New Spins
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.
SUZANNE STEVENS: ‘Make Me Your Baby’ (Capitol CL 15861).
Maddeningly nagging melody sung by a cool Anne Murray/Helen Reddy voice over lightly hustling backing.
GLENN MILLER: ‘String Of Pearls’ / ‘Pennsylvania 6-5000‘ / ‘Perfidia‘ (RCA 2670)
Again mushily reprocessed, this new maxi contains less evocative numbers than the last one but will be useful for some.
EASY STREET: ‘I’ve Been Lovin’ You’ (Polydor 2058711)
Slow-starting subtle smoocher sung with bags of blue-eyed soul, maybe a bit laid back for many.
PIONEERS: ‘Feel The Rhythm’ (Mercury 6198061)
Now switched to the Mercury label, this swaying George McCrae-type hustler is popular enough to hit.
RIMSHOTS: ‘Do What You Feel’ (All Platinum 8146314) (mentioned in Billboard column 11/1/75)
Heavily compressed drumkit sound pushes along a chanting hustler (with instrumental flip for Northern fans), much imported since last year.
THE HONEYBEES: ‘Dream Express’ (Chelsea 2005064) (mentioned in Billboard column 11/20/76, Billboard chart debut 11/27/76)
Phased fluttering hi-hats and shrill chix cut through well on a UK cover of the Euro Disco hit, and it’s already getting plenty of plays.
JIMMY JAMES: ‘I’ll Go Where Your Music Takes Me’ (Pye 7N 45585) (Billboard chart debut 4/17/76)
Smoothly throbbing slick disco sounds by Biddu, quite catchy.
UJIMA: ‘Keep On Rolling (Disco Train)’ (Chelsea 2005061)
Clanking bells help this ultra-contrived — but very WELL contrived — constantly churning fast hustler.
THE QUICKEST WAY OUT: ‘Thank You Baby For Loving Me’ (Warner Bros. K 16714) (Billboard chart debut 12/20/75)
Familiar ingredients mixed well on the first disco hustler from the new Philly Groove label.
SUGARCANE BAND: ‘Ladbroke Groove’ (Alpine ALDRE 1)
Fruity trombones and happy island rhythms make this jolly West Indian knees-up a real rarity, as it’s extremely useful party music but hard to find on singles. MoR jocks should check it out.
SANGANAS FIVE: ‘Mama’ (EMI 2433)
Happy African chanting over jumping rhythms (unfortunately discofied with hustling hi-hats). Not another ‘Burundi Black’ but pretty good.
EVELYN THOMAS: ‘Doomsday’ (20th Century BTC 1017)
Brand new but 1965-sounding tearaway Northern fodder, with backing track flip.
GLORIA JONES: ‘Get It On’ (EMI 2431)
Marc Bolan takes his lady friend back to her roots, making his T. Rex hit sound like ‘Heartbeat – Part 2’. Nice for Northerners!
EARL JACKSON: ‘Soul Self Satisfaction’ (ABC 4110)
Mid-’60s Northern stuff.
SOUL CHILDREN: ‘Finders Keepers’ (Epic EPC 4098)
Not the Nella Dodds number, but in fact the throaty Sam & Dave sound is that type of vintage despite being a current US hit.
LEE GARRETT: ‘You’re My Everything’ (Chrysalis CHS 2087)
Slow start to a grow-on-you attractively multi-layered gently thumping hustler.
DAVID RUFFIN: ‘Heavy Love’ (Tamla Motown TMG 1022) (mentioned in Billboard column 8/2/75, Billboard chart debut 11/1/75)
Another gently thumping semi slow hustler, a bit disjointed.
QUANTUM JUMP: ‘The Lone Ranger’ (Electric WATT 2)
Amusing lyrics send up the masked man amidst Tonto-type polyrhythms.
CENTRAL PARK: ‘Love The Way You Love’ (GTO GT 49)
Soothing Steely Dan-type sounds from Glasgow, a personal fave.
BELLAMY BROTHERS: ‘Let Your Love Flow’ (Warner Bros. K 16690)
Tightly harmonised Country chanting over solidly booming bass patterns, like a modern Everly Brothers.
ALVIN STARDUST: ‘It’s Better To Be Cruel Than Be Kind’ (Magnet MAG 62)
Surprisingly nice slowie, full ’50s influence.
