Chart contributors, can you please try to get your charts in to me by Tuesday this coming week, as I have a gig on Wednesday (my chart compiling night normally). Also, it might be a good way of spreading out the range of records available for the disco chart if, instead of the three Breakers as at present, your Top Ten was followed by up to ten more titles according to that reaction. So, that’s a Top Ten plus ten more, marked from 3 to 1, if you feel you can cope with the extra load, sent as usual to James Hamilton, Record Mirror, 40 Long Acre, London WC2E 9JT . . . and please, try to he consistent with the “bottom ten”. Only add titles that are likely to last a few weeks.
Chris Hill has left Ilford’s Lacy Lady, as it’s due to close soon! However, he’s appearing every Thursday at Harlow Tiffany’s, opens a new Friday residency next week (17) at Maidenhead’s Romans in the Bell Hotel, and this Saturday is at Southgate Royalty. More important than that, though, he’s being filmed next Tuesday (14) at Camberley Frenchies in the Cambridge Hotel, London Road, for a London Weekend TV programme about Britain’s new disco “underground” . . . and he needs all the best funky dancers there to make the show go! Get there as early as possible in the evening if you want to get in on the act. Incidentally, Chris recently did a gig in Manchester, where his echo machine effects, compulsive groove, and some mooners from Leeds fairly freaked ‘em!
Disco News
Stargard and War’s current hits are being coupled with their follow-ups’ A-sides for special full-length 12in limited editions (15,000) on March 31st, for just 99p! South-Eastern jocks shouldn’t miss SEDA’s Disco South East 78 Exhibition this coming Wednesday (15) at the Hilden Manor Hotel, London Road, just outside Tunbridge, Kent. Open from noon to nine, the show will have about a dozen different equipment exhibitors and various record reps – sadly, I can’t make it this year.
Roger Squire’s disco jingle service is being expanded by the pioneering Alan Bowley, who hopes to bring a fresh integrity to the business. Using all exclusive material, new cartridge and cassette ranges being launched under the “Format 78” tag include a “Star Disco Set” with outer space noises incorporated, and a regular three-monthly series of sound effects in eight minute packages. Further, Rowley has restructured the Roger Squire’s Studios’ radio tuition service into three different “Programme and Production” courses, to cover all aspects of radio technique, a beginner’s three hour course for £32.40, a more advanced standard four and a half hour course including programming, interviewing and commercial production for £48.60, and a completely comprehensive eight hour course including an audition tape featuring news, a two-way interview and a self-created commercial, for £81.00.
New Spins
O’JAYS: ‘I Love Music’ / ‘Love Train’ (Philadelphia Int’l PIR 6093)
Sizzling hot 12in with the ‘Philly Classic’-culled 9:39 remix which became the Reading All-Dayer’s anthem, and a 6:14 flip!
CAMEO: ‘It’s Serious’ (from LP ‘We All Know Who We Are’, Casablanca CAL 2026) (BNDA debut 2/18/78)
Rumoured also on 12in, this Brass Construction-ish driver is the hip funky import sensation of the day!
HI-TENSION: ‘Hi-Tension’ (Island IPR 2007)
Phew – here it is, the exciting Brass Construction-ish hit of BBC2’s ‘Blackcurrent’, out on 5:20 limited 12in.
GEORGE DUKE: ‘Reach For It (Dance)’ (Epic EPC 6170)
Sensational heavy funk slowie, a US soul smash and hip import hit . . . and yet another personal fave. Whatta week!
CERRONE: ‘Supernature’ / ‘Give Me Love’ (Atlantic K 11089) (BNDA debut 11/26/77)
‘I Feel Love’-style pounder with stereo synthetics and an exciting fast instrumental flip, both edited from the hit LP tracks.
CHIC: ‘Everybody Dance’ (Atlantic K 11097) (BNDA debut 12/3/77)
Infectious skipper remixed and edited to make it punchier than the LP version, possibly due on 12in once it’s a hit.
CHARO AND THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA: ‘Dance A Little Bit Closer’ (Salsoul SSOL 101) (BNDA debut 11/19/77)
Odyssey-style mid-tempo rhythm swayer, sadly edited for UK 7in, phonetically panted by a lovely Latin American lady – who gets ethnic on the gay salsa ‘Cuchi-Cuchi’ flip.
AMADEO: ‘Moving Like A Superstar’ (Rampage RAM 1)
Rather strong catchy fast Euro skitterer, due also on 12in.
SAM & DAVE: ‘You Don’t Know Like I Know / Hold On I’m Comin’’ (Contempo CS 2124)
Excellent similar-sounding 8:30 remake medley with a modern disco rhythm bridge between ‘em.
