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