Nowadays jocks are noting the number of beats per minute (BPM) for records which is great if you’re into US-style mixing – but as few DJ’s in this country are my own old way of indicating a records tempo could still be useful. Very early on I developed a shorthand system which depends on the relative sizes of letters in the alphabet – you can us anything really – so that I might mark a record sleeve like this: (Ds-)Ms-MFc . . . which means that the (skippable) intro is dead slow, graduating into medium slow before becoming a good solid stomper – that’s F for fast measured against an M that might just as well be a plain vertical line, except sometimes I put a V for very above it! The final small c meaning it ends cold, or f means it fades. So long as your system remains constant you can tell at a glance how each record is going to sound – especially useful for rarely-working mobiles.
Disco News
Thames Valley DJ Assn members meet at noon on Sunday (26) in Reading’s Caversham Road Fire Station to learn, not so surprisingly, about fire prevention and fighting . . . Satril Records’ new disco plugger is Greg Gregory of London Sundown fame, and he wants more jocks for his list (old applicants please reapply) at Satril House, 444 Finchley Road, London NW2 2HY . . . Phonogram are auditioning for an Orlons-type three gals/one guy oldies group in the Darts style: contact Annie Challis on 01-491-4600. Tricky Dicky’s Disco Music record shop at 391c Mile End Road (London E3, opposite Mile End tube) is open Mon/Thurs/Fri/Saturdays from noon till 8 pm and services regular DJ customers (including Chris Hill and Tom Holland) with really cheap prices (no minimum order); imports – LP £4.50, 12in 2.50/2.20, 7in 80p; UK – LP £3.50, 7in 70p . . . Chic and Ashford and Simpson hit the pop chart last week thanks to being issued without warning on UK 12in! Funkadelic’s US 12in promo was out after UK production had already begun, so only the LP-length version will be available here on their upcoming special 12in EP . . . Bunny Maloney ‘Baby I’ve Been Missing You’ is now on extended 12in (Gull GULS 65-12) but the dub last part isn’t very strong, while Shampoo ‘Harlem Hustle’ is also on 12in (Ensign ENY 1812) with the Chris Hill re-mix as A-side . . . DJM are coupling Village People ‘San Francisco’ / ‘Macho Man’ for belated 12in in face of Mercury’s ‘YMCA’ success . . . Gary Hirst and Paul Kassell’s Jewish Teenage Sunday Club has moved from the Sundown to London’s Global Village . . . Paul’s Carpenter and Clark funk Brighton’s new Bunnies in the Salisbury Hotel every Thurs/Fri/Saturday.
New Spins
RAHNI HARRIS & F.L.O.: ‘Six Million Steps’ (Mercury 9199956)
Gi-normous on import, the infectiously skipping instrumental driver is at last on full 5:56 12in here, but for some reason the weedy vocal version is A-side on the edited 7in (6007198) – don’t Phonogram have faith in our taste?
HI-TENSION: ‘Autumn Love’ / ‘Unspoken’ (Island WIP 6462)
Pleasant if less than mind-blowing soul slowie, totally overshadowed for most jocks by the more typical rhythm-rattling fast flip, which while maybe not total A-side quality is already packing dancefloors in London.
TWO MAN SOUND: ‘Que Tal America’ (Miracle M1-12) (BNDA debut 9/22/79)
Rushed out on Gull’s new Miracle disco logo (motto: ‘‘If it’s a hit, it’s a Miracle’’) just as the French import shows up, this fast funk-jazz Latin leaper hits such a great groove it should be huge – so get the 7:55 12in rather than the 3:40 7in.
VARIOUS: ‘DownTown Disco Party’ (MCA MCF 2886)
Patchy LP in the ‘CBS Instant Replays’ style, with side one mixed continuously in US style: Stargard’s ‘Which Way Is Up’ into ‘What You Waitin’ For’ is superb (and worth the price), but after that Rose Royce’s ‘Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is’ falls flat, not really to return even with War ‘Galaxy’ and RR ‘Car Wash’. Side two is unsegued oldies by such as Osibisa, Deodato, Shirley Ellis, Len Barry, Dobie Gray and Love Unlimited.
