July 15, 1978: Thank God It’s Friday: “less likely to attract trendy poseurs”

The movie of ‘Thank God It’s Friday’ opens in London this week, and will soon be creating a ‘Fever’-type demand in discos for some of the soundtrack songs.  However, as already noted, much of the best music in the film is not actually on the soundtrack LP’s (Casablanca TGIF 100), and in any case most of the music is in such short jumbled up fragments that few tunes really register on their own.

The ones from the LP set which do stand out especially are Cameo’s ‘Find My Way’, Commodores’ ‘Too Hot Ta Trot’, Wright Brothers Flying Machine’s ‘Leatherman’s Theme’, Donna Summer’s ‘Last Dance’ and Love & Kisses’ title tune.

Of the additional material, the stand-outs are Cameo’s ‘It’s Serious’ (Casablanca), Commodores’ ‘Brick House’ / ‘Easy’ (Motown), Giorgio’s ‘From Here To Eternity’ (Oasis) and Donna Summer’s ‘Love To Love You Baby’ (GTO), while the rest not on the albums are GC Cameron & Syreeta’s ‘Let’s Make A Deal’, Fifth Dimension’s ‘You’re The Reason I Feel Like Dancing’, Cuba Gooding’s ‘Dance All Night’, Thelma Houston’s ‘I’m Here Again’, Originals’ ‘Down To Love Town’ (all on Motown), Alec R. Costandinos’s ‘Romeo & Juliet’ (Lightning), D.C. LaRue’s ‘You Can Always Tell A Lady By The Company She Keeps’ (Pye), Meco’s ‘Meco’s Theme’ (RCA), Village People’s ‘Hollywood’ / ‘I Am What I Am’ (DJM) . . . all the latter not on Motown being issued in the US by Casablanca.

It’s a very funny movie, well worth seeing, and I personally think far more entertaining than ‘Saturday Night Fever’.  However, it’s less likely to attract trendy poseurs, being aimed much more at the real disco audience, so the straight media will probably leave it alone.  Good news, huh?

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Disco News

London’s LODJ Assn invites all potential members to meet on Tuesday (18) at 7pm in Room 3305 on the 33rd floor of Euston Tower – should be worth it for the view alone! – which is next to, and NOT, Capital Radio’s entrance . . . Roger Squire’s traveling equipment exhibition winds up on Sunday (18) at Manchester’s Nocturne disco at Deansgate . . . Ian Dury’s great ‘Sex And Drugs And Rock ‘N’ Roll’ has been remixed into a 6-minute version on Italian 12in, currently reviving the tune – which, if you haven’t tried it, makes a good bridge between funk and slow rock.

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New Spins

TEDDY PENDERGRASS: ‘Only You’ (from LP ‘Life Is A Song Worth Singing’, Phil Int’l PIR 82555) (BNDA debut 10/21/78)
Although with longer versions of his singles’ two hot sides, the really hot biggie is this great 5:05 happy funky leaper’s terrific bouncily burbling beat. Make it a 45 soon, please!

QUINCY JONES: ‘Stuff Like That’ (A&M AMS 7367)
Smash funk-jazz jumper, now edited to 3:30 for 45.

SAMONA COOKE: ‘One Night Affair’ (Mercury 6167670)
Sam Cooke’s cousin revives Jerry Butler’s oldie with ‘Boogie Oogie Oogie’-type bass, huge already on import and promo 12in. 

DEE DEE BRIDGEWATER: ‘Sweet Rain’ (Elektra K 12309)
Great gently driving funk-jazz rhythm behind a trendily twittering thrush.

L.T.D.: ‘Together Forever’ / ‘Jam’ / ‘Holding On’ (from LP ‘Togetherness’, A&M AMLH 64705)
Already hitting, the hot cuts are a chunky funker, slow funky bumper and faster soul tripper.

PATRICK JUVET: ‘I Love America’ (from LP ‘Got A Feeling’, Casablanca CAL 2028) (BNDA debut 6/3/78)
Zingily changing 13:55 anthem of praise by the US-recorded falsetto-voiced Frenchman – huge already on import – while the loping Bee Gees-like 3:30 title track is also on 45 (CAN 127) and the chunkier 6:58 ‘Where Is My Woman’ has fans too. Definite Bee Gee appeal.

