New Spins
ALESSI: ‘Oh Lori’ (A&M AMS 7289)
Delicious feathery swinger with ethereal harmonies and smash potential.
PARLIAMENT: ‘Tear The Roof Off The Sucker (Give Up The Funk)’ (Casablanca CAN 103) (Billboard chart debut 9/18/76)
Last year’s funky classic, maxi-ed with the freaky slow ‘Dr. Funkenstein‘ and ‘P-Funk‘.
HUNTER: ‘Rock On’ (Penny Farthing PEN 935)
Thin Lizzy sound mixed with jig-like fiddles for lively fun.
PLAID POPS ORCHESTRA: ‘Marching Home’ (Power Exchange PX 257)
Party fun with bagpipes, fifes and brass, plus more pipes on the ‘Sailing’ plug side.
JOHN WESLEY RYLES: ‘When A Man Loves A Woman’ (Bulldog BD 9)
Excellent country version, very strong and useful.
BACHMAN TURNER OVERDRIVE: ‘My Wheels Won’t Turn’ (Mercury 6167520)
Buzzing heavy rock stomper.
PEACHES & HERB: ‘We’re Still Together’ (MCA 297)
Van McCoy-produced jauntiness with ‘Star’ appeal.
CLOUD ONE: ‘Atmosphere Strut, Pts. 1 & 2’ (Contempo CS 2119) (Billboard chart debut 10/9/76)
Simple synthetics from last year, much imported.
GAP BAND: ‘Out Of The Blue’ (Tattoo FB 0884)
Bubblingly fresh funky driver.
CHARLIE WHITEHEAD: ‘I Was Dancing When I Fell In Love’ (Contempo CS 2120)
Swamp Dogg-produced happy rhythm skipper.
MANHATTAN TRANSFER: ‘Candy’ (Atlantic K 10930)
Sweet ‘n sleazy big band smoocher.
JUDD HAMILTON & CAROLINE MUNRO: ‘Love Songs’ (RCA PB 5021)
Lovely MoR medley of old doo-wop ballads woven into a brand-new song.
CHRIS HILLMAN: ‘Slippin’ Away’ (Asylum K 13083)
Gently rolling soft-rock slowie.
JIMMY CLIFF: ‘You Can Get It If You Really Want’ (Island WIP 6397)
‘Harder They Come’ version of his Desmond Dekker reggae hit.
SILVERTONES: ‘African Dub’ (Trojan TRO 9013)
Nice lazy reggae.
HERB REED & SWEET RIVER: ‘Can’t Help Falling In Love’ (PVK 003)
Deep bass voice smooching of Elvis oldie.
PHYLLIS HYMAN: ‘Loving You – Losing You’ (Buddah BDS 457) (Billboard chart debut 4/30/77)
Gradually building catchy slow nagger.
MAZE: ‘Color Blind’ / ‘While I’m Alone’ (Capitol CL 15922)
Chunky funker, better sexy slow US hit flip side.
JESSE GREEN: ‘Come With Me, Pts. 1 & 2’ (EMI 2615)
Predictable if slower and lusher than before, with 12-inch promo copies.
ANDY GIBB: ‘I Just Want To Be Your Everything’ (RSO 2090237)
Bee Gees’ brother sounds similar on a slow shuffler.
DOOLEYS: ‘Think I’m Gonna Fall In Love With You’ (GTO GT 95)
Derivative bouncy bright shuffler.
ADDRISI BROTHERS: ‘Slow Dancin’ Don’t Turn Me On’ (Buddah BDS 456)
Bouncily tumbling slowie.
ROMINA JACKSON: ‘Hello Africa, Pts. 1 & 2’ (Klik Chart Sounds 2001 KL 630)
Eddie Grant-produced Afro-funk with ‘Pata Pata’-type chick.
EARL KLUGH: ‘I Heard It Through The Grapevine’ (Blue Note UP 36251)
Subtle slow jazz guitar treatment.
JR. WALKER: ‘I Ain’t Going Nowhere’ (Motown TMG 1070)
Northern jerkiness from ’73, maxi-ed with the older ‘What Does It Take‘ and ‘Take Me Girl, I’m Ready‘.
GEORGE CHANDLER: ‘Little Girl’ (RCA PB 5020)
Stolid but insistent soul chugger, heavily promoted.
FREDA PAYNE: ‘I Can’t Live On A Memory’ (Capitol CL 15919)
100 mph Northern stormer.
DYNAMIC SUPERIORS: ‘Stay Away’ (Motown TMG 1071) (Billboard chart debut 12/11/76)
Northern churner.
DUANE CLARK: ‘Gettin’ It’ (Spark SRL 1152)
Monotonous fast burbler.
WALTER MURPHY: ‘Rhapsody In Blue’ (Private Stock PVT 103)
Authentic intro before Gershwin does the hustle.
