Disco News
Graham Thornton, Tea Council Young DJ winner, is confirmed as the early hours 2 to 6am Sunday morning man on Manchester’s Piccadilly Radio from next weekend (Nov 5), but meanwhile jocks this Saturday (28) at Boroughbridge Hotel Cottages . . . Polydor have imported 15,000 of Alicia Bridges’s US 12in to sell here at £1.25 . . . Phonogram beat the opposition to get Rahni Harris and rush it on 12in as soon as possible! Others from them include Crown Heights Affair ‘Gonna Love You Forever’ / ‘Say A Prayer For Two’ on remixed 12in next week and Village People’s ultra-gay ‘YMCA’ out mid-month . . . more for November are Shalamar on 12in, War ‘Youngblood’ 12, Voyage ‘Souvenirs’ (from the up-coming ‘Fly Away’ LP) flipped by ‘Lady America’ on 12in, Aquarian Dream LP, Diana Ross/Michael Jackson ‘Ease On Down The Road’ 7in next week and James Brown ‘Nature, Parts 1 & 2’ 7in the week after . . . Pulse ‘The Warrior’ (Ipi Tombi IPT 1S), an exciting 12in to mix out of ‘British Hustle’ or Manu Dibango, is available via Spartan Distributors (01-903 4753) – so tell your local shop if you’ve been having trouble . . . somehow my idea of disco radio is not incessant repetition of Dan Hartman, Sylvester and Sugar Cane, interspersed with Gordon Lightfoot, Barry Aldias and ads for a Byrds compilation, is it yours?! . . . Yvonne Marvil needs specialist rock jocks for her mailing list at Shaboodle Promotions Ltd, 148 Charing Cross Road, London WC2H 0LH, so send details of your rock gigs, while Andrew Bunker (currently working on Chrysalis disco product) invites all jocks to send him their work details at Leapfrog Promotions, Priory House, Kingsgate Place, London NW6 . . . Strathclyde DJ Assn challenge various local showbiz teams to a double-headed charity Five-A-Side football tournament this Sunday (29) at Glasgow’s Kelvin Hall, starting 3pm . . . later that night at 8pm the South Eastern Disco Assn meet in Wrotham’s Spring Tavern . . . Chris Archer, founding father of the East Anglian DJ Assn, has resigned for personal reasons as secretary, which role will now be handled temporarily by Peter May of 4 Aerodrome Road, Thorpe, Norwich, Norfolk (Norwich 35084) . . . The DJ Federation-affiliated association for the central south east coast is the Solent DJA, c/o, Ray Hewins, 29 Allens Road, Southsea, Portsmouth (0705 28291) – OK, Andy Desmond? . . . guess what, Brighton Metro’s Grease promotion has been cancelled – but not, as DJ John Lewis hastens to explain, because people in jeans would be barred! . . . the original backers of proposed new DJ World monthly magazine have dropped out, but guiding light Garrell Redfearn still plans to publish, eventually – OK, Ashley Woods? . . . Enri Yori of Peckham Red Bull fame keeps reporting disgraceful rip-offs by record shops who ignore the advertised price of 12in issues and sell them at way above the proper price – something else that unlimited 12in runs should put an end to!
New Spins
PHIL HURTT: ‘Giving It Back’ (Fantasy 12FTC 161)
Lovely happy Philly flier with an infectious almost conga rhythm, already a disco monster on import and now finally out as limited 6:00 12in or 3:45 7in.
MANU DIBANGO: ‘Sun Explosion’ / ‘Big Blow’ (Decca GFR 13810)
Typical happy fast afro jumper on 8:05 12in or 3:52 7in, with for the first time on UK 12in last year’s similar disco smash as 8.00 flip.
QUARTZ: ‘Beyond The Clouds’ (Pye 7NL 25797-12) (BNDA debut 7/22/78)
Incredibly powerful but simple electronic pounder has some crashing piano chords which help make it a well-proven floor filler (for me anyway), on well-cut 12in. Try mixing out of Cerrone ‘Supernature’!
