Disco

[fearandpanic]

Permanent favourites around here are Hamilton Bohannon's funkified 70s records (unusually for the singles-oriented disco period he made consistently great albums, from Step and Go to Dance Your Ass Off), a few tunes by the jazz-crossover Players Association, and a few obvious ones like "Good Times" by Chic.

Any particular favourites? Singles, albums, or compilations, whichever.

[jon abbey]

two high points that it's hard to top are Arthur Russell (under the name Dinosaur)'s 12 inch of Kiss Me Again, and the double disc Larry Levan Live At The Paradise Garage mix.

[MRS]

Agreed 100% on the Russell recommendation. And you've probably heard it but some of the later tracks off Al Green's The Belle Album involve some of the best disco beats I've heard.

[jon abbey]

I've heard that album a lot, and never considered it disco, but I'll keep that in mind next time I check it out.

Cloud One-Atmosphere Strut is another good full-length.

[MRS]

"Georgia Boy" comes to mind. Maybe not dyed-in-the-wool disco, but close I'd argue. There are a couple other tracks.

[SOZ]

I've heard Manu Dibango's 'Soul Makossa' referred to as the first disco tune. If so, that's definitely gotta rank up there.

[Fourier Transform]

I will happily admit to having a thing for Crown Heights Affair - it's disco, but with a healthy dollop of soul/funk/jazz on the side. Dreaming A Dream (1975), Do It Your Way (1976), Dream World (1978) and Sure Shot (1980) are all worth getting hold of, but if you want to cut the wheat from the chaff (and there is a bit of chaff, sadly), maybe best off going for a compilation. Either the Castle Deep Beats/Essential Dancefloor Vol. 1 or Striking Gold are pretty good places to start, they've got the most important tracks on them.

[Salty Swift]

Anything by France Joli from the 70s would fit right in with this category....man, was that heavy stuff!
Barry White - that's rather obvious.
Abba had a couple of solid disco records....Jackson 5 for a record or two near end or was that the middle of the 70s.
Does Stars on 45 qualify??
Anyone know if Stars on 45 was ever issued on CD??
Isaac Hayes - end of 70s period.

I love that phase....I really should dig up the vinyl and 8 track collection.

[MRS]

I've heard that album a lot, and never considered it disco, but I'll keep that in mind next time I check it out.

Okay I'll go "I Feel Good" and "Chariots Of Fire" as the disco cuts upon pulling this out. God damn "Georgia Boy" is so good, I forgot.

[Damon_Smith]

two high points that it's hard to top are Arthur Russell (under the name Dinosaur)'s 12 inch of Kiss Me Again, and the double disc Larry Levan Live At The Paradise Garage mix.

I just wish the Wire could go an issue without mentioning Russell. I head some of his work, it was OK, not all justifying the shove-it-down-the-readers-throats the Wire and to a lesser extent STN have done since his rediscovery.
Along with the Beach Boys and several others music writers should be forbidden from using his name in reviews.

[jon abbey]

well, that was off topic and pointless, not to mention semi-ignorant, thanks. have you actually heard the single, specific track I namechecked? I've uploaded it a few times already, but will be happy to do it again.

[Damon_Smith]

well, that was off topic and pointless, not to mention semi-ignorant, thanks. have you actually heard the single, specific track I namechecked? I've uploaded it a few times already, but will be happy to do it again.

No, I just have that same knee jerk reaction every time I see the guys name now. I'll go find it and listen to it.

[jon abbey]

he is probably a bit overdiscussed/hyped, but the range of his work was pretty remarkable. I'm not as crazy about his work as some people, but this single track (the 12 inch version, not reissued on CD as of yet) is fucking incredible.



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[jpeatt]

he is probably a bit overdiscussed/hyped, but the range of his work was pretty remarkable. I'm not as crazy about his work as some people, but this single track (the 12 inch version, not reissued on CD as of yet) is fucking incredible.



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Thanks for this Jon, look forward to listening. Please keep the recommendations coming, especially for the solid full length albums.

[Paul C]

Another Arthur Russell production that seems to cause some pretty polarised reactions is "Is it all over my face" by Loose Joints. It was playing in Los Apson in Tokyo while I was browsing there a few years back, sounded great in the tiny space they had, so I bought a copy. It still sounds pretty good, but the vocals might turn some people off.

Haven't played them in a few years, but the Futurism compilations from City Rockers had some pretty good contemporary electro-disco stuff spread throughout.

This however (Youtube link - click!) has to be one of the all time classics of disco - very obvious, though!
And this one!

[fearandpanic]

Another Arthur Russell production that seems to cause some pretty polarised reactions is "Is it all over my face" by Loose Joints. It was playing in Los Apson in Tokyo while I was browsing there a few years back, sounded great in the tiny space they had, so I bought a copy. It still sounds pretty good, but the vocals might turn some people off]

Yeah, I don't like the vocals at all. That aspect puts me off a lot of his stuff.

[7/4]

two high points that it's hard to top are Arthur Russell (under the name Dinosaur)'s 12 inch of Kiss Me Again, and the double disc Larry Levan Live At The Paradise Garage mix.

I just wish the Wire could go an issue without mentioning Russell. I head some of his work, it was OK, not all justifying the shove-it-down-the-readers-throats the Wire and to a lesser extent STN have done since his rediscovery.
Along with the Beach Boys and several others music writers should be forbidden from using his name in reviews.

I'm sick of hearing about him too.

Not too thrilled about the track.

[Noj]

A few favorites:

Empress "Dying To Be Dancing"
Mass Production "Firecracker"
Lamont Dozier "Put Out My Fire"
The Mighty Ryeders "Evil Vibrations"

There's a couple of odd compilations to be found out there of 80s disco, one called Disco Not Disco and another called Rare Funk Vol.1 (which I found on a blog somewhere). Really different stuff, like post-punk disco. The Soul Spectrum series is also pretty good, though more 70s sounding.

[Antoine]

(It's hatta's favorite!)

[J.F.]

The closest I get towards Disco must be me listening to P.i.L.

During drum lessons, I sometimes do a combi-arrangement of "Watermelon Man" and "Memphis Underground", including a short Disco-passage - that's surely the part I enjoy playing the most (the alternating octave-bass sounds so cool in that particular spot )