CAROL DOUGLAS: ‘Night Fever’ (Gull GULS 61-12) (BNDA debut 3/11/78)
Much-imported Michael Zager-produced Bee Gees cover with emptier sound but more rhythm, a gay hit tor ages, now on 7in or next week on limited 6:13 12in at £1.49.

ELKIE BROOKS: ‘Since You Went Away’ (A&M AMS 7369)
Infectious fast hustler, already big on radio.

SPACE: ‘Deliverance’ (Pye 7N 25787)
‘Stud’-culled catchy vocal thudder with slow Mass-like intro and centre.

ORCHESTRA 88: ‘Manhattan Skyline’ (Polydor 2066921)
Zippy but bland cover of David Shire’s hustling instrumental from ‘Fever’.

BIG A: ‘Caribbean Air Control’ (Sonet SON 2150)
Good interesting pop disco jogger about the Bermuda Triangle.

BOUZOUKI DISCO BAND: ‘Disco Bouzouki’ (Decca FR 13783)
Robbie Vincent’s “world’s worst disco record”, but it’ll be jolly fun for Greek restaurants and MoR parties. I’ll certainly be using it!

SLEEPY LA BEEF: ‘Good Rockin’ Boogie’ (Charly CYS 1037)
Terrific vintage sounding but modern bopping rockabilly revival of ‘Good Rocking Tonight’.

VARIOUS: ‘Alan Freed’s Memory Lane’ LP (Pye PKL 5572)
Amazing collection of 14 all-time doo-wop classics all introduced with narration by the late Alan Freed – the US rock ‘n roll DJ immortalised by the current ‘American Hot Wax’ movie. Great for relaxed smooch sessions.

TERI DE SARIO: ‘Ain’t Nothing Gonna Keep Me From You’ (Casablanca CAN 128)
Barry Gibb-produced squeaky pop romper with background Bee Gee noises – ulp!

LEN BOONE: ‘Love Won’t Be Denied’ (Chrysalis CHS 12 2227) (BNDA debut 8/12/78)
Fairly unnecessary Bee Gees-type noises on a self-consciously zingy 12in, which lift into some better synthesizer and rhythm breaks on the longer 6:51 side’s version.

STEVE VOICE: ‘On The Shelf’ (EMI 2809)
Lovely lazily chugging lush pop stutterer, big on radio and good MoR.

FOREIGNER: ‘Cold As Ice’ (Atlantic K 10986)
Dramatically-starting rock tempo-switcher, pressed in ice-clear vinyl, may be confusing at first but should become a future classic.

TYRONE DAVID: ‘Mind Blowing Decisions’ (D-Roy FORCE 2012)
Dynamite speeded-up long 12in reggae version that even Heatwave’s Johnnie Wilder likes!

THE CRUSADERS: ‘Images’ LP (ABC ABCL 5250)
‘Cosmic Reign’, a slow-starting but then fast 8:08 jazz-funk skipper, looks like being the hot cut while ‘Fairy Tales’ and ‘Merry-Go-Round’ are funky swayers, all with some Joe Sample piano. My own fave is the attractive fast flier ‘Snowflake’.

SUN: ‘Sun Is Here’ (Capitol 12 CL 15979)
Far too late, it’s now on commercial 12in, and slipping down the disco chart.

TOWER OF POWER: ‘We Came To Play’ LP (CBS 82239)
As well as the 6:03 version of their current hot funky hit, the slower “live” title track chanter with some freaky instrumental breaks has been big too.

DELEGATION: ‘Oh Honey’ (State STAT 82)
Placidly pretty soul slowie with a ‘Float On’ atmosphere.

RICHARD MYHILL: ‘We’ve Got Something More’ (Mercury/Utopia TANGO 2)
Pleasantly unusual gentle pop-disco builder with catchy drawn-out single syllable phrasing on circular 7in.