MACHO: ‘I’m A Man’ (EMI 12EMI 2882) (BNDA debut 9/16/78)
Spencer Davis/Chicago classic becomes a powerful fast Euro stormer, already out on 7in and now on dynamite extended 10:30 33 1/3rpm 12in with many more exciting instrumental segments.
REAL THING: ‘Can You Feel The Force?’ (from LP ‘Step Into Our World’, Pye NSPL 18587)
Fast funky 3:02 flier leaps along with a catchy “whup whup ooh ooh” variation on the usual chant, and is already hot for some specialist funk jocks.
QUAZAR: ‘Funk ‘N Roll’ (Arista ARIST 224)
Parliament-style dated US funk tears the roof off the mother quite energetically, on 3:46 7in, or on the 4:39 LP version (ARTY 157) joins many more Bootsy-type things to please the Mersey/Manchester area!
CHANSON: ‘Don’t Hold Back’ (Ariola AROP 140) (BNDA debut 10/14/78)
Fairly typical US-style funk jiggler with an extended rhythm break and longer 4:05 B-side version, due soon on coloured vinyl 12in too.
JACK PLUGG & THE CABLES: ‘When The Chips Are Down’ (RCA PB 5124)
Pete Wingfield (presumably) doing a vintage Norman (General) Johnson personation in a remake of the Showmen’s classic ‘It Will Stand’, aimed at modern doo wop fans but possibly a bit too hip for them.
JONATHAN RICHMAN & THE MODERN LOVERS: ‘Buzz Buzz Buzz’ (Berserkley BZZ 25)
Typicality idiosyncratic and intimate revival of the “tweedle-deedle-dee”-filled oldie, penned and originally done by Bobby “Rockin’ Robin” Day when with the Hollywood Flames.
ARTHUR MULLARD & HYLDA BAKER: ‘Don’t Go Breaking My Heart’ (Pye 7N 46139)
And now Elton and Kiki get sent up for good MoR fun.
HELEN REDDY: ‘We’ll Sing In The Sunshine’ (Capitol CL 16007)
Gale Garnett’s oldie stays a pretty MoR swayer.
RACEY: ‘Lay Your Love On Me’ (Rak 284)
Sixties-style organ-based pop romper, now different enough to be fun again?
LIQUID GOLD: ‘Anyway You Do It’ (Creole CR 159)
Noisy chick-sung pop stomper, recently featured rather strangely on TOTP.
TYRONE ASHLEY: ‘Don’t Stop Dancing’ (UA UP 36431)
Ian Levine-produced great leaping funky percussion-rattling rhythm track spoilt by lacklustre lead vocal.
THE MEXICANO: ‘Treasure The Moments’ (Ice GUY 18)
Attractive fast romantic hustler, without a trace of reggae.
EMOTIONS: ‘Whole Lot Of Shakin’’ (CBS 6757)
By now typical but oddly empty-sounding shrill staccato lurching strutter.
FAMILY PLANN: ‘Shake It Up, Shake It Down’ (Pye 7NL 25790)
KC soundalikes from AVI on bass-heavy 8:10 12in or 3:15 7in.
MAZE: ‘Travellin’ Man’ (Tower 12CL 16017)
Slinky slow rhythm plopper, similar to and about as useful as War’s ‘Baby Face’, on 5:00 12in or 3:17 7in.
VIVIAN WEATHERS: ‘Hip Hug’ (Front Line FLS 114)
Compellingly sparse slinky slow reggae grinder.
PUMPKIN DELIVERY: ‘The Creeper’ (Creole CR 155)
Very laid-back and almost dub-like sparse funky thudder from Wing & A Prayer, on 5:34 7in and 12in.
LOWRELL: ‘Overdose Of Love’ (Pye 7L 25799)
Slowly building mid-tempo jogger eventually reaches the Barry White-like vocal and lots of “ooh-ahs”, on 9:15 12in only.
