Month: January 1977

Disco Poll Results

Talk about exciting!  I was practically laying bets myself as the results unfolded with each new poll form.  Would Stevie hold off Abba?  (For a long time it was touch and go.)  Wait a minute, here comes Candi!  And look at Tavares go!  Right up to the final form, the finish was still in doubt.

All in all, a total of 164 Disco DJ’s voted, of whom 13 failed to fill in the first general audience reaction section of the voting form.  Luckily, a number of disco goers did fill in this section, with obvious knowledge and interest – many thanks to you all.

The first question, to discover the definitive disco hits of ’76, asked for three nominations in order of preference.  First choice got 3 points, second got 2 points and third got 1.  In all other sections the votes were scored as 1 for each answer, including the multiple answers possible from some questions.

DISCO HITS

1. Stevie Wonder – Isn’t She Lovely – Motown LP cut
2. Candi Staton – Young Hearts Run Free – Warner Bros.
3. Tavares – Don’t Take Away The Music – Capitol
4. Abba – Dancing Queen – Epic
5. Four Seasons – December ’63 – Warner Bros.
6. Tina Charles – I Love To Love – CBS
7. Tavares – Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel – Capitol
8. Wild Cherry – Play That Funky Music – Epic
9. Ritchie Family – The Best Disco In Town – Polydor
10. (tie) Jesse Green – Nice And Slow – EMI
10. (tie) Elton John & Kiki Dee – Don’t Go Breaking My Heart – Rocket
12. (tie) Brass Construction – Movin’ – UA
12. (tie) O’Jays – I Love Music – Philadelphia Int’l
14. Trammps – Where The Happy People Go – Atlantic
15. (tie) Bee Gees – You Should Be Dancing – RSO
15. (tie) Lalo Schifrin – Jaws – CTI
17. (tie) Bryan Ferry – Let’s Stick Together – Island
17. (tie) Diana Ross – Love Hangover – Motown
17. (tie) Rose Royce – Car Wash – MCA
20. (tie) James Brown – Get Up Offa That Thing – Polydor
20. (tie) Pussycat – Mississippi – Sonet
20. (tie) Silver Convention – Get Up And Boogie – Magnet
23. (tie) Boney M – Daddy Cool – Atlantic
23. (tie) Chicago – If You Leave Me Now – CBS
23. (tie) Dr. Feelgood – Roxette – UA
23. (tie) Mistura – The Flasher – Route
23. (tie) Billy Ocean – Love Really Hurts Without You – GTO
23. (tie) Donna Summer – Try Me, I Know We Can Make It – GTO LP cut
29. (tie) Rick Dees – Disco Duck – RSO
29. (tie) Donna Summer – Could It Be Magic – GTO
29. (tie) Andrea True Connection – More, More, More – Buddah  Continue reading “January 29, 1977: Disco Poll Results”

Tavares have a new maxi out . . . and the big news is that the first 25,000 copies have been pressed in the popular 12 inch disco format, yet sell at a normal 70p!

Featuring one track from each of their four albums, it’s unfortunately not all that disco orientated as both ‘I Hope She Chooses Me’ and ‘Strangers In Dark Corners’ are slow, and the driving ‘My Ship’ is rather dated. However, the happily bouncing lead track (Capitol 12 CL 15905) is ‘Mighty Power Of Love’ from the ‘Sky High’ set which has already produced their last two hits, and although not as strong it should do well.

Capitol have plumped for the 45 rpm speed for their UK 12 inchers, incidentally, while so far our Disco Poll participants seem fairly well divided in favour of both 45 and 33rpm. Full poll results will hopefully be ready by next week’s issue, so stay tuned!

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New Spins

MASS PRODUCTION: ‘Welcome To Our World’ LP (Cotillion K 50331) (Billboard chart debut 10/23/76)
Bigger than Brass Construction for many DJ’s, the great title track’s a compulsive polyrhythmic funky stomper, while other good ‘uns are ”I Like To Dance‘, ‘Wine Flow Disco‘, and ‘Magic‘.

BRICK: ‘Dazz’ (Bang 004) (Billboard chart debut 9/4/76)
Monster US cool funker, combining disco and jazz with hypnotic results.  Continue reading “January 22, 1977: Mass Production, Brick, Blackbyrds, Archie Bell & The Drells, Mike & Bill”

New Spins

King Kong has made his mark at the cinema again, and now crops up on three new singles – all aimed at discos and all with instrumental version B-sides.  Kong and the movie may be big, but not THAT big, surely?

RICK DEES: ‘Disgorilla’ (RSO 2090217)
Similar to his Duck maybe, yet it’s lively enough once it gets going to be good disco fun.

JIMMY CASTOR BUNCH: ‘King Kong’ (Atlantic K 10675) (mentioned in Billboard column 9/27/75)
Repetitive rattling rhythm, monotonous melody, saved by funky gibbon grunts.

