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?
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.
EAGLES: ‘New Kid In Town’ (Asylum K 13069)
Gentle and relaxing maybe, but great with such as Steely Dan.
LEON HAYWOOD: ‘The Streets Will Love You To Death’ (CBS 4735)
Funkily loping soulful thumper with a simpler chant and instrumental Part II.
MOMENTS: ‘Jack In The Box’ (All Platinum 6146318)
Innocuous candy floss with Comput-a-hit rhythm.
HAROLD MELVIN & THE BLUE NOTES: ‘Don’t Leave Me This Way’ (Philadelphia Int’l PIR 4909) (mentioned in Billboard column 12/6/75, Billboard chart debut 12/20/75)
Year-old album track swayer with Four Tops-style energy spurts.
DUPARS: ‘Love Cookin” (Contempo CS 2104)
Bumpy bass and cooing chix cook up a hot one, now on ordinary 45.
F.B.I.: ‘F.B.I.’ (Good Earth GD 6)
Old fashioned Sly-style herky jerky funker.
JOHN HOLT: ‘You’ll Never Find’ (Trojan TRO 7991)
Bass-heavy reggae reworking of the Lou Rawls hit.
LINDA & THE FUNKY BOYS: ‘Climbing The Steps Of Love’ (Spark SRL 1149) (Billboard chart debut 4/2/77)
Two slick sides with all the right noises but a certain facile triteness.
Mix-Master
Well worth trying, these two segue sequences worked like a treat for me over Xmas. Choose with care your mixing point so that the pace doesn’t flag, and go with ROSE ROYCE ‘Car Wash’ (MCA LP cut), mixing on the bass bit into MASS PRODUCTION ‘Welcome To Our World’ (Cotillion LP cut), into the main theme from SALSOUL ORCHESTRA ‘Salsoul 3001’ (Salsoul LP cut), then VAN MCCOY ‘Soul Cha Cha’ (H&L LP cut) / TABOU COMBO ‘New York City’ (Decca LP cut) / GEORGES MOUSTAKI ‘La Philosophie – Batucada’ (Polydor LP cut), which brings you to ‘Y Viva Espana’ or something similarly jolly!
Segue number two goes: JR. WALKER ‘How Sweet It Is’ (Tamla Motown) / STEVIE WONDER ‘Isn’t She Lovely’ (Motown LP cut) / RONNIE MCNEIR ‘Goodbye After Sunday’ (Motown LP cut) / NATALIE COLE ‘This Will Be’ (Capitol) / TRAMMPS ‘Hold Back The Night’ (Buddah) / LOU RAWLS ‘Groovy People’ (Philadelphia Int’l LP cut) – which is such a sizzler that you might find it hard to follow!
UK Disco Top 20 – January 8, 1977
01 01 Showaddywaddy – Under The Moon Of Love – Bell
02 12 Stevie Wonder – I Wish – Motown
03 20 Status Quo – Wild Side Of Life – Vertigo
04 10 Paul Nicholas – Grandma’s Party – RSO
05 02 Leo Sayer – You Make Me Feel Like Dancing – Chrysalis
06 03 Stevie Wonder – Isn’t She Lovely – Motown
07 04 KC & The Sunshine Band – Keep It Comin’ Love – Jay Boy
08 13 Tina Charles – Dr. Love – CBS
09 14 Billy Ocean – Stop Me – GTO
10 NE Johnny Mathis – When A Child Is Born – CBS
11 07 ABBA – Money, Money, Money – Epic
12 18 Boney M – Daddy Cool – Atlantic
13 09 Tavares – Don’t Take Away The Music – Capitol
14 05 Wild Cherry – Play That Funky Music – Epic
15 NE Mike Oldfield – Portsmouth – Virgin
16 11 Rose Royce – Car Wash – MCA
17 06 Electric Light Orchestra – Livin’ Thing – Jet
18 NE Wizzard – I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day – Harvest
19 NE Slade – Merry Xmas Everybody – Polydor
20 16 Chris Hill – Bionic Santa – Philips
NE = new entry; RE = re-entry
Appeared in Billboard:
#2 (mentioned in Billboard column 10/16/76, Billboard chart debut 10/23/76)
#5 (Billboard chart debut 12/18/76)
#6 (Billboard chart debut 10/30/76)
#7 (Billboard chart debut 10/30/76)
#12 (mentioned in Billboard column 9/25/76, Billboard chart debut 11/20/76)
#13 (mentioned in Billboard column 6/5/76, Billboard chart debut 6/19/76)
#14 (Billboard chart debut 9/4/76)
#16 (Billboard chart debut 10/2/76)
Songs mentioned in “DJ Hotline”:
STANLEY BLACK: ‘La Cumparsita’ (Decca)
TAVARES: ‘Being With You’ (Capitol LP cut)
AL GREEN: ‘Keep Me Crying’ (London)
MIROSLAV VITOUS: ‘New York City’ (Warner Bros. LP cut) (Billboard chart debut 5/15/76)
T-CONNECTION: ‘Disco Magic’ (Seville) (mentioned in Billboard column 7/24/76, Billboard chart debut 9/4/76)
UNDISPUTED TRUTH: ‘You + Me = Love’ (Warner Bros.) (Billboard chart debut 7/24/76)
CLODAGH RODGERS: ‘Save Me’ (Polydor)
BRASS CONSTRUCTION: ‘Ha Cha Cha’ (UA LP cut) (Billboard chart debut 11/20/76)
VAN MCCOY: ‘Soul Cha Cha’ (H&L LP cut – US import) (Billboard chart debut 10/9/76)
BRICK: ‘Dazz’ (Bang – US import) (Billboard chart debut 9/4/76)
JOHNNY BRISTOL: ‘Do It To My Mind’ (Polydor)
THE JACKSONS: ‘Enjoy Yourself’ (Epic) (Billboard chart debut 10/30/76)
SNOBALL: ‘The House is Rockin” (Chrysalis)
James Hamilton's Disco Page 