STANLEY TURRENTINE: ‘Disco Dancing’ (Fantasy 12FTC 162)
Madly catchy hummable little sax-led melody with a bouncy mid-tempo beat is a rapidly spreading jazz-funk fave on import, but now on 7:58 12in or 3:50 7in could even go MoR!
BROTHERS JOHNSON: ‘Ride-O-Rocket’ (Funk A&Merica AMSP 7400)
The 5:34 12in version has the great “rocket countdown” intro – exciting synthesizer noises for cutting through other records to frighten the dancers! – before hitting the already big drums-bumped jittery chanter, edited to 3:25 for 7in.
HEATWAVE: ‘Mind Blowing Decisions’ (GTO GT 12-236)
Although officially the B-side, this is the dynamite 7:36 remix 12in that ends up as a reggae remake of the straight first half. Huge on import and so belatedly added to the remixed and elongated lovely old soul smoocher ‘Always And Forever’, it just turns this into a double-dynamite 12in!
PATRICK JUVET: ‘I Love America’ (Casablanca CAF 132) (BNDA debut 6/3/78)
Basically the gently but insistently galloping English-language variation of his old ‘Ou Sont Les Femmes’ is a 13:55 LP track, but it’s now on one side of a low-volume 45 rpm 12in, or edited to 3:47 for 7in . . . but the 7in has his recent ‘Got A Feeling’ hit on the flip! However, they’re both beautifully packaged, the 12in in blue vinyl, and the LP version has been climbing the chart on its own.
AFRO-CUBAN BAND: ‘Rhythm Of Life’ (Arista ARIST 12214) (BNDA debut 9/2/78)
Michael Zager-produced zingy chix-sung skipper with several rhythm breaks in its thumping hustle tempo on 6:46 12in (3:24 7in), already shooting up the chart despite my earlier doubts about it as an LP track.
GREY & HANKS: ‘You Fooled Me’ (RCA PB 1346)
Choppy quite fast funk jiggler with shrill chix and gruffly soulful fella, sadly now only on two-part 7in.
D.C. LARUE: ‘Let Them Dance’ (Pye 7NL 25795) (BNDA debut 6/10/78)
Frothy gay thumper totally remixed from his LP – and the far less good 7in – now goes into a great long rhythm break with several sound shifts, on marathon 9:15 12in. Check it this time around!
NRG: ‘Disco Fever’ (MCA 12MCA 394)
Trite electronic skipper has freaky voices and effects coming in and out over a basis rhythm track, on full-length 12in or short 7in.
SWEET CREAM: ‘I Don’t Know What I’d Do (If Ever You Left Me)’ (Ember EMBSL 364-12) (BNDA debut 2/18/78)
Girlie group US disco-soul hit romps along with synthetic wheezlings at first and much surface happiness, on full-length 12in only (no 7in planned!), Jacksons fans could dig.
BONNIE POINTER: ‘Free Me From My Freedom / Tie Me To A Tree (Handcuff Me)’ (Motown TMG 1125) (BNDA debut 12/2/78)
Whaaat?!! Sultry semi-slow soul swayer packs plenty of subtle pent-up power behind the freakiest title of the year.
PAUL GEE: ‘Heaven Above’ (AIR CHS 12-2252)
Bright and breezy pop hustler from the old Gun group’s Mr Gurvitz, on same length 3:30 12in and 7in.
HOT R.S.: ‘House Of The Rising Sun’ (Chrysalis CHS 12-2228)
Giorgio-type Euro electronics do a predictable job on the Animals’ oldie, in 6:45 and 4:00 lengths on both 12in and 7in alike.
TEMPTATIONS: ‘Bare Back’ (Atlantic K 11186)
Insistent brassy jiggler with wheezling synthetics, hardly vintage Tempts, but much-plugged on Luxembourg.
THIRD ENCOUNTER: ‘Checkin’ On You’ (JET 12-114)
Mellotron-backed inoffensive pop-reggae loper on 3:14 12in and 7in.
