disco-pick only ten

I'll be back with my other nine in a bit.

was this sampled on some techno track?
(its on live at the liquid room,i don't think its by jeff mills though)

Special recommendation:

Sheila & B Devotion - Spacer

(I keep changing my mind.)

Beautiful Bend - "That's the Meaning"
Azoto - "Exalt-Exalt"
Ritchie Family - "Arabian Nights Medley"
Odyssey - "Native New Yorker"
Boney M - "He Was a Steppenwolf"
Don Armando's 2nd Ave Rhumba Band - "Deputy of Love"
Jackson Sisters - "I Believe in Miracles"
Bobby O - "She Has a Way"
Giorgio Moroder - "I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone"

Trammps--Disco Inferno
Loleatta Holloway--I May Not Be There When You Want Me
Chic--Good Times
Johnnie Taylor--Disco Lady
Johnnie Taylor--Disco 9000
Sister Sledge--We Are Family
Coati Mundi--Que Pasa/Me No Pop I
Sister Sledge--Lost in Music
Miracles--Love Machine
Gloria Gaynor--I Will Survive

Machine, "There But for the Grace of God Go I"
Carrie Lucas, "Dance With You" (no points for guessing what led me to it)
Herbie Hancock, "I Thought it Was You"
Diana Ross, "Gettin' Ready for Love"
The Brides of Funkenstein, "Disco To Go"
Earth, Wind & Fire, "Can't Let Go"
Donna Summer, "I Remember Yesterday"
Joe Tex, "Ain't Gonna Bump No More (with no big fat woman)"
Gary's Gang, "Keep On Dancin'"
The Gap Band, "Beep a Freak"

• "Shoot Your Shot" - Divine - synth-disco with a kind of chuggy husk or rasp to it (or maybe it's just my copy?); yes, it's that Divine; this song is totally killer all the way through, even though (because?) it only has like 2 lines of lyrics
  
• "Music (Dub)" - Montreal Sound - excellent use of the straw-going-through-plastic-lid sound, fierce bongos, and a very aggressive bass during the breakdown are enough to make your forget how unfunky the turn-around on the chorus is
  
• "Love is the Answer" - Cerrone - flawless execution, each instrument so clearly defined production-wise and each player burning so fast, and the end is some kind of Lear-jet acceleration past all everything that came before, like you were playing basketball dog-tired and suddenly discovered you had Iverson's cross-over dribble
  
• "Erotic Soul" - Larry Page Orch. - did "Romeo and Juliet" rip this off or was it the other way around? anyway like the Cerrone track it ends just as it really starts to cook
  
• "Born to Be Alive" - Patrick Hernandez - best disco intro ever, it sounds like The Who or something
  
• "Don't Stop the Music" - Yarbrough and Peoples (not the Sly and Robbie version) - now here's the best disco breakdown ever, you've heard it sampled a million times, just that strummy guitar sound like clean cold water
  
• "The Record Keeps On Spinning" - InDeep - by the same people who brought you "Last Night a DJ Saved My Life" this accusation song is at the same slightly slow tempo; notable for how dubby it is, the "broken record" breakdown, and how the outro gets really moody all of a sudden
  
• "Take Your Time (Do It Right) Parts 1 & 2" - S.O.S. Band - at the dawn of the 80s Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis sum up disco's particular brand of cheerful romance lightly-worn; this song is a fucking classic and if you can't get with it there are about 1,000,000 cool girls that you are writing off an entire lifetime of good sex with, yeah i know yo've still got a chance with those other ones but they don't like to dance so who's laughing now, funny boy?
  
• "Hot Box" - Badazz - I don't know if these are the same guys as the Dazz Band but shit this is a good song, the vocal style some gruff interstice between Dee Snider and Mark E. Smith; the bassline and everything else is basically a "Superstition" ripoff so obviously it's great
  
• "Beat the Clock" - Sparks - you know this song; i don't know what to say about really except that i never ever once got tired of hearing it, the flanged drum breakdown at the beginning, the way the one bass note starts pulsing, driving you crazy, the vocals when they finally come in brash and desperate and cruelly ironic
  

"Funky Town" is better than all these though, it's probably my all-time favorite

I debated for TWO WHOLE MINUTES about whether to include this on my list.

