SILVER CONVENTION: ‘Discotheque Volume 2’ LP (Magnet MAG 5011) (LP mentioned in Billboard column 3/27/76, Billboard chart debut 4/17/76)
A predictable but effective disco formula makes ‘No No Joe’, ‘San Francisco Hustle‘ and ‘You’ve Got What It Takes‘ into dancefloor rivals for lead track ‘Get Up And Boogie’ in the States, while here the catchy clapping rhythm pattern of ‘Play Me Like A Yoyo’ could be bigger.
AC/DC: ‘It’s A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘N Roll)’ / ‘Can I Sit Next To You Girl’ (Atlantic K 10745)
Not to be missed by rock jocks, these Aussie youngsters boogie Stones/Elton John-style, with bagpipe noises yet! Yeah, they get it on — and possibly even more on the punkier flip.
DONNA SUMMER: ‘Love Trilogy’ LP (GTO GTLP 010) (LP mentioned in Billboard column 3/6/76, Billboard chart debut 3/20/76)
Side one flows without a gap through ‘Try Me’, ‘I Know’, ‘We Can Make It’ and ‘Try Me I Know We Can Make It’. . . clever, huh? This time it’s all quite funky, fast and bouncy, with the energy level picking up at each shift in emphasis until the very last section, which is the only weak link. Continue reading “April 24, 1976: Silver Convention, AC/DC, Donna Summer, The Moments, Alan White”
BABE RUTH: ‘Elusive’ (Capitol CL 15869) (Billboard chart debut 11/29/75)
A funky disco hit since last year, this joyfully leaping album cut is finally out on 45, though edited in half.
MANDRILL: ‘Panama’ / ‘Disco-lypso’ (UA UP 36103) (Billboard chart debut 1/24/76)
Happy calypso-ish A-side should be good MoR while the funkier flip (a US hit) is much stronger disco fare.
KOOL AND THE GANG: ‘Love And Understanding’ (Polydor 2001645)
This perturbing funky hustler has a long instrumental build-up to some KC-type chanting which oozes in through the rhythmic crescendo, only to end in a strange mid-air anti-climax.
JEFF PERRY: ‘Love Don’t Come No Stronger’ (Arista 51)
Slow intro to a happily romping Pop-Soul hand-clapper of wide appeal.
AS REPORTED, the Disco North exhibition last week in Liverpool began with a bang as all the lights (and sounds ) blew the fuses of the Centre Hotel. This also happened on the second day, with the result that many exhibitors were rightly disgruntled.
Roger Squire moved his own Disco Centre display into a private suite elsewhere in the hotel, and reported increased interest in these less noisy surroundings.
Jingle Singles pulled out after only one day, but that was because all their listening gear had been stolen from their van outside.
Theft and even violence was ever-present in crime-ridden Liverpool, the most horrendous experience being that of NEMS Records’ plugger Neil Ferris, who was actually mugged in his own car while asking the way. Maybe it was because the area is so depressed and DJ rates are proportionately lower that there was a relatively small turnout for the show, Liverpool and Northern DJs being disinterested in expensive new equipment?
The final attendance figure being approximately 1,000 visitors, many in fact coming from the South, would seem to suggest this.
Two inexpensive hits of the show were Atlantic Records’ 12 inch slip mats, and M-Jay Electronics (Bradford) handy-sized electronic siren units. Martin Blake kept being a nuisance with their fog machines, Judge Dread sang some rude songs.
Cookies Disco Centre presented an excellent programme every time their allotted 10 minutes of noise came around, and Creole Records got everyone drunk on cheap wine. Not to mention TVL’s video demonstration, which kept turning into a blue movie show!
At last I was able to meet Les Spaine, who really is the Godfather of all the DJs in Liverpool. My thanks go to Mike Davidson (Babalou) who showed many out-of-towners around, to Dave Porter (Oscars) who as king of the jingles will be a radio name one day, to Chris Graham (Scamps) who let me use his flashy console, to Terry Lennaine (Radio Mersey-side) who bought me chip butties, to Dave Eastwood (Radio City) who had me on his late night show, to Tommy Burns (Beachcomber) who coped admirably with the strippers, to Stan Green (Russell’s) who played good party records among the hustlers, and to Cliff Wilding (Early Riser Disco Services, Walthamstow) and Garrell Redfearn (MIF Disco Promotion) who got me there and back!
New Spins
KEITH EMERSON: ‘Honky Tonk Train Blues’ (Manticore K 13513)
ELP’s Keith turns to his “other” piano as he knocks out a great swinging version of Meade Lux Lewis’s 1930s boogie-woogie raver. Authentic in every way, Benny Goodman-type backing and all!
ATLANTA DISCO BAND: ‘Bad Luck’ (AriolaAmerica AA 102) (Billboard chart debut 10/4/75)
A disco smash since last year on import, this ultra-rhythmic bumpy bass and jiggly guitar instrumental is an established classic already. Drummer Earl Young was never busier!
James Hamilton's Disco Page 