The Smiley Smile Message Board

No disco topic on Smiley? :o Scandalous! Well that's easily fixed. ;D

Patrice Rushen's "Forget Me Nots" is a massive favourite of mine, not least because of the stunning bass lines courtesy of "Ready" Freddie Washington:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Amzp7W0RkPA

More bass magic (this time from T.M. Stevens) on Narada Michael Walden's "I Shoulda Loved Ya":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFSB_tbHb6Q

I love love love Forget Me Nots! It's a great song, great performance. The track is crisp and tight. Hooks abound.

Chic!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1qQ1SKNlgY (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1qQ1SKNlgY)

Yes!!!! Thanks for that, Ovi. :=)

My favourite Chic song is the follow-up, the magnificently minimal "Good Times":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Er9xGRolrT4

Another great favourite of mine is Dan Hartman's "Instant Replay". Much more than just a pretty face, Hartman was taken from us far too soon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jW-OfaiBs9k

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

For years I used to hate disco with a vengeance. It was a mod on the old Capitol BB MB who turned me onto it. Donna Summer flung the doors wide open for me. Patrick Hernandez's "Born To Be Alive" was one I had sneered at for decades--I must have been mad! :smokin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vb5a-GYty-o

Is "Grease" disco? It's good, hbig praised it b4 & I at last listened to it. Written by Bee Gees, right? Well, will not lie that 1st thing that appealed about song was favorite familiar vocal by Frankie Valli. But whilst listening, liked the melody, groove etc. Could leave out background vocs - even better.
Would like to hear SNF OST. Never seen film - if Bee Gees' songs listed there as good as "Grease", I may be, just may be inspired to see it. *drops mic*

Here you go, RR:

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

I'd heard of the name Stacy Lattisaw but never (to my knowledge) heard any of their music. I'd always thought SL was a man! (The name can be used by either sex.) Turns out "Jump To The Beat" was recorded by a 13-year-old girl. And very cool it is too. :-D

To quote a YouTuber, "She looks so 'lonely' on the stage and no one is dancing or moving to her song? A little strange..." It is indeed. :(

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vtq4PMJvSI0

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

I'm in the minority but I always loved Queen's disco record, Hot Space. These two tracks in particular I think are disco perfection. Can't sit down while I play them:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17x989t-a0Y (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17x989t-a0Y)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZ-hNCUthiU (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZ-hNCUthiU)

Ta. It says "Not available in your country".

And this one?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zviINyGpldU&list=PL8Lpw39GxwbMuSZ13zF7ErQgbXsW1Sb3U

Hard to say. I'm sure one can dance to it (I've never danced). :'(

Anyway, here's "Grease Is The Word". Love that intro! ::)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gqiyqu1GVE

0/10.

How about "thanks for trying"? Really, RR, you do try my patience at times. ;D

This is my favourite track from that double album. Yvonne Elliman's "If I Can't Have You" is more a ballad than a disco thumper but I think it's gorgeous. ::)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FI9PN90qPTg

"Relax". I just didn't like it start to finish. Reasons galore, f.ex. problem with Bee Gees songs is Barry's atrocious falsetto. Talk about trying patience.

Okay, I misunderstood you (again). Sorry to hear you didn't like it. :smokin

Can't believe that "0/10" could be read as anything BUT *rating the linked music*, here SNF OST. Wow. ::)

The JK mind moves in mysterious ways, RR. ;D

The disco bandwagon got quite crowded at one time but it did yield some (in my view) great tracks. Both KISS and Rod Stewart rose to the occasion (and Queen--thanks, Ovi). Rod's "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy" has a stupendous bass line, courtesy of Phil Chen:  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hphwfq1wLJs

Youtube advised this stupid ''Runaway'' cover, sums up disco aka worst music genre to these ears https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Kdcnosn2tY

''always on the run'' chanting is like the song is suddenly about fugitive. ::)

That is truly awful! I love (good) disco but this really is the pits. It drains all the lifeblood from Del's song (and performance).

To get this topic back on the road, here's one from Saturday Night Fever, the ultimate disco film. "K-Jee" as performed by M.F.S.B. featured in an all-time favourite top ten across the road. Thank you that person for reminding me of it. :=)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_R6u1Cd1Us

Silver Convention hail from Munich:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGjPpCYYXX8

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fly,_Robin,_Fly

Time for something joyous.  ::)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBNiNORa19o

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Never_Can_Say_Goodbye#Gloria_Gaynor_version

No mention of ABBA yet?

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

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

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

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=aa911_8TP2s)

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

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.

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

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

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/

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

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

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

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 (https://www.bing.com/search?q=tony+joe+white+eyes&qs=n&form=QBRE&sp=-1&pq=tony+joe+white+eyes&sc=1-19&sk=&cvid=603C126246704CB585FE49C6FA4A2653)" 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 (https://www.discogs.com/Tony-Joe-White-The-Real-Thang/master/299725) 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 (https://www.discogs.com/de/Tony-Joe-White-Live-From-Austin-TX/release/5675469)/CD (https://www.discogs.com/de/Tony-Joe-White-Live-From-Austin-TX/release/8723389) (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

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

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! ::)