New Spins
COMMODORES: ‘Brick House’ (Motown TMG 1086) (BNDA debut 4/16/77)
Terrific catchy funker, already a monster.
GIORGIO: ‘From Here To Eternity’ LP (Oasis OASLP 501) (BNDA debut 8/6/77)
More Donna than Donna, the whole first side segues continuously with flying electronic freakiness.
BROTHERS JOHNSON: ‘Right On Time’ (A&M AMS 7313)
Powerful herky-jerky bumper, 12in for 75p (first 10,000 copies).
FAT LARRY’S BAND: ‘Fascination’ / ‘We Just Want To Play For You’ (WMOT K 11002) (BNDA debut 1/22/77)
Bowie’s much-edited thudder and a possibly stronger fast funky flip with great DJ intro.
ISAAC HAYES: ‘Disco Connection’ (ABC ABE 12007)
Great value 12in maxi, with full LP-length versions of his classic plus three more.
MOTORS: ‘Dancing The Night Away’ (Virgin VS 18612)
12in with added intro, this really is one of the most exciting rock ravers in a long time.
LENNY WILLIAMS: ‘Shoo Doo Fu Fu Ooh’ (ABC 4194)
Superb sophisticated swinger with irresistible gibberish singalong chorus.
LITTLE RIVER BAND: ‘Happy Anniversary’ (EMI 2702)
Steely Dan-type lively Latin lilter, great music!
SKATALITES: ‘Guns Of Navarone’ (Island WI 168)
Classic ‘65 ska smash, such good fun it’s even a knees-up MoR must!
JONA LEWIE: ‘Cherry Ring’ (Sonet SON 2115)
Crazily simple ‘Woolly Bully’-type chanter, could catch on pop, punk and MoR!
BBC SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: ‘Land Of Hope And Glory, Pt. 2’ (BBC RESL 48)
Vital for patriotic singalongs!
DANNY RAY AND SUPER STAR: ‘Natty Wait In Vain’ (Golden Age GAM 015)
Great heavy skank alternative to Bob Marley.
RONNIE JONES: ‘Soul Sister’ (Mercury 6198125) (BNDA debut 3/25/78)
Real Thing-ish jaunty jogger from May, now re-promoted on 12in with edited intro.
PHILADELPHIA INTERNATIONAL ALL STARS: ‘Let’s Clean Up The Ghetto’ LP (Philadelphia Int’l PIR 82198)
Full-length 8:42 version’s sadly a bit late now.
CHI-LITES: ‘Who’s In Love With Me’ (Mercury 6167571)
Slick ‘n lush wailing fast soul flier.
PAUL JABARA AND DONNA SUMMER: ‘Shut Out’ (Casablanca CAN 109)
Thumpingly disjointed gay disco muddle made trendy by Donna’s guest appearance.
BEVERLY ROBINSON: ‘Menage A Trois’ (Jay Boy BOY 114)
Smooth fast gay hustler, flip of the dire ‘Disco Dancing’.
TIM CHANDELL AND THE CHAMPIONS: ‘Can Be Done’ (Affection AFF 005)
Ultra-funky semi-reggae jiggler.
PETER FRAMPTON: ‘Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours)’ (A&M AMS 7312)
Stevie Wonder’s old chunky chugger, whitened up.
5000 VOLTS: ‘You’re Lookin’ Good’ (Philips 6006584)
Funky chanting BT Express-type flipside.
MATTHEW MOORE: ‘Savannah’ (Island WIP 6409)
Subtle soft rock thudder.
FLEETWOOD MAC: ‘You Make Loving Fun’ (Warner Bros. K 17013)
Another steadily pounding cool soft rocker.
CRAWLER: ‘Stone Cold Sober’ (Epic EPC 5496)
Fleetwood Mac-ish soft rock swayer.
Mix Master
Douggie Carruthers – mobile from Bathgate, West Lothian – topically mixes Black Gorilla ‘Gimme Dat Banana’ (Response) / Johnny Wakelin ‘In Zaire’ (Pye) / Hank Mizell ‘Jungle Rock’ (Charley) / Johnny Wakelin ‘Africa Man’ (Pye) / Hamilton Bohannon ‘South African Man’ (Brunswick). Dig dem jungle drums!
