Svůj-Systém-Samolepa-Lýdie/release/4567325

[SMiLE-addict]

For some reason I consider Andy Gibb's I Just Want To Be Your Everything to be the quintessential 70's song.

[JK]

For some reason I consider Andy Gibb's I Just [Want] To Be Your Everything to be the quintessential 70's song.

Fair play, S-a. Here we go, for those who don't know it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-EJQ9kjZ84

[JK]

This is one I found yesterday. To paraphrase uploader ultradiskopanorama, "Nebel" (synth disco, East Germany, 1989) is the best and most interesting track from the German singer Inka's LP Shritte, the last of her releases on the Amiga label before the collapse of the DDR.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=da60ul6MD-Y

[Rocker]

So, there is a Disco topic on this board. Well, let me add something that may be of interest.

In the late 1970s Tony Joe White ("Rainy Night in Georgia", "Polk Salad Annie", "Willie and Laura Mae Jones" a. o.) got influenced by the Disco sound and released two albums that could be regarded as such. The first one "Eyes" had a lot of orchestra and female backing singer and sound of what I'd guess Barry White sounds like (I never really listened to him). To me basically one side of pretty great, the other too much of that Disco stuff. But if you're into that, you oughta check it out. Interestingly "That loving Feeling", although written by TJW was first released by Isaac Hayes.
The second album, The Real Thang released in 1980, is a totally different thing. Only Bass, Drums and TJW's guitar plus Harmonica are featured (two tracks feature Waylon Jennings and his guitar, two tracks a little organ playing). An awesome beat goes through the whole record and TJW's writing is as inimitable as ever.

The tracklist:

I Get Off On It    
Disco Blues    
Red-Neck Women    
Polk Salad Annie    
Swamp Rap    
Grounded    
Mama Don't Let Your Cowboys Grow Up To Be Babies    
Even Trolls Love Rock And Roll


Two tracks ("Polk Salad Annie" and "Even Trolls love Rock and Roll") are re-recordings of his earlier versions, but done in the new "Disco"-style.
You won't find this album on CD. It's the only one of his albums that never was released on CD and it's also hard to find on vinyl. BUT, in 2006 a DVD/CD (I think now there's also a vinyl release) of TJW's show on "Austin City Limits" was released, and among some of his older songs and some that he wrote for other artists but never recorded himself, he basically play the whole "The Real Thang" album, minus "Grounded". And what a great release this is. The sound is awesome. Thick, clear and funky. The playing incredibly tight. Here's the youtube playlist, give it a listen. This is swamp rock disco style. Love this stuff and imo it's a contender for coolest album nobody knows (- except for Jerry Reed, who later covered "I get off on it").


Playlist:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtzrUNaW362oV-d8VmafvgiaV3i-1wlIQ

[JK]

Trudging through cyberspace last night, I came across this gem of a disco version of music from Stravinsky's ballet The Firebird by The Salsoul Orchestra:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1lbw0L4aiI

[JK]

I associate Clio's "Faces" with a time when my head wasn't in a good place. It's great to revisit it now that I've moved on. I love the mid-80s synth sound on this!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kw3mlykbAfk

https://vehlinggo.com/2015/01/14/clio-faces-italo-disco-beats-alive-1985/

Goodness, the previous post is this thread is almost a year old!

While doing a jigsaw puzzle last night (one of those fascinating "What happens next?" affairs), I had some Italo Disco playing on YouTube. To be honest, I find a little of it goes a long way! And if the track starts with just four-on-the-floor, I generally move on. Two great tracks that don't do this (arguably the best of what I heard last night) are another by Clio, "Eyes" (produced by Robert Ferrante)...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1BRc3vpepA

...and "Can Delight" by My Mine:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5wybR3h6Zw

Bellissimo!

[JK]

This is so good -- Italo disco at its very best! Clio's "Faces" is pure perfection:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kw3mlykbAfk

[Rocker]

So, there is a Disco topic on this board. Well, let me add something that may be of interest.

In the late 1970s Tony Joe White ("Rainy Night in Georgia", "Polk Salad Annie", "Willie and Laura Mae Jones" a. o.) got influenced by the Disco sound and released two albums that could be regarded as such. The first one "Eyes" had a lot of orchestra and female backing singer and sound of what I'd guess Barry White sounds like (I never really listened to him). To me basically one side of pretty great, the other too much of that Disco stuff. But if you're into that, you oughta check it out. Interestingly "That loving Feeling", although written by TJW was first released by Isaac Hayes.
The second album, The Real Thang released in 1980, is a totally different thing. Only Bass, Drums and TJW's guitar plus Harmonica are featured (two tracks feature Waylon Jennings and his guitar, two tracks a little organ playing). An awesome beat goes through the whole record and TJW's writing is as inimitable as ever.

The tracklist:

I Get Off On It    
Disco Blues    
Red-Neck Women    
Polk Salad Annie    
Swamp Rap    
Grounded    
Mama Don't Let Your Cowboys Grow Up To Be Babies    
Even Trolls Love Rock And Roll


Two tracks ("Polk Salad Annie" and "Even Trolls love Rock and Roll") are re-recordings of his earlier versions, but done in the new "Disco"-style.
You won't find this album on CD. It's the only one of his albums that never was released on CD and it's also hard to find on vinyl. BUT, in 2006 a DVD/CD (I think now there's also a vinyl release) of TJW's show on "Austin City Limits" was released, and among some of his older songs and some that he wrote for other artists but never recorded himself, he basically play the whole "The Real Thang" album, minus "Grounded". And what a great release this is. The sound is awesome. Thick, clear and funky. The playing incredibly tight. Here's the youtube playlist, give it a listen. This is swamp rock disco style. Love this stuff and imo it's a contender for coolest album nobody knows (- except for Jerry Reed, who later covered "I get off on it").


Playlist:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtzrUNaW362oV-d8VmafvgiaV3i-1wlIQ

A new expanded version will be released in October:

https://holler.country/news/breaking/exclusive-an-expanded-version-of-tony-joe-whites-overlooked-eighties-album-the-real-thang/