SHAZAM!: ‘Logan’s Run’ (Bulldog BD 14)
Predictable zingy strings disco treatment of the telly theme.
GIGI: ‘Honey Do’ (Pye 7NL 25764)
Phonetic chix sweetly cooing a Euro racer with long electronic build-up on 8:35 12in, less on 4:04 7in.
AL SHARP: ‘Bewitched’ (Ariola ARO 139)
Fast overly “disco” treatment of the ‘Bothered and Bewildered’ oldie.
FREDERICK KNIGHT & FERN KINNEY: ‘Sweet Life’ (CBS 6830)
Pleasant swaying dated soul duet.
THE PIPS: ‘Baby I’m Your Fool’ (Casablanca CANL 130-12)
Bumpy soul chugger, on 7:45 12in or 3:45 7in, each with a different flip.
FOUR TOPS: ‘Put It On The News’ (ABC ABCT 4235)
Surprisingly undramatic “newsflash” intro to a blandly hustling 4:21 12in and 7in.
JAMES WELLS: ‘My Claim To Fame’ (Pye 7NL 25800) (BNDA debut 10/14/78)
Happily zipping 9:10 Ian Levine-produced 12in, again spoilt by poor vocals.
M.J. WILLLAMS: ‘Only Your Love Can Save Me Now’ (Ariola ARO 136)
Biddu-produced dated frothy gay zinger, badly out of touch with current tastes (except maybe at the Embassy, hey Biddu?).
Mix Master
Just two mini-mixes this time, but what goodies! They’re both synchronised running mixes and can be kept going for anything up to a minute if you’re lucky with your variable speed adjustments: Dan Hartman ‘Countdown’ (US Blue Sky LP), running the main rhythm and piano break into Studio 88 ‘Misirlou’ (US Warner Bros. 12in), which can similarly be run with Quartz ‘Beyond The Clouds’ (Pye 12in), but the latter does seem to alter tempo slightly; Isaac Hayes ‘Zeke The Freak’ (Polydor LP) towards the end running into Rahni Harris ‘Six Million Steps’ (US Inspirational Sounds 12in), which seems to have the same bass line.
UK Disco Top 90 – November 25, 1978
01 01 Dan Hartman – Instant Replay – Blue Sky 7″/CBS promo LP/US 12″
02 02 Sylvester – You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) – Fantasy 7″/12″/LP
03 05 Donna Summer – MacArthur Park – Casablanca 7″/LP/12″ promo
04 03 Boney M. – Rasputin – Atlantic 7″/12″/LP
05 07 The Jacksons – Blame It On The Boogie – Epic 7″/12″
06 04 Third World – Now That We Found Love – Island 7″/12″
07 08 Eddie Henderson – Prance On / Cyclops / Butterfly / Say You Will – Capitol 12″/LP
08 09 Sylvester – Dance (Disco Heat) – Fantasy LP/US 12″
09 06 Roy Ayers – Get On Up, Get On Down – Polydor 7″/12″/LP
10 15 Musique – In The Bush – CBS 7″/12″/LP
11 12 Phil Hurtt – Giving It Back – Fantasy 12″
12 10 Manu Dibango – Sun Explosion / Big Blow / Motapo – Decca 12″/French Fiesta 12″
13 21 Chic – Le Freak – US Atlantic 12″
14 20 Patrick Juvet – I Love America – Casablanca 7″/12″/LP
15 11 Rahni Harris – Six Million Steps – US Inspirational Sounds 12″
16 19 Three Degrees – Giving Up, Giving In – Ariola 7″/12″
17 13 Ashford & Simpson – It Seems To Hang On – Warner Bros. 7″/12″
18 32 Alicia Bridges – I Love The Nightlife – Polydor 7″/12″
