Godzilla

Couple of valid ones there Winnie. kicking myself foe not including X / Y / Z is a tw*t which would have covered Levine & Roberts. I think I did something about new blood in there though. Feel free to add more peeps Godz

Ha ha - good point! I think you'll find it covered here though: Why are you discussing Funk / Ska / Dolly Parton / NWOBHM on this site? Godz

An end to tiresome thread starting* *TM Innovations Magazine To save you the bother bother here's the thread that encapsulates all the concerns that this site regularly addresses. Don't think I've missed anything Aren’t oldies crap? Isn’t modern soul rubbish? How do I tell the difference between originals and bootlegs? Wigan/ Mecca/ Stafford was the best venue and the rest are sh*te Who will replace us when we’ve all croaked? Aren’t youngsters a pain in the ar*e There’s too much politics nowadays How much is this worth? I sell it for half that price (Pete Smith only) Aren’t Belgians b*stards I intend to murder my wife / husband / postman Which issue came first? Oh no it didn’t! Is it ok to DJ with Albums / CDs / Boots / iPods ? Live acts are great Live acts have no place at allnighters eBay / Paypal is a rip off Why are you discussing Funk / Ska / Dolly Parton / NWOBHM on this site? Can anyone sell me one of these really cheaply? Will anyone buy this at a stupidly expensive price? The demo / issue is obviously much rarer Please stop moaning about the scene It’s not as good as it used to be you know Can it be soul if it’s white / instrumental / after 1969? Is it ok to still like The Snake and Out On The Floor? It’s great to hear that on the radio Why don’t they leave our music alone? It’s what’s in the grooves that counts to us dancers I drove 2000 miles to hear him play a tune I can listen to at home Should women / children / Tapirs be allowed behind the decks? What kind of needles do you use? Are drugs acceptable at a soul night? I’ve made all my best mates on the scene Soulies are boring, self centred obsessives How dare you disagree with me? You have no right to moderate my post! Godz

Mel, You have an axe to grind which you seem determined to shoe horn into every debate (oops - mixed metaphor there!) I added those two huge lists of disco records that I remembered being played on the scene, and they were only the ones I copied from the Disco site I posted about, I could have added many more from memory. Apart from smaller clubs my main haunts were the Casino and the Ritz and it's fair to say I heard the majority of those tunes at both venues. What you say about people who went to Wigan is insulting and stereotyping. I'm doing a gospel set at a World Music festival tomorrow morning but I suppose that's just another example of not being broad minded? Godz

This thread ought to be merged with the Ain't No Mountain High Enough one to show double standards at work Not that I'd play either of them unless it was school disco night mind you. And if it was, here's another that is over due for revival... Especially for you Mr Wilson's Voice Box. Download Video Youtube Link

Wasn't there talk about the Polydor lot having an Elkie Brooks involvement? Actually this may be out of date info from when we thought she was on every female UK production I've got one that's probably cheaper than Phil's by the way Godz

Sorry, I was getting accepting a point mixed up with your need to have the last word. Obviously you won't do that now out of contrariness

I think you're looking for an arguement from me where there isn't one. I'm not saying for one moment that the UK disco scene of the 70s was a patch on the Northern Soul scene of the same decade. It certainly wasn't and I'd be surprised if anyone on this forum would think that. In fact I can't think of anything to touch it. There's thread on here about the difference between the scene and the music - I think it probably applies to other scenes and music too. My point was that I like quite a lot of disco records. Liking Northern established my love of great singles. At first just the stuff I was exposed to, which included club soul, ska/reggae. and more mainstream motown/Stax type stuff. As I dug deeper I revisited 60s pop, found US Garage, Surf, funk and then punk happened! All these genres produced great singles and I liked and bought them. Still do sometimes. Never got into rock as such because 1) I don't like it generally and 2) a lot of it is album based. Above applies to your statement too Pete, with this added point. Sure you're right about those examples of crappy disco but I also stick by point that the man in street also might think of Earth Wind and Fire, Players Association and so on too. I also reckon most people can suss which are the better records. I just see them as great records in the same way that (to my ears anyway) The Fall and The Buzzcocks made great records. Not that I can see either of you two accepting that anyone else might have point Godz

Blimey! For a minute I thought you wanted one of those plastic singing fish glued to a bit of wood

Wiki has the version I'm familar with: Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night was the title of a 1975 New York Magazine article by British rock journalist Nik Cohn. It was the basis for the plot and characters in the movie Saturday Night Fever. Originally, the article was published as a piece of factual reporting. However, around the time of the twentieth anniversary of the film, Cohn revealed that the article was actually a work of fiction. Assigned to write an article about the early 1970s disco scene, Cohn, a newcomer to the United States, was baffled by the working-class subculture he was trying to cover. In desperation, he created the characters that were to become Tony Manero and company But as Cohn was a Brit he could have easily incorporated stuff he knew about as you suggest Garv.