ANTHONY WHITE: ‘I Can’t Turn You Loose’ / ‘Block Party’ (Salsoul SSOL 103) (BNDA debut 9/24/77)
Fast modern discofication of Otis Redding’s old stormer, with an instrumental version under another title as flip – which did well on longer US 12in.
STEEL PULSE: ‘Ku Klux Klan’ (Island IPR 2013)
Great Marley-style subtle groin grinding reggae, on 6:45 limited 12in with a dub second half!
BUNNY SIGLER: ‘Let Me Party With You (Party Party Party), Pts. 1 & 2’ (Salsoul SSOL 102) (BNDA debut 1/14/78)
Like a sequel to Marvin’s ‘Got To Give It Up’, first 10,000 on full-length 12in.
BAR-KAYS: ‘Let’s Have Some Fun’ (Mercury 6167649)
Finally out, the funky burbler could follow Con Funk Shun’s ‘Ffun’.
KOOL AND THE GANG: ‘Slick Superchick’ (from LP ‘The Force’, Mercury 6372700)
Typically funky burbler, big on import, and other good tracks.
THELMA HOUSTON: ‘I Can’t Go On Living Without Your Love’ / ‘Any Way You Like It’ (Motown TMG 1102)
Slowly building mid-tempo lilting soul lurcher, rather nice, and a funkier flip.
JOHN FORDE: ‘Atlantis, Pts. 1 & 2’ (EMI 2763)
Bee Gees-style dreamy swayer, kinda nice!
STEELY DAN: ‘Peg’ (ARC 4207)
Jauntily jittery jiggler with disco appeal.
TRINITY: ‘We Love The Pirate Stations’ (R2 RTU 0001)
Limited edition perky pop hustler about pirate radio (the old Roaring Sixties song). Available for £1 from Contemporary Music Consultants, 29 Gloucester Place Mews, London W1H 3PN.
ROUNDTREE: ‘Get On Up’ (Power Exchange PX 269) (BNDA debut 7/22/78)
Brass Construction-ish mid-tempo jiggler with chix, a bit dull but it cuts through well.
MICHELE: ‘Can’t You Feel It’ (from LP ‘Magic Love’, Pye NSPL 28248) (BNDA debut 11/5/77)
Gently loping 9:42 import hit, while the fast Euro title track (her UK 45) is the full 6:33.
LEON HAYWOOD: ‘Double My Pleasure’ (MCA 353)
Chunky funky chugger, good flip too.
LAMONT DOZIER: ‘Going Back To My Roots, Pts. 1 & 2’ (Warner Bros. K 16942) (BNDA debut 5/28/77)
Powerfully nagging jiggler, reserviced as the intro’s used by TV’s KP Discos commercial.
SYLVESTER: ‘Down Down Down’ (Fantasy FTC 152) (BNDA debut 8/6/77)
Frantically fast brassy bubbler, big in gay venues and more northern than ‘Over And Over’.
No Hot Vinyl this week.
UK Disco Top 50 – March 11, 1978
01 01 Stargard – Which Way Is Up – MCA
02 05 Eruption – I Can’t Stand The Rain – Atlantic
03 09 Bee Gees – Stayin’ Alive – RSO
04 04 ABBA – Take A Chance On Me – Epic
05 06 Darts – Come Back My Love – Magnet
06 07 Manu Dibango – Big Blow / Aloko Party – Decca
07 08 Rose Royce – Wishing On A Star / Funk Factory – Whitfield
08 33 Bob Marley & The Wailers – Is This Love – Island
09 24 Donna Summer – Rumour Has It – Casablanca
10 03 Heatwave – The Groove Line – GTO
11 15 Earth, Wind & Fire – Fantasy – CBS
12 02 Odyssey – Native New Yorker – RCA (12″)
13 42 Blondie – Denis (Denee) – Chrysalis
14 12 War – Galaxy – MCA
15 37 Michael Zager Band – Let’s All Chant / Love Express – Private Stock (12″)
16 28 Sheila & B. Devotion – Singin’ In The Rain – Carrere (12″)
17 19 Raydio – Get Down / Jack And Jill – Arista
18 22 Mandrill – Can You Get It / Funky Monkey – Arista (12″)
19 13 Roy Ayers – Freaky Deaky – Polydor (LP)
20 36 Free – All Right Now – Island
21 23 Gene Page – Close Encounters Of The Third Kind – Arista (12″)
