The story of the 1 song that appears to have lit the fuse for the Disco boom. Without it, Studio 54 would've just been a dry cleaner's, and you'd have nowhere to wear your platforms...but the library.
Awesome! It wasn't cool to like Disco back in the day. Until everybody started playing it.😀 Surprisingly bands that wouldn't be caught dead near a disco ball jumped on the band wagon eventually. Some strictly tongue in cheek. Some with no tongue. (Zappa, Kiss, Rod Stewart, Steppenwolf, ELO, Rush, Uriah Heep, Bad Company...and everyone else in the 70's and 80's). Thanks again, Brad, for the memories!
You're most welcome, Paul, and thank YOU for listening! Coming up: More disco, but a Playlist of dynamite dance tuneage likely no one heard, 'cause they didn't receive airplay (or club play, for that matter)! Look for "Discarded Disco" (the little-known bitchin' dance tunes) in your inbox soon!🕺
Glad to hear you're looking forward to looking backward!! I'll leave you with a teaser...this song may make that "Discarded Disco" Playlist, but by the original artist. So, here's one of my fave cats, Todd Rundgren, having a decidedly do-wop-y, a capella go at the Spinners' "Mighty Love"! Don't try dancing to Todd's.....you'll pull something!😁https://open.spotify.com/track/0NxdjgBGHu2aIFjyRYUGMD?si=91b078d6deb14e3c
MIGHT be?! Definitely poking Zappa fun at disco...the title of the album, alone: "Sheik Yerbouti"! But, if it might've become an "accidental" hit, he wouldn't have minded. It was only a couple years later that he brought along Moon to capitalize on the Valley Girl phenom! Opportunistic much, Frank?!
In an interview recently, Moon disclosed that "Valley Girl" only happened because she wanted so desperately to spend more Daddy time with Frank...she didn't care how, but inasmuch as he was in their home's studio near 24 hours a day, she figured doing something/anything with him on a record would mean more time with Daddy.
HE came up with the valley girl "use the lingo you and your friends use" on a record that the song came about!
Thanks for reading, Sheldon, and for commenting! Glad you enjoyed! When disco had its heyday, there was nothing like it, and Philly was Ground Zero, by and large, for the really classy, beautiful, smooth rhythms! You're right about Earl Young, and glad you got to meet them and see them play!
How funny........My hook, for decades, has initially been the music, the sonic envelope....but, only THEN, when I finally give my attention to the lyrics, do I appreciate such an incredible start to a poetic ode to allegiance, as this is! Great comments, David!
Wonderful history... what you wrote about is new to me and I love the background!
I am one of the few in the world that will admit to 2 things that most do not. 1. My mom and dad paid for my college. 2. I liked Disco.
I was teaching 6th grade at the time, the kids had energy, songs were lively, Vietnam was over... it allowed you to ignore the high inflation with gas approaching $1 per gallon.
My direction of Disco took a different path than yours or at least what you wrote about (which is fabulous). I went down the Munich Sound path which in turn, launched me into Donna Summer, The Silver Convention, Arabesque, The Tender Aggression, et al.
You astutely expanded on the beat which was the gold mine for music at this time for all music outside of CW Mc Call’s ‘ Convoy’. To me, this was the BEST time for music. Think about it... you have a goofy stupid song like “Convoy” out at the same time as ‘Saturday Night’ by The Bay City Rollers, and’Fly Robin Fly’ by The Silver Convention. They were all competing on the same chart!!!
If you’re at a bar, night club, or some other night spot with music closer to 11 than 5 on the volume knob... ’YMCA’ from The Village People starts to play. It may be the only time of the night those couples who have stuck it out for 45 years SMILE at each other, start a smirky grin, tap the table, mouth the lyrics and bust into forming badly shaped letters over your head.
Are you going to find that at a Toby Keith song, I don’t think Celine brings that out of people, or Lee Greenwood. Yet, all those who like these just mentioned artists like’YMCA’... even today 45 years after it was released.