CHEETAH: ‘Pressure Drop’ (Safari SAFE L11)
Maytals’ reggae oldie sounds like Minnie Mouse, it’s speeded up so much in this pop revamp: in fact, the yellow vinyl 12in sounds much better at 33 . . . or 78rpm even more!
Mix Master
Mega-mix time again! This worked like a dream last Friday down at Gullivers: Manu Dibango ‘Sun Explosion’ (Decca 12in) running mixed into Hi-Tension ‘British Hustle’ (Island 12in), ditto halfway into Sylvester ‘Mighty Real’ (US Fantasy 12in), synchronised halfway and run together with Dan Hartman ‘Instant Replay’ (US Blue Sky 12in) until the countdown ends when you whip out Sylvester and turn it over to cue halfway at the pause-preceded shriek in ‘Disco Heat’, cutting that in at an appropriate break in Dan H. Towards the end of Sylvester, in one of the freaky gaps, either hit the beat with the “uhh” of Teddy Pendergrass ‘Only You’ (Philadelphia Int’l 12in), or as worked for me this time, synchronise a running mix with Quartz ‘Beyond The Clouds’ (Pye 12in – which goes great with Cerrone too!), then synchronise that with Rinder & Lewis ‘Envy’ (Pye 12in) and on into Joe Farrell ‘Night Dancing’ (US Warner Bros. 12in), and so on! Other goodies are the rhythm break in Karen Young ‘Hot Shot’ (US West End 12in) synched with the dynamite 12in of Boney M ‘Rasputin’ (don’t mock until you’ve heard the brilliant long percussion first half!), and Rick James ‘You And I’ (Motown) chopped into Crown Heights Affair ‘Say A Prayer For Two’ (Mercury LP) minus the build-up intro.
UK Disco Top 90 – October 28, 1978
10/28 10/21 Artist – Title – Label
01 01 Sylvester – You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) – Fantasy 7″/12″/LP
02 03 Third World – Now That We Found Love – Island 7″/12″
03 06 Boney M. – Rasputin – Atlantic 7″/12″/LP
04 02 Rose Royce – Love Don’t Live Here Anymore – Whitfield 7″
05 08 Dan Hartman – Instant Replay – Blue Sky 7″/US 12″
06 04 Hi-Tension – British Hustle / Peace On Earth – Island 7″/12″
07 11 The Jacksons – Blame It On The Boogie – Epic 7″/12″
08 07 John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John – Summer Nights – RSO 7″
09 05 Crown Heights Affair – Galaxy Of Love – Mercury 12″/LP
10 09 Frankie Valli – Grease – RSO 7″
11 13 Eddie Henderson – Prance On / Cyclops / Butterfly / Say You Will – Capitol 12″/LP
12 16 Ashford & Simpson – It Seems To Hang On – Warner Bros. 7″/US 12″/LP
13 10 Phil Hurtt – Giving It Back – Fantasy 12″
14 14 Sylvester – Dance (Disco Heat) – Fantasy LP/US 12″
15 18 Cleveland Eaton – Bama Boogie Woogie – Gull 7″/12″
16 44 Donna Summer – MacArthur Park – Casablanca 7″/LP/12″ promo
17 30 Roy Ayers – Get On Up, Get On Down – Polydor 12″/LP
18 12 Karen Young – Hot Shot – Atlantic 7″/12″/US West End 12″