* - if only for its inclusion in the movie Trading Places.

MOST OVERRATED DISCO SONG: Gloria Gaynor - "I Will Survive"

Loose Joints: "Is It All Over My Face"
Michael Jackson: "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough"
Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band: "Cherchez La Femme/Se Si Bon"
Norma Jean: "I Like Love"
Shirley (and Company): "Shame Shame Shame"
Gloria Gaynor: "Never Can Say Goodbye"
The O'Jays: "I Love Music"
Donna Summer: "I Feel Love"
Elbow Bones and the Racketeers: "A Night in New York"
Munich Machine: "Get on the Funk Train"

THE EMOTIONS - "best of my love"
DONNA SUMMER - "i feel love"
ABBA - "dancing queen"
EL COCO - "cocomotion"
CRISTINA - "disco clone"
CHIC - "chic cheer"
JACKSON SISTERS - "i believe in miracles"
BETTYE LAVETTE - "doin' the best i can"
ECSTAST, PASSION, & PAIN - "one beautiful day"
HAROLD MELVIN & THE BLUENOTES - "the love i lost"

I've been listening to nothing but disco-almost-disco for the last month...

Candido -- Dancin' and Prancin'
Bunny Siegler -- By the Way You Dance (Larry Levan remix)
Brass Construction -- Movin'
Donna Summer -- Could It Be Magic (version with orgasm-laden bridge)
Roy Ayers -- Running Away
Universal Robot Band -- Barely Breaking Even
Cherelle -- I Didn't Mean To Turn You On
Paula Abdul -- Vibeology
Cheryl Lynn -- Star Love (full version w/ slow intro, et al)
Donald Byrd -- Change (Make You Wanna Hustle)

kongas - dr. doo-dah
chic - good times
macho - i'm a man
martin circus - disco circus
risco connection - ain't no stoppin' us now
class action - weekend (larry levan mix)
yvonne elliman - if i can't have you
dschinghis khan - moskau
machine - there but for the grace of god go i
thelma houston - don't leave me this way

And The Chic, FREAK OUT !

Also, Do the Hustle (det-dut-det-dut-detdetdutdet-dut-det...)

geraldine hunt - can't fake the feeling

I couldn't exclude this song.

Slick-Space Bass
Taana Gardner-Work that Body
Andrea True Connection-More, More, More
Bumblebee Unlimited-Lady Bug
Crown Heights Affair-Dreaming a Dream
Donna Summer-I Feel Love
Clyde Alexander-Got to Get Your Love
Machine-There But For the Grace of God
Dinosaur L-Kiss Me Again
Francine McGee-Feeling Good

http://www.alldisco.net

Hi Voltage - "Lets get horny"
Monster monster riff and a lovely little guitar intro that got used on an amazing house track that I heard Steve Loria play with a whiny moog over the top that I've been trying to identify for about 10 years. My copy of the original got stolen at a rollerdisco. Fuckers.

Sun Palace - "Rude movements"
Very very deep.

Patrick Cowley - "Right on target"
Definition of 'propulsive'. Also: bonus points for yellable chorus.

Patti Labelle - "Music is my way of life"
Who needs to explain this one?

Kat Mandu - "The Break"
Hard edges. Jacking disco. Kebekelektrik mix is awesome too.

Rolling Stones - "Too much blood" (Arthur Baker dub)
Waaaahhhh! So evil. Sounds like 6am in the best club in the world.

BT Express - "Peace pipe"
Moody and percussive. You can tell why Ron Hardy loved it. Basically sounds like Detroit techno played on "real" instruments.

Rufus and Chaka Khan - "Any love"
It's a great sentiment for a dance song - walks a tight line between spiritual upliftment and sexual permissiveness. And it's whooshy and rushy and lovely.

