New Spins
BRYAN FERRY: ‘Let’s Stick Together’ (Island WIP 6307)
The most positive newie of the month, Bry’s rousing revival of the Wilbert Harrison/Canned Heat classic boogie is a “get it on” gas that will fill the floor!
SANDY NELSON: ‘Let There Be Drums’ (UA UP 36114)
Sandy’s ’61 stomper is solid rocking rhythm and hitbound again.
MAXINE NIGHTINGALE: ‘Think I Want To Possess You’ (UA UP 36120)
Enthusiastic if unexceptional bouncy hustler, totally overshadowed by the sparser and more percussive ‘One Last Ride’ flip, which is much, much better and should be checked.
BAND OF THE BLACK WATCH: ‘Y Viva Espana’ (Spark SRL 1144)
Brassy (but of course!) and really useful instrumental treatment, full of MoR jollity.
HANK MIZELL: ‘Jungle Rock’ LP (Charly CRL 5000)
Including the follow-up single, ‘Kangaroo Rock’, and such other-good Rockabilly boppers as ‘Flatfoot Sam’, ‘Rakin’ and Scrapin”, ‘Ready Freddy’ and Sweetie Pie’, this actually delivers the goods quite creditably.
BANBARRA: ‘Shack Up’ (UA UP 36113) (mentioned in Billboard column 1/31/76, Billboard chart debut 2/14/76)
Effectively basic soul stomper, a US disco smash and already popular here, this could be big.
BOBBY THOMAS & THE HOTLINE: ‘Sugar Boogie’ (MCA 244) (Billboard chart debut 5/22/76)
Brightly bustling instrumental rhythm pounder, much tipped by funky folk.
EARTH, WIND & FIRE: ‘Reasons’ (CBS 4240)
Catchily lurching falsetto soul slowie, full of bittersweet beauty.
DOROTHY MOORE: ‘Misty Blue’ (Contempo CS 2087)
Reminiscent of Gloria Walker, Dotty’s US smash soul slowie is drenched in the blues.
THE SHADOWS: ‘It’ll Be Me Babe’ (EMI 2461)
Pop pick of the week (thank you David), the chunky slow rhythms and walling falsetto singing are totally unexpected and nicely funky.
THE METERS: ‘Fire On The Bayou’ (Reprise K 14405)
Uncompromisingly funky jiggly rhythm stuff, made for discos.
G. BAND: ‘Tuna Biscuit’ (Bell 1481)
Not quite another ‘Makes You Blind’, but this Glitter Band flip’s an authentic convolutedly funky instrumental even so.
ASTOR & THE POTENTIALS: ‘Give Me What I Want’ (Klik KL 616)
Atlanta Disco Band-style funkily bouncing hustler, with ‘Bad Luck’ bass runs.
THE DUPREES: ‘Delicious’ (State STAT 22) (Billboard chart debut 11/8/75)
Helped by booming bass beats, this churning harmony hustler sounds brighter now than it did back in New York Sound-saturated January.
THE SUPREMES: ‘I’m Gonna Let My Heart Do The Walking’ (Tamla Motown TMG 1029) (mentioned in Billboard column 3/13/76, Billboard chart debut 4/24/76)
Scat intro to a grow-on-you inspired by the Yellow Pages slogan, that’s currently huge in New York.
JACKY JAMES: ‘Moving Like A Superstar’ (Aquarius AQ 4) (Billboard chart debut 3/20/76)
Original French version of a happy hustler that’s now enormous in New York for Germany’s Jackie Robinson (Pye 7N 25700), whose version I said could be big when it came out here four months ago!
THE FRANKIE MILLER BAND: ‘A Fool In Love’ (Chrysalis CHS 2074)
Difficult to fit in with other white funksters like Roxy Music, Stretch, Bad Company and Bowie when it first came out last year, this evidently works better with the real thing by Sam & Dave, whose old soul sound it copies.
THIN LIZZY: ‘The Boys Are Back In Town’ (Vertigo 6059139)
Fast skipping rhythm on a wordy rocker that’s now much tipped.
JR. WALKER: ‘I’m So Glad’ (Tamla Motown TMG 1027)
Bright intro to an ultimately empty hustler.
JOHNNY NASH: ‘(What A) Wonderful World’ (Epic EPC 4294)
Familiar lyrics will help sell the semi-slow swayer, an old Otis Redding classic – malfunction! – Sam Cooke classic.
PAUL DAVIDSON: ‘I Need You’ (Tropical ALO 61)
Although it’s the group America’s tune, this sexily rhythmic reggae slowie is less pop than ‘Midnight Rider’.
MILTON HENRY: ‘Gypsy Dub’ (Cactus CT 92)
Mildly freaky dub treatment of Curtis Mayfield’s ‘Gypsy Woman’, popular in black clubs.
SANDRA PHILLIPS: ‘We Got Love (Adult Version)’ (Right On RO 107)
Gentle slowie with some of the least inhibited bedroom noises ever on wax!
IMPRESSIONS: ‘I Wish I’d Stayed In Bed’ (Curtom K 10736)
‘Stormy Weather’ strings and a lush loveliness permeate this dreamy smoocher.
MURRAY HEAD: ‘Someone’s Rocking My Dreamboat’ (Island WIP 6304)
An initial Ink Spots feel gradually builds up into a rooty-tooty singalong swinger, with MoR appeal.
CARL MANN: ‘Twilight Time’ (ABC 4120)
The old Memphis rocker adds a happy Country rhythm to the Platters classic, for MoR crowds.