19 24 Musique – Keep On Jumpin’ / In The Bush – CBS LP
20 17 Roy Ayers – Can’t You See Me – Polydor LP
21 25 Rahni Harris – Six Million Steps – US Inspirational Sounds 12″
22 31 Shalamar – Take That To The Bank – US Solar 7″/LP
23 37 Manu Dibango – Sun Explosion / Big Blow / Motapo – Decca 12″/French Fiesta 12″
24 58 Olympic Runners – Get It While You Can – Polydor 12″
25 20 A Taste Of Honey – Boogie Oogie Oogie – Capitol 7″/12″/LP
26 33 Stanley Turrentine – Disco Dancin’ – Fantasy 12″/US LP
27 36 La Bionda – One For You, One For Me – Mercury 7″/12″
28 38 Joe Thomas – Plato’s Retreat – TK 7″/US 12″
29 35 Goody Goody – #1 Dee Jay – US Atlantic 12″/LP
30 32 Teddy Pendergrass – Only You – Philadelphia Int’l 12″
31 15 Stargard – What You Waitin’ For – MCA 7″/12″
32 22 Hamilton Bohannon – Let’s Start The Dance – Mercury 12″
33 26 Sugar Cane – Montego Bay – Ariola Hansa 7″/12″
34 19 Herbie Hancock – I Thought It Was You – CBS 12″/LP
35 28 Mick Jackson – Blame It On The Boogie – Atlantic 7″/US 12″
36 76 Joe Farrell – Night Dancing – US Warner Bros. LP/12″ promo
37 21 10cc – Dreadlock Holiday – Mercury 7″
38 59 Dean Friedman & Denise Marsa – Lucky Stars – Lifesong 7″
39 29 Wilbert Longmire – Black Is The Color – US Tappan Zee LP
40 51 Solar Flare – Boogie Fund – RCA 12″
41 45 Patrick Juvet – I Love America – Casablanca 7″/12″/LP
42 67 Three Degrees – Giving Up, Giving In – Ariola 7″/12″
43 43 Gap Mangione – Mellow Out / Time Of The Season – A&M 7″/12″/LP
44 46 Heatwave – Mind Blowing Decisions – GTO 12″
45 27 Cerrone – Supernature – Atlantic 7″/12″/LP
46 34 Curtis Mayfield – No Goodbyes – US Curtom LP
47 42 Al Hudson – How Do You Do / Dance, Get Down – ABC 7″/12″
48 83 Afro-Cuban Band – Rhythm Of Life – Arista 7″/12″
49 39 Crown Heights Affair – Say A Prayer For Two / I Love You / Dream World – Mercury LP
50 62 Eddie Horan – Turn My World Back Around – US HDM LP
51 47 Samuel Jonathan Johnson – You – US Columbia 12″ remix
52 53 Candi Staton – Victim – Warner Bros. 7″/LP/US 12″ promo remix
53 71 Jonathan King – One For You, One For Me – GTO 7″/12″
54 23 Commodores – Three Times A Lady – Motown 7″/LP
55 40 Rose Royce – I’m In Love / First Come, First Serve – Whitfield LP
56 48 Howard Kenney – Save Some For The Children – US Warner Bros. LP
57 RE Funkadelic – One Nation Under A Groove – US Warner Bros. 7″/12″/LP
58 82 Earth, Wind & Fire – Got To Get You Into My Life – CBS 7″
59 72 Alicia Bridges – I Love The Nightlife – Polydor 7″/US 12″
60 49 Jimmy McGriff – Outside Looking In / Playland / Midnight Boogie / Tapioca – US LRC LP
61 63 Gregg Diamond – Starcruisin’ / Fancy Dancer – US Marlin LP
62 75 Goody Goody – Superjock – US Atlantic LP
63 57 Evelyn “Champagne” King – Shame – RCA 7″/12″
64 61 O’Jays – Brandy – Philadelphia Int’l 7″