Johnny "Guitar" Watson - "Booty Ooty"
Dumb, stupid, apparently his most hated track by hardcore blues fans. But really good fun.

Jimmy "Bo" Horne - "Spank"
This would be unquestionably the greatest disco record ever if only they'd left out the annoying vocal. But the keys are so incredible that it's still in the top 10 - it sounds like running water in Bambi's forest and all the gnomes are humping.

"Love To Love You Baby" -- Donna Summer
"Girl You Need A Change of Mind" -- Eddie Kendricks
"That's The Way I Like It" -- KC & The Sunshine Band
"Supernature" -- Cerrone
"Funky Sensation" -- Gwen McCrae
"Ain't No Stoppin Us Now" -- McFadden & Whitehead
"I Like What You're Doing To Me" -- Young & Company
"A Lover's Holiday" -- Change
"Heartbeat" -- Taana Gardner
"Body Music" -- The Strikers

and just for kicks, tongue in chic,
Jakki - Sun Sun Sun (12")
Yellow Cat - The Disco Scene

Most anything by Leroy Burgess & Patrick Adams : Bumblebee, Sine, Could One, Inner Life, Logg, Musique, Phreek, Universal Robot Band...

I'd second Sun Palace & Katmandu/Kebekelektrik (check out "War Dance" too) among many others.

then perhaps you should have Brooklyn Express's 69/Change Position on your list instead?

Amii Stewart, "Knock On Wood"
Parliament, "Flash Light"
George McCrae, "Rock Your Baby"
Foxy, "Get Off"
Hot Chooclate, "Every 1's A Winner"
Eruption, "I Can't Stand The Rain"
Donna Summer, "Sunset People"
Jacksons, "Shake Your Body Down To THe Ground"
Santa Esmeralda, "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood"
Commodores, "Machine Gun"

(Holy shit - mere seconds ago I was lamenting the lack of room for "Rasputin", and doesn't the radio start to play it right now!)

But the stuff I do know and love would probably start with...
Sister Sledge - Thinking Of You
Jackson Sisters - I Believe in Miracles
Young & Company - I Like What You're Doing To Me
Diana Ross - Upside down
Tamiko Jones - Can't Live Without Your Love
Andrea True Connection - More More More
Donna Summer - I Feel Love
Anita Ward - Ring My Bell
KC & The Sunshine Band - Keep It Coming Love
Thelma Houston - Don't Leave Me This Way

Instant Funk - Bodyshine
Salsoul Orchestra - Runaway Feat. Loleatta Holloway
Stephanie Mills - I Never Knew Love Like This Before
Two Tons of Fun - Do You Wanna Boogie
Candi Staton - Young Hearts Run Free
The Three Degrees - Givin Up, Givin in
Double Exposure - Ten Percent (Tom Moulton Mix)
Musique - In The Bush
Earth, Wind And Fire - Boogie Wonderland
Harvey Mason - Groovin' You
Love Committee - Just As Long As I Got You (Tom Moulton Mix)
Sylvester - You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)
First Choice - Double Cross
Teddy Pendergrass - You Can't Hide From Yourself
Dexter Wansel - Life On Mars

and I'd be lying if I didn't include "Funkytown" somewhere in here too.

Rock Creek Park - The Blackbyrds
Holly Dolly - Kano
Number One Song In Heaven - Sparks
Double Dutch Bus - Frankie Smith
Let's Start the Dance - Bohannon
Dance to the Drummer's Beat - Herman Kelley
I Wanna Be Your Lover - La Bionda
Last Night a DJ Saved My Life - Indeep
Primavera (Stop Bajon) - Tulio de Piscopo
The Mexican - Babe Ruth

And the 5 I cut because they were already mentioned:

Girl You Need a Change of Mind - Eddie Kendricks
Kiss Me Again - Dinosaur L
Is it all over my face - Loose Joints
I Feel Love - Donna Summer
Chic - Good Times

(... which, incidentally, are nearly the exact same song, but the latter is melted cinnamon atomic fireballs, whereas the former is icy elegance...)