19 17 John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John – Summer Nights – RSO 7″
20 22 Funkadelic – One Nation Under A Groove – Warner Bros. 7″/US 12″/LP
21 16 Olympic Runners – Get It While You Can – Polydor 7″/12″
22 24 Shalamar – Take That To The Bank – RCA 7″/12″
23 34 Heatwave – Mind Blowing Decisions / Always And Forever – GTO 12″
24 40 Crown Heights Affair – Say A Prayer For Two / I’m Gonna Love You Forever – Mercury 7″/12″/LP
25 31 Aquarian Dream – You’re A Star / Fantasy / It Ain’t Watcha Say – Elektra LP
26 36 Chaka Khan – I’m Every Woman – Warner Bros. 7″/US 12″ promo
27 14 Rose Royce – Love Don’t Live Here Anymore / Do It Do It – Whitfield 7″
28 18 Hi-Tension – British Hustle – Island 7″/12″
29 23 Teddy Pendergrass – Only You / Close The Door – Philadelphia Int’l 12″
30 26 Joe Thomas – Plato’s Retreat – TK 7″/US 12″
31 30 Brothers Johnson – Ride-O-Rocket – A&M 7″/12″
32 44 Gene Chandler – Get Down – US Chi-Sound 7″/12″/LP
33 47 Village People – YMCA – Mercury 7″/12″
34 25 Stanley Turrentine – Disco Dancin’ – Fantasy 12″/US LP
35 43 Goody Goody – #1 Dee Jay – US Atlantic 12″/LP
36 27 Frankie Valli – Grease – RSO 7″
37 39 Carol Douglas – Burnin’ – Midsong 12″
38 33 Joe Farrell – Night Dancing – US Warner Bros. LP/12″ promo
39 37 Tasha Thomas – Shoot Me With Your Love – US Orbit 12″
40 38 Ronnie Foster – Happy Song / Why Don’t You Look Inside – US Columbia LP
41 35 La Bionda – One For You, One For Me – Mercury 7″/12″
42 28 Cleveland Eaton – Bama Boogie Woogie / Funky Cello – Gull 7″/12″
43 41 Damon Harris – It’s Music – US Fantasy/WMOT 12″
44 45 Howard Kenney – Save Some For The Children – US Warner Bros. LP
45 NE Rod Stewart – Da Ya Think I’m Sexy – Riva 7″/12″ promo
46 NE Sarah Brightman & Hot Gossip – Starship Trooper – Ariola Hansa 7″/12″
47 29 Roy Ayers – Can’t You See Me / You Send Me – Polydor LP
48 88 Chanter Sisters – Can’t Stop Dancing – Safari 7″/German 12″
49 74 Rodney Franklin – I Like The Music Make It Hot – US Columbia LP
50 56 Finished Touch – I Love To See You Dance / Need To Know You Better – Motown 7″/LP/US 12″ promo remix
51 42 Wilbert Longmire – Black Is The Color – CBS promo LP/US Tappan Zee LP
52 NE Edwin Starr – Contact – US 20th Century 12″/LP
53 59 Atlantic Starr – Stand Up – A&M 12″
54 87 Luisa Fernandez – Lay Love On You – Warner Bros. 7″
55 NE Commodores – Just To Be Close To You – Motown 7″
56 64 Donald Byrd – Thank You For Funking Up My Life / Have You Heard The News – US Elektra LP
57 61 Curtis Mayfield – No Goodbyes – US Curtom LP/12″ promo
58 82 Melba Moore – You Stepped Into My Life – Epic 7″/US 12″
59 67 Timmy Thomas – Freak In Freak Out – TK 7″/US 12″
60 51 Evelyn “Champagne” King – Shame – RCA 7″/12″
61 46 John Travolta – Sandy – Midsong 7″
62 60 Brecker Brothers – East River – Arista 7″
