Prom 2: 'Everybody Dance! The Sound of Disco', BBC CO, Bartholomew-Poyser

[Ein Heldenleben]

At the time disco took off I had largely abandoned popular music in my listening but I never understood the furore that “Classic Rock” aficionados had against it

“Classic “ rock fans don’t dance - they nod or air guitar. They drink beer not cocktails ,and smoke rather than snort. Their mating rituals I won’t go into. They regard Disco as effete with particular loathing for the squeaky voices of the BeeGees ( who I quite like )

[Serial_Apologist]

Rather in the manner of the High Court judge, I was on the verge of asking: "What is disco?" But rather than show my ignorance I resorted to Wikipedia, and to my surprise I found, at a quick calculation, there's more than twice as much to be said about Disco than about WA Mozart.

Disco output [sic] would have greatly exceeded Mozart's in toto, I would think, so this would be a case of quantity over quality.

[burning dog]

Clive Myrie, who seems to pop up everywhere at the moment, chose a disco record on Desert Island Discs if I remember correctly, but otherwise jazz and classical, including Mozart,The Trio from Cosi Fan Tutte, so perhaps he could present a programme on the subject . I would take issue with his disco track -not up to standard.

[french frank]

Disco output [sic] would have greatly exceeded Mozart's in toto, I would think, so this would be a case of quantity over quality.

Also, since disco was born in 1974 it's now 50 years old, whereas Mozart was only 35.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Disco output [sic] would have greatly exceeded Mozart's in toto, I would think, so this would be a case of quantity over quality.

I wouldn’t be surprised if , had this once in millennium genius lived for say 60 years, his output would also exceeded that of the (recorded ) disco industry in quantity as well. Most disco LP’s were only 40 mins long and how many are there ? 2 to 300 ?

[Ein Heldenleben]

Also, since disco was born in 1974 it's now 50 years old, whereas Mozart was only 35.

it lasted about 10 years in the States . Very influential in the development of house music but that’s a different. Genre .

[teamsaint]

I wouldn’t be surprised if , had this once in millennium genius lived for say 60 years, his output would also exceeded that of the (recorded ) disco industry in quantity as well. Most disco LP’s were only 40 mins long and how many are there ? 2 to 300 ?

Are there many good disco albums ? Mostly a singles genre surely ? Perhaps a few bands like Chic produced decent long players , but they mostly seemed to be built on extended mixes of the two decent / three tracks that were released as singles ? Anyway, that isn’ t to denigrate the music, there are plenty of popular genres where the single was the dominant format. A lot of the best 60s psych /Freakbeat etc was hidden away on the b sides of singles, as record companies often played safe with song choices on the A sides.

[Pulcinella]

Times review here:

https://www.thetimes.com/article/5f8672c2-8d70-430b-a7e4-c4625cafdcff?shareToken=1705a3e88104d66b1cb071b39708451e

[cloughie]

Are there many good disco albums ? Mostly a singles genre surely ? Perhaps a few bands like Chic produced decent long players , but they mostly seemed to be built on extended mixes of the two decent / three tracks that were released as singles ? Anyway, that isn’ t to denigrate the music, there are plenty of popular genres where the single was the dominant format. A lot of the best 60s psych /Freakbeat etc was hidden away on the b sides of singles, as record companies often played safe with song choices on the A sides.

Some compilations, I agree about Chic - Nile Rodgers is still around with a C21st Chic. The disco sounds were very much a producer’s and the likes of Giorgio Moroder were to the fore - I own up to liking Donna Summer and Boney M or bit of Isaac Hayes (is that disco? I don’t know but I love ‘Theme from Shaft’ but have never dug deep into disco - bit repetitive and noisy for me.

[burning dog]

Why would someone have to "own up" to liking Donna Summer!? Well "I Fell Love" anyway.

This is my take on where disco fits in.

There was change in "Black"* pop after about 1970, (lets call it the "NEW R&B" family) away from classic soul (Rock had probably already become USA/British thing) to newer sounds, like funk, jazz funk, hip-hop and dance/ house music, eventually incorporating electronics and minimalism, partly from Europe (via Krafrtwerk for example)

For a short space of time there was a three minute form of song with a repetitive beat ,at a specfic tempo,aimed at a youth market, and 12" versions aimed at discotheques (remember when they were called that) and dance parties. These were alreadly popular in 1975/6. This style featured in Saturday Night Fever, featuring the Bee Gees, who were genuinely attracted to it and proficient at it, hence "Black" rather than Black music, and became a CRAZE.

Proof of a craze is that there were pretty awful releases called Disco Duck, Lets Go Disco, D.I.S.C.O etc, some by otherwise highly thought of soul groups


Record companies wanted all NEW R&B acts, and others to make standard "disco" records whether it suited them or not. Even Marvin Gaye succumbed

. After the CRAZE there was a reaction to this "standard" disco. There was a reaction to it among musicians and listeners as well a some unsavoury reactioin to it from some rock fans see - "Disco Sucks" .

NEW R&B musicians listeners and dancers were glad to move on to a post disco period, with many and varied styles within a single album, and very different sounding groups.

To a lot of people I talk to Disco is the "black" music from 74/80 they don't like and the things the do like are something else.. I'd often put mysef in that category

[Ein Heldenleben]

Why would someone have to "own up" to liking Donna Summer!? Well "I Fell Love" anyway.

This is my take on where disco fits in.