65 68 Ronnie Jones – Groovin’ / Gimme Little Sign / Me And Myself – Lollipop LP
66 54 Sweet Thunder – Everybody’s Singin’ Love Songs – US Fantasy/WMOT 12″
67 50 Atlantic Starr – Gimme Your Lovin’ – A&M 7″/12″
68 55 Quincy Jones – Stuff Like That – A&M 7″/12″/LP
69 41 Brothers Johnson – Ain’t We Funkin’ Now – A&M 7″/12″
70 78 Ramsey Lewis – All The Way / Don’t Look Back / Moogin’ On – US Columbia LP
71 77 Grover Washington Jr. – Do Dat / Steppin’ Thru / Santa Cruzin’ – US Motown LP
72 87 Aquarian Dream – You’re A Star – US Elektra LP
73 52 Bobby Caldwell – Down For The Third Time – US Clouds LP
74 RE Peter Brown – You Should Do It – TK 7″
75 64 Brothers Johnson – Ride-O-Rocket / Streetwave / Mista Cool – A&M LP
76 74 Rick James – You And I – Motown 7″/12″/LP
77 73 Lenny Williams – You Got Me Running – ABC 12″/LP
78 60 Charles Earland – Let The Music Play – Mercury 12″
79 79 Blair – Night Life – US Solar Sound LP
80 56 Patrick Juvet – Got A Feeling – Casablanca 7″/12″
81 RE Cissy Houston – Think It Over – Private Stock 7″/12″
82 81 ABBA – Summer Night City – Epic 7″
83 RE Luv You Madly Orchestra – Rocket Rock – US Salsoul 12″
84 NE D. C. LaRue – Let Them Dance – Pye 12″ remix
85 NE Chanter Sisters – Can’t Stop Dancing – Safari 7″
86 NE Wayne Henderson – Hot Stuff – Polydor 7″/US LP
87 NE Dennis Coffey – Calling Planet Earth / Gimme That Funk – US Westbound LP/12″ promo
88 80 Gladys Knight & The Pips – It’s A Better Than Good Time – Buddah 7″/12″
89 NE Colorado – California Dreaming / Space Lady Love – Pinnacle 7″/12″
90 NE Peter Tosh & Mick Jagger – (You Gotta Walk) Don’t Look Back – EMI 7″/12″
NE = new entry; RE = re-entry
Appeared in Billboard:
#1 (BNDA debut 7/8/78) / #5 (BNDA debut 8/19/78) / #7 (BNDA debut 1/6/79)
#14 (BNDA debut 7/8/78) / #16 (BNDA debut 9/23/78) / #18 (BNDA debut 6/17/78)
#19 (BNDA debut 7/29/78) / #25 (BNDA debut 5/27/78) / #28 (BNDA debut 8/12/78)
#29 (BNDA debut 9/9/78) / #32 (BNDA debut 7/22/78) / #40 (BNDA debut 9/9/78)
#41 (BNDA debut 6/3/78) / #42 (BNDA debut 11/4/78) / #45 (BNDA debut 11/26/77)
#46 (BNDA debut 9/9/78) / #48 (BNDA debut 9/2/78) / #52 (BNDA debut 8/12/78)
#57 (BNDA debut 11/11/78) / #59 (BNDA debut 9/16/78) / #61 (BNDA debut 9/2/78)
#62 (BNDA debut 9/9/78) / #63 (BNDA debut 10/1/77) / #76 (BNDA debut 5/13/78)
#77 (BNDA debut 7/29/78) / #80 (BNDA debut 6/3/78) / #81 (BNDA debut 7/22/78)
#84 (BNDA debut 6/10/78)
Bubbling Under the Top 90 (Domestic):
FINISHED TOUCH: ‘Need To Know You Better’ / ‘I Love To See You Dancing’ (Motown LP)
BRECKER BROTHERS: ‘East River’ (Arista 7”)
CARRIE LUCAS: ‘Tic Toc’ / ‘Street Corner Symphony’ (RCA 12”)
BETTYE LAVETTE: ‘Doin’ The Best That I Can’ (Atlantic 12”) (BNDA debut 8/12/78)
KC & THE SUNSHINE BAND: ‘Do You Feel Alright’ (TK 7”)
