New Spins
SOUNDTRACK: ‘Saturday Night Fever’ LP (RSO 2658123)
US chart-topping compilation double LP, with lots of recent Bee Gees hits, other goodies by KC & The Sunshine Band, Trammps, Kool & The Gang, Ralph McDonald, Walter Murphy, MFSB and Tavares, and more – all from the upcoming disco movie smash.
PLAYERS ASSOCIATION: ‘Disco Inferno’ / ‘I Like It’ (Vanguard VS 5006)
At last, here’s their great funkily churning rhythm-rattling thump treatment of the Trammps hit, plus an equally good grooving Brass Construction-ish flip.
MICHELE: ‘Magic Love, Pts. 1 & 2’ (Pye 7N 25770) (BNDA debut 11/5/77)
Donna Summer/Boney M-type pounder, out here instead of her hot ‘Can’t You Feel It’ import.
SLADE: ‘Give Us A Goal’ (Barn 2014121)
Raucous football rouser with “let’s go” handclaps.
LEIF GARRETT: ‘Runaround Sue’ (Atlantic K 11090)
US teenybop idol revives Dion in Showaddywaddy style on a lavishly packaged 12in.
GIL SCOTT-HERON & BRIAN JACKSON: ‘Hello Sunday! Hello Road!’ / ‘The Bottle’ (Arista ARIST 12-169)
Johnny Guitar Watson/Stevie Wonder-type funky roller, but the 12in’s flip is the long-awaited live version of Gil’s classic jazz-funk leaper!
JOHN PAUL YOUNG: ‘Love Is In The Air’ (Ariola ARO 117)
Gently galloping, tambourine-shaking smooth pop builder, big in US discos.
MANHATTAN TRANSFER: ‘Pastiche’ LP (Atlantic K 50444)
For sophisticated MoR crowds, ‘A Gal In Calico’ is a gorgeous swayer, ‘On A Little Street In Singapore’ and ‘In A Mellow Tone’ are relaxed big band crooners, while ‘Where Did Our Love Go’ Is their customary Motown revival.
MONTANA FEATURING SISTER SLEDGE: ‘When You Wish Upon A Star’ (Atlantic K 11087) (BNDA debut 2/18/78)
Breathily subdued twee little groover, edited from a grandiose ‘Dance Fantasy Inspired By Close Encounters’ on US 12in.
LES ROCKETS: ‘Space Rock’ (Decca FR 13752)
Freaky fast instrumental Euro pounder with Kraftwerk-type synthetics.
JOHNNY FORTUNE: ‘Dragster’ (Sonet SON 2139)
Great fast ‘64 guitar instrumental racer with terrific sound effects, familiar to Capital Radio’s ‘Cruising’ fans.
CARL PERKINS: ‘Blue Suede Shoes’ / ‘Matchbox’ (Charly CS 1014)
Reissued rockabilly classics, first 5,000 copies at just 60p.
ROBERT GORDON: ‘If This Is Wrong’ (Private Stock PVT 145)
Great emotion-choked rockaballad, originally written by Link Wray in ‘57 for Elvis.
THE CRUISERS: ‘Get A Job’ (Alaska ALA 2012)
Silhouettes’ 1958 “shana-na-na” doo-wop rocker does a Darts.
ROCKABILLY RAIDERS: ‘Hurricane Rock’ (Sun CYS 1034)
Recent rock ‘n roll instrumental, first out as ‘Dr. Xmas’.
BACCARA: ‘Koochie-Koo’ (from LP ‘Baccara’, RCA PL 28316)
Typical sounding Continental follow-up, already UK interest.
GEORGE BENSON: ‘On Broadway’ (Warner Bros. K 17120)
Drifters oldie becomes a lovely 12in jazz-funk lurcher.
GROVER WASHINGTON: ‘Sausalito’ (from LP ‘Live At The Bijou’, Kudu SOULD 062)
Specialist jazz-funk groover.
YUSEF LATEEF: ‘Robot Man’ (CTI CTSP 012)
Complex jazz-funk bumper.
POCKETS: ‘In The Pocket’ (CBS 6120)
Repetitive funky jiggler.
SIMON BELL: ‘Givin’ It Plenty’ (Pye 7N 46950)
Dated fast Jackson 5/Isleys-type pop thumper, could click.
ANDREW GOLD: ‘Never Let Her Slip Away’ (Asylum K 13112)
Jaunty slow swinger, nice MoR.
STEPHANIE DE SYKES: ‘Nothing Goes Right’ (DJM DJS 10830)
Pleasant cool pop/MoR swayer with a hint of C&W.
GENERAL JOHNSON: ‘Don’t Walk Away’ (Arista ARIST 166)
Pent-up Spinners-style slow soul swayer, rather good.
EMOTIONS: ‘Baby I’m Through’ (Stax 501)
‘Best Of My Love’-type perky oldie.
