Month: September 1976

New Spins

LALO SCHIFRIN: ‘Jaws’ (CTI CTSP 005) (mentioned in Billboard column 6/12/76, Billboard chart debut 7/17/76)
The biggest import since Brass Construction, this monotonous discotization buries the frightening movie theme in booming bass, rattling rhythms and sundry synthetics.  It’ll be a monster.

DR. BUZZARD’S ORIGINAL SAVANNAH BAND: ‘Cherchez La Femme’ / ‘Sour And Sweet‘ / ‘I’ll Play The Fool‘ (LP RCA RS 1072) (Billboard chart debut 6/26/76)
Huge in America, the long-awaited album’s a mixture of cooled-out Manhattan Transfer, big band and hustle sounds, very subtle and appealing.  Will it go here, though?  The last-named track’s a single (RCA 2736), with Thom Bell-type beat.

BONEY M.: ‘Baby Do You Wanna Bump’ (Creole CR 119)
Reactivated for all the Northern jocks who’ve latterly found this great ‘Al Capone’-like bumper, which is still big down South.  Continue reading “September 25, 1976: Lalo Schifrin, Dr. Buzzard, Boney M, Crusaders, Mighty Sparrow”

New Spins

DEAF SCHOOL: ‘What A Way To End It All’ (Warner Bros. K 16812)
Not immediately danceable, but believe me, this zany Sparks/Roxy-type pastiche is gonna be a smash!

GOLDEN FIDDLE ORCHESTRA: ‘The Golden Fiddle March’ (Mountain TOP 13)
Immensely useful for mobile jocks, it’s great “Och aye the noo” Gay Gordons-type music, with a flipside set of ‘Reels’ that’s the best I’ve ever heard on single.

JIMMY SHAND: ‘Bluebell Polka’ (EMI 2513)
More sedately jaunty, Scottish stuff (unfortunately a remake of his ’55 hit).  Continue reading “September 18, 1976: Deaf School, Golden Fiddle Orchestra, Jimmy Shand, Wild Cherry, Afric Simone”

Ben Cree has resigned his leadership of the National Association of DJs. His announcement cleared the air before disco manufacturers and DJs met on Monday at London’s Ski Club to decide on future trade organisations for the industry.

Divided into two meetings, the DJs and manufacturers each agreed on plans to form their own separate associations.

The unanimous vote was for a new Disc Jockey Federation, DJF (UK), totally disassociated from the NADJ.

Current members will be contacted by the committee of the new Federation, which is still in the discussion stage, but it will not be directly involved in the running of trade exhibitions.

This will be handled by the British Association of Discotheque Equipment Manufacturers, formed after a vote among the sixteen leading manufacturers who attended the meeting, chaired by Dave Durie of Optikinetics. Constituted to further the interests of and promote the British disco industry, BADEM’s first move is to form a steering committee to conduct a three months’ survey within the industry, so that the articles of association will have full industry approval. Membership details of BADEM will be available shortly but meanwhile enquiries will be handled by Optikinetics, Project Electronics or FAI.

One of BADEM’s first aims will be to mount a disco trade show next year. But, stressed Dave Durie, “BADEM will be working closer with the DJF.”

New Spins

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpJsOep-wXs

SONS OF CHAMPLIN: ‘Hold On’ (Ariola America AA 106) (Billboard chart debut 6/5/76)
Great whomping blue-eyed funker, powered by the beat of the moment.  An import fave of mine for some time.

MANHATTAN TRANSFER: ‘Chanson D’Amour’ (from LP ‘Coming Out’, Atlantic K 50291)
Art and Dotty Todd’s dreamy romancer from ’58 is the album’s high point, an MoR must, but there are also more mundane disco dancers and a good Latin track.

JOHN DENVER: ‘Polka Dots And Moonbeams’ (from LP ‘Spirit’, RCA APL1-1694)
Yeah – gulp! – but, honestly, this dead slow Nilsson-esque reading of the old schmaltzy smoocher is lovely MoR and worth single release.  Continue reading “September 11, 1976: Sons Of Champlin, Manhattan Transfer, John Denver, The Hollies, Pi R Squared”

New Spins

RITCHIE FAMILY: ‘The Best Disco In Town (Pts. 1 & 2)’ (Polydor 2058777) (Billboard chart debut 7/10/76)
Here it is, the great girlie group dancer that cleverly quotes key hook phrases and sounds from all the big disco by artists such as Silver Convention, O’Jays, BT Express and more.  Part 2’s got the best bits and the most impact.

RICK DEES & HIS CAST OF IDIOTS: ‘Disco Duck’ (RSO 2090204) (Billboard chart debut 9/11/76)
Silliness from a Memphis DJ, who invents a new dance craze and starts talking like Donald Duck!  Good novelty and a strong disco beat.

DINAH WASHINGTON: ‘September In The Rain’ (Mercury 6167419)
Actually a Spring record if you but listen to the words, it’s a lovely old romancer and great MoR.  The dead slow flip is her original ‘What A Diff’rence A Day Makes’.  Continue reading “September 4, 1976: Ritchie Family, Rick Dees, Dinah Washington, The Real Thing, Barrabas”