Disco ’76, the NADJ-run trade exhibition scheduled for September 6/7/8, at London’s Bloomsbury Centre Hotel, may now take place under different auspices.
Ben Cree, NADJ organiser, last week confessed to a meeting of exhibitors that their Disco ’76 deposits had already been used for other unrelated NADJ activities, and that he had been unable to pay the hotel its advance booking charge to confirm the venue. It is understood that the Centre Hotels group have cancelled the NADJ’s booking.
Undaunted, Cree is now looking for a new London venue, and says: “the NADJ is definitely running a Disco ’76 show in London.”
Naturally concerned at this turn of events, the exhibiting manufacturers have passed a vote of no confidence in Cree’s handling of Disco ’76, and are planning to mount the exhibition under another name and with a new sponsor.
As a temporary measure until a new sponsor can be found, the September 6 and 7 dates at the Bloomsbury Centre are being held as a provisional booking by Roger Squire, the Disco Centre chief.
In a message to manufacturers, Squire says “exhibitors should not panic, as the exhibition will be reconstituted one way or another, although at this stage it’s uncertain under whose sponsorhip.”
It is possible that a committee of five or six manufacturers will be formed to organise the mounting of the exhibition, and there is talk of co-operation between competing firms to help the disco industry as a whole.
Under the new plans, it appears that deposits already paid to NADJ for exhibition space will be honoured by the trade consortium as if paid to them, but from this point on all other intending exhibitors must be sure that they know for which exhibition they are booking.
New Spins
CLIFF RICHARD: ‘I Can’t Ask For Anymore Than You’ (EMI 2499)
The public rejected the Shadows when they did a falsetto disco thumper, but they’ll surely go for Cliff.
TAVARES: ‘It Only Takes A Minute’ (Capitol CL 15832) (Billboard chart debut 8/2/75)
Although lacking the catchy Pop intro of Jo King’s cover, this, the original, is full of authentic funky bounce.
PHILHARMONIC 2000: ‘Save Our Soul’ (Philips 6006536)
Incredibly useful short funky version of ‘God Save The Queen’, followed by the Looney Tunes’ “that’s all folks!”. The ‘Disconcerto’ A-side’s a fast hustling Tchaikovsky-A-Go-Go effort.
BRIGATI: ‘Groovin” (Elektra K 12218)
Eddie of the Rascals redoes their classic with a great plopping uptempo which doesn’t obscure the pretty melody.
ROBIN SARSTEDT: ‘Let’s Fall In Love’ (Decca F 13662)
Less adventurous than the last one, his latest romantic oldie is still lovely MoR.
GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIPS: ‘Make Yours A Happy Home’ (Buddah BDS 447)
From Curtis Mayfield’s ‘Claudine’ soundtrack, this exuberant sophisticated swayer is the best they’ve done for Buddah.
BOB WILLIAMSON: ‘Kippers’ (EMI 2503)
Extremely accurate-sounding but totally hilarious rewrite of ‘Save Your Kisses For Me’, which now becomes “kippers for tea”! Great MoR.
SLIM DUSTY: ‘A Pub With No Beer’ (EMI 2498)
Timely re-release for this mournful Aussie hit from ’58, what with “sorry, no draught” notices abounding.
LITTLE ANTHONY & THE IMPERIALS: ‘Better Use Your Head’ (UA UP 36141)
Fast Northern classic from ’66, already causing a stir. The ‘Gonna Fix You Good‘ flip is Supremes-styled.
BILLY FURY: ‘Turn My Back On You’ (Nems NES 018)
The best Rockabilly record ever cut in Britain, it’s a great bopper. However, ‘Halfway To Paradise‘ (yes, the original) is the even more useful A-side!
MUNGO JERRY: ‘Give Me Bop’ (Polydor 2058759)
Creditably real and raw Rockabilly hidden on B-side.
SHOWADDYWADDY: ‘Go Johnny Go’ (Bell 1489)
Despite label confusion, this good rocking B-side is a revival of Gene Vincent’s ‘Say Mama’.
SLINGBACK: ‘Patrice Lumumba’ (Handkerchief HANKY 8)
Odd title for what amounts to a Fifth of Grieg – a funked-up treatment of the Nescafe theme from Pier Gynt.
