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.
GLEN CAMPBELL: ‘Wichita Lineman’ (Capitol CL 15888)
Essential MoR slowie from ’68.
PAUL DAVIDSON: ‘Rhinestone Cowboy’ (Tropical AL 063)
Nice uptempo skanga rhythm retread of Glen Campbell’s hit.
BLUES BUSTERS: ‘Sweetest Thing’ (Dynamic DYN 117)
Grow-on-you reggae semi-slowie, disco mixed by Tom Moulton.
TONY WILSON: ‘I Like Your Style’ (Bearsville K 15526)
Ex-Hot Choc, Tony rocks his baby with stereo effects and TK rhythm.
SWEET: ‘Funk It Up’ (RCA 2748)
Uh-oh, their flip’s a ‘Hot Stuff’-style thumper, worth checking!
MIDNITE: ‘Raining In My Heart’ (President PT 454)
Good chugalong treatment of Buddy Holly’s hit.
JOHN STEVENS’ AWAY: ‘Can’t Explain’ (Vertigo 605 9154)
Avant-garde funker with nagging sax riff.
BO-BELLES: ‘Girl, Don’t Make Me Wait’ (Arista 72)
Sprightly UK version of a melodic Northern pounder.
FRED HUGHES: ‘Oo Wee Baby, I Love You’ (DJM DJS 10717)
Haunting semi-slow soul classic from ’65.
BARRY BIGGS: ‘Side Show’ (Dynamic DYN 118)
Blue Magic’s sweet slowie with synthetic strings and gentle reggae pulse.
LABI SIFFRE: ‘La-De-Da-Da-Da’ (EMI 2526)
Strong ‘Brown Sugar’ beat, trite lyrics.
THE ROWANS: ‘Ooh My Love’ (Asylum K 13059)
Coolly oohing guys on a white harmony shuffler.
RUBY JAMES: ‘You Burn A Hole In My Soul’ (Rak 243)
Biddu-penned/produced Northern tempo thumper, quite bright.
GLORIA JONES: ‘I Ain’t Going Nowhere’ (EMI 2522)
Newly-made Northern stomper from the ‘Heartbeat’ gal.
WILLIAM GOLDSTEIN: ‘Midnight Rhapsody’ (Motown TMG 1055)
Computerised disco fodder, lushly instrumented over trendy bass line.
SURPRISE SISTERS: ‘I Ain’t No Mountain’ (Good Earth GD 5)
Honking harmony chugger.
CATE BROTHERS: ‘Where Can We Go’ (Asylum K 13062)
Classily building blue-eyed hustler with over-long intro.
ARBRE: ‘Senorita’ (DJM DJS 10716)
Steely Dan/Eagles-type UK strummer.
ARTHUR CONLEY: ‘Funky Street’ (Atlantic K 10115)
Badly dated old soul clapper from ’68.
DON HIGH & MIGHTY: ‘Black Cojack’ (Contempo CS 2093)
Funky rhythm jiggler, a bit murky.
ALAN TEW ORCHESTRA: ‘The Sweeney’ (Epic EPC 4676)
Bouncy theme with MoR and Pop possibilities.
SWINGLE II: ‘String Of Pearls’ (CBS 4669)
Wordless “yabadaba” treatment of Glenn Miller’s MoR quick-stepper.
UK Disco Top 20 – October 23, 1976
01 01 Rick Dees – Disco Duck – RSO
02 02 Ritchie Family – Best Disco In Town – Polydor
03 11 Tavares – Don’t Take Away The Music – Capitol
04 04 Real Thing – Can’t Get By Without You – Pye
05 05 Tina Charles – Dance Little Lady Dance – CBS
06 07 Wild Cherry – Play That Funky Music – Epic
07 03 ABBA – Dancing Queen – Epic
08 06 Lalo Schifrin – Jaws – CTI
09 09 Detroit Spinners – Rubberband Man – Atlantic
10 08 James Brown – Get Up Offa That Thing – Polydor
11 NE Paul Nicholas – Dancing With The Captain – RSO
12 19 Pussycat – Mississippi – Sonet
13 NE Climax Blues Band – Couldn’t Get It Right – BTM
14 18 Hot Blood – Soul Dracula – Creole
15 NE Feathers – Lost Summer Love – Bell
16 NE Average White Band – Queen Of My Soul – Atlantic
17 NE Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – Tears Of A Clown – Tamla Motown
18 NE Chicago – If You Leave Me Now – CBS
19 RE Tommy Hunt – Loving On The Losing Side – Spark
20 NE Mister Charge – Show Me (What You’re Made Of) – Target
NE = new entry; RE = re-entry
Appeared in Billboard:
#1 (Billboard chart debut 9/11/76)
#2 (Billboard chart debut 7/10/76)
#3 (mentioned in Billboard column 6/5/76, Billboard chart debut 6/19/76)
#5 (Billboard chart debut 10/23/76)
#6 (Billboard chart debut 9/4/76)
#7 (mentioned in Billboard column 12/11/76)
#8 (mentioned in Billboard column 6/12/76, Billboard chart debut 7/17/76)
#9 (Billboard chart debut 8/7/76)
#10 (Billboard chart debut 9/4/76)
Songs mentioned in “DJ Hotline”:
BONEY M.: ‘Daddy Cool’ (Atlantic) (mentioned in Billboard column 9/25/76, Billboard chart debut 11/20/76)
ROSE ROYCE: ‘Car Wash’ (MCA – US import) (Billboard chart debut 10/2/76)
BOZ SCAGGS: ‘Lowdown’ (CBS) (mentioned in Billboard column 4/3/76, Billboard chart debut 5/29/76)
THE WHISPERS: ‘One For The Money’ (Soul Train) (mentioned in Billboard column 6/19/76, Billboard chart debut 6/26/76)
STEVIE WONDER: ‘Isn’t She Lovely?’ (Motown LP cut) (Billboard chart debut 10/30/76)
DR. FEELGOOD: ‘Roxette’ (UA)
James Hamilton's Disco Page 