Saturday Night Fever has (naturally) been mentioned a few times on this thread, and maybe this deserves to be discussed seperately, but have you all seen the original X rated version with the drug taking, adult language and exploitative sex? It's actually a great film and John Travolta gives a fine performance as the central character who has a fairly bleak existence with a crap job and a disfunctional family. Contrary to most people's image of a disco movie, the film is often downbeat and it makes sense that the Travolta character would want to escape from the depressive reality of his life to seek sanctuary in the false glitz and glamour of the disco scene, where he also commands a respect that he will never do in the outside world. Whatever you do make sure you see the uncut version rather than the edit they released as an AA (over 16 or over 14 if accompanied by an adult) version. Barry "Godz" Norman

Well that might be because you're using the word disco to suit your own agenda Sean. (in the nicest possible way of course ) Sure, Disco is a derivation of the word Discotheque but that's not what most people think when they hear it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disco - gives a good definition and talks about it's roots being in 60s soul. There's a difference between roots and the end product though, surely. Disco is a genre in it's own right, It can be soulful, jazzy, latin, electro, reggae, pop, funky, afro even new wave - think Heart of Glass and Pop Muzik, two great disco songs. The soul scene adopted - and maybe continues to adopt - disco records that were/are right for the scene at the time and there's nothing wrong with that. Godz

No backing out of that statement now However, do you know Pete, as I was copying the list I was thinking about some of the 70s tunes you've admitted liking and I came to exactly the same conclusion. Honestly. And I think I do too Godz

Here's the 1975 list from that site - same boundaries as last time: 5000 Volts a.k.a. Airbus - "I'm on Fire" Andr Gagnon - "Wow" The Armada Orchestra - "Cochise" The Armada Orchestra - "Do Me Right" Biddu Orchestra - "Exodus" The Boogie Man Orchestra featuring Mel Hayes - "(Theme From) Lady, Lady, Lady (Are You Crazy for Me?)" Brass Construction - "Changin'" Carl Bean a.k.a. Valentino - "I Was Born This Way" Crown Heights Affair - "Dreaming a Dream (Goes Dancing)" - reached #43 Pop in the USA Crown Heights Affair - "Every Beat of My Heart" Dionne Warwick - "Take It From Me" The Duprees - "Delicious" Ernie Bush - "Breakaway Esther Phillips - "What a Diff'rence a Day Makes" The Glitter Band - "Makes You Blind" Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes - "Don't Leave Me This Way MFSB - "Sexy" Maxine Nightingale - "Right Back to Where We Started From" Miami - "Kill that Roach" Mike and Bill - "Somebody's Gotta Go (Sho Ain't Me)" The Miracles - "Love Machine" Moment of Truth - "Helplessly" The O'Jays - "I Love Music" Retta Young - "(Sending Out An) S.O.S." South Shore Commission - "We're on the Right Track" Tavares - "It Only Takes A Minute" The Trammps - "Hold Back the Night" Plenty of familar stuff there too. And this disco site omits records it classes as funk rather than disco, so no George Benson (Supership), Peoples Choice (Do it Anyway... or Jam Jam Jam), Brick (Dazz, Dusic) Sister Sledge (Love Don't You Go Through No Changes...) Kool and the Gang (Open Sesame)all of which got spins in soul clubs. Not saying all these are great records but if you were about at the time it makes you think doesn't it? Godz