RAMONA WULF: ‘Save The Last Dance For Me’ (Sonet SON 2091)
The Silver Conventioneer on a very pleasant Made-In-Munich revival of the Drifters’ classic.
MARTYN FORD ORCHESTRA: ‘Theme From “A Summer Place”’ (Mountain TOP 16)
Modernised but still slow and dreamy, while the ‘Life Is A Carnival‘ flip is a slightly messy funker.
NOTATIONS: ‘Think Before You Stop’ (Curtom K 16696) (Billboard chart debut 7/26/75)
Lightly skipping soulful harmonies and a good bouncy beat.
SAM LENO: ‘Experience’ (Sol-doon SDR 007)
Thoroughly derivative piano chords and a powerful bass line combine to make this driving thumper oddly haunting.
EQUALS: ‘Funky Like A Train’ (Mercury 6007106)
Monotonous like a machine, more like, but that’s the way some of our top funky jocks seem to like it.
UK Disco Top 20 – July 31, 1976
01 02 Elton John & Kiki Dee – Don’t Go Breaking My Heart – Rocket
02 01 Candi Staton – Young Hearts Run Free – Warner Bros.
03 06 Tavares – Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel – Capitol
04 04 Bryan Ferry – Let’s Stick Together – Island
05 03 Real Thing – You To Me Are Everything – Pye
06 05 Hundred Ton & A Feather – It Only Takes A Minute – UK
07 09 War – Me And Baby Brother – Island
08 NE KC & The Sunshine Band – Shake Your Booty – Jay Boy
09 11 Ohio Players – Who’d She Coo – Mercury
10 14 T. Rex – I Love To Boogie – EMI
11 10 Dr. Hook – A Little Bit More – Capitol
12 NE Jimmy James & The Vagabonds – Now Is The Time – Pye
13 NE James Brown – Get Up Offa That Thing – Polydor
14 08 Isley Brothers – Harvest For The World – Epic
15 17 David Dundas – Jeans On – Air
16 20 Billy Ocean – Love On Delivery – GTO
17 RE Walter Murphy – A Fifth Of Beethoven – Private Stock
18 NE Heads Together – Disco Truckin’ Mama – Charisma
19 NE Bee Gees – You Should Be Dancing – RSO
20 07 Manhattans – Kiss And Say Goodbye – CBS
NE = new entry; RE = re-entry
Appeared in Billboard:
#2 (Billboard chart debut 4/17/76)
#3 (mentioned in Billboard column 5/15/76, Billboard chart debut 5/22/76)
#5 (Billboard chart debut 11/6/76)
#8 (mentioned in Billboard column 7/17/76, Billboard chart debut 7/31/76)
#9 (Billboard chart debut 9/18/76)
#13 (Billboard chart debut 9/4/76)
#17 (Billboard chart debut 5/1/76)
#19 (Billboard chart debut 7/10/76)
Songs mentioned in “DJ Hotline”:
LOU RAWLS: ‘You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine’ (Philadelphia Int’l) (Billboard chart debut 5/22/76)
MARLENA SHAW: ‘It’s Better Than Walking Out’ (Blue Note) (mentioned in Billboard column 4/3/76, Billboard chart debut 6/5/76)
SOUND 9418: ‘The Lonely Bull Meets La Bamba And Lives’ (UK)
CANDI STATON: ‘Run To Me’ (Warner Bros. LP cut) (mentioned in Billboard column 6/26/76, Billboard chart debut 7/4/76)
THE RICHMOND STRING ORCHESTRA: ‘Boots And Saddles’ (Ronco)
BARRY BIGGS: ‘Work All Day’ (Dynamic)
SUPERTRAMP: ‘Hide In Your Shell’ (A&M LP cut)
DISCO DUB BAND: ‘For The Love Of Money’ (Movers) (mentioned in Billboard column 5/8/76)
RHYTHM MAKERS: ‘Zone’ (Polydor) (Billboard chart debut 1/31/76)
STRUTT: ‘Time Moves On’ (Brunswick) (mentioned in Billboard column 4/3/76, Billboard chart debut 4/10/76)
BABE RUTH: ‘Elusive’ (Capitol) (Billboard chart debut 11/29/75)
TRAMMPS: ‘Soul Searchin’ Time’ (Atlantic) (mentioned in Billboard column 4/17/76, Billboard chart debut 4/24/76)
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