...AND THE BEAT GOES ON! The GRAND ILM DISCO POLL results are revealed!

And, yes, you need the full length album version of "Street Life".

NB There are links between "Barely Breaking Even" and "Weekend" - both co-written by the wonderful Leroy Burgess, both co-mixed by John Morales of M&M.

(...the Class Action version, that is.)

god i love john morales

the M&M comps were my intro to 70's nyc disco. soo good

the version of Street Life used over the opening of Sharky's Machine is amazing but i've no idea which version that is.

I hadn't heard "Barely Breaking Even"! Great job, ILM.

the M&M comps were my intro to 70's nyc disco. soo good

― flopson, Monday, December 9, 2013 3:02 PM (6 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

me too

damn "Barely Breaking Even" is incredible

― Tip from Tae Kwon Do: (crüt), Monday, December 9, 2013 4:11 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

^^^ wow, never heard this before. 1984? Too late to be Disco with a capital D, by my arbitrary rules, but still...

the version of Street Life used over the opening of Sharky's Machine is amazing but i've no idea which version that is.

― piscesx, Monday, December 9, 2013 6:04 PM (29 minutes ago) Bookmark

otm

Two of the GYNACOM quotes are from me but I ended up voting for a different Eddie Kendricks track that feels more disco to me. Can i add another "YESSS" to Barely breaking even' showing up.

Wow, that first "M&M Mixes" comp is awesome. The La-Rita Gaskin "Never Can Say Goodbye" appears to be a completely different song than the one everyone knows. And it's amazing.

Barely breaking even is from 1982
http://www.discogs.com/Universal-Robot-Band-Barely-Breaking-Even/release/310462

The M+M remix of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" is probably in my top 20 pieces of music ever.

58. Loleatta Holloway - Love Sensation (Tom Moulton Mix) (1980)
250 points, 7 votes.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/lixnixn/R-763878-1370373487-4593_zps6f50ce04.jpeg

http://youtu.be/2IMWCCP7sY0

Actually I'd think about this in terms not of what was a typical-sounding record, but what encapsulates the spirit of disco best i.e. fantastical, glossy hedonism with an epic sense of drama.

Therefore I nominate Patrick Juvet - "I love america"

Either that or Donna Summer - "Love trilogy" or Salsoul Orchestra - "Love sensation"

For much the same reasons that "Move your body" or "Reachin" epitomise 80s house not by being typical, but by being evocative...

― Jacob (Jacob), 21. toukokuuta 2004 8:40

Am I missing something? WTF did Black Box do apart from rip off Lolletta Holloway's Love Sensation? Pfft.

― oats (oats), 13. lokakuuta 2004 15:56

This song basically invented screaming-diva gay house

Well, maybe house. Maybe. But certainly not disco. The Black Box magii merely recombined Holloway's vocal which means that "Love Sensation" is already screaming-diva and gay gay gay.

― Kevin John Bozelka, 10. elokuuta 2007 1:01

And yet she remains kind of immortal in that she was first and foremost famous for old recordings of her singing voice being cut and pasted into new pieces of music.

― You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), 23. maaliskuuta 2011 4:26

In which we attempt to list all the songs, hit or not, that have sampled or (urgh) "interpolated" Loleatta Holloway's "Love Sensation".

Sadly (though perhaps understandably), most of the ILM discussion on this tune and Loleatta Holloway seems to revolve around Black Box and others who sampled it.

Sorry to rewind, but have to cosign the love for Barely Breaking Even, I'll never tire of that one. The other Universal Robot Band output is solid and fun stuff but nothing of the same caliber as BBE, such a knockout.

And the sleeve for Magic Fly, for real, how rad is that. I love that you can almost feel the rough paper texture in the scan.

some solid and fun and very timely Universal Robot Band action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NEnSkpbmCY

damn the bassline on "Paradise" is incredible!

I actually rate two URB songs above BBE ("Dance and Shake Your Tambourine", "Making Love") but I'm not going to try to convince anyone...

add me to the chorus for Barely Breaking Even

Sorry, that's kinda hard to do, it's already been recorded 30 years ago.

In my top ten.

