Are you a DJ on Creole’s mailing list? If so, you’d better check out their new ‘Non-Stop Disco Chartbusters’ album (CRLP 508), as your name is likely to be on the back of it!
Creole have listed all 500 or so DJ’s that were on their books at the end of last year – but, here’s the rub, they’re not sending the album out to them even though they’re thanked for their “continued support”.
How long that support remains forthcoming we must now wait and see, while for those who are interested the album itself really is non-stop, with every track mixing fairly intelligently into the next without even the tiniest gap.
Basically instrumental and decidedly hustling, it contains tracks like CRISPY & CO ‘Brazil’, CHEQUERS ‘Undecided Love’, HOT BLOOD ‘Soul Dracula’, BONEY M ‘Baby Do You Wanna Bump’, BOBBY AZEFF ‘My Way’, LAFAYETTE STREET ‘Chariot’ and SOUL AFFAIR ORCHESTRA ‘Amor Amor’, all in a flurry of sizzling cymbals.
New Spins
SONS OF ROBIN STONE: ‘Got To Get You Back’ (Atlantic K 10723) (Billboard chart debut 10/26/74)
Near legendary 1974 New York disco hit, a cool vocal group thudder, recently released along with other better-known old Warner/Atlantic hits.
ARTHUR PRYSOCK: ‘When Love Is New’ (Polydor 2058842) (mentioned in Billboard column 10/30/76, Billboard chart debut 11/20/76)
Lovely jaunty mellow hustler in Lou Rawls style, big in US and a chart chance here.
MEXICANO: ‘Move Up Starsky’ (Baal BDN 38037)
Strong reggae skanker with definite hit prospects, now out through Pye.
DEODATO: ‘Peter Gunn’ (MCA 272) (Billboard chart debut 10/2/76)
Dynamite funky update of the old TV theme.
FATBACK BAND: ‘Double Dutch’ (Polydor 2066777) (mentioned in Billboard column 1/22/77)
Logical and self-confessed follow-on from ‘Bus Stop’.
20TH CENTURY STEEL BAND: ‘Dance Away’ (UA UP 36213)
Infectious churning stomper, their funkiest and best yet.
GLEN CAMPBELL: ‘William Tell Overture’ (Capitol CL 15907)
Great knees-up gallop, much better than Mike Oldfield and equal to Piltdown Men.
OHIO PLAYERS: ‘Feel The Beat (Everybody Disco)’ (from LP ‘Gold’, Mercury 9100030)
Spiky tempo-jerking funker, their current US hit, sneakily included with all their oldies.
JAYSON LINDH: ‘Love Machine’ (Atlantic K 10882)
Swedish flautist jazz-funks the Miracles’ oldie for exciting ‘Fife Piper’ results.
MICHAEL ZAGER: ‘Do It With Feeling’ (Bang 007) (mentioned in Billboard column 11/22/75, Billboard chart debut 11/29/75)
Year-old classic bouncy stomper, originally out on London.
GEORGE BENSON: ‘In Flight’ LP (Warner Bros. K 56327)
Superbly fluid jazzy picking and percussion make this a laid-back beut that’s better than ‘Breezin”, with lovely slowies and mild semi-funkers.
TED NUGENT: ‘Stormtroopin” (Epic EPC 3900)
Reissued heavy metal raver from ’75.
BOB SEGER: ‘Night Moves’ (Capitol CL 15904)
Evocative easy building rock, a likely smash.
MICK RONSON: ‘Billy Porter’ (RCA 2432)
Stylish jaunty Roxy romp from ’74.
ZZ TOP: ‘Tejas’ LP (London LDU 1)
‘Arrested For Driving While Blind’ is an obvious get-it-on boogie, while the sinister ‘El Diablo‘ easy rolls with great subtlety.
SWEET: ‘A Distinct Lack Of Ancient’ (RCA PB 5011)
Good gritty instrumental B-side rock stomper.
STEVE MILLER BAND: ‘Serenade’ (Mercury 6073303)
Throbbing steady ticker with ‘Rock ‘N Me’ sound.
BARRY WHITE: ‘I’m Qualified To Satisfy You’ (20th Century BTC 2328) (Billboard chart debut 11/27/76)
Thonking sizzler, the meatiest from his LP.
BLUES BUSTER: ‘Sweetest Thing’ (Dynamic DYN 117)
Barry Biggs-penned melodic reggae, reactivated after renewed DJ interest.
SPIDERS WEBB: ‘I Don’t Know What’s On Your Mind’ (Fantasy FTC 130) (Billboard chart debut 11/13/76)
Bubbling fast funky unison chanter.
JAWBONE: ‘King Kong (Funkey Monkey)’ (Rak 240)
Surprisingly good bouncey UK funker.
MARIANNE ROSENBERG: ‘A VIP’ (GTO GT 80)
Bright n’ breezy formula fodder, already DJ tipped.
RITCHIE FAMILY: ‘Lady Luck’ (Polydor 2058837) (Billboard chart debut 2/5/77)
Repetitive fast B-side churner, punchier than the plug side.
JIM MCCLUSKY: ‘Let’s Kiss And Make Up’ (Spark SRL 1151)
Tuneful clopping hustler, great ’60s-style flip.