Top 10 disco jazz tunes...

Herbie Hancock: "Just Around the Corner"
Lalo Schifrin: "Turning Point"
Idris Muhammad: "Bahia"
Stanley Clarke: "Just a Feeling"
Ray Barretto: "Pastime Paradise"
Herbie Hancock: "Doin' It"
Mongo Santamaria: "It Feels So Good"
Willie Bobo: "Always There"
Airto: "Samba de Flora"
Hubert Laws: "Guatemala Connection"

-- Tuomas, Friday, June 6, 2008 8:24 AM (13 hours ago) Bookmark Link

yr missin http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1USj00M1OQ&feature=related

Or anything by Roy Ayers.

"Tamiko Jones - Can't Live Without Your Love

this song!!! >_< "

major co-sine !!!

Brass Construction - Movin'
Boz Scaggs - Lowdown
Roy Ayers - Chicago
Nick Straker Band - A Little Bit of Jazz
James White & the Blacks - Contort Yourself (August Darnell mix)
Can - I Want More

Jimmy "Bo" Horne - "Spank"
This would be unquestionably the greatest disco record ever if only they'd left out the annoying vocal.

The vocals are possibly the best thing about it! So many hooks!

"Whe-hen yurrr lohvin' me, baby, SPANK!
Ooh-ooh-woo-ooh
(Let's! Get! To it! Do it!)"

I love the vocals on spank!

Hard to pick ten favourites but my current favourite disco song is the Larry Levan mix of "Cryin" by Instant Funk.

Crying even.

Joe Simon - Love Vibration
Gwen Guthrie - Peanut Butter
Montana Sextet - Heavy Vibes
Erotic Drum Band - Pop Pop Shoo Wah
Don Ray - Got To Have A lot More Lovin
Chocolat's - El Carnavero
Gene Chandler - When Your'e #1
Black Ivory - Mainline
Grey & Hanks - Dancin'
Lime - You're My Magician
Trax - Crusader

Chocolat's - El Carnavero

^^^^yeah but do u know 'baby lets do it the french way'???

^^^actually, it's El Caravanero.

and 'baby lets do it the french way' is pretty great as well and lives up to its awesome title (thanks, American Athlete).

aww did he post that? fuk

i thought i was dropping knowledge :-/

dood, you are knowledge droppin in sync w/ disco blogerati. gain 26 hit points.

ok heres one - ghalib ghallab - 'love desire'

geez ... i just read that gino soccio was 19 when kebekelektrik was recorded

I had no idea that Gino Soccio was involved with Kebekeleltrik until now. I also just read that he produced the awesome Witch Queen album (he mus have been 20 at that point).

He also played on The Mexican by the Bombers.

heard some interesting stories while i was in montreal. apparently george cucuzzella (pres of unidisc) is sitting on a full, finished, unreleased soccio record ...

Heatwave need to be mentioned here! I would list ten of their songs alone if I could, but "Boogie Nights" and "The Groove Line" are total classics.

'posin til closin' is my favorite heatwave track

"ain't no half steppin"

http://www.discomuseum.com/GinoSoccio.html

in that "try it out video" gino looks like wolfen

still haven't heard the disco version of "The Mexican." :(

In disco songs, there's that "byoo" sound. What the hell is that supposed ot be? Ray guns or some shit?

cosmic disco lasers, duh

not enough praise on this thread for larry levan's mix of "Let's Go Dancing" by Sparque. Goddam, might be the greatest disco jam of all time! That i've heard anyway. it's got pretty much everything good about disco jammed into eight minutes.

or Magnificent Dance, or does that not count?

today, saying anything other than this is the greatest disco jam ever is sacrilege

http://www.imeem.com/ilovedeephouse/music/DdkVIpc6/isaac_hayes_ron_hardy_edit_i_cant_turn_around/

xpostage

hell yeah. DJs frankie crocker and larry levan were all over "magnificent dance" back in the day.