Loose Joints - Is It All Over My Face? (Larry Levan Mix) (1980)
260 points, 8 votes.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/lixnixn/R-235302-1305255413_zps48068529.jpeg

http://youtu.be/PGfTCEyR75o

Of course it's that sort of avant-cool music that is pleasant on first listen but doesn't really bowl you over until about the third or fourth. To make an example, I was a bit mystified as to the legend surrounding "Is It All Over My Face" when I first heard it, but it's since been one of my most-played songs all summer.

― Tim, 24. helmikuuta 2001 3:00

who did that 'is it all over my face' disco song, thats sexy and ill

― s trife (simon_tr), 1. joulukuuta 2002 6:54

i don't like the vocal on is it all over my face either

― gaz (gaz), 13. lokakuuta 2003 6:19

Ah Ha! But that song would never work with a "good" vocalist. The personality in that song is about 90 % in the woman who sings it.

― Jay Vee (Manon_70), 13. lokakuuta 2003 6:33

arthur was a genius. a much bandied about term but in this instance, totally deserved. he was an avant garde cello player who fell in love with disco and made some of the most out there disco records ever.

you should also check -

loose joints - is it all over my face (west end 12") - a total classic

― stirmonster, 24. kesäkuuta 2002 3:00

Loose Joints, "Is It All Over My Face?" MUST be included

― M Matos, 17. kesäkuuta 2002 3:00

Sorry, that's number 57., obviously.

this song is how disco should sound imo

TOO LOOOOOOOOW

BOOOOOOOO

BOOOOOOOO

Agreed. Disappointingly low.

56. Donna Summer - Bad Girls (1979)
261 points, 7 votes.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/lixnixn/R-1437918-1260791799_zps68c5fefb.jpeg

http://youtu.be/QZ_KbwEVBjU (music video)
http://youtu.be/PA0NkYi3Y5U (12" version)

i only know "bad girls" and "hot stuff" but they're both awesome.

― hobbes, 15. heinäkuuta 2010 5:34

No disrespect to Kraftwerk, and the cross-pollination between the two camps is possibly overstated, but her work with Moroder (almost) makes those Germars redundant.

― balls and adieu (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), 24. heinäkuuta 2010 6:10

Which came first, "Bad Girls" or Rick James' "Love Gun"?

― musically, 4. elokuuta 2007 22:46

"Bad Girls" is great, as you know.

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), 20. lokakuuta 2004 6:58

TOOT TOO YEAH BEEP BEEP

TOOT TOO YEAH BEEP BEEP

― the objections to Drake from non-REAL HIPHOP people (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, December 10, 2013 8:32 AM (7 minutes ago)

Phew, just caught up after an incredibly busy weekend. Playlist so far is here, let me know if I've missed anything.

Very happy to see 'Magic Fly' here, was one of my top picks.

I heard of Patrick Cowley loads and the name 'Menergy' rang a bell, so I just assumed I'd heard it before... it seems not, whoaaaoaoaoaoaoooooooooo that song is good.

Catching up. "Street Life" is really familiar but I couldn't guess when or where I last hear it (or originally heard it, for that matter). Anyway, good down tempo tune.

emil.y, it's not disco but you should check out the School Daze comp of lost Patrick Cowley synth soundtracks/experiments that just came out this year, feel like you might enjoy it.

Thought Loose Joints would be top 20, easy. The iconic art-disco song.

Cosign on School Daze, it's amazing.

keep em' coming tuomas

I will check it out - I read a review which kind of concentrates on the kosmische elements, which you'd think would excite me, being a massive fan of that stuff, but honestly I'm more hyped up by the beat and the vocals and the *perfect* synth choices in 'Menergy'... I already have one Klaus Schulze, how many more do I need?

(NB: I totally reserve the right to change my mind and laud the kosmische elements myself when I've calmed down a little.)

I hope you change your mind. It's a great record and an awesome addition to his canon

55. Gino Soccio - Dancer (1979)
262 points, 6 votes.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/lixnixn/R-2287540-1312979042_zps507162ae.jpeg

http://youtu.be/8TO78gCEMjI

Yeah, he's great! I just picked up his '79 Outline LP -- same beat-driven Euro-rigidness as Moroder, a bit more funky and celebratory, less remote. Soulful-yet-anonymous female vox.

― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), 27. toukokuuta 2003 0:34

I only have 'DANCER' - love the music and effects, and much prefer the muted vocals in the 2nd half to the diva disco moments... but I've been hearing his stuff more and more recently, and have mixed feeling about so much... I'd like to hear it some more

― nick.K (nick.K), 27. toukokuuta 2003 2:19

I agree with you about the end of "Dancer" -- the whooping and hollering seems out of step with the rest of the track. At least if, say, Beyonce were doing it, it would feel more controlled. She's a diva, yes, but also a professional who knows how to give a song exactly what it needs.

― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), 27. toukokuuta 2003 2:48

i still have yet to explore a majority of gino's material, but all i know is "dancer" might be the best disco track of all time

― san frandisco, 28. elokuuta 2008 20:21

as a novice digger myself, i can attest to finding the "dancer" 12" (one that has the same sleeve as outline) for £1 in a care and share, and always see it in the record exchange. don't know about the others though. i love it so much, especially how it starts with just the handclap so you can mix it with practically anything.

― rio (r1o natsume), 16. huhtikuuta 2009 18:20

thought Gino was a woman until just now.

booming song, hope "try it out" places as well

Way way way too low. I had a hard time deciding whether or not to give it the top spot on my list and it ended up at number 2 for me. KEEP YOUR BODY SHAKIN!

TOO LOW. One of my top five tunes.

Emily I would say that 'School Daze' is sleazier and druggier than the kosmische tag would suggest. More like if early techno had stayed more heavily indebted to italo and amyl rather than ecstacy had become the accompanying drug of choice.

54. Indeep - Last Night a DJ Saved My Life (1982)
263 points, 9 votes.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/lixnixn/R-172721-1242590816_zps78a603e0.jpeg

http://youtu.be/GtfZbj4J71A (music video)
http://youtu.be/7JWy9PCtKNA (12" version)

The video to 'Last night..' is beyond classic. Clear where Richard X ripped everything off from. Girls spinning and singing while Mr Indeep stands between them barely moving until it comes to his 'in the mix' speech. I was clapping for joy watching this, everyone please d/l it if you can.

― Affectian (Affectian), 5. maaliskuuta 2005 22:20

Anyway "Last Night..." is a great tune. And away go troubles down the drain, indeed.

― Tantrum (Tantrum The Cat), 5. maaliskuuta 2005 23:35

Last Night, A DJ Saved My Life. Zij trok mij van de snelweg af net voordat een vrachtwagen vol Coberco-yoghurt mij kon raken.

― Arien, 24. maaliskuuta 2002 3:00

"last night a dj saved my life" is an untouchable classic

― vahid (vahid), 20. elokuuta 2004 3:30

So, is Indeep "Last Night A DJ Saved My Life" the best song in the universe or what?

Been enjoying following the rollout so far as a way to take a dip into a genre I've only ever had superficial knowledge of. Not caught up with all of today's results yet, but have particularly enjoyed discovering:
Bumblebee Unlimited - Lady Bug (Disco Mix)
Jimmy "Bo" Horne - Spank
Dennis Parker - Like an Eagle
Loose Joints - Tell You (Today)
Heatwave - The Groove Line
The O'Jays - Love Train (Tom Moulton Mix)
Patrick Cowley - Sea Hunt
Eddie Kendricks - Girl You Need a Change of Mind
Universal Robot Band - Barely Breaking Even
& the Phreek version of Weekend.

Also been having plenty of great 'oh so that'swhat that one's called/who that one's by' moments (Keep It Comin' Love, Don't Make Me Wait, Boogie Nights, You're the One for Me, Street Life - probably a few others to come no doubt).

I wasn't sure whether I loved or hated Last Night A DJ Saved My Life, but one listen cleared that up nicely.

Well alright!

I was mainly familiar with the 7" edit of the Gino Soccio... I love all that stuff that happens after the 5 minute mark of the 12". Nice revelation!