Handy Hints
IT’S GREAT to see how many mobile jocks are prepared to please more than just the kids.
Tom Waller (operating from 45 Argyll Place, Aberdeen) has plenty of good hints to pass on: “One mistake Mobile DJs make is to shine their lights into people’s eyes – not really a good idea at bookings like wedding receptions, as most older people will only grumble. Try reflecting light shows off the walls – or even the roof!” I agree, and have myself made a big thing out of lighting flower displays – about which, more another time.
Tom continues: “Mobile operators should play some slowies during a party, as nothing is more frustrating than being unable to dance up close to a beautiful girl because all the DJ plays is ravers.” On the other hand. I find it’s good not to get too slow as not everyone who’s dancing necessarily feels that way about their partner! Tom anyway suggests a few fairly lively segues which he finds when cued up correctly run well together, viz: MR BLOE Grooving With Mr Bloe / CRAZY ELEPHANT Gimme Good Loving / TOMMY JAMES Mony Mony, or DAVID BOWIE Jean Genie / SWEET Blockbuster, or NORMAN GREENBAUM Spirit In The Sky / ALVIN STARDUST My Coo Ca Choo.
HOT TIP
From Tom Waller (Aberdeen): Get the crowd to dance to the Hokey Cokey (JOE LOSS or many other “Party” records) – with a bit of help they will dance in circles, all ready in position for an Eightsome Reel (JIMMY SHAND, on a Parlophone EP). Och aye, hoots mon!
Funky airmail
FUNKY American disco hits sent airmail from New York every week – that’s the new service just announced by Record Source International. Many DJs, writers and broadcasters will be familiar with the other RSI services of Top 100, Soul, Country and Easy Listening hits sent in packets of ten each week. Now RSI are going to add a Disco Starter Package and a weekly Disco service: the Starter gives you fifty singles and ninety albums of disco standards and current hits to establish a basic library, while the weekly service is two brand new albums and three singles each week – all selected by Billboard’s disco research team. Cost of the service varies depending on whether surface or air mail is used, but the Starter package is 295 dollars plus air freight and the weekly service is 658 dollars airmail for one year. Other deals exist, so write for details to Record Source International, 1 Astor Plaza, New York, NY 10036, USA, enclosing an International Reply Coupon. Tell them we sent you, then maybe they’ll advertise!
New Spins
Now it’s Jolson
CLIVE BALDWIN: Now It’s Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Alice Cooper, Elton John (Mercury 6167170)
Dawn’s old Levine & Brown team have tied their yellow ribbons round the sound of Al Jolson and his Mammy on this very Dawn-like happy bouncer all about an old codger coming out of a 25 year coma and finding himself badly out of touch with contemporary music. Can’t fail MoR, and I fear it’s a serious rival to Harry Hasting’s other bit of summer madness.
HARRY HASTING’S PALM BEACH ORCHESTRA: She’s A Great Great Girl (Bell 1434)
OK, enough teasing – It’s rush-released this Friday! An old 1920s ditty of uncontrollable jollity, done up with synthetics and a crazily treated vocal at the very end, this Is MoR silliness of the Who’s Been Polishing The Sun/The Sun Has Got His Hat On variety. Amazingly it’s Phil Cordell and not Jo King who’s behind it all.
ROY ORBISON: Oh Pretty Woman (Monument MNT 1054)
One of the greats, from 1964 and in stereo. I nearly always segue it out of the false fade in the Beatles’ Get Back, and synchronize my lights to the stomp bits.
JACKIE WILSON: Reet Petite / Whispers (Brunswick BR 23)
Jackie’s first, and actually far bigger here than in the States back in ’57. Perfection in rhythm. Typical of Decca to make hackneyed “Whispers” the plug side.
LENIS GUESS: Just Ask Me (Route RT 11)
Produced by Frank Guida with traces of his US Bonds sound amidst the murkily churning fast excitement, this archetypal Northern classic should sell like Blackpool Rock. Lenis sings well, too.
ERNIE BUSH: Breakaway (Contempo CS 2060).
Remixed within the Contempo family – a tag almost as spooky as the witchy woman words and swamp witch strings sound – the instrumental flip version has an up-front drum kit and mandatory hi-hat chinking. Ernie wails and both decks have it.
MFSB: Sexy (Philadelphia Int PIR 3381).
How long before strings and hi-hats become passe? The old payola roll blues team have given MFSB every ingredient that spells a disco hit today, but the result doesn’t inspire me personally.
Straight from the States
RALPH CARTER: When You’re Young And In Love (Mercury 73695)
Van McCoy’s song gets a busily hustling thump tempo with strings carrying the melody whenever young Ralph stops warbling (which is often, on the 5:04 disco flip). Huge in New York, maybe even bigger here.
THE JONESES: Love Inflation (Mercury 73689)
Skipable CTI-type intro, then a shimmering build into pushalong rhythm and mellow vocal group work. Part 2 gets down even more and seems faster. Pussy price going up?
FAMILY PLANN: Sexy Summer (Drive 6242)
Stevie Wonder-type noises and herky-jerky rhythm make a bumpy ride on this TK-distributed label’s Soul hit. Family Slyy?
LOLEATTA HOLLOWAY: I Know Where You’re Coming From (Aware AW 050)
My, but that’s like Loretta Holloway – thinks I, without looking. Is it her or her sister, maybe? Gritty then soaring soulfulness on a chix-backed medium clomper by Sam Dees. Wail on!