This timeframe was critical... music was in a monumental transition. Punk was blending into New Wave, Country had divided (Country Rock and Outlaw Country, and standard Country), Roxy Music reformed themselves releasing ‘Manifesto’ album with “Dance Away” a disco infused song saved the Band. This was a fun time... no wars, I started what is called today ‘FANTASY FOOTBALL’ with my dad and his friends, a show about Dallas is on TV. The only thing bad during this time was serial killers were in the Headlines and a hostage crisis would happen not knowing how it would affect our lives today.
If we didn’t have Disco we wouldn’t have the music we have today.
Thanks so much, IP! Your comment makes a great addition to the article! No shame in liking/loving disco....not for its music in its infancy, the '72-'77-ish time frame I referenced! Like most/all creative musical genres, it was brilliant and fresh at the outset! It was the corporate-backed moneymakers that entered the scene (Meco, Stigwood Org, Salsoul, failed DJs like Rick Dees, ad infinitum and nauseum) that diluted a wonderful musical outcropping!
And, you were in a disco hotbed, for sure....the German influence on Summer and Silver Convention, and so many others (your second two I hadn't heard of before). As for the Rollers, they became, for me, so much more palatable, if not borderline important (in more the power pop lane than, certainly, disco, or even the disposable pop box so many dump them into) post-"Saturday Night"....one example: https://bradkyle.substack.com/p/inside-tracks-2-tim-moore-rock-and
Regarding the Bay City Rollers, I meant to convey the diversity of music out at that time.
What I really enjoy following is Scottish music, those little guys are pretty solid and unassuming. Alan Parsons used the group ‘Pilot” (I felt Pilot was not as good being a band as they were sidemen) as his rhythm section for most of his Project albums, AC/DC have their roots from Scotland (I guess Bon Scot was a big hint for me), Nazareth, Simple Minds, Donovan, Al Stewart, Stone the Crows, Camera Obscura, Travis (big time Travis fan), Belle and Sebastian The Waterboys(Mike Scot), and Snow Patrol.
You're right about Pilot....it takes a Parsons (and there are plenty others) to identify talent, and if it's not being used to its fullest potential where they are, they find a place to maximize (Phil Spector and Brian Wilson did similar....usually a producer's little-known job, beyond the knobs they twiddle in the control room)!
David Paton and Billy Lyall (whose UK-released-only solo album, "Solo Casting," I got in '76) were faves of mine (especially when I learned, post-Pilot, they were early Rollers!).
Excellent point regarding Producers, some of those minds are well beyond normal in a good sense.
Thanks for the link, I will admit, I didn’t know about Arthur Baker until I read your article. Now that I hear him, he certainly leaves a thumbprint... I know I’ve heard before and often.
I always felt that the production of an album should be an ensemble with the various components delineated sort of like a movie. Martin Scorsese uses Thelma Schoonmaker for all of his work (except the Last Waltz). The Film Editor, in my opinion, is the most impactful person of any film. Scorsese gets it just like Sir George Martin and his team of Norman Smith, Geoff Emerick, and later Alan Parsons.
I always felt that Todd Rundgren was an excellent Producer (much better than being a recording artist) heck, he created the power chords for the New York Dolls. Brendan O’Brian, Al Kooper, Tony Visconti were all better Producers than Artists but being an artist made them better Producers. Yet, that doesn’t play out in film as much.
Through your knowledge of Arthur Baker, does he work with the same personnel?
Thanks for sharing your experience, I’ll sign on board this weekend.
Awesome! It wasn't cool to like Disco back in the day. Until everybody started playing it.😀 Surprisingly bands that wouldn't be caught dead near a disco ball jumped on the band wagon eventually. Some strictly tongue in cheek. Some with no tongue. (Zappa, Kiss, Rod Stewart, Steppenwolf, ELO, Rush, Uriah Heep, Bad Company...and everyone else in the 70's and 80's). Thanks again, Brad, for the memories!
