Disco News
Brighton area resident jocks have their own Assn of Professional Discotheque & Night Club DJ’s of Brighton (APDNCDJB? – gulp!), totally divorced from the more mobile-orientated Sussex DJ Assn. Details from John Lewis on 0272 561220 . . . Glasgow area jocks have the DJF affiliated Strathclyde DJ Assn. Details from Bob Bennett, 6 Creswell Street, Hillhead, Glasgow (041-334 7679) – OK, John Hill of Bathgate? . . . how many disco dancers are doing the Child Disco Smooch, snigger snigger?!
New Spins
HI-TENSION: ‘British Hustle’ (Island 12 WIP 6446)
Eagerly awaited infectious fast funky galloper with added Evelyn King-type handclaps (try mixing halfway into ‘Shame’!), on full 6:37 12in for first 10,000 copies, then 3:30 7in.
KAREN YOUNG: ‘Hot Shot’ (Atlantic K 11180) (BNDA debut 6/17/78)
Madly catchy import smash leaper, edited three different ways for UK 12in and 7in, the vocal side being only 3:18 on both . . . odd! Personally, I’m sticking to the full US 12in version.
HERBIE HANCOCK: ‘I Thought It Was You’ (CBS 12 6530)
Superbly, deceptively fast but delicate-sounding funk-jazz smash, now on full LP-length 8:54 12in for just 99p!
SYLVESTER: ‘You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)’ (Fantasy FTC 160) (BNDA debut 7/8/78)
Electronically throbbing fast flier, huge on 6:39 import 12in but edited here for 3:46 UK 7in. It’s a hit, anyway.
REAL THING: ‘Rainin’ Through My Sunshine’ (Pye 7N 46113)
Gorgeous tripping swayer with funkily snapping bass, a bit like Bill Withers’s ‘Lovely Day’, could even give them funk-jazz credibility this time – especially as there’s a promo 12in for some lucky jocks.
COMMODORES: ‘Three Times A Lady’ (Motown TMG 1113)
Bread-like slow smoocher, surprisingly short of real soul (though thousands would disagree!), edited to 3:35.
CONTROLLERS: ‘Somebody’s Gotta Win, Somebody’s Gotta Lose’ (TK TKR 6016)
Hauntingly lovely much-imported true deep soul smoocher from last year, a modern classic with Commodores-type appeal.
JUDY CHEEKS: ‘Mellow Lovin’’ (Ariola ARO 121) (BNDA debut 6/17/78)
Big-sounding Euro pounder, quite catchy, better than most and likely to hit here.
EDDY GRANT: ‘Living On The Frontline / The Frontline Symphony’ (from LP ‘Walking On Sunshine’, Ice ICEL 1004)
Terrifically exciting polyrhythmic but sparse-sounding 13:13 semi-reggae clapper builds momentum through the synthesizer second part. Other tracks are jaunty fun too, but this could be another ‘Exodus’ even.
STRANGLERS: ‘Walk On By’ (UA UP 36429)
Amazingly successful new treatment of Dionne Warwick’s 1964 classic, on 33 1/3 rpm 6:22 7in, should hit discos more than they usually do.
BRYAN FERRY: ‘Sign Of The Times’ (Polydor/EG 2001798)
Beaty fast bounder for pop fans, abrupt end.
ANDY GIBB: ‘An Everlasting Love’ (RSO 15)
Just like a spare ‘Fever’ song.
PATRICK JUVET: ‘Ou Sont Les Femmes’ (Barclay BAR 709)
The flaxen-haired frog’s falsetto French-sung bouncer from exactly a year ago, finally on 45.
MIGHTY DIAMONDS: ‘Planet Called Earth’ (Virgin VS 221)
Marley-type reggae swayer.
IN CROWD: ‘His Majesty Is Coming’ LP (Cactus CTLP 125)
Full 5:25 ‘Back A Yard’, older ‘We Play Reggae’ and the new ‘Born In Ethiopia’, amongst other goodies.