"i can't turn around" is disco-magnificence, deej, as is the instrrumental take of "chocolate chip"

a vote for 'star struck' by cheri
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41b8ckYOjeI

and also recommend chicago's 100.3 Love FM Saturday Night Dance Party mixes:

http://timmyrichardsonpresents.com/?p=72

we get these every saturday nite ^_^

i havent listened to it yet but its basically gonna be dance music late 70s-current, house and disco and disco edits and electro and prince and whatever else

(havent listened to this one yet i mean)

BOHANNON DISCO STOMP

oh and people mentioned gino soccio but not "dancer"?!? WTF

i know! i can't believe that's not up there more, that has to be one of the best of all time

I'll get to 100 here pretty soon.

The Jones Girls, "You Gonna Make Me Love Somebody Else" <---- totally hypnotic! why did I ever sleep on this one?!
High Fidelity, "Magic Carpet" <---- how I never listed this until now is beyond me
Edwin Birdsong, "Phiss-Phizz"
Herbie Hancock, "Saturday Night"
Musique, "Number One"
The Whispers, "Emergency"
Lowrell, "Mellow Mellow Right On"
Debra Hurd, "Hug Me, Squeeze Me"
Suzy Q, "Get On Up Do It Again"
Michael Jackson, "Baby Be Mine"

10 more songs I haven't mentioned in my quest to make this less a POX and more a POC.

Ramsey Lewis, "Spring High"
Kool & the Gang, "Big Fun"
Al Hudson & The Soul Partners, "Spread Love"
Prince, "Just As Long As We're Together"
Cloud One, "Disco Juice"
Plastic Bertrand, "Stop Ou Encore"
Zapp, "Heartbreaker"
Sylvia Striplin, "Give Me Your Love"
Phreek, "Weekend"
Gary's Gang, "Knock Me Out"

'weekend' is the greatest.

When I hit 100, I'm going to turn that into a POX and it will kill me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OV1nBb60Tqg

mentioned upthread but that youtube link has expired. Been listening to this a bunch the last few weeks. Humming it going to the bank today.

Lime - Babe We're Gonna Love Tonight
― Siegbran (eofor), Friday, May 23, 2003 4:37 PM (6 years ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

this song is, like, so good, just sooooo good

Lime - Babe We're Gonna Love Tonight
― Siegbran (eofor), Friday, May 23, 2003 4:37 PM (6 years ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

this song is, like, so good, just sooooo good

― rip dom passantino 3/5/09 never forget (max), Monday, June 29, 2009 2:05 PM (1 minute ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

yahhhhhhhhhhh played this last time i dj'd & it brought teh house downnnnn

yes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rQROoRqHpc&feature=related

Phyllis Hyman, "You Know How To Love Me" <-- really? no one listed this yet?
Candi Staton, "When You Wake Up Tomorrow"
Change, "Miracles"
Average White Band, "Let's Go Round Again"
Rinder & Lewis, "Gluttony"
Chaka Khan, "I Know You, I Live You"
Rose Royce, "Do Your Dance"
Billy Ocean, "Nights (Feel Like Getting Down)"
Instant Funk, "Wide World of Sports"
Sharon Redd, "Can You Handle It"

Change, "The Glow of Love"
Cheryl Lynn, "Got to Be Real"
Earth, Wind & Fire, "September"
The Brothers Johnson, "Light Up the Night"
Fantasy, "You're Too Late"
Phyllis Hyman, "You Know How to Love Me"
George Benson, "Give Me the Night"
The Fatback Band, "(Are You Ready) Do the Bus Stop"
The Emotions, "Best of My Love"
Rose Royce, "First Come, First Serve"

smh that "September" only has two mentions so far on this thread

clearly I hadn't heard "My Love Is Free" yet when I posted

i feel like i do this post all the time now but

last night i played my vinyl rip of the danny krivit edit of "my love is free" to a mostly empty bar and at least it took me to church

this was after "over and over" by sylvester naturally

Nice to see some Lime mentions. RIP

Can we pick 10 hours?