Month: September 1978

Disco News

Hot gossip of the moment suggests that Radio Luxembourg may adopt a disco-orientated programming format as an alternative to BBC Radio One when the latter begins its evening transmissions soon . . . Southgate Royalty’s promoters have had to postpone their Edmonton Picketts Lock funk all-nighter but promise that absolutely definite is the 1st International Soul Week-Ender – likely to be known as the Disco Olympics – at Caister Holiday Center near Gt Yarmouth on April 20-22 next year, with Chris Hill, Robbie Vincent, etc, in residence as your funky redcoats! . . . Magnet’s Joanna Kochen needs more gay club jocks from around the country for her mailing list: contact her at Magnet Records, 22 York Street, London W1H 1FD . . . Polydor’s Theo Loyla looked suspiciously at ease, dressed in full female drag for the Ilford Room At The Top fancy dress party (he’s even painted back his eyebrows), but why was he walking the High Street arm-in-arm with Phonogram’s John Waller?! . . . Thames Valley DJ Assn’s first charity soccer match kicks off at 4pm this Sunday (1) followed by a disco dance, all at the MG Sports & Social Club at Abingdon’s Caldecot Road – details from Phil Sheridan on Drayton 319 . . . Humberside Assn of DJ’s meets monthly on Sundays with 40 members so far, mostly from Hull/Driffield area – contact Rex Booth on Hull 441643 . . . D.C. LaRue ‘Let Them Dance’ is now on full 9:15 12in (Pye 7NL 25795) . . . Dan Hartman’s ultra-hot ‘Instant Replay’ comes forward to October 13 release, but possibly only on 7in (madness!), while Phil Hurtt, Stanley Turrentine and Luv You Madly Orchestra are set for 12in soon . . . Bob Marley’s next is a live 12in of ‘Exodus’ / ‘Jamming’ in a month, while Hi-Tension’s is ‘Autumn Love’ – a slowie from their upcoming LP . . . Charles Earland ‘Over And Over’ is on 8:45 remix US 12in.

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No New Spins this week.  Continue reading “September 30, 1978: “Radio Luxembourg may adopt a disco-orientated programming format””

Disco News

Caroline Roadshow’s stolen van was discovered on Monday abandoned in Stoke Newington, still containing some of their disco gear (not that they’re short of equipment!) . . . Thames Valley DJ Assn members meet this Sunday (24) at noon in Didcot’s Rio Discotheque on Hadden Hill, with a talk on insurance problems and guests including EMT LRD’s Steve Turner . . . Chris Hill’s beach party last Saturday at Canvey’s Goldmine was highlighted by a “butch” contest in which notorious Stevenage pee-pee drinker Tom, made up as the Man From Atlantis, ran across the road for a dip in the sea while an ally pissed into a pint glass on stage, ready for thirsty Tom’s naked return – when he downed the lot! Two girls were heard to remark “he’s very nice, but his breath smells like you could catch (CENSORED!! -Ed.)”. OK, I’ll drink to that! . . . Joe Thomas ‘Plato’s Retreat’ and a new Olympic Runners 12in are due next week, while Quartz ‘Beyond The Clouds’ (on 12in only) is set for Oct 13 and Dan Hartman ‘Instant Replay’ for Oct 27 . . . David Williams ‘Come On Down Boogie People’ will now NOT be out here, but Crown Heights Affair’s LP has been issued at normal UK prices and The Jacksons ‘Blame It On The Boogie’ cover is on same-as-7in-length 12in . . . Atlantic Starr ‘Stand Up’ is on 6:24 remix US 12in, Ashford & Simpson ‘It Seems To Hang On’ is on 6:57 remix promo US 12in, while Gato Barbieri ‘Poinciana’ is edited for 3:40 US 7in . . . Mick O’Shea’s new Yankee record import wholesale business in Chislehurst also services jocks like Chris Hill and Tricky Dicky on a personal basis, so could be worth a call on 01-857 1555/7117 for the hip amongst you . . . Arista’s Tony Berry has moved on to be marketing manager at Pinnacle, while Dougall DJ is standing down from his Strathclyde DJ Assn and DJF roles to concentrate on his career (and save money!), with hopes for a music biz job in London next year . . . Rob Harknett needs label info about a classical piece commonly known as the ‘Death March’ – any ideas?

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New Spins

EDDIE HENDERSON: ‘Prance On’ (Capitol 12-CL 16015)
Dynamite 5:16 jazz-funk trumpet jumper has already exploded on LP and is now on 12in, with last year’s great ‘Say You Will’ as double-value £4.98 flip – go get it while its hot!

ROY AYERS: ‘Get On Up, Get On Down’ (Polydor AYERS 12)
Repetitive happy rhythm-rattling leaper on special 4:25 12in with a “reprise cue” band so jocks can whip the stylus back to the last 1:38 for a quick repeat of the chanting title line break. Dealer demand is such that they’ve evidently pressed plenty!