BRIAN & BRENDA RUSSELL: ‘That’s All Right Too’ (Rocket ROKN 535)
‘Clean Up Woman’-style slow jiggler.
RANDY RAIDER: ‘Dance On (Disco Darling), Pts. 1 & 2’ (Epic EPC 6097)
Haunting mid-tempo Euro hustler with odd phonetic vocal sound.
RIGBY: ‘The House Of The Rising Sun’ (Logo GO 313)
Santa Esmeralda and Revelation are also battling with import versions of this Animals oldie, given the Euro treatment.
MIDNIGHT STUD: ‘Gloria’ (Carrere EMI 2760)
Beatles, Animals, Stones – now Them get the pounding Eurodisco treatment . . .
DEE JAY: ‘Gloria’ (Chrysalis CHS 2206)
. . . and a much better straight punk revival.
ECLIPSE: ‘You Really Got Me’ (Epic EPC 6196) (BNDA debut 4/29/78)
While the Kinks go Eurodisco too, as well as having . . .
VAN HALEN: ‘You Really Got Me’ (Warner Bros. K 17107)
. . . an angrier rock revival, with fancy 12in promos.
SHEILA MCKINLEY: ‘Goodbye My Love’ (Rainbow RAIS 1002)
Jimmy Hughes/Searchers oldie now a lush smooth soul hustler.
MARTINEZ: ‘Masterpiece’ (State STAT 71)
Brothers Johnson-type bouncy burbler.
TITANIC: ‘Flashback’ (Barclay BAR 704)
Santana-type throbber.
JEFF PHILLIPS: ‘Rock Me Slowly’ (RCA PB 5071)
Thudding sexy slow swayer.
No Hot Vinyl this week.
UK Disco Top 50 – March 4, 1978
01 01 Stargard – Which Way Is Up – MCA
02 02 Odyssey – Native New Yorker – RCA (12″)
03 05 Heatwave – The Groove Line – GTO
04 12 ABBA – Take A Chance On Me – Epic
05 06 Eruption – I Can’t Stand The Rain – Atlantic
06 13 Darts – Come Back My Love – Magnet
07 14 Manu Dibango – Big Blow / Aloko Party – Decca
08 31 Rose Royce – Wishing On A Star / Funk Factory – Whitfield
09 08 Bee Gees – Stayin’ Alive – RSO
10 04 Althea & Donna – Uptown Top Ranking – Lightning
11 07 Bob Marley & The Wailers – Jamming – Island
12 03 War – Galaxy – MCA
13 23 Roy Ayers – Freaky Deaky – Polydor (LP)
14 15 Baccara – Sorry I’m A Lady – RCA
15 17 Earth, Wind & Fire – Fantasy – CBS
16 09 Chic – Dance Dance Dance – Atlantic
17 18 Bill Withers – Lovely Day – CBS
18 10 Peter Brown – Do You Wanna Get Funky With Me – TK
19 20 Raydio – Get Down / Jack And Jill – Arista
20 19 Rod Stewart – Hot Legs / I Was Only Joking – Riva
21 29 Al Hudson – If You Feel Like Dancin’ – ABC (12″)
22 26 Mandrill – Can You Get It / Funky Monkey – Arista (12″)
23 46 Gene Page – Close Encounters Of The Third Kind – Arista (12″)
24 RE Donna Summer – Rumour Has It – Casablanca
25 25 Yellow Dog – Just One More Night – Virgin
26 11 Donna Summer – Love’s Unkind – GTO
27 28 Andrea True Connection – What’s Your Name, What’s Your Number – Buddah
28 16 Sheila & B. Devotion – Singin’ In The Rain – Carrere (12″)
29 30 Eastside Connection – You’re So Right For Me – Creole (12″)
30 21 Commodores – Too Hot Ta Trot / Zoom – Motown (12″)
31 39 B.T. Express – Shout It Out / Ride On It – EMI Int’l
32 44 Cameo – It’s Serious – Chocolate City (LP) [Imp]
33 NE Bob Marley & The Wailers – Is This Love – Island
34 32 Lenny Williams – Choosing You – ABC (12″)
35 38 Cerrone – Supernature / Give Me Love – Atlantic (LP)
36 NE Free – All Right Now – Island
37 NE Michael Zager Band – Let’s All Chant / Love Express – Private Stock (12″)
38 42 Gene Farrow – Move Your Body – Magnet (12″)
39 48 Jimmy Lindsay – Easy – Island/Black Swan (12″)