GRAHAM PARKER & THE RUMOUR: ‘Silly Thing’ (Vertigo 6059135)
Brassy pub-rockers with an easy-swaying handclapper.
LATIMORE: ‘There’s A Red-Neck In The Soul Band’ (President PT 449)
Great Blues vocal and guitar, thudding jiggly rhythm, nice storyline.
ADRIAN BAKER: ‘Don’t Do It’ (Magnet MAG61)
Clever mickey-take of the Jackson Five.
BONNIE ST. CLAIR & UNIT GLORIA: ‘Like-A-Locomotion’ (Sonet SON 2073)
Euro-pop pounder, catchy enough for kids.
THE YEAR OF THE DRAGON: ‘Over My Shoulder’ (Gull GULS 30)
Bouncy ‘Baby Face’ treatment of a 1934 hit first sung by Jessie Matthews.
CAROL DOUGLAS: ‘Lifetime Guarantee’ (RCA 2669)
Carol switches from doctors to insurance agents for her verbal imagery, but nothing else changes.
HANK CRAWFORD: ‘I Hear A Symphony’ (Kudu 931) (mentioned in Billboard column 2/7/76, Billboard chart debut 2/14/76)
Hustling sax and chix chorus rework loses impact by taking too long to get going.
JASPER CARROTT: ‘Car Insurance’ (DJM DJS 649)
You gotta chuckle!
DON WOODY: ‘Barking Up The Wrong Tree’ (MCA 240)
After ‘Jungle Rock’ here’s another well-loved Rockabilly bopper that’ll get all the Teds and crewcut kids going “woof woof” with it! For flip there’s PEANUTS WILSON’s ‘Cast Iron Arm‘, another bopping fave.
JUDD & MISS MUNRO: ‘You Got It (Boobily-Boop Song)’ (Aquarius AQ 3)
Currently driving ’em wild on radio, this catchy little singalong ditty should be good bouncy MoR. Judd Hamilton (no relation) is ex-US T-Bones and wife Caroline Munro is the Lamb’s Navy Rum girl —a new Sonny & Cher?
LP Trax
TINA CHARLES: ‘I Love To Love’ (CBS 81299) (Billboard chart debut 3/13/76)
All cuts are varying shades of good to excellent, being divided into either ‘I Love To Love’ or ‘Disco Fever’ style (plus one slowie), with Tina’s distinctive voice dominating. The gaps between cuts are so short that a very quick voice-over or jingle stab should make them segue if you want. ‘You Set My Heart On Fire Pts. 1 & 2’ and the breakneck fast ‘Hold Me‘ stand out.
BIDDU ORCHESTRA: ‘Rain Forest’ (Epic EPC 81168) (mentioned in Billboard column 4/17/76, Billboard chart debut 4/24/76)
As well as the title cut and the underrated ‘I Could Have Danced All Night’, the album’s high point is a terrific segue between the exciting ‘Jump For Joy’ and a dazzlingly bright revamp of ‘Laura’ – the new ‘Exodus’ of the set, sure to take America by storm.
CAMP GALORE: ‘Deco Disco‘ (D & M Sound DML 2) (Billboard chart debut 3/20/76)
Unoriginal but competently made bright and breezy ‘Baby Face’ rip-off revamps of various razzamatazz singalong oldies, not all of which work. Samey sound throughout so OK background music and possible good MoR for James Last lovers.
Record Mirror repeats last week’s Top 20 due to “circumstances beyond our control”.
Songs mentioned in “DJ Hot Line”:
ANDREA TRUE CONNECTION: ‘More, More, More’ (Buddah) (mentioned in Billboard column 1/3/76, Billboard chart debut 1/17/76)
JESSE GREEN: ‘Nice And Slow’ (EMI) (mentioned in Billboard column 4/24/76, Billboard chart debut 5/1/76)
SOUND 9418: ‘Stranger On The Shore’ (UK)
OLYMPIC RUNNERS: ‘Party Time’ (London LP cut – US import) (LP mentioned in Billboard column 3/27/76)
BOOTSY’S RUBBER BAND: ‘Stretchin’ Out’ (Warner Bros. – US import)
GERRI GRANGER: ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off You’ (20th Century – US import) (Billboard chart debut 11/15/75)
EQUALS: ‘Georgetown Girls’ (President)
Next week: As expected after this week’s absence, the Disco Chart sees a host of new entries!
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