You're most welcome, Paul, and thank YOU for listening! Coming up: More disco, but a Playlist of dynamite dance tuneage likely no one heard, 'cause they didn't receive airplay (or club play, for that matter)! Look for "Discarded Disco" (the little-known bitchin' dance tunes) in your inbox soon!🕺
Looking forward to this..🎸
Glad to hear you're looking forward to looking backward!! I'll leave you with a teaser...this song may make that "Discarded Disco" Playlist, but by the original artist. So, here's one of my fave cats, Todd Rundgren, having a decidedly do-wop-y, a capella go at the Spinners' "Mighty Love"! Don't try dancing to Todd's.....you'll pull something!😁https://open.spotify.com/track/0NxdjgBGHu2aIFjyRYUGMD?si=91b078d6deb14e3c
wouldn't want to pull something :)-
I think Frank might be making fun of disco here: https://open.spotify.com/track/6tCk1N85t6h4v1xXI6o0Ad?si=054e75ac1f5b46d3
MIGHT be?! Definitely poking Zappa fun at disco...the title of the album, alone: "Sheik Yerbouti"! But, if it might've become an "accidental" hit, he wouldn't have minded. It was only a couple years later that he brought along Moon to capitalize on the Valley Girl phenom! Opportunistic much, Frank?!
In an interview recently, Moon disclosed that "Valley Girl" only happened because she wanted so desperately to spend more Daddy time with Frank...she didn't care how, but inasmuch as he was in their home's studio near 24 hours a day, she figured doing something/anything with him on a record would mean more time with Daddy.
HE came up with the valley girl "use the lingo you and your friends use" on a record that the song came about!
MIGHT be?! Obvs. Should have used my sarcasm emoji, Brad.
Love to shake my booty to sheik yerbouti !
Listen to the guitar here: https://open.spotify.com/track/319Ydl3QZHDA5ruUuLVx8n?si=e62954f933cf430d ✌️
I have loved disco music since I first heard it
The Trammps were my favorite group & the trio of Baker, Harris, Young were the Best
Earl Young is an outstanding musician and everything he does is GOLD
I met the Trammps many years ago in a club in Long Island and saw them play at MSG at the Disco Dance party in the mid 70's
ABSOLUTELY OUTSTANDING
Thanks for reading, Sheldon, and for commenting! Glad you enjoyed! When disco had its heyday, there was nothing like it, and Philly was Ground Zero, by and large, for the really classy, beautiful, smooth rhythms! You're right about Earl Young, and glad you got to meet them and see them play!
Not sure if I tagged this article in this Audio Archaeology, but in case I didn't, here's some more celebration of the Philly sound: https://bradkyle.substack.com/p/disco-reduxthe-philly-found-and-forgotten-3a7?utm_source=publication-search
"This/is our fork in the road/love's last episode...."
That opening line hooked me and made me a lifelong devotee of Bell and The Spinners.
How funny........My hook, for decades, has initially been the music, the sonic envelope....but, only THEN, when I finally give my attention to the lyrics, do I appreciate such an incredible start to a poetic ode to allegiance, as this is! Great comments, David!
Wonderful history... what you wrote about is new to me and I love the background!
I am one of the few in the world that will admit to 2 things that most do not. 1. My mom and dad paid for my college. 2. I liked Disco.
I was teaching 6th grade at the time, the kids had energy, songs were lively, Vietnam was over... it allowed you to ignore the high inflation with gas approaching $1 per gallon.
My direction of Disco took a different path than yours or at least what you wrote about (which is fabulous). I went down the Munich Sound path which in turn, launched me into Donna Summer, The Silver Convention, Arabesque, The Tender Aggression, et al.
You astutely expanded on the beat which was the gold mine for music at this time for all music outside of CW Mc Call’s ‘ Convoy’. To me, this was the BEST time for music. Think about it... you have a goofy stupid song like “Convoy” out at the same time as ‘Saturday Night’ by The Bay City Rollers, and’Fly Robin Fly’ by The Silver Convention. They were all competing on the same chart!!!
If you’re at a bar, night club, or some other night spot with music closer to 11 than 5 on the volume knob... ’YMCA’ from The Village People starts to play. It may be the only time of the night those couples who have stuck it out for 45 years SMILE at each other, start a smirky grin, tap the table, mouth the lyrics and bust into forming badly shaped letters over your head.