WAYNE HENDERSON: ‘Hot Stuff’ (Polydor 2066947)
Long awaited instrumental jazz-funk jiggler by the Crusaders’ old trombonist hits a nagging mid-tempo groove but fades after 3:58.  Continue reading “September 23, 1978: Eddie Henderson, Roy Ayers, Wayne Henderson, Blackwell, Afro-Cuban Band”

Disco News

Eddie Henderson ‘Prance On’ has exploded as anticipated, but many jocks are also playing the LP’s ‘Cyclops’ at 45 rpm – making it a hot jazz-funk leaper! . . . Sam J Johnson could finally be out here soon, while for imminent release are Gap Mangione on Funk A&Merica 12in, Wayne Henderson (7in) . . . planned for early October are Teddy Pendergrass ‘Only You’ 7:18 remix 12in (with ‘Close The Door’ as plug side for radio), Carol Douglas ‘Burnin’’ on chocolate vinyl Polydor 12in, Independent Movement (possible 12in), Pockets . . . Jonathan King and Music Machine are now on 12in . . . Capitol’s much ballyhooed “luminous” vinyl Kraftwerk 12in and LP, due soon, have been beaten by Virgin’s luminous Yellow Dog ‘Little Gods’ (VS 224)! . . . Frenchies’ new Palm Beach restaurant in Worcester Park has an official music business opening on Monday (18), but served punters from last Saturday. There’s a special prize for spotting the most spelling mistakes in the menu, and a money-back offer if you throw up when Travolta’s ‘Summer Nights’ suddenly slips in between Stanley Turrentine and Sam J Johnson on the otherwise excellent music tape (come back Dave Simmons!) . . . Rus “12in” Phillips opens a new disco department this Saturday (16) at East London’s ‘Ere For Music store in Manor Park, Broadway, stocking imports, oldies and UK releases with discounts to bona fide DJ’s (take proof). Times are Friday evening till 6pm and all day Saturday . . . North-East Essex DJ Assn holds a fund-raising DJ Party Dance on Wednesday (20) at Colchester Embassy Suite.

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New Spins

ROY AYERS: ‘Can’t You See Me?’ (from LP ‘You Send Me’, Polydor 2391365)
Superb 6:07 jazzy bouncer with almost a conga rhythm and great scat ‘n vibes, huge in London, mixes perfectly out of Herbie Hancock’s slow bit (and then into Third World), while the more obvious repetitive fast 4:23 ‘Get On Up, Get On Down’ leaper will be on 12in soon.

ROSE ROYCE: ‘Strikes Again’ LP (Whitfield K 56527)
Generally laid-back “listening” LP with lotsa lovely slowies (worth using), so that only the 45’s ‘Do It Do It’ and a typically burbling ‘First Come First Serve’ 3:19 clapper are solidly uptempo.

IAN MATTHEWS: ‘Man In The Station’ (Rockburgh ROCS 206)
Excellent bouncily thudding 3:55 cool white disco jumper, worth checking cos it could be big.  Continue reading “September 16, 1978: Roy Ayers, Rose Royce, Ian Matthews, La Bionda, Gladys Knight & The Pips”

Disco News

Camberley’s Frenchies are opening a trendy new restaurant this Saturday (9) in the High Street, Worcester Park, South West London. Called the Palm Beach, it’ll feature lotsa palm trees, stuffed seagulls, waitresses in ultra-short shorts and beach shirts, a hamburger / lasagna / moussaka / pizza / malt liquor-type menu and – of course – the hottest jazz-funk. You’d better book on 01-330 1982 . . . Chris Brown and Graham Canter fill in for Robbie Vincent on Radio London’s Saturday morning soul show until next week . . . Although the South East has gone wild over ‘In The Bush’, Musique’s ‘Summer Love’ is now on 7:51 12in (CBS 12-6579) . . . Wilbert Longmire won’t be out here until November, but Teddy Pendergrass ‘Only You’ and Joe Thomas ‘Plato’s Retreat’ are due later this month, probably on 12in . . . Candi Staton ‘Victim’ (edited 7in) and Tony Orlando ‘Don’t Let Go’ (12in remix) are out next week, Ashford & Simpson (7in) and Boney M ‘Rasputin’ (12in) are due Sept. 22, Bettye LaVette (12in) and Linda Clifford ‘Gypsy Lady’ (12in probably) are set for Sept. 29 . . . The Roy Ayers track for UK 12in will be ‘Get On Up, Get On Down’, with a special “reprise cue” gimmick of a cueing band 1:38 from the disc’s end so that jocks can repeat it quickly if they want – huh? However, so far, ‘Can’t You See Me’ has three times the DJ support . . . Carrie Lucas ‘Street Corner Symphony’ / ‘Tic Toc’ is on 12in next week, while La Bionda ‘One For You, One For Me’ will be a Mercury 12in here Sept. 22 . . . Until the smallpox scare ends, all Birmingham jocks are excused sending reaction reports to Phonogram and WEA! . . . Dave Dee of Bebington (resident of Birkenhead Cabin) wants record companies to know that it’s an imposter who’s diverting his mail to a Manchester address.