MARSHA HUNT: ‘The Other Side Of Midnight’ (Magnet 12”) (BNDA debut 1/14/78)
SWITCH: ‘We Like To Party . . . Come On’ (Motown LP)
SUPERMAX: ‘World Of Today’ (Atlantic 7”)
FOUR TOPS: ‘I Can’t Help Myself’ (Motown 7”)
LORD KITCHENER: ‘Sugar Bum Bum’ (Ice 12”)
RICK JAMES: ‘Mary Jane’ (Motown 7”)
PULSE: ‘The Warrior’ (Ipi Tombi 12”)
MUNICH MACHINE: ‘A Whiter Shade Of Pale’ (Oasis 12”) (BNDA debut 6/17/78)
CAROL DOUGLAS: ‘Burnin’’ (Midsong 12”) (BNDA debut 9/9/78)
RINDER & LEWIS: ‘Envy’ (Pye 12”) (BNDA debut 4/8/78)
Bubbling Under the Top 90 (Imports):
MELBA MOORE: ‘You Stepped Into My Life’ (US Epic 12”) (BNDA debut 10/28/78)
RONNIE FOSTER: ‘Happy Song’ (US Columbia LP)
LINDA CLIFFORD: ‘Gypsy Lady’ (US Curtom 12”) (BNDA debut 3/25/78)
CHANSON: ‘Don’t Hold Back’ / ‘I Can Tell’ (US Ariola LP) (BNDA debut 10/14/78)
CHIC: ‘Le Freak’ (US Atlantic 12”) (BNDA debut 10/21/78)
CAMEO: ‘Ugly Ego’ / ‘Insane’ / ‘Anything You Wanna Do’ (US Casablanca LP)
VILLAGE PEOPLE: ‘YMCA’ / ‘Cruisin’’ (US Casablanca LP) (BNDA debut 10/21/78)
MACHO: ‘I’m A Man’ (US Prelude LP) (BNDA debut 9/16/78)
KOOL & THE GANG: ‘Everybody’s Dancin’’ (US De-Lite LP)
WILLIE HUTCH: ‘Easy Does It’ (US Whitfield LP)
RODNEY FRANKLIN: ‘I Like The Music Make It Hot’ (US Columbia LP)
WILLIE BOBO: ‘Always There’ (US Columbia LP)
OLLIE BABA: ‘Stomp Your Feet’ (US Polydor LP)
LAURA TAYLOR: ‘Dancing In My Feet’ (US TK 12”) (BNDA debut 9/23/78)
CHAKA KHAN: ‘I’m Every Woman’ (US Warner Bros. 12”) (BNDA debut 12/2/78)
QUAZAR: ‘Funk ‘N Roll’ / ‘Workin’ On The Building’ (US Arista LP)
LOVE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: ‘Let Me Be Your Fantasy’ (US Penthouse LP)
EROTIC DRUM BAND: ‘Plug Me To Death’ (US Prism LP)
PRINCE: ‘Soft And Wet’ (US Warner Bros. 7”)
SYLVERS: ‘Don’t Stop Get Off’ (US Casablanca LP)
JOHN HANDY: ‘I Can Tell’ / ‘Lady Lady’ (US Warner Bros. LP)
JEFF LORBER FUSION: ‘Curtains’ / ‘Katherine’ (US Inner City LP)
DELLS: ‘My Life Is So Wonderful’ (US ABC LP)
TASHA THOMAS: ‘Shoot Me With Your Love’ (US Orbit 12”) (BNDA debut 11/4/78)
WILSON PICKETT: ‘She’s So Tight’ (US Atlantic 12”)
FREE LIFE: ‘Second Coming’ (US Epic LP)
PHYREWORK: ‘My Funk’ (US Mercury LP)
CHERYL LYNN: ‘Got To Be Real’ (US Columbia 7”) (BNDA debut 11/25/78)
RITCHIE FAMILY: ‘American Generation’ / ‘I Feel Disco Good’ (US Marlin LP) (BNDA debut 7/22/78)
LEMON: ‘Freak On’ (US Salsoul 12”)
BEAUTIFUL BEND: ‘Make That Feeling Come Again’ LP (US Marlin LP) (BNDA debut 8/19/78)
MECO: ‘Themes From The Wizard Of Oz’ (US Millennium 7”) (BNDA debut 10/14/78)
BELL & JAMES: ‘Livin’ It Up (Friday Night)’ (US A&M 7”)
DAMON HARRIS: ‘It’s Music’ (US Fantasy 12”)
BENNIE MAUPIN: ‘Baker Street’ (US Mercury 7”)
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