Are you going to find that at a Toby Keith song, I don’t think Celine brings that out of people, or Lee Greenwood. Yet, all those who like these just mentioned artists like’YMCA’... even today 45 years after it was released.
This timeframe was critical... music was in a monumental transition. Punk was blending into New Wave, Country had divided (Country Rock and Outlaw Country, and standard Country), Roxy Music reformed themselves releasing ‘Manifesto’ album with “Dance Away” a disco infused song saved the Band. This was a fun time... no wars, I started what is called today ‘FANTASY FOOTBALL’ with my dad and his friends, a show about Dallas is on TV. The only thing bad during this time was serial killers were in the Headlines and a hostage crisis would happen not knowing how it would affect our lives today.
If we didn’t have Disco we wouldn’t have the music we have today.
Thanks so much, IP! Your comment makes a great addition to the article! No shame in liking/loving disco....not for its music in its infancy, the '72-'77-ish time frame I referenced! Like most/all creative musical genres, it was brilliant and fresh at the outset! It was the corporate-backed moneymakers that entered the scene (Meco, Stigwood Org, Salsoul, failed DJs like Rick Dees, ad infinitum and nauseum) that diluted a wonderful musical outcropping!
And, you were in a disco hotbed, for sure....the German influence on Summer and Silver Convention, and so many others (your second two I hadn't heard of before). As for the Rollers, they became, for me, so much more palatable, if not borderline important (in more the power pop lane than, certainly, disco, or even the disposable pop box so many dump them into) post-"Saturday Night"....one example: https://bradkyle.substack.com/p/inside-tracks-2-tim-moore-rock-and
Regarding the Bay City Rollers, I meant to convey the diversity of music out at that time.
What I really enjoy following is Scottish music, those little guys are pretty solid and unassuming. Alan Parsons used the group ‘Pilot” (I felt Pilot was not as good being a band as they were sidemen) as his rhythm section for most of his Project albums, AC/DC have their roots from Scotland (I guess Bon Scot was a big hint for me), Nazareth, Simple Minds, Donovan, Al Stewart, Stone the Crows, Camera Obscura, Travis (big time Travis fan), Belle and Sebastian The Waterboys(Mike Scot), and Snow Patrol.
You're right about Pilot....it takes a Parsons (and there are plenty others) to identify talent, and if it's not being used to its fullest potential where they are, they find a place to maximize (Phil Spector and Brian Wilson did similar....usually a producer's little-known job, beyond the knobs they twiddle in the control room)!
David Paton and Billy Lyall (whose UK-released-only solo album, "Solo Casting," I got in '76) were faves of mine (especially when I learned, post-Pilot, they were early Rollers!).
Did you see my article on Arthur Baker? I think you'd really enjoy it! Speaking of producers who were all over the board......mercy! https://bradkyle.substack.com/p/audio-autopsy-1989-a-and-m-records
Excellent point regarding Producers, some of those minds are well beyond normal in a good sense.
Thanks for the link, I will admit, I didn’t know about Arthur Baker until I read your article. Now that I hear him, he certainly leaves a thumbprint... I know I’ve heard before and often.
I always felt that the production of an album should be an ensemble with the various components delineated sort of like a movie. Martin Scorsese uses Thelma Schoonmaker for all of his work (except the Last Waltz). The Film Editor, in my opinion, is the most impactful person of any film. Scorsese gets it just like Sir George Martin and his team of Norman Smith, Geoff Emerick, and later Alan Parsons.
I always felt that Todd Rundgren was an excellent Producer (much better than being a recording artist) heck, he created the power chords for the New York Dolls. Brendan O’Brian, Al Kooper, Tony Visconti were all better Producers than Artists but being an artist made them better Producers. Yet, that doesn’t play out in film as much.
Through your knowledge of Arthur Baker, does he work with the same personnel?
Thanks for sharing your experience, I’ll sign on board this weekend.