40 NE Nazareth – Gone Dead Train – Mountain
41 NE Lonnie Smith – Funk Reaction – TK
42 36 Blondie – Denis (Denee) – Chrysalis
43 NE Chic – Everybody Dance – Atlantic (LP)
44 50 Claudja Barry – Johnny Johnny – Mercury
45 37 Earth, Wind & Fire – Magic Mind / Jupiter – CBS (LP)
46 43 Southroad Connection – You Like It, We Love It – Mahogany (12″) [Imp]
47 NE Hot Chocolate – Every 1’s A Winner – Rak
48 NE Bionic Boogie – Risky Changes – Polydor [Imp]
49 49 Real Thing – Whenever You Want My Love – Pye
50 47 Linda Clifford – From Now On – Curtom (12″)
NE = new entry; RE = re-entry
All titles are 7” singles unless noted otherwise
Appeared in Billboard:
#1 (BNDA debut 1/7/78) / #2 (BNDA debut 8/27/77) / #5 (BNDA debut 2/4/78)
#9 (BNDA debut 1/7/78) / #12 (BNDA debut 1/14/78) / #16 (BNDA debut 9/24/77)
#18 (BNDA debut 4/23/77) / #24 (BNDA debut 11/12/77) / #26 (BNDA debut 5/28/77)
#27 (BNDA debut 11/12/77) / #28 (BNDA debut 2/11/78) / #29 (BNDA debut 11/12/77)
#32 (BNDA debut 2/18/78) / #34 (BNDA debut 7/30/77) / #35 (BNDA debut 11/26/77)
#37 (BNDA debut 1/14/78) / #43 (BNDA debut 12/3/77) / #44 (BNDA debut 1/7/78)
#46 (BNDA debut 1/28/78) / #48 (BNDA debut 12/17/77) / #50 (BNDA debut 12/10/77)
Breakers:
1 KAY-GEES: ‘Kilowatt Invasion’ (De-Lite LP cut – US import)
2 BRASS CONSTRUCTION: ‘We’ (UA) (BNDA debut 12/3/77)
3 PLAYER: ‘Baby Come Back’ (RSO)
4 JOHNNY GUITAR WATSON: ‘It’s A Damn Shame’ (DJM)
5 LAMONT DOZIER: ‘Sight For Sore Eyes’ (Warner Bros.)
6 MECO: ‘Theme From Close Encounters’ (RCA) (BNDA debut 1/28/78)
7 DUSTY SPRINGFIELD: ‘That’s The Kind Of Love I’ve Got For You’ (Mercury LP cut) (BNDA debut 3/11/78)
8 INNER CITY EXPRESS: ‘Shu’ Dig Dancin’’ (Ebony 12”)
9 PETER BROWN: ‘Dance With Me’ (TK LP cut) (BNDA debut 1/7/78)
10 PATTIE BROOKS: ‘Don’t Make Me Wait’ (Casablanca) (BNDA debut 9/24/77)
Songs mentioned in DJ Hotline:
RAY CHARLES: ‘I Can See Clearly Now’ (London)
RAFFAELLA CARRA: ‘Do It, Do It Again’ (Epic)
LES ROCKETS: ‘Space Rock’ (Decca)
NICK LOWE: ‘I Love The Sound Of Breaking Glass’ (Radar)
GERRY RAFFERTY: ‘Baker Street’ (UA)
DIANA ROSS: ‘Top Of The World’ (Motown) (BNDA debut 10/15/77)
LE PAMPLEMOUSSE: ‘Le Spank’ (Pye) (BNDA debut 10/22/77)
MORRIS JEFFERSON: ‘Spank Your Blank Blank’ (Parachute)
RALPH MACDONALD: ‘The Path’ (Marlin LP cut – US import) (BNDA debut 3/11/78)
JIMMY MCGRIFF: ‘Tailgunner’ (LRC LP cut – US import)
ELI’S SECOND COMING: ‘Hop Scotch’ (TK LP cut – US import)
BIONIC BOOGIE: ‘Dance Little Dreamer’ (Polydor) (BNDA debut 12/17/77)
KONGAS: ‘Gimme Some Lovin’’ (Crocus LP cut – French import) (BNDA debut 1/14/78)
DUSTY SPRINGFIELD: ‘That’s The Kind Of Love I’ve Got For You’ (Mercury LP cut) (BNDA debut 3/11/78)
KELLY MARIE: ‘Run To Me’ (Pye) (BNDA debut 11/5/77)
ANTHONY WHITE: ‘Block Party’ (Salsoul 12” – US import) (BNDA debut 9/24/77)
LARRY PAGE: ‘Erotic Soul’ (London 12” – US import) (BNDA debut 7/16/77)
MICHAEL ZAGER BAND: ‘Let’s All Chant’ / ‘Love Express’ (Private Stock 12”) (BNDA debut 1/14/78)
ORLANDO RIVA SOUND: ‘Moon Boots’ (Salsoul 12” – US import) (BNDA debut 11/19/77)
EL COCO: ‘I’m Mad As Hell’ (Pye LP cut) (BNDA debut 8/20/77)
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