Month: October 1976

New Spins

CAROL DOUGLAS: ‘Midnight Love Affair’ LP (Midland Int’l BKL 1-1798) (mentioned in Billboard column 7/31/76, Billboard chart debut 8/28/76)
Lovely Carol does a Donna Summer, making her current disco hit into one long unending album side by mixing in other similar songs.

GIORGIO: ‘Knights In White Satin’ LP (GTO GTLP 017) (Billboard chart debut 7/31/76)
And Donna’s own producer does likewise, stretching the Moodies’ song over one side and repeating the “coz I luv you” line.  Edited to a single (GTO GT 73), the sexy fast ‘I Wanna Funk With You Tonight‘ flip is good too.

ROSE ROYCE: ‘Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is’ (MCA 259) (Billboard chart debut 12/25/76)
Funky stuff from the ‘Car Wash’ crew.  Continue reading “October 30, 1976: Carol Douglas, Giorgio, Rose Royce, B.T. Express, Barry White”

The current Sex Pistols phenomenon is amazingly close to the Who situation in 1965. Back then, all the Mods identified with the Who because of the way they looked. However, apart from dabbling with James Brown and Motown numbers at live shows, the Who did not play music that the Mods danced to. As now, the kids were dancing to black American soul, the funk of the day. The Who represented their own life style.

The Pistols drew their following from modern funky fans at certain clubs, especially in the London area where the fashions get freakier but the music stays black. There, the kids go in for the torn T-shirts, chain from earlobe to nostril look that is outraging parents and forging a bond among the wearers. Sure, the Pistols have fans – as did the Who – that are only into white rock, but for the disco crowd, it’s the look that counts!

New Spins

TOWER OF POWER: ‘You Ought To Be Havin’ Fun’ (CBS 4675)
Choppy tighten up jiggler, with happy harmonies and proven appeal for funky jocks here, who already love it.

SHOWSTOPPERS: ‘Ain’t Nothing But A Houseparty’ (Cream CRM 5005)
Truly classic dancer from ’67, still a fave.

BARBARA PENNINGTON: ’24 Hours A Day’ (UA UP 36170) (Billboard chart debut 1/15/77)
Good churning thumper with catchy synthetic squawks and ultra-fast Northern flip.  Continue reading “October 23, 1976: “The current Sex Pistols phenomenon is amazingly close to the Who situation in 1965.””

New Spins

SANDPIPERS: ‘Hang On Sloopy’ (Satril SAT 114)
Suddenly everyone’s talking about this smooth fast hustling of the Vibrations’ oldie, by the ‘Guantanamera’ gang.

O’JAYS: ‘Message In Our Music’ (from LP ‘Message In The Music’, Philadelphia Int’l PIR 81460) (Billboard chart debut 9/11/76)
Infinitely superior to the single, the full 6:24 LP cut has some terrific breaks and is the one to use.

BANZAII: ‘Chinese Kung Fu’ (Contempo CX 12) (mentioned in Billboard column 6/28/75, Billboard chart debut 7/5/75)
Contempo are the first in Britain to put 12-inch disco 45s on sale to the public, the Tom Moulton re-mix here being flipped by ERNIE BUSH’s ‘Breakaway’.  Continue reading “October 16, 1976: Sandpipers, O’Jays, Banzaii, Armada Orchestra, Muscle Shoals Horns”

New Spins

PASADENA ROOF ORCHESTRA: ‘Cheek To Cheek’ (Transatlantic BIG 554)
Just made for MoR gigs, this is the best vintage-sounding version of the Fred Astaire quickstepper that I’ve ever heard.  Heaven!

STEVIE WONDER: ‘Isn’t She Lovely?’ (from LP ‘Songs In The Key Of Life’, Tamla Motown TMSP 6002) (LP Billboard chart debut 10/30/76)
Happy harmonica handclapper, the brightest disco hit from the sprawling set.  Other disco goodies are ‘I Wish’, ‘Sir Duke’, ‘Another Star’, ‘Ebony Eyes’ and ‘As’.

FLASH CADILLAC: ‘Did You Boogie With Your Baby’ (Private Stock PVT 60)
Now that it’s a US hit, the still popular re-issued romper has Wolfman Jack’s great voice-overs on the commercial copies too.  Continue reading “October 9, 1976: Pasadena Roof Orchestra, Stevie Wonder, Flash Cadillac, Jermaine Jackson, D.C. Larue”

New Spins

ERNIE MARESCA: ‘Shout! Shout! (Knock Yourself Out)’ (Seville SEV 1019)
Ernie’s classic Twist-tempo rocker has grown in stature since ’62, until now there can be few who won’t recognize it.  An all-time disco great, it goes perfectly with Dion, ‘At The Hop’, and the other hit revivals.  Try it and see!

HANK C BURNETTE: ‘Spinning Rock Boogie’ (Sonet SON 2094)
The most frantic guitar instrumental ever, full of freaky effects, this Swedish rocker has already caused a stir in London after Capital Radio play.  Literally incredible!

TAVARES: ‘Don’t Take Away The Music’ (Capitol CL 15886) (mentioned in Billboard column 6/5/76, Billboard chart debut 6/19/76)
Faster than ‘Heaven’, with skipping rhythm, catchy clapping hook (especially on Part 2) and much Northern appeal.  Continue reading “October 2, 1976: Ernie Maresca, Hank C. Burnette, Tavares, The Whispers, Love Unlimited Orchestra”