KING TUBBY MEETS THE UPSETTER: ‘At The Grass Roots Of Dub’ LP (Studio 16 WE 101)
Reissued classic dub album from three years back pits King Tubby against Lee Perry in a battle of the reggae re-mix.
LITTLE NELL: ‘Fever’ (A&M AMS 7374)
Rather good stab at the Amanda Lear-type Euro style, better than Madleen Kane’s version. Go Nell go!
LEE RITENOUR: ‘Sugarloaf Express’ (from LP ‘The Captain’s Journey’, Elektra K 52094)
Surprisingly hot 5:06 jazz-funk guitar skipper with a brief Brazilian break between the George Benson-type bits.
DANDY LIVINGSTONE: ‘The South African Experience’ (Night Owl NOR 5003)
Atmospheric whispered and falsetto-sung reggae groover, worth checking.
CHOICE FOUR: ‘Come Down To Earth’ / Two Different Worlds’ (RCA PC 1084) (BNDA debut 10/8/77)
Last year’s quite fast bass-bumped vocal Van McCoy thudder builds up a groove on seemingly endless 10:20 12in, while the good rhythm rattling flip’s 8:48 too. Some value, huh?!
SANTANA: ‘I’ll Be Waiting’ / ‘Moonflower’ (CBS 6520)
Soulfully-sung Isley’s-type mid-tempo disco jogger, lovely more typical flip.
DETROIT SPINNERS: ‘If You Wanna Do A Dance’ (Atlantic K 11175)
Naggingly insistent slow chugging thudder with long intro may be dated now.
Mix Master
These days I seem to be sitting in with Graham Canter at Mayfair Gullivers every weekend and most Tuesdays, too, playing ultra funk and (especially on Tuesdays – get there early) some great esoteric vintage soul slowies. Anyway, my current “mega-mix” is Bros Johnson ‘Ain’t We Funkin’ Now’ (A&M LP), Raydio ‘Is This A Love Thing’ (Arista 12in), Little Sister ‘You’re The One’ (Atlantic, from 1970, just like Raydio!), Nigel Martinez ‘Better Things To Come’ (State), Fatback ‘I’m Fired Up’ (Spring LP), Crown Heights Affair ‘Galaxy Of Love’ (De-Lite LP), cutting in on the beat, except for Martinez/Fatback which is a running mix, but using variable speed decks. You’ll have to feel the mixing points for yourselves. It’s a hot one!
UK Disco Top 90 – August 5, 1978
01 01 A Taste Of Honey – Boogie Oogie Oogie – Capitol 7″/12″/LP
02 02 Rick James – You And I – Motown 7″/12″/LP
03 04 Saturday Night Band – Come On Dance Dance – CBS 7″/12″/LP
04 03 John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John – You’re The One That I Want – RSO 7″
05 06 O’Jays – Use Ta Be My Girl – Philadelphia Int’l 7″
06 05 Hi-Tension – Hi-Tension – Island 7″/12″
07 08 Voyage – Voyage (all cuts) – GTO LP
08 07 Bee Gees – Night Fever – RSO 7″/LP/12″ promo
09 11 Evelyn “Champagne” King – Shame – RCA 7″/12″
10 09 Sine – Just Let Me Do My Thing – CBS 7″/12″/LP
11 17 Crown Heights Affair – Galaxy Of Love / Dream World – De-Lite LP
12 12 Raydio – Is This A Love Thing – Arista 7″/LP/12″ promo
13 19 Quincy Jones – Stuff Like That – A&M 7″/LP