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New Spins

EDDIE HENDERSON: ‘Prance On’ (from LP ‘Mahal’, Tower EST 11846)
Dynamite fast 5:16 flier by the jazz-funk trumpeter that’s set to explode – around the South East, anyway! It’s right in the sparse skipping Charles Earland groove, so you’ve been warned!

ROSE ROYCE: ‘Love Don’t Live Here Anymore’ / ‘Do It Do It’ (Whitfield K 17236)
Sensational delicate 3:56 smoocher, full of those trendy syn-drum noises, with a great brassily blasting herky-jerky 4:09 funky flip for extra double-sided value.

GAP MANGIONE: ‘Mellow Out’ (from LP ‘Suite Lady’, A&M AMLH 64694)
At last (though the 45’s still late!), the smash import exciting fast 5:39 funk-jazz jumper – amazingly like a squeaky synthesizer version of the Crusaders’ ‘Put It Where You Want It’ – has now been overtaken in the South East by the much more specialist 5:27 ‘Sister Jo/Time Of The Season’ medley, a trickily lurching jazzy builder that gets quite fast before subsiding again into quieter piano-backed thumps ‘n bumps.  Continue reading “September 9, 1978: Eddie Henderson, Rose Royce, Gap Mangione, El Coco, Solar Flare”

Disco News

Pye Records are now selling unlimited 12in pressings at £1.25 and are not just using the 12in format as a lever into the charts. New on 12in is Patrick Juvet, while next week sees Real Thing and El Coco with David Williams to follow soon . . . Gap Mangione’s LP is due now, but the 45 coupling goes back to Sept. 22 . . . Roy Ayers’s LP is out mid-month, Wayne Henderson’s ‘Hot Stuff’ will be on 45 only eventually . . . Nigel Martinez is now not on longer promo 12in, but even so is one of London’s hottest funky hits – try it if you haven’t, as it’s a great rhythmic pick-up segued out of anything! . . . WEA’s Fred Dove has some Detroit Spinners on US promo 12in, which should go well in the North West . . . Friday/Saturday/Sunday (1/2/3) Jim Kershaw and various Radio Hallam jocks demonstrate disco gear at the Sheffield Trades Fair in Hillsborough Park, open to the public and free on Sunday . . . London’s LODJ Assn meets 4pm on Sunday (3) in the Three Wheatsheaves pub, 52 Upper Street, Angel, N1, while over in Essex the Havering DJ Assn has been formed by some local mobiles and needs more (free) members. Contacts are: LODJ, Bill Forrester (01-348-3269), HDJA, Brian Mead (Romford 61129, day / Ingrebourne 49663, evening) . . . Pete Maxwell of Southsea’s new PM Entertainments disco agency is after good South Coast/Hampshire-based jocks for its books, so call 0705-751238 . . . finally, yes Michael Morgan (Chelmsford’s Confunktion Roadshow), Eumir Deodato is on UK 12in – but the hot US promo remix is a lot longer and better. It’s also worth a fortune as there are none left!

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New Spins

BROTHERS JOHNSON: ‘Ain’t We Funkin’ Now’ / ‘Strawberry Letter 23’ / ‘Get The Funk Out Ma Face’ (A&M Funk America AMSP 7379)
Flagship of the new 3-track 12in series has their current funky monster, last year’s lovely lurching slowie and the full 6:10 disco version (not on any LP) of their first boogie, which is edited for the 7in – the only cut in this debut trio that is. In fact, the scaled-down 7in versions are packaged exactly like the limited 12in editions . . . beautifully.

L.T.D.: ‘Holding On’ / ‘Back In Love Again’ / ‘Love Ballad’ (A&M Funk America AMSP 7378) (‘Back In Love Again’ BNDA debut 10/22/77)
Current funky hit (which segues perfectly in the sequence Bros Johnson/Sweet Thunder/L.T.D. – try it!), plus last year’s even better enduring jumper and a tender slowie.

ATLANTIC STARR: ‘Stand Up’ (from LP ‘Atlantic Starr’, A&M AMLH 64711) (BNDA debut 10/7/78)
Dynamite 4:29 funky stamper, already a smash on import – but amazingly not among their Funk America tracks (AMSH 7380), of which brightly romping ‘Don’t Abuse My Love’ is best but heavy US funk tempo ‘Gimme Your Luvin’’ is lead.  Continue reading “September 2, 1978: Brothers Johnson, L.T.D., Atlantic Starr, Third World, Cleveland Eaton”