Now this is interesting. This website has a list of disco songs from 1976. I've pasted all the ones that I remember hearing at soul nights or allnighters at the time and I have to say I'm pretty amazed! I haven't included disco tunes that I liked and bought at the time or that I just remember, only the ones I heard played out at soul venues. Maybe you could add more to the list? I think there are a few errors in the list however, and I've commented on those I'm not sure about. Here's the site https://www.discosavvy.com and here's the list - haven't even checked the years either side yet! Alvin Cash - "Ali Shuffle" Aquarian Dream - "East 6th Street" Aquarian Dream - "Phoenix" Bebu Silvetti - "Spring Rain" - reached #39 Pop in the USA in March 1977; theme song to the television game show "The Love Experts" with Bill Cullen (Didn't know that!) Benny Troy a.k.a. Benny Mardones - "I Wanna Give You Tomorrow" Black Soul - "Black Brothers" - electro-disco (could be Black Soul by Black Soul maybe?) Blood Hollins - "Don't Give It Up" Brass Construction - "Ha Cha Cha (Funktion)" The Brothers - "Were You Ready For That" ( Are you ready For This maybe?) Candi Staton - "Young Hearts Run Free" Carl Davis and the Chi-Sound Orchestra - "Windy City Theme" Claudja Barry - "Sweet Dynamite" Cleveland Eaton - "Bama Boogie Woogie" Cloud One - "Atmosphere Strutt" D.C. LaRue - "Cathedrals" Double Exposure - "My Love is Free" Double Exposure - "Ten Percent" Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band - "Cherchez la Femme" Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band - "I'll Play the Fool" Evelyn Thomas - "Doomsday" (!) Family Affair - "Love Hustle" Five Special - "The More I Get To Know You" Gentlemen and their Lady (featuring Danny Mitchell) - "...Like Her!" Jean Carn - "If You Wanna Go Back" Juggy Murray Jones - "Inside America" Larry Page Orchestra - "Erotic Soul" Magic Disco Machine a.k.a. Motown Magic Disco Machine - "Back to Bach" (what on earth...? not Control tower then?) Millie Jackson - "House for Sale" Miroslav Vitous - "New York City" The Moments - "Nine Times (Disco Version)" The Originals - "Down to Love Town" Rare Pleasure - "Let Me Down Easy" The Rimshots - "Do What You Feel" Roberta Kelly - "Trouble Maker" Rose Royce - "Car Wash" Tavares - "Don't Take Away the Music" Tavares - "Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel" The Temprees - "I Found Love on a Disco Floor" Thelma Houston - "Don't Leave Me This Way Tyrone Ashley - "Feet Start Moving"(!) Vicki Sue Robinson - "Turn the Beat Around" Walter Murphy - "A Fifth of Beethoven" Walter Murphy - "California Strut" We sure played a lot of disco in Northern Soul clubs back in the day Godz

No just your records

So Andre Gagnon's "Wow" and "Lindenburgh" by Toulouse are "ours" IB? Jesus mate - you've got worse taste in disco than me - and I like disco! Godz

Come come Ian. Soul artists can be any colour but disco artists have to be black? Kidding actually. People on here can't agree what makes a soul tune so they've got absolutely no chance of achieving any kind of consensus on disco And just to prove the point, I'd rather hear EWF's Fantasy than Skip Mahoney's Janice any day. I can see how Mahoney would fit in at a soul night whereas EWF wouldn't, but equally I think Fantasy is a great record and Janice is crap. Confusing innit? Godz

I think it's white Rock n Roll made by old people for long haired heavy disco freaks. Or something

Rock Dude - That's fightin' talk! How could I miss that??? Fair call indeed and I bow to your superior knowledge. I also see you have now learned how to diguise the fact that you cut and paste words of more than five letters thus avoiding all that tricky spelling business. Progress indeed. Now, how do we stand on R&B... ? Godz

What Disco Scene? You mean the fashion from around 1976? It might still be going in Imber but in the real world things have moved on. This thread is about whether any disco music is good isn't it? You've just twisted to read that the plebby club scene at the time was naff - which to us it was of course. I agree Ottowan is a pile of sh*te but are you really unable to diferentiate that sort of twaddle from the likes of Earth Wind & Fire or Tower of Power? Wax build up I reckon. Tried to google those rules you mention about disco records being all dismissible but can't find 'em. Mind you I can't find the bit about Imber Boy being the authorititive figure on all that's great about contemporary popular music either. links please!

Ahh right So is the original issue a UK or Jamaican recording then Pete? And what year was the reissue? I remember the blue ones being in stock in my local record record shop when it was getting played because I used to buy them and flog them for a couple of quid more at the Casino.

I like disco in it's own right. Certainly wouldn't want to hear it at a soul night but I think I can appreciate good disco on it's own merits, much like I like some blues, jazz gospel, reggae and so on. Patrick Adams produced some amazing stuff like Atmosphere Strutt for example, and I don't think you can dismiss Chic's output as dross. Sure there's plenty of rubbish under the disco umbrella - Sarah Brightman anyone? - but that doesn't mean that there aren't classics of the genre. I remember hearing Donna Summer's "I Feel Love" for the first time and being completely knocked out by it. I could actually contradict myself with this as well as I was exposed to that tune at the Ritz alldayers where you could hear brand new disco tunes and 60s stompers back to back. I recognise that this was a weird time and a weird venue in that respect but I think it made me open minded about quality disco. I agree that none of the tunes above have any place in soul nights nowadays but that doesn't detract from the fact that they are great records. Godz

I remember Jimmy James & Vagabonds "Help Yourself" getting played at Wigan around '74ish. It was on a weird blue Trojan Label (Trojan Disco Pick or something like that?) I guess it was probably a UK production though? Which makes my post slightly pointless Godz