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UK Disco Top 90 – July 15, 1978

01 01 A Taste Of Honey – Boogie Oogie Oogie – Capitol 7″/12″
02 02 Hi-Tension – Hi-Tension – Island 7″/12″
03 05 John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John – You’re The One That I Want – RSO 7″
04 03 Bee Gees – Night Fever – RSO 7″/LP/12″ promo
05 07 Rick James – You And I / Sexy Lady – Motown 7″/US Gordy 12″
06 08 Sine – Just Let Me Do My Thing – CBS 7″/12″/LP
07 06 Evelyn “Champagne” King – Shame – RCA 7″/12″
08 10 O’Jays – Use Ta Be My Girl – Philadelphia Int’l 7″
09 15 Saturday Night Band – Come On Dance Dance – CBS 7″/12″/LP
10 04 Boney M. – Rivers Of Babylon / Brown Girl In The Ring – Atlantic 7″/12″
11 09 Voyage – Voyage (all cuts) – GTO LP
12 14 Idris Muhammad – Boogie To The Top / One With A Star / S-E-X – Kudu 7″/LP/12″ promo
13 17 Rolling Stones – Miss You – EMI 7″/12″
14 20 Commodores – Flying High – Motown 7″/12″/LP
15 11 Trammps – Disco Inferno – Atlantic 7″/12″/RSO LP
16 12 Linda Clifford – Runaway Love / Gypsy Lady / If My Friends Could See Me Now – Curtom 7″/12″/LP
17 18 Heatwave – Mind Blowing Decisions – GTO 7″/LP
18 13 Real Thing – Let’s Go Disco – Pye 7″
19 24 Deodato – Whistle Bump – Warner Bros. 7″/12″ promo
20 50 Raydio – Is This A Love Thing – Arista 7″/LP/12″ promo
21 35 Charles Earland – Let The Music Play / Over And Over – US Mercury LP
22 26 Marshall Hain – Dancing In The City – Harvest 7″
23 37 Hamilton Bohannon – Let’s Start The Dance – US Mercury LP
24 16 Boiling Point – Let’s Get Funktified – Bang 7″/12″
25 39 J.A.L.N. Band – Get Up (& Let Yourself Go) – Magnet 7″/12″
26 23 Tavares – More Than A Woman – Capitol 7″/RSO LP
27 31 Eddie Kendricks – Ain’t No Smoke Without Fire – Arista 7″/12″
28 58 Kenny Delt & Prana – Conquer All – Mercury 7″/US 12″
29 19 Bee Gees – More Than A Woman – RSO LP/12″ promo
30 66 Quincy Jones – Stuff Like That – A&M 7″/LP
31 43 Double Exposure – Ten Percent – US Salsoul 12″
32 84 Karen Young – Hot Shot – US West End 12″
33 30 Bob Marley & The Wailers – Satisfy My Soul – Island 7″/LP
34 46 Samuel Jonathan – You / Just Us – US Columbia LP
35 28 Peter Brown – Dance With Me – TK 7″/12″
36 45 Commodores – Three Times A Lady – Motown LP/US 7″
37 41 Bionic Boogie – Risky Changes – Polydor 7″/LP/US 12″
38 42 Tower Of Power – Lovin’ You Is Gonna See Me Thru – CBS 7″/LP
39 NE Sylvester – Dance (Disco Heat) / You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) – US Fantasy 12″
40 36 Norman Connors – Stella / Captain Connors – Buddah 7″/LP
41 40 Rokotto – Funk Theory – State 7″/12″
42 47 Ubiquity – Midnight After Dark / Starbooty – Elektra 7″/12″
43 27 Metropolis – I Love New York – Salsoul 7″/US 12″
44 53 Fatback – I’m Fired Up / Get Out On The Dance Floor / Snake / I Like Girls – US Spring 7″/LP
45 33 Olympic Runners – Whatever It Takes / Solar Heat – RCA 7″/12″
46 49 Stanley Clarke – More Hot Fun – Epic 7″
47 83 Gap Mangione – Mellow Out – US A&M LP
48 29 Donna Summer – Last Dance / With Your Love – Casablanca 7″/LP
49 32 James Brown – Eyesight – Polydor 7″/LP
50 38 T-Connection – Let Yourself Go – TK 7″/12″
51 72 Samona Cooke – One Night Affair – Mercury 7″/12″ promo
52 67 Herbie Hancock – I Thought It Was You – CBS LP
53 48 Demis Roussos – L.O.V.E. Got A Hold Of Me – Mercury 12″ promo
54 51 Constellation Orchestra – Perfect Love Affair / Funk Encounters – US Prelude LP
55 22 Yvonne Elliman – If I Can’t Have You – RSO 7″/LP/12″ promo
56 85 Diana Ross – Lovin’, Livin’ And Givin’ – Motown 7″/Casablanca LP
57 NE Motors – Airport – Virgin 7″/12″
58 78 Trade Mark – Days Of Pearly Spencer – RSO 7″/12″
59 87 Luisa Fernandez – Lay Love On You – Warner Bros. 7″
60 64 Lee Ritenour – Sugarloaf Express – US Electra LP
61 77 Harvey Mason – What’s Going On / Till You Take My Love – Arista 7″/12″
62 55 John Gibbs & US Steel Orchestra – Trinidad – US Jumbo Caribbean 12″
63 52 Various Artists – Thank God It’s Friday (all cuts except TGIF & Last Dance) – Casablanca LP
64 75 Spyro Gyra – Shaker Song – US Amherst 7″/LP
65 73 Cleveland Eaton – Bama Boogie Woogie – US Ovation 12″
66 34 Sun – Sun Is Here – Capitol/Tower LP
67 71 Gary Criss – Rio De Janeiro – Carrere 7″/French 12″
68 NE Crown Heights Affair – Galaxy Of Love / Say A Prayer For Two – De-Lite LP
69 63 Mass Production – Just Want To Make A Dream Come True / Watch Me Do It / Sky High / Scarey Love – US Cotillion LP
70 54 Loleatta Holloway – Hit And Run – Salsoul 12″
71 82 Clout – Substitute – Carrere 7″
72 65 Blackwell – Put The Funk Back / Boogie Down – US Butterfly LP
73 88 Rare Earth – Warm Ride – Prodigal 7″/12″ promo
74 89 Gilla – Bend Me Shape Me – Ariola Hansa 7″
75 NE Patrick Juvet – I Love America / Got A Feeling – Casablanca LP
76 RE Jack Ashford – Hotel Sheet – US Magic Disc LP
77 NE Ronnie Jones – Me And Myself – Lollipop 7″/12″ promo
78 80 Love Committee – Law And Order – Salsoul 7″/LP
79 NE Winners – Get On Up And Do It / Hey You / Get Ready For The Future – US UA/Roadshow LP
80 62 Prince – Just As Long As We’re Together – US Warner Bros. LP
81 NE Michael Zager Moon Band – Do It With Feeling – Bang 7″
82 NE Teddy Pendergrass – Close The Door / Get Up, Get Down, Get Funky, Get Loose – Philadelphia Int’l 7″
83 61 Eddie Russ – Tea Leaves / Take A Look At Yourself – US Monument LP
84 74 Raul De Souza – Daisy Mae / Jump Street – Capitol 7″
85 RE Candi Staton – Honest I Do Love You – Warner Bros. 7″
86 NE L.T.D. – Together Forever / Jam / Holding On – A&M LP
87 RE Walter Murphy – A Fifth Of Beethoven – Private Stock 12″/RSO LP
88 76 Kay-Gees – Kilowatt / Kilowatt Invasion – US De-Lite 7″/LP
89 RE Platinum Hook – Standing On The Verge – Motown LP
90 NE Dusty Springfield – That’s The Kind Of Love I’ve Got For You – Mercury 7″/12″ promo
NE = new entry; RE = re-entry