BOBBY PICKETT & PETER FERRARA: ‘King Kong (Your Song)’ (Polydor 2066754)
Less instant but the best jokes, this keeps to the original film’s storyline and could be a sleeper worth working.  Continue reading “January 15, 1977: Rick Dees, Jimmy Castor Bunch, Bobby Pickett, Boz Scaggs, Thelma Houston”

Disco Poll

Well, as you must have noticed, the Disco Page managed to get through Xmas and the New Year without having to resort to boring “Best of ’76” lists!  However, it might be nice to know which of the disco hits from the last 12 months have ended up as your most favourite dancing records.  This is NOT a Pop Poll, it is designed solely to discover which were the sounds that you (or, if you’re a DJ, your audiences) enjoyed dancing to the most.  That naturally includes every type of music . . . as long as it is danceable!

While the poll is open to everyone, there is a special section for DJ’s only.  Completion of this by as many DJ’s as possible will make the results of special interest to the disco industry, so please do take part.

Address your completed forms to DISCO POLL, Record Mirror, Spotlight House, 1 Benwell Road, London N7 7AX, so that they arrive by Thursday, January 20.

DISCO HITS (Singles or LP tracks, in order of preference)
1
2
3

SOLO SINGER

VOCAL GROUP

DISCO BAND

LIVE DISCO ACT

DISCO PRODUCER(S)

FAVOURITE DISCO MUSIC (Soul, Funk, Northern, Pop, Rock, Reggae, Bop, etc)

LEAST FAVOURITE DISCO MUSIC

NAME
 
 ADDRESS

DISCO DJ SECTION

NAME OF DISCO (MOBILE)
and/or
DETAILS OF RESIDENCIES (Venue and town names, nights worked)

TYPES OF MUSIC PLAYED

FULL OR PART TIME DJ?

HOW LONG AS A DJ?

FAVOURITE RADIO DJ

PERSONAL TASTE IN MUSIC

MOST EFFICIENT PROMOTION SERVICE (if you are on record company mailing lists)

SHOULD 12-INCHERS BE 33 OR 45RPM? (if you use them)

DO YOU USE MANY ALBUMS?

DO YOU USE MANY IMPORTS?

DO YOU USE JINGLES? (cart, cassette or disc?)

MOST RELIABLE EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS (if you can recommend any)

MOST RELIABLE EQUIPMENT SUPPLIERS (ditto)

THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY (Disco hit that should have charted)

PET PEEVE OF THE YEAR

IS THERE ANY REGULAR FEATURE NOT ALREADY IN THIS DISCO PAGE THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE?

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New Spins

BAR-KAYS: ‘Shake Your Rump To The Funk’ (Mercury 6167417) (Billboard chart debut 10/9/76)
Big already, it’s a typical Ohio Players-style funker, complete with funny voices.

HEATWAVE: ‘Boogie Nights’ (GTO GT 77) (Billboard chart debut 4/23/77)
The UK funksters’ catchiest and best yet, this mixes beautifully out of Donna Summer’s ‘Spring Affair’.

DR. BUZZARD’S ORIGINAL SAVANNAH BAND: ‘Cherchez La Femme’ (RCA PB 0827) (Billboard chart debut 6/26/76)
Edited from the LP, their big US disco hit is a lovely subtle thudder with strange hypnotic vocals and offbeat appeal.  Continue reading “January 8, 1977: Disco Poll”

A Northern Bonanza

The Loma label lasted from late ’64 to early ’69 as Warner Bros’ US outlet for strictly R&B product.

For most of its life it was run by Bob Krasnow, who hired such top producers as Jerry Ragnovoy, George Kerr, Van McCoy, Gene Page and even James Brown to build up its talent roster. Despite a number of hits, Loma never became a truly major force in black music, but with the passage of time its records have inevitably become much in demand with the Northern Soul fans in Britain. Now, in possibly an unprecedented move, WEA have given Loma its own label identity in the UK, and issued an incredible 7 albums which contain all the in-demand Northern oldies plus a lot of good soul music besides!

Titled ‘This is Loma, Volumes 1-7’ (K 56265/66/67/68/69/70/71), the albums tend to duplicate a lot of artists, making individual details difficult to give. But some of the acts are Bob & Earl, Lonnie Youngblood, Soul Shakers, Enchanters, Olympics, Roy Redmond, Ike & Tina Turner, Invincibles, Brenda Hall, Apollas, Frankie Love, Teen Turbans, Barry Beefus, Lukas Lollipop, Mighty Hannibal, Billy Storm, Dick Jensen, Carl Hall, Jammers, Ben Aiken, Little Joe Cook, G-Clefs, JJ Jackson and Linda Jones.

‘Volume 7’ (K 56271) contains 24 tracks, comprising one whole album from each of the last two: JJ’s ‘But It’s Alright’ classic leads off ‘The Great JJ Jackson’ side, while the superbly soulful (and sadly late departed) Linda is represented by both the title track and the whole of her incredible 1967 ‘Hypnotized’ set, produced by George Kerr at the same time as he was working with the O’Jays. An ungainly girl, Miss Jones had a goosebump-making singing style that was even better live, but still thrills today on wax.

Each album has excellent liner notes by a different leading soul expert and – even if their disco application is limited to Northern DJ’s – they make fascinating listening for collectors and soul fans alike.  Continue reading “January 1, 1977: A Northern Bonanza – the Loma label”