Hot Vinyl
Chris Hill raves over flamenco-disco SANTA ESMERALDA: ‘Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood’ (Philips LP cut – French import) (BNDA debut 9/3/77) and:
ANN C. SHERIDAN: ‘Sing It Low’ (RCA 12”)
SYLVESTER: ‘Down Down Down’ / ‘Over And Over’ (Fantasy 12”) (BNDA debut 8/6/77)
Graham “The Fat Man” Canter import tips:
MIKE THEODORE ORCHESTRA: ‘Cosmic Wind’ / ‘The Bull’ / ‘Belly Boogie’ / ‘Moon Trek’ (Westbound LP cuts) (BNDA debut 9/3/77)
HERBIE MANN & FIRE ISLAND: ‘Summer Strut’ (Atlantic LP cut)
ARCHIE BELL & THE DRELLS: ‘Glad You Could Make It’ / ‘On The Radio’ (TSOP LP cuts)
LEON HAYWOOD: ‘Life Goes On’ (MCA)
BLACKBYRDS: ‘Supernatural Feeling’ (Fantasy LP cut)
Graham also mixes BENNY GOLSON ‘The New Killer Joe’ (Columbia LP cut), WHISPERS ‘You Never Miss Your Water’ (Soul Train LP cut), and LENNY WILLIAMS ‘Shoo Doo Fu Fu Ooh’ (ABC) for a real swinger!
UK Disco Top 50 – September 24, 1977
01 01 Space – Magic Fly – Pye
02 04 Emotions – Best Of My Love – CBS
03 05 Belle Epoque – Black Is Black – Harvest (12″)
04 02 Donna Summer – Deep Down Inside – Casablanca
05 07 Jean Michel Jarre – Oxygene – Polydor
06 17 Meco – Star Wars Theme – RCA
07 12 Stevie Wonder – Another Star – Motown
08 03 Floaters – Float On – ABC (12″)
09 06 Candi Staton – Nights On Broadway – Warner Bros.
10 14 Idris Muhammad – Turn This Mutha Out / Could Heaven Ever Be Like This – Kudu
11 32 Leo Sayer – Thunder In My Heart – Chrysalis
12 08 Dooleys – I Think I’m Gonna Fall In Love With You – GTO
13 19 Olympic Runners – Keep It Up – RCA (12″)
14 10 Rah Band – The Crunch – Good Earth
15 13 Philadelphia All-Stars – Let’s Clean Up The Ghetto – Philadelphia Int’l
16 20 Camouflage – Bee Sting – State (12″)
17 NE Giorgio Moroder – From Here To Eternity – Oasis
18 34 Donna Summer – I Remember Yesterday – GTO (LP)
19 16 Celi Bee & The Buzzy Bunch – One Love – TK (12″)
20 43 Commodores – Brick House – Motown (LP)
21 21 Baccara – Yes Sir I Can Boogie – RCA
22 11 Donna Summer – I Feel Love – GTO
23 46 Rose Royce – Do Your Dance – Whitfield (LP)
24 26 Steve Gibbons Band – Tulane – Polydor
25 09 Elvis Presley – Way Down – RCA
26 23 Ritchie Family – Quiet Village – Polydor
27 15 Ohio Players – O-H-I-O – Mercury
28 25 Bruce Johnston – Pipeline – CBS
29 NE Donna Summer – Love’s Unkind – GTO (LP)
30 30 Ram Jam – Black Betty – Epic
31 18 Space – Tango In Space / Carry On, Turn Me On – Pye (LP)
32 36 Dennis Coffey – Wings Of Fire / Free Spirit – Atlantic (LP)
33 NE Boomtown Rats – Lookin’ After No. 1 – Ensign (12″)
34 24 Bob Marley & The Wailers – Waiting In Vain – Island
35 27 J.A.L.N. Band – I’ve Got To Sing – Magnet (12″)
36 29 Biddu Orchestra – Soul Coaxing – Epic (12″)