Appeared in Billboard:
#1 (BNDA debut 5/27/78) / #4 (BNDA debut 1/7/78) / #5 (BNDA debut 5/13/78)
#7 (BNDA debut 10/1/77) / #9 (BNDA debut 4/15/78) / #11 (BNDA debut 2/11/78)
#12 (BNDA debut 5/6/78) / #13 (BNDA debut 6/17/78) / #15 (BNDA debut 1/15/77)
#16 (BNDA debut 3/25/78) / #19 (BNDA debut 5/27/78) / #23 (BNDA debut 7/22/78)
#27 (BNDA debut 2/25/78) / #29 (BNDA debut 1/7/78) / #32 (BNDA debut 6/17/78)
#35 (BNDA debut 1/7/78) / #37 (BNDA debut 12/17/77) / #39 (BNDA debut 7/8/78)
#43 (BNDA debut 4/1/78) / #48 (BNDA debut 4/29/78) / #50 (BNDA debut 4/22/78)
#53 (BNDA debut 7/1/78) / #54 (BNDA debut 7/1/78) / #56 (BNDA debut 12/23/78)
#63 (BNDA debut 4/29/78) / #67 (BNDA debut 3/25/78) / #70 (BNDA debut 5/7/77)
#72 (BNDA debut 6/10/78) / #75 (BNDA debut 6/3/78) / #78 (BNDA debut 6/24/78)
#90 (BNDA debut 3/11/78)