14 14 Karen Young – Hot Shot – Atlantic 7″/12″
15 15 Charles Earland – Let The Music Play / Over And Over – US Mercury LP
16 13 Trammps – Disco Inferno – Atlantic 7″/12″/RSO LP
17 16 Boney M. – Rivers Of Babylon / Brown Girl In The Ring – Atlantic 7″/12″
18 22 Hamilton Bohannon – Let’s Start The Dance – US Mercury LP
19 20 Herbie Hancock – I Thought It Was You – CBS 7″/12″/LP
20 10 Commodores – Flying High – Motown 7″/12″/LP
21 25 Deodato – Whistle Bump – Warner Bros. 7″/12″
22 21 Samona Cooke – One Night Affair – Mercury 7″/12″ promo
23 27 Linda Clifford – Runaway Love / Gypsy Lady / If My Friends Could See Me Now – Curtom 7″/12″/LP
24 18 Marshall Hain – Dancing In The City – Harvest 7″
25 38 Sweet Thunder – Everybody’s Singin’ Love Songs – US Fantasy/WMOT 12″
26 28 Ronnie Jones – Me And Myself – Lollipop 7″/12″ promo
27 30 KC & The Sunshine Band – It’s The Same Old Song – TK 7″/12″
28 35 Carol Douglas – Night Fever – Gull 7″/12″
29 24 Sylvester – Dance (Disco Heat) / You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) – US Fantasy 12″
30 31 Lenny Williams – You Got Me Running / Midnight Girl / I Still Reach Out / Cause I Love You – ABC LP
31 32 Diana Ross – Lovin’, Livin’ And Givin’ – Motown 7″/Casablanca LP
32 40 Teddy Pendergrass – Only You – Philadelphia Int’l LP
33 26 Heatwave – Mind Blowing Decisions – GTO 7″
34 23 Idris Muhammad – Boogie To The Top / One With A Star / S-E-X – Kudu 7″/LP/12″ promo
35 42 Commodores – Three Times A Lady – Motown LP/US 7″
36 33 Norman Connors – Stella / Captain Connors – Buddah 7″/LP
37 52 Clout – Substitute – Carrere 7″
38 34 Rolling Stones – Miss You – EMI 7″/12″
39 39 Fatback – I’m Fired Up / Snake – Spring LP
40 36 J.A.L.N. Band – Get Up (& Let Yourself Go) – Magnet 7″/12″
41 29 Bee Gees – More Than A Woman – RSO LP/12″ promo
42 74 Love & Kisses – Thank God It’s Friday – Casablanca 7″/12″/LP
43 67 Cissy Houston – Think It Over – Private Stock 7″/12″
44 NE Hi-Tension – British Hustle – Island 7″/12″
45 44 Crusaders – Cosmic Reign / Snowflake / Fairy Tales – ABC LP
46 89 Al Hudson – How Do You Do / Spread Love – US ABC LP
47 47 Don Ray – Got To Have Loving / Garden Of Love – Polydor 7″/LP
48 64 Earth, Wind & Fire – Magic Mind – CBS 7″
49 48 Kenny Delt & Prana – Conquer All – Mercury 7″/US 12″
50 58 Cleveland Eaton – Bama Boogie Woogie – US Ovation 12″
51 45 Gap Mangione – Mellow Out / Time Of The Season / Sister Jo – US A&M LP
52 NE Nigel Martinez – Better Things To Come – State 7″/LP
53 50 Sun – Sun Is Here – Capitol 7″/12″
54 66 Whispers – Headlights / All The Way – RCA 7″/12″
55 43 James Brown – Eyesight / The Spank – Polydor 7″/LP
56 37 Real Thing – Let’s Go Disco – Pye 7″
57 NE Brothers Johnson – Ain’t We Funkin’ Now / Mista Cool / Ride-O-Rocket / Streetwave – A&M LP