KRAFTWERK: ‘Trans-Europe Express’ (Capitol CL 15917)
Monotonous freaky synthetics, tipped by Robbie Vincent.
MARK BURTON: ‘Hey Puerto Rico!’ (Dart ART 2061)
Creditably ethnic UK salsa.
TONY CHRISTIE: ‘Smile A Little Smile For Me’ (MCA 296)
MoR oldie from ’71.
MOONE BROTHERS: ‘Julie, Do Ya Love Me?’ (Target TGT 129)
Bobby Sherman’s old singalong MoR song.
Hot Vinyl
Bob Jones (Chelmsford Dee Jay’s) import tips:
NEW YORK PORT AUTHORITY: ‘I Use To Hate It Till I Ate It’ / ‘Twilight Zone‘ (Invictus LP cuts) (mentioned in Billboard column 5/7/77)
CROWN HEIGHTS AFFAIR: ‘Dancin‘ (re-mixed version)’ (De-Lite 12”) (Billboard chart debut 11/6/76)
N.C.C.U.: ‘Washing Machine‘ / ‘Super Trick‘ (UA LP cuts)
OHIO PLAYERS: ‘Body Vibes‘ (Mercury)
CLEVELAND EATON: ‘Funky Cello‘ / ‘Bama Boogie Woogie‘ (Ovation LP cuts)
ERIC GALE: ‘Ginseng Woman‘ / ‘The Rabbit‘ (Columbia LP cuts)
PEOPLE’S CHOICE: ‘If You Gonna Do It‘ (TSOP) (mentioned in Billboard column 4/2/77)
SOUL CHILDREN: ‘What’s Happening Baby‘ (Stax LP cut)
UK Disco Top 20 – May 14, 1977
01 01 Stevie Wonder – Sir Duke – Motown
02 04 Joe Tex – Ain’t Gonna Bump No More – Epic
03 03 Van McCoy – The Shuffle – H&L
04 NE Shalamar – Uptown Festival – Soul Train
05 02 Boney M – Sunny – Atlantic
06 05 Tavares – Whodunnit – Capitol
07 RE Marvin Gaye – Got To Give It Up – Motown
08 12 Billy Ocean – Red Light Spells Danger – GTO
09 09 Deniece Williams – Free – CBS
10 18 Delegation – Where Is The Love – State
11 RE Tony Etoria – I Can Prove It – GTO
12 07 ABBA – Knowing Me, Knowing You – Epic
13 13 Brendon – Gimme Some – Magnet
14 15 KC & The Sunshine Band – I’m Your Boogie Man – TK
15 08 Dead End Kids – Have I The Right – CBS
16 14 Fleetwood Mac – Don’t Stop – Warner Bros.
17 06 Leo Sayer – How Much Love – Chrysalis
18 NE Rose Royce – I Wanna Get Next To You – MCA
19 11 Martyn Ford Orchestra – Let Your Body Go Downtown – Mountain
20 NE Billy Paul – Let ‘Em In – Philadelphia Int’l
NE = new entry; RE = re-entry
Appeared in Billboard:
#1 (mentioned in Billboard column 10/16/76, Billboard chart debut 10/23/76)
#2 (Billboard chart debut 4/2/77)
#4 (Billboard chart debut 1/29/77)
#5 (mentioned in Billboard column 10/9/76, Billboard chart debut 11/20/76)
#7 (Billboard chart debut 4/2/77)
#14 (Billboard chart debut 10/30/76)
#20 (Billboard chart debut 1/22/77)
Songs mentioned in “DJ Hotline”:
SHALAMAR: ‘Uptown Festival’ (Soul Train) (Billboard chart debut 1/29/77)
RAH BAND: ‘The Crunch’ (Good Earth)
WILTON PLACE STREET BAND: ‘Disco Lucy’ (Island) (Billboard chart debut 12/18/76)
TONY ETORIA: ‘I Can Prove It’ (GTO)
TRAMMPS: ‘Disco Inferno’ (Atlantic) (mentioned in Billboard column 12/25/76, Billboard chart debut 1/15/77)
RUTH DAVIS & BO KIRKLAND: ‘You’re Gonna Get Next To Me’ (Claridge LP cut – US import)
BROTHERS: ‘Beautiful’ (Bus Stop)
BELLE EPOQUE: ‘Black Is Black’ (EMI – French import) (Billboard chart debut 4/2/77)
GARNET MIMMS: ‘What It Is’ (Arista) (Billboard chart debut 3/26/77)
AQUARIAN DREAM: ‘Phoenix’ (Buddah) (mentioned in Billboard column 10/2/76)
ISLEY BROTHERS: ‘The Pride’ (Epic) (Billboard chart debut 4/16/77)
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