There was change in "Black"* pop after about 1970, (lets call it the "NEW R&B" family) away from classic soul (Rock had probably already become USA/British thing) to newer sounds, like funk, jazz funk, hip-hop and dance/ house music, eventually incorporating electronics and minimalism, partly from Europe (via Krafrtwerk for example)

For a short space of time there was a three minute form of song with a repetitive beat ,at a specfic tempo,aimed at a youth market, and 12" versions aimed at discotheques (remember when they were called that) and dance parties. These were alreadly popular in 1975/6. This style featured in Saturday Night Fever, featuring the Bee Gees, who were genuinely attracted to it and proficient at it, hence "Black" rather than Black music, and became a CRAZE.

Proof of a craze is that there were pretty awful releases called Disco Duck, Lets Go Disco, D.I.S.C.O etc


Record companies wanted all NEW R&B acts, and others to make standard "disco" records whether it suited them or not. Even Marvin Gaye succumbed

. After the CRAZE there was a reaction to this "standard" disco. There was a reaction to it among musicians and listeners as well a some unsavoury reactioin to it from some rock fans see - "Disco Sucks" .

NEW R&B musicians listeners and dancers were glad to move on to a post disco period, with many and varied styles within a single album, and very different sounding groups.

To a lot of people I talk to Disco is the "black" music from 74/80 they don't like and the things the do like are something else.. I'd often put mysef in that category

Good analysis. Bowie got sucked in as well. Always suspected that the BeeGees very cannily spotted a growing market and turned into it from power pop as a money spinner . It was always a dance phenomenon really - how many ordinary African Americans went to discos? . I just associate it with John Travolta , wide lapel suits , chains , coke , Tramp , and Joan Collins . That said some very talented musicians earned a lot of money from it and moved on.

[Serial_Apologist]

Good analysis.

It was - thanks to BD.

[QUOTE]Bowie got sucked in as well.[QUOTE]

Quite!

Always suspected that the BeeGees very cannily spotted a growing market and turned into it from power pop as a money spinner . It was always a dance phenomenon really - how many ordinary African Americans went to discos? . I just associate it with John Travolta , wide lapel suits , chains , coke , Tramp , and Joan Collins . That said some very talented musicians earned a lot of money from it and moved on.

I think it was largely the gay communities in America who really first championed Disco. African Americans were more into what in watered down form became Disco. In England Disco/Funk/Jazz Funk inter-boundaries were somewhat fuzzier than in the States. Over here, too, Disco/Jazz Funk acquired an new aspirational association among upward-mobile young blacks, keen to disassociate themselves from their often (if not always) eider Reggae devotees, and given that record companies had always promulgated the dancing singing black star, male and female, over instrumental prowess, by the late 70s familiar to dub devotees, there was often talk of cultural selling out. Disco sank back into the Soul market from when it had come, to become New Soul and all the various inter-generic brands that have emerged since the late 1980s, liberally mixing Bhangra, House, Techno, Jungle, Skazz, and any other sub-genre you wish to name or accuse, to make the sometimes ingredients-rich, more often forced amalgams that now permeate the ear waves.

[Ein Heldenleben]

[QUOTE=Serial_Apologist;n1313058]

It was - thanks to BD.

[QUOTE]Bowie got sucked in as well.

Quite!



I think it was largely the gay communities in America who really first championed Disco. African Americans were more into what in watered down form became Disco. In England Disco/Funk/Jazz Funk inter-boundaries were somewhat fuzzier than in the States. Over here, too, Disco/Jazz Funk acquired an new aspirational association among upward-mobile young blacks, keen to disassociate themselves from their often (if not always) eider Reggae devotees, and given that record companies had always promulgated the dancing singing black star, male and female, over instrumental prowess, by the late 70s familiar to dub devotees, there was often talk of cultural selling out. Disco sank back into the Soul market from when it had come, to become New Soul and all the various inter-generic brands that have emerged since the late 1980s, liberally mixing Bhangra, House, Techno, Jungle, Skazz, and any other sub-genre you wish to name or accuse, to make the sometimes ingredients-rich, more often forced amalgams that now permeate the ear waves.

Difficult to under estimate the impact of Sat Night Fever (film and album ) here .I think the film was based on a US newspaper article . After release in 77 rock was elbowed out of the way by it and punk rock. People started getting their hair cut and combing it for Chrissake ..

[burning dog]

. It was always a dance phenomenon really - how many ordinary African Americans went to discos? . I .

I suspect like the black british community they had rent /blues partes, where you paid for entry or to buy drinks. Ska, Motown and New Orleans R&B like Fats Domino Lous Jordan were the choices in West London. I went to a similar party, a racially mixed family, in Putney, not for money, as a 13year old, held by a semi-pro opera singer. I distinctly remember the "funky chicken""

Listening to listen to prom 4- the Mahler 5 - soon.

Not the 12" dance mix though

[Ein Heldenleben]

I suspect like the black british community they had rent /blues partes, where you paid for entry or to buy drinks. Ska, Motown and New Orleans R&B like Fats Domino Lous Jordan were the choices in West London. I went to a similar party, a racially mixed family, in Putney, not for money, as a 13year old, held by a semi-pro opera singer. I distinctly remember the "funky chicken""

Listening to listen to prom 4- the Mahler 5 - soon.

Not the 12" dance mix though

Whereas I had to put up with once sensible heavy metalller friends restyling themselves as Tony Manero when they didn’t have the hair or the dance skills .