58 56 Bob Marley & The Wailers – Satisfy My Soul – Island 7″/LP
59 65 Rare Earth – Warm Ride – Prodigal 7″/12″ promo
60 71 Bootsy’s Rubber Band – Bootzilla – Warner Bros. 7″/12″
61 70 Various Artists – Thank God It’s Friday (all cuts except TGIF, Lovin’ etc, & Last Dance) – Casablanca LP
62 60 Harvey Mason – What’s Going On / Till You Take My Love – Arista 7″/12″/LP
63 76 Walter Murphy – A Fifth Of Beethoven – Private Stock 12″/RSO LP
64 83 Patrick Juvet – I Love America / Got A Feeling – Casablanca LP
65 55 Luisa Fernandez – Lay Love On You – Warner Bros. 7″
66 RE Foxy – Get Off – US Dash LP
67 46 Love Committee – Law And Order – Salsoul 7″/LP
68 41 Peter Brown – Dance With Me – TK 7″/12″
69 53 Ubiquity – Midnight After Dark / Starbooty – Elektra 7″/12″
70 80 Van McCoy – My Favourite Fantasy – MCA 7″/12″
71 NE Norma Jean – Saturday – Bearsville 7″/US 12″ promo
72 NE Barry Manilow – Copacabana (At The Copa) – Arista 7″/US 12″
73 54 Donna Summer – Last Dance – Casablanca 7″/12″/LP
74 NE Len Boone – Love Won’t Be Denied – Chrysalis 7″/12″
75 81 Gladys Knight & The Pips – Come Back And Finish What You Started – Buddah 7″
76 51 Trade Mark – Days Of Pearly Spencer – RSO 7″/12″
77 69 Shirley Ellis – The Clapping Song – MCA 7″/12″
78 77 L.T.D. – Together Forever / Jam / Holding On / You Must Have Known I Needed Love – A&M LP
79 59 Samuel Jonathan – You / Just Us – US Columbia LP
80 61 Metropolis – I Love New York – Salsoul 7″/US 12″
81 NE War – Youngblood – US UA 7″/LP
82 NE MFSB – Use Ta Be My Guy – US Philadelphia Int’l 7″
83 72 Gilla – Bend Me Shape Me – Ariola Hansa 7″
84 NE Boney M. – Rasputin / Night Flight To Venus – Atlantic LP
85 57 Double Exposure – Ten Percent – US Salsoul 12″
86 NE Steel Pulse – Prodigal Son – Island 7″
87 73 Gary Criss – Rio De Janeiro – Carrere 7″/12″
88 NE Sugar – Manhattan Fever – Power Exchange 7″/12″
89 84 Madleen Kane – Rough Diamond – Decca 7″/LP
90 NE Giorgio & Chris – Love’s In You – Oasis 7″
NE = new entry; RE = re-entry
Appeared in Billboard:
#1 (BNDA debut 5/27/78) / #2 (BNDA debut 5/13/78) / #3 (BNDA debut 4/15/78)
#7 (BNDA debut 2/11/78) / #8 (BNDA debut 1/7/78) / #9 (BNDA debut 10/1/77)
#14 (BNDA debut 6/17/78) / #16 (BNDA debut 1/15/77) / #18 (BNDA debut 7/22/78)
#21 (BNDA debut 5/27/78) / #23 (BNDA debut 3/25/78) / #28 (BNDA debut 3/11/78)
#29 (BNDA debut 7/8/78) / #30 (BNDA debut 7/29/78) / #31 (BNDA debut 12/23/78)
#34 (BNDA debut 5/6/78) / #38 (BNDA debut 6/17/78) / #41 (BNDA debut 1/7/78)
#42 (BNDA debut 4/29/78) / #43 (BNDA debut 7/22/78) / #47 (BNDA debut 4/22/78)
#61 (BNDA debut 4/29/78) / #64 (BNDA debut 6/3/78) / #66 (BNDA debut 5/6/78)
#67 (BNDA debut 6/24/78) / #68 (BNDA debut 1/7/78) / #71 (BNDA debut 6/17/78)