UK Disco Top 20 – July 19, 1975
01 01 Van McCoy & The Soul City Symphony – The Hustle – Avco
02 02 Hamilton Bohannon – Disco Stomp – Brunswick
03 05 Bee Gees – Jive Talkin’ – RSO
04 12 Rimshots – 7-6-5-4-3-2-1 Blow Your Whistle – All Platinum
05 NE Typically Tropical – Barbados – Gull
06 04 10cc – I’m Not In Love – Mercury
07 06 Chi-Lites – Have You Seen Her – Brunswick
08 03 Sister Sledge – Mama Never Told Me – Atlantic
09 NE Hamilton Bohannon – Foot Stompin’ Music – Brunswick
10 10 Ray Stevens – Misty – Janus
11 08 Pete Wingfield – Eighteen With A Bullet – Island
12 13 Linda Carr & The Love Squad – Highwire – Chelsea
13 NE Johnny Nash – Tears On My Pillow – CBS
14 09 Bimbo Jet – El Bimbo – EMI (Import)
15 NE Sharonettes – Going To A Go-Go – Black Magic
16 18 Brian Hyland – Sealed With A Kiss – ABC
17 11 Stylistics – Sing Baby Sing – Avco
18 20 The Biddu Orchestra – Summer Of ’42 – Epic
19 NE The Goodies – Black Pudding Bertha – Bradleys
20 NE Gary Toms Empire – 7-6-5-4-3-2-1 Blow Your Whistle – Epic
Breakers:
Moments – Dolly My Love – All Platinum
Chris Spedding – Motor Biking – RAK
Syreeta – Harmour Love – Tamla Motown
Hamilton’s Disco Top 10
1 Ray Stevens – Misty – Janus
2 Pete Wingfield – Eighteen With A Bullet – Island
3 Harry Hastings – She’s A Great Great Girl – Bell
4 Bimbo Jet – El Bimbo – Columbia
5 Lyn Paul – It Oughta Sell A Million – Polydor
6 Hamilton Bohannon – Foot Stompin’ Music – Brunswick
7 Typically Tropical – Barbados – Gull
8 Wings – Listen To What The Man Said – EMI
9 Crown Heights Affair – Dreaming A Dream – De-Lite
10 Narvel Felts – Reconsider Me – ABC
Breakers:
Clive Baldwin – Now It’s Paul McCartney – Mercury
Lynsey De Paul – Rhythm & Blue Jean Baby – Jet
James Taylor – How Sweet It Is – Warners
DJ HOT LINE
. . . Les “Godfather” Spaine (Time Piece, Liverpool) has CALENDAR Hypertension Pt 1 (Pikappa) at number one in his 100 per cent funky chart . . . Northern Funk? . . . Anthony Allan (Speakeasy, Wakefield) is going bananas about Barbados, even more so than most . . . AMERICA Sister Golden Hair (Warners) is tops for Marc Roman (Charing, Kent) . . . dependable Doctor John (Newport, Salop) has LONNIE LISTON SMITH Expansions Pt 1 (RCA) leading his mixed up chart now . . . naughty Dougall DJ (Klisyth. Scotland) in going great guns with CHOCOLATE BOYS El Bimbo (Decca), which is indeed a good one but not the original. . . another instrumental, MUSCLES Space Party (Big Bear) shows up for Jon Taylor (Crockers, Norwich) . . . Stewart Parker, thank you . . . DEMIS ROUSSOS Midnight Is The Time I Need You (Philips) getting reaction from John Paul (Warley. West Midlands), who also lists JIMME SHELTER Achin’ In My Heart (Oval) and JENNY DARREN Slay Me Like A Lady (Buk) . . . hmmrn . . . Buk’s mailout bills must rival only Phonogram’s! . . . slow to show, MOMENTS Dolly My Love (All Platinum) a breaker for Colin King (Sale, Cheshire) and Peter Greig (Plympton, Devon) . . . still formal, A. Henderson (Victoria Bars, Weymouth) has everything from SAM & KITTY I’ve Got Something Good (Four Brothers) to DAVID BOWIE Fame (RCA) happening for him . . . really not bad, ADRIAN BAKER Sherry (Magnet) is breaking for Steve Ingram (Weybridgel Surrey). . . If you can get charts, Hot Line tips etc in by every Wednesday it’ll make life easier for me . . . let’s hear from ya!
James Hamilton's Disco Page 
Looking back at the earliest days and development of the UK disco scene really is fascinating. Memory really does play tricks- I had edited out all the mainstream pop & tacky novelty hits that featured on the chart when looking back through my rose tinted specs! We should of course remember that the chart comes with a health warning- it was far from scientific! Jocks were asked to compile what worked for them each week- how on earth did they arrive at their personal chart positions? How much did personal taste influence them or, heaven forbid, the hyping of product from record company mailing lists! Love Hammy’s reference to the “strings & chi-hats passe” comment. The sound that defined the early disco period and Philly International records in particular. Hamilton Bohannon- one of the forgotten men and big names of the early disco period has two entries on the chart. The northern soul breakthrough into the mainstream consciousness continues with a couple of entries and several “new” releases being reviewed. I shudder when I see The Goodies appear on the list- the past really is another country! It all has a whiff of Mrs Slocombes Pussy about it!
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