ROY AYERS UBIQUITY: ‘Moving, Grooving’ (from LP ‘Vibrations’, Polydor 2391256) (Billboard chart debut 2/5/77)
Lively burbling fast funker.
DENNIS WATERMAN: ‘Hooray For Curly Wolf’ (DJM DJS 10740)
Slinky slow pop-funker with voicebox effects, now DJ tipped.
BUFFALO: ‘Midnight Cowboy’ (Good Earth GD 8)
Haunting mid-tempo pop-rock easy roller.
BAD COMPANY: ‘Everything I Need’ / ‘Too Bad’ (Island WIP 6381)
Purposefully plodding thumpers both, maybe better flip.
JOHN LODGE: ‘Natural Avenue’ (Decca F 13682)
Exciting rocker for Moodies fans and more.
LINDA RONSTADT: ‘Crazy’ (Asylum K 13071)
Patsy Cline’s ’61 weepie makes an ace smoocher.
GLENN MILLER: ‘Tuxedo Junction’ / ‘American Patrol’ (RCA PB 9031)
Subdued instrumental original, and fiery flip.
Mix-Master
Tony Adams, resident at Harrogate’s Bali Ha’i, recently upset WEA by assuming he’d been axed from their mailing lists because of outspoken reaction reports. Far from it, the reason being that though still considered a useful contact, he was dropped as Harrogate showed poor disco record sales – and then, when he was contacted again, he didn’t answer! That’s all past history now, though, and Tony has sent in a nice topical segue with the emphasis on bongo drumming. Try these: TITANIC ‘Sultana’ (CBS) into BILLY PRESTON ‘Billy’s Bag’ (DJM) into LALO SCHIFRIN ‘Jaws’ (CTI), then at the bongos near the end, into VAN MCCOY ‘Soul Cha Cha’ (H&L). It usually works a treat and builds up on each track, sez Tone.
UK Disco Top 20 – February 26, 1977
01 01 Rose Royce – Car Wash – MCA
02 06 Heatwave – Boogie Nights – GTO
03 02 Boney M – Daddy Cool – Atlantic
04 05 Leo Sayer – When I Need You – Chrysalis
05 03 Stevie Wonder – I Wish – Motown
06 07 David Parton – Isn’t She Lovely – Pye
07 09 Moments – Jack In The Box – All Platinum
08 11 Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes – Don’t Leave Me This Way – Philadelphia Int’l
09 04 Thelma Houston – Don’t Leave Me This Way – Motown
10 16 Brick – Dazz – Bang [Imp]
11 20 Earth, Wind & Fire – Saturday Night – CBS
12 14 Detroit Spinners – Wake Up Susan – Atlantic
13 19 James Brown – Body Heat – Polydor
14 13 Barry Biggs – Side Show – Dynamic
15 RE Van McCoy – Soul Cha Cha – H&L
16 10 Stevie Wonder – Isn’t She Lovely – Motown
17 RE Bar-Kays – Shake Your Rump To The Funk – Mercury
18 NE Boz Scaggs – What Can I Say – CBS
19 NE Racing Cars – They Shoot Horses – Chrysalis
*#20 omitted for some reason
NE = new entry; RE = re-entry
Appeared in Billboard:
#1 (Billboard chart debut 10/2/76)
#2 (Billboard chart debut 4/23/77)
#3 (mentioned in Billboard column 9/25/76, Billboard chart debut 11/20/76)
#5 (mentioned in Billboard column 10/16/76, Billboard chart debut 10/23/76)
#8 (mentioned in Billboard column 12/6/75, Billboard chart debut 12/20/75)
#9 (mentioned in Billboard column 11/20/76, Billboard chart debut 11/27/76)
#10 (Billboard chart debut 9/4/76)
#13 (Billboard chart debut 1/29/77)
#15 (Billboard chart debut 11/20/76)
#16 (Billboard chart debut 10/30/76)
#17 (Billboard chart debut 10/9/76)
#18 (mentioned in Billboard column 4/3/76)
Songs mentioned in “DJ Hotline”:
MASS PRODUCTION: ‘Welcome To Our World’ (Cotillion) (Billboard chart debut 10/23/76)
EL COCO: ‘Let’s Get It Together’ (Pye) (Billboard chart debut 7/31/76)
ALFIE KHAN SOUND ORCHESTRA: ‘Law Of The Land’ (Atlantic)
CERRONE: ‘Love In C Minor’ (Atlantic) (Billboard chart debut 1/15/77)
DOUBLE EXPOSURE: ‘Ten Percent’ (Salsoul) (mentioned in Billboard column 4/3/76, Billboard chart debut 5/1/76)
SALSOUL ORCHESTRA: ‘Salsoul 3001’ (Salsoul) (mentioned in Billboard column 8/7/76, Billboard chart debut 9/18/76)
MAC KISSOON: ‘Stone Walls’ (State)
SISTER SLEDGE: ‘Cream Of The Crop’ (Cotillion)
MUSCLE SHOALS HORNS: ‘Bump De Bump Yo Boodie’ (Bang)
LEON HAYWOOD: ‘The Streets Will Love You To Death’ (CBS)
RAH BAND: ‘The Crunch’ (Good Earth)
STEVEN BISHOP: ‘Save It For A Rainy Day’ (ABC)
James Hamilton's Disco Page 