37 28 Osibisa – The Warrior – Bronze
38 NE Patsy Gallant – From New York To L.A. – EMI
39 NE Rods – Do Anything You Wanna Do – Island
40 31 Black Gorilla – Gimme Dat Banana – Response
41 NE Kalyan – Nice And Slow – MCA
42 37 Morning, Noon & Night – Bite Your Granny – UA
43 38 Cameo – Post Mortem / Rigor Mortis – Casablanca
44 39 Smokey Robinson – Vitamin U – Motown
45 NE Jackson Five – Skywriter – Motown
46 47 Instant Funk – It Ain’t Reggae (But It’s Funky) – Philadelphia Int’l
47 48 John Forde – Stardance – EMI
48 NE Lamont Dozier – Going Back To My Roots – Warner Bros.
49 NE Roy Ayers Ubiquity – Running Away – Polydor (LP)
50 NE Doobie Brothers – Little Darling – Warner Bros.
NE = new entry; RE = re-entry
Breakers:
1 EDDIE HENDERSON: ‘Say You Will’ (Capitol)
2 CLAUDJA BARRY: ‘Sweet Dynamite’ (Mercury) (BNDA debut 3/26/77)
3 SAILOR: ‘Down By The Docks’ (Epic)
4 LENNY WILLIAMS: ‘Choosing You’ (ABC LP cut) (BNDA debut 7/30/77)
5 CERRONE: ‘Cerrone’s Paradise’ (Atlantic) (BNDA debut 6/4/77)
6 DAVID RUFFIN: ‘I Can’t Stop The Rain’ (Motown)
7 BONEY M: ‘Belfast’ (Atlantic LP cut)
8 SUPREMES: ‘You Keep Me Hangin’ On’ (Motown)
9 LASO: ‘LaSo Square’ (MCA LP cut) (BNDA debut 6/11/77)
10 BENNY GOLSON: ‘The New Killer Joe’ (Columbia LP cut – US import)
Appeared in Billboard:
#1 (BNDA debut 6/4/77) / #2 (BNDA debut 6/11/77) / #3 (BNDA debut 6/18/77)
#4 (BNDA debut 7/2/77) / #6 (BNDA debut 7/23/77) / #7 (BNDA debut 10/23/76)
#11 (BNDA debut 12/10/77) / #13 (BNDA debut 11/12/77) / #15 (BNDA debut 7/23/77)
#17 (BNDA debut 8/6/77) / #18 (BNDA debut 5/28/77) / #19 (BNDA debut 4/9/77)
#20 (BNDA debut 4/16/77) / #22 (BNDA debut 5/28/77) / #23 (BNDA debut 9/24/77)
#26 (BNDA debut 7/9/77) / #28 (BNDA debut 7/16/77) / #29 (BNDA debut 5/28/77)
#31 (BNDA debut 6/4/77) / #32 (BNDA debut 6/18/77) / #37 (BNDA debut 3/5/77)
#42 (BNDA debut 7/9/77) / #46 (BNDA debut 12/25/76) / #48 (BNDA debut 5/28/77)
#49 (BNDA debut 9/24/77)
Songs mentioned in “DJ Hotline”:
MARVIN HAMLISCH: ‘Bond ’77’ (UA)
MARILYN MCCOO & BILLY DAVIS JR: ‘Look What You’ve Done To My Heart’ (ABC)
NANCY WILSON: ‘I’ve Never Been To Me’ (Capitol)
SANTANA: ‘She’s Not There’ (CBS)
ROBERT GORDON: ‘Red Hot’ (Private Stock)
BILLY LEE RILEY: ‘Red Hot’ (Charly EP cut)
FEVER: ‘Up To My Eyes In Love’ (Magnet)
WHISPERS: ‘Make It With You’ (Soul Train) (BNDA debut 7/23/77)
PARK AVENUE STEAM BAND: ‘C’mon Everybody’ (Zafiro – Spanish import)
VILLAGE PEOPLE: ‘San Francisco’ (Casablanca LP cut – US import) (BNDA debut 7/30/77)
SMOKEY ROBINSON: ‘Theme From Big Time’ (Motown) (BNDA debut 8/6/77)
CAROLE BAYER SAGER: ‘Don’t Wish Too Hard’ (Elektra)
EDDIE HENDERSON: ‘Say You Will’ (Capitol)
DOOLEY SILVERSPOON: ‘Closer To Lovin’ You’ (Seville)
BRICK: ‘Dusic’ (Bang – US import)
HODGES, JAMES & SMITH: ‘Since I Fell For You / I’m Falling In Love’ (London) (BNDA debut 6/18/77)
BECKETT: ‘Disco Calypso’ (Casablanca LP cut)
PETER BLAKE: ‘Lipsmackin’ Rock ‘N Rollin’’ (UA)
RAMSEY LEWIS: ‘Spring High’ (CBS)
BOB MARLEY: ‘Jamming’ (Island LP cut)
MUNICH MACHINE: ‘Get On The Funk Train’ (Casablanca LP cut – US import) (BNDA debut 6/11/77)