Bubbling Under the Top 90 (Domestic):
GIORGIO & CHRIS: ‘Love’s In You (Love’s In Me)’ (Oasis 7”)
SUGAR: ‘Manhattan Fever’ (Power Exchange 7”)
CHARO & THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA: ‘You’re Just The Right Size’ (Salsoul 7”)
LENNY WILLIAMS: ‘You Got Me Running’ (ABC LP) (BNDA debut 7/29/78)
EL COCO: ‘Under Construction’ (Pye 7”)
BOBBI HUMPHREY: ‘Sunset Burgundy’ (Epic 7”)
CLAUDJA BARRY: ‘Dancin’ Fever’ (Lollipop 12” promo) (BNDA debut 1/7/78)
BOOTSY’S RUBBER BAND: ‘Bootzilla’ (Warner Bros. 12”)
SHIRLEY ELLIS: ‘The Clapping Song’ (MCA 12”)
ORCHESTRA 88: ‘Manhattan Skyline’ (Polydor 7”)
DETROIT EMERALDS: ‘Turn On Lady’ (Atlantic 7”) (BNDA debut 3/25/78)
ENCHANTMENT: ‘If You’re Ready (Here It Comes)’ (UA 7”)
MIQUEL BROWN: ‘Symphony Of Love’ (Polydor 7”) (BNDA debut 1/6/79)
CAROL DOUGLAS: ‘Night Fever’ (Gull 12”) (BNDA debut 3/11/78)
ROBERTA KELLY: ‘Oh Happy Day’ / ‘To My Father’s House’ / ‘My Sweet Lord’ (Oasis LP) (BNDA debut 4/8/78)
JACKSON BROWNE: ‘Stay’ (Asylum 7”)
FLIRTATIONS: ‘Little Darling’ (Casino Classics 7”)
GRAHAM BONNET: ‘Warm Ride’ (Ring-O 12”)
DON RAY: ‘Got To Have Loving’ (Polydor LP) (BNDA debut 4/22/78)
SOUL CHILDREN: ‘Can’t Give Up A Good Thing’ (Stax 7”)
JKD BAND: ‘Dragon Power’ (Satril 12”)
SIDE EFFECT: ‘Keep That Same Old Feeling’ (Fantasy 7”)
GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIPS: ‘Come Sack And Finish What You Started’ (Buddah 7”)

Bubbling Under the Top 90 (Imports):
HUES CORPORATION: ‘Get Up Off Your Backside’ (US Warner Bros. LP)
WAYNE HENDERSON: ‘Hot Stuff’ (US Polydor LP)
PHIL UPCHURCH: ‘Strawberry Letter 23’ (US Marlin LP)
FOXY: ‘Get Off’ (US Dash LP) (BNDA debut 5/6/78)
BADAZZ: ‘Honk Honk Beep Beep’ (US A&M 12”)
CON FUNK SHUN: ‘When The Feeling’s Right’ / ‘Shake And Dance With Me’ (US Mercury LP)
RENZO FRAIESE: ‘12 Engle Street’ (US AVI LP)
FAZE-O: ‘Riding High’ (US She LP)
WHAM: ‘Superslick’ (US GRT 7”) (BNDA debut 5/13/78)
SOUTHROAD CONNECTION: ‘Sweet Ride’ (US Mahogany LP)
ESTHER PHILLIPS: ‘Native New Yorker’ / ‘Stormy Monday’ (US Mercury LP)
SUNFIGHTER: ‘Café A-Go-Go’ (Canadian EMI 12”)
JIMMY MCGRIFF: ‘Tailgunner’ (US TK 12”)
GRACE JONES: ‘Do Or Die’ (US Island 12”) (BNDA debut 6/17/78)
LONNIE LISTON SMITH: ‘Sunburst’ (US Columbia LP)
UNIVERSAL ROBOT BAND: ‘Freak With Me’ (US Red Greg 12”)
LAKE SHORE DRIVE: ‘Disco Scene’ (US Magic Touch 12”)
AL HUDSON: ‘How Do You Do’ (US ABC LP)
SHOTGUN: ‘Good Bad And Funky’ (US ABC LP)