#72 (BNDA debut 4/15/78) / #73 (BNDA debut 4/29/78) / #74 (BNDA debut 8/12/78)
#80 (BNDA debut 4/1/78) / #81 (BNDA debut 10/7/78) / #87 (BNDA debut 3/25/78)
#89 (BNDA debut 3/18/78)
Bubbling Under the Top 90 (Domestic):
CHERYL BARNES: ‘Save And Spend’ (RCA 12”)
CAMEO: ‘It’s Serious’ (Casablanca 12”) (BNDA debut 2/18/78)
ISLEY BROTHERS: ‘Groove With You’ (Epic 7”)
JACKSON BROWNE: ‘Stay’ (Asylum 7”)
LEE RITENOUR: ‘Sugarloaf Express’ (Elektra LP)
NINA SIMONE: ‘Baltimore’ (CTI LP)
PLAYERS ASSOCIATION: ‘Disco Inferno’ (Vanguard 12”)
GENE FARROW: ‘Don’t Stop Now’ (Magnet 12”)
ELKIE BROOKS: ‘Since You Went Away’ (A&M 7”)
MICHAEL ZAGER: ‘Music Fever’ (Private Stock 12”)
MATHIS & WILLIAMS: ‘You’re All I Need’ (CBS 7”)
TYRONE DAVID: ‘Mind Blowing Decisions’ (D-Roy 12”)
MASS PRODUCTION: ‘Just Want To Make A Dream Come True’ / ‘Watch Me Do It’ (Cotillion LP)
PHIL UPCHURCH: ‘Strawberry Letter 23’ (TK LP)
FRANKIE VALLI: ‘Grease’ (RSO LP)
TAVARES: ‘Slow Train To Paradise’ (Capitol 12”)
GRACE JONES: ‘Do Or Die’ (Island 12”) (BNDA debut 6/17/78)
CLAUDJA BARRY: ‘Dancin’ Fever’ (Lollipop 12” promo) (BNDA debut 1/7/78)
Bubbling Under the Top 90 (Imports):
PRINCE: ‘Just As Long As We’re Together’ (US Warner Bros. LP)
WINNERS: ‘Get On Up And Do It’ / ‘Hey You’ / ‘Get Ready For The Future’ (US UA/Roadshow LP)
JOHN GIBBS & US STEEL ORCHESTRA: ‘Trinidad’ (US Jumbo Caribbean 12”)
CONSTELLATION ORCHESTRA: ‘Perfect Love Affair’ / ‘Funk Encounters’ (US Prelude LP) (BNDA debut 7/1/78)
SPYRO GYRA: ‘Shaker Song’ (US Amherst LP)
JACK ASHFORD: ‘Hotel Sheet’ (US Magic Disc LP)
WAYNE HENDERSON: ‘Hot Stuff’ (US Polydor LP)
WILBERT LONGMIRE: ‘Black Is The Color’ (US Tappan Zee LP)
SOUTHROAD CONNECTION: ‘Sweet Ride’ (US Mahogany LP)
SWITCH: ‘You Pulled A Switch’ (US Gordy LP)
HEATWAVE: ‘The Groove Line’ (remix) (US Epic 12”)
DAVID WILLIAMS INNER CIRCLE: ‘Come On Down Boogie People’ (US AVI LP)
WHAM: ‘Superslick’ (US GRT 7”) (BNDA debut 5/13/78)
CAFÉ CRÈME: ‘Discomania’ (US RSO 12”)
BENNY GOLSON: ‘Georgia On My Mind’ / ‘I’m Always Dancin’ To The Music’ (US Columbia LP)
INDEPENDENT MOVEMENT: ‘Slippin’ Away’ (US Polydor LP)
IAN DURY: ‘Sex & Drugs & Rock ‘N Roll’ (Italian Stiff 12”)
SUNFIGHTER: ‘Café A-Go-Go’ (Canadian EMI 12”)
KEBEKELEKTRIK: ‘War Dance’ (US Salsoul 12”) (BNDA debut 6/24/78)
EL COCO: ‘Love In Your Life’ (US AVI 12”) (BNDA debut 7/15/78)
SWEET PROMISE: ‘I’m A Music Man’ (US ALA 7”)
BOMBERS: ‘Dance Dance Dance’ (US West End 12”)
BRAND NEW FUNK 78: ‘Lowdown’ (US Vibration LP)
LAKE SHORE DRIVE: ‘Disco Scene’ (US Magic Touch 12”)
MICHAEL HENDERSON: ‘Happy’ (US Buddah LP)
JOHN DAVIS & THE MOSTER ORCHESTRA: ‘Disco Fever’ (US SAM LP)
GARY CRISS: ‘Brazilian Nights’ (US Salsoul LP)
DONNA MCGHEE: ‘Do As I Do’ (US Red Greg LP)
James Hamilton's Disco Page 