22 25 Yellow Dog – Just One More Night – Virgin
23 10 Althea & Donna – Uptown Top Ranking – Lightning
24 16 Chic – Dance Dance Dance – Atlantic
25 17 Bill Withers – Lovely Day – CBS
26 18 Peter Brown – Do You Wanna Get Funky With Me – TK (12″)
27 30 Commodores – Too Hot Ta Trot / Zoom – Motown (12″)
28 27 Andrea True Connection – What’s Your Name, What’s Your Number – Buddah
29 21 Al Hudson – If You Feel Like Dancin’ – ABC (12″)
30 11 Bob Marley & The Wailers – Jamming – Island
31 14 Baccara – Sorry I’m A Lady – RCA
32 47 Hot Chocolate – Every 1’s A Winner – Rak
33 49 Real Thing – Whenever You Want My Love – Pye
34 RE Electric Light Orchestra – Mr. Blue Sky – Jet
35 RE Kellee Patterson – If It Don’t Fit Don’t Force It – EMI
36 NE Andy Cameron – Ally’s Tartan Army / I Wanna Be A Punk Rocker – Klub
37 NE Francine McGee – Feelin’ Good / Delirium – RCA (12″) [Imp]
38 32 Cameo – It’s Serious – Chocolate City (LP) [Imp]
39 31 B.T. Express – Shout It Out / Ride On It – EMI Int’l
40 39 Jimmy Lindsay – Easy – Island/Black Swan (12″)
41 29 Eastside Connection – You’re So Right For Me – Creole (12″)
42 RE Brass Construction – We – UA
43 38 Gene Farrow – Move Your Body – Magnet (12″)
44 35 Cerrone – Supernature / Give Me Love – Atlantic (LP)
45 45 Earth, Wind & Fire – Magic Mind / Jupiter – CBS (LP)
46 RE Commodores – Brick House / I Feel Sanctified – Motown (LP)
47 46 Southroad Connection – You Like It, We Love It – Mahogany (12″) [Imp]
48 50 Linda Clifford – From Now On – Curtom (12″)
49 48 Bionic Boogie – Risky Changes – Polydor [Imp]
50 41 Lonnie Smith – Funk Reaction – TK
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 2/4/78) / #3 (BNDA debut 1/7/78)
#9 (BNDA debut 11/12/77) / #12 (BNDA debut 8/27/77) / #14 (BNDA debut 1/14/78)
#15 (BNDA debut 1/14/78) / #16 (BNDA debut 2/11/78) / #24 (BNDA debut 9/24/77)
#26 (BNDA debut 4/23/77) / #28 (BNDA debut 11/12/77) / #38 (BNDA debut 2/18/78)
#41 (BNDA debut 11/12/77) / #42 (BNDA debut 12/3/77) / #44 (BNDA debut 11/26/77)
#46 (BNDA debut 4/16/77) / #47 (BNDA debut 1/28/78) / #48 (BNDA debut 12/10/77)
#49 (BNDA debut 12/17/77)
Breakers:
1 DUSTY SPRINGFIELD: ‘That’s The Kind Of Love I’ve Got For You’ (Mercury LP cut) (BNDA debut 3/11/78)
2 MARY WELLS: ‘My Guy’ (Motown)
3 TAVARES: ‘The Ghost Of Love’ (Capitol)
4 CHIC: ‘Everybody Dance’ (Atlantic) (BNDA debut 12/3/77)
5 JOHNNY GUITAR WATSON: ‘It’s A Damn Shame’ (DJM)
6 MECO: ‘Theme From Close Encounters’ (RCA) (BNDA debut 1/28/78)
7 TEE CEES: ‘Disco Love Bite’ (DJM)
8 PETER BROWN: ‘Dance With Me’ (TK LP cut) (BNDA debut 1/7/78)
9 RIPPLE: ‘The Beat Goes On And On’ (Salsoul 12” – US import) (BNDA debut 1/28/78)
10 RAFFAELLA CARRA: ‘Do It, Do It Again’ (Epic)
Songs mentioned in DJ Hotline:
UNCLE SAM: ‘Oh Pretty Woman’ (Ariola)
BROOKLYN DREAMS: ‘Music, Harmony and Rhythm’ (RCA) (BNDA debut 4/8/78)
ASHFORD & SIMPSON: ‘Don’t Cost You Nothin’’ (Warner Bros. LP cut) (BNDA debut 1/28/78)
RAYDIO: ‘This Is A Love Thing’ (Arista LP cut – US import)
RIGBY: ‘The House Of The Rising Sun’ (Logo)
HELEN DAVIS: ‘Satisfaction’ (Carrere)
BIONIC BOOGIE: ‘Dance Little Dreamer’ (Polydor) (BNDA debut 12/17/77)
PLAYERS ASSOCIATION: ‘Disco Inferno’ / ‘I Like It’ (Vanguard)
WET WILLIE: ‘Street Corner Serenade’ (Epic)
James Hamilton's Disco Page 