RICHARD NEWSON ORCHESTRA: ‘Shark Bite’ (Splash CP 6)
Attractively orchestrated lightweight hustler.
AL GREEN: ‘Let It Shine’ (London HLU 10527)
Thumping semi-slowie, fine for fans.
WINSTON GROOVY: ‘Laugh And Grow Fat’ (Trojan TR 7964)
Cheerful pop-reggae, with hustling hi-hats and chuckling chick.
MR. SUPERBAD & THE MIGHTY SUPER POWER BAND: ‘Mr. Superbad’ (Contempo CS 2065)
“Sunglasses Fred” grunts and growls over hustling brass.
Import Picks
ROLLING STONES: ‘Hot Stuff’ (Rolling Stones RS 19304) (Billboard chart debut 5/22/76)
Yup, in the States this great album track is the handy-to-carry flip of ‘Fool To Cry’. Already showing up in the New York disco charts and much tipped here by the funkier DJs, it’s 5:21 of unedited funky stuff, much in the Bowie ‘Fame’ tradition.
THE BROTHERS: ‘Don’t Stop Now’ LP (RCA APL1-1157) (Billboard chart debut 4/10/76)
With four cuts being played in New York’s discos, this is the hottest dance album of the moment. ‘Under The Skin’ is a brassy bouncing hustler with a touch of the Atlanta Disco Band about it; ‘Make Love’ jumps along with lushly rhapsodical piano counterpointing the energetic rhythm; ‘Brothers Theme’ is somewhat similar but with shimmering strings around the rapping beat; ‘Last Chance To Dance‘ continues the trend with added fruity brass. If you’re into instrumental imports, this is for you.
BOOTSY’S RUBBER BAND: ‘Stretchin’ Out In Bootsy’s Rubber Band’ LP (Warner Bros. BS 2920)
Another that’s big in Britain’s black clubs, the ‘Stretchin’ Out’ title track is a burbling bass-driven bumper featuring Jimi Hendrix-style talk-singing by a gent named Casper. Disjointed but effectively spacey funk.
VICKI SUE ROBINSON: ‘Never Gonna Let You Go’ LP (RCA APL1-1256) (LP mentioned in Billboard column 2/14/76)
The good enough title track has of course been overtaken by the extremely exciting ‘Turn The Beat Around’, which here leads off the album in all its unedited 5:35 glory. In keeping with the lyrics, there are some dazzling percussion breaks towards the end which are missing from the single.
BROTHER TO BROTHER: ‘Let Your Mind Be Free’ LP (Turbo TU 7015) (LP mentioned in Billboard column 3/27/76)
Possibly bigger in Britain’s funky clubs than in America, the two prime cuts are ‘Chance With You’, sung smoothly in Ohio Players style over perpetually jiggling rhythms, and the faster title track, which has a more straightforward bouncy beat.
FOXY: ‘Get Off Your Aaahh! And Dance’ (Dash 5022) (mentioned in Billboard column 3/27/76, Billboard chart debut 4/17/76)
Titled after a less delicately-named chain of US discos, this squeakily hustling fast instrumental – with – voices is fairly typical and currently popular.
UK Disco Top 20 – May 29, 1976
01 02 Andrea True Connection – More, More, More – Buddah
02 01 Silver Convention – Get Up And Boogie – Magnet
03 05 Stylistics – Can’t Help Falling In Love – Avco
04 07 Bellamy Brothers – Let Your Love Flow – Warner Bros.
05 06 Jimmy James – I’ll Go Where The Music Takes Me – Pye
06 03 Hank Mizell – Jungle Rock – Charly
07 08 Diana Ross – Love Hangover – Tamla Motown
08 09 Johnnie Taylor – Disco Lady – CBS
09 04 Fox – S-S-S-Single Bed – GTO
10 NE Lee Garrett – You’re My Everything – Chrysalis
11 10 Tina Charles – Love Me Like A Lover – CBS
12 15 Sutherland Brothers & Quiver – Arms Of Mary – CBS
13 NE Billy Paul – Let’s Make A Baby – Philadelphia Int’l
14 NE Mud – Shake It Down – Private Stock
15 NE Candi Staton – Young Hearts Run Free – Warner Bros.
16 19 Harpo – Movie Star – DJM
17 13 Pioneers – Feel The Rhythm – Philips
18 NE Cliff Richard – Devil Woman – EMI
19 RE Trammps – Where The Happy People Go – Atlantic
20 12 Melba Moore – This Is It – Buddah
NE = new entry; RE = re-entry
Appeared in Billboard:
#1 (mentioned in Billboard column 1/3/76, Billboard chart debut 1/17/76)
#2 (mentioned in Billboard column 2/14/76, Billboard chart debut 3/13/76)
#5 (Billboard chart debut 4/17/76)
#7 (Billboard chart debut 2/28/76)
#8 (Billboard chart debut 3/20/76)
#14 (Billboard chart debut 10/30/76)
#15 (Billboard chart debut 4/17/76)
#19 (mentioned in Billboard column 11/8/75, Billboard chart debut 2/14/76)
#20 (mentioned in Billboard column 3/13/76, Billboard chart debut 4/3/76)
Songs mentioned in “DJ Hotline”:
FATBACK BAND: ‘Party Time’ (Polydor) (mentioned in Billboard column 12/20/75, Billboard chart debut 2/28/76)
HAROLD MELVIN & THE BLUE NOTES: ‘Tell The World How I Feel About ‘Cha Baby’ (Philadelphia Int’l) (Billboard chart debut 12/6/75)
James Hamilton's Disco Page 