63 57 Eddie Horan – Turn My World Back Around – US HDM LP
64 75 John Handy – I Can Tell / Play The Music / Lady, Lady / Disco Samba – US Warner Bros. LP
65 63 Brass Construction – Get Up / Help Yourself / One To One – US UA LP
66 62 Solar Flare – Boogie Fund – RCA 12″
67 NE Lakeside – It’s All The Way Live – US Solar 12″
68 49 Crown Heights Affair – Galaxy Of Love – Mercury 12″/LP
69 69 A Taste Of Honey – Boogie Oogie Oogie – Capitol 7″/12″/LP
70 NE Richard Ace – Stayin’ Alive – Blue Inc. 7″/12″
71 58 Gregg Diamond – Star Cruiser / Fancy Dancer / This Side Of Midnight – TK 7″/US Marlin LP
72 53 Candi Staton – Victim – Warner Bros. 7″/LP/US 12″ promo remix
73 73 Ramsey Lewis – All The Way – US Columbia LP
74 65 Leon Haywood – Party – MCA 7″/12″
75 NE Shampoo – Harlem Hustle – Ensign 7″/12″
76 90 Marsha Hunt – The Other Side Of Midnight – Magnet 12″
77 NE Neil Larsen – Sudden Samba – US Horizon LP
78 52 Sugar Cane – Montego Bay – Ariola Hansa 7″/12″
79 54 Karen Young – Hot Shot – Atlantic 7″/12″/US West End 12″
80 48 Mick Jackson – Blame It On The Boogie – Atlantic 7″/US 12″
81 50 Afro-Cuban Band – Rhythm Of Life – Arista 7″/12″
82 RE Fatback – I’m Fired Up – Spring 7″
83 NE Boomtown Rats – Rat Trap – Ensign 7″
84 NE Olivia Newton-John – Hopelessly Devoted To You – RSO 7″
85 76 Linda Clifford – Gypsy Lady / If My Friends Could See Me Now – Curtom LP/US 12″ remix
86 72 Peter Tosh & Mick Jagger – (You Gotta Walk) Don’t Look Back – EMI 7″/12″
87 83 Ronnie Jones – Groovin’ / Gimme Little Sign / Me And Myself – Lollipop LP
88 66 Dennis Coffey – Calling Planet Earth / Gimme That Funk – US Westbound LP/12″ promo
89 71 Bettye LaVette – Doin’ The Best That I Can – Atlantic 12″
90 NE Voyage – Souvenirs – GTO 7″/12″
NE = new entry; RE = re-entry
Appeared in Billboard:
#1 (BNDA debut 8/19/78) / #2 (BNDA debut 7/8/78) / #3 (BNDA debut 9/23/78)
#5 (BNDA debut 1/6/79) / #8 (BNDA debut 7/8/78) / #10 (BNDA debut 7/29/78)
#13 (BNDA debut 10/21/78) / #14 (BNDA debut 6/3/78) / #16 (BNDA debut 11/4/78)
#18 (BNDA debut 9/16/78) / #20 (BNDA debut 11/11/78) / #26 (BNDA debut 12/2/78)
#30 (BNDA debut 8/12/78) / #32 (BNDA debut 11/18/78) / #33 (BNDA debut 10/21/78)
#35 (BNDA debut 9/9/78) / #37 (BNDA debut 9/9/78) / #39 (BNDA debut 11/4/78)
#45 (BNDA debut 1/20/79) / #52 (BNDA debut 11/18/78) / #53 (BNDA debut 10/7/78)
#57 (BNDA debut 9/9/78) / #58 (BNDA debut 10/28/78) / #60 (BNDA debut 10/1/77)
#66 (BNDA debut 9/9/78) / #69 (BNDA debut 5/27/78) / #71 (BNDA debut 9/2/78)
#72 (BNDA debut 8/12/78) / #76 (BNDA debut 1/14/78) / #79 (BNDA debut 6/17/78)
#81 (BNDA debut 9/2/78) / #85 (BNDA debut 3/25/78) / #89 (BNDA debut 8/12/78)
#90 (BNDA debut 12/2/78)
Bubbling Under the Top 90 (Domestic):
MARTYN FORD: ‘Happy People’ (Mountain 12”)
MANKIND: ‘Dr. Who’ (Pinnacle 12”)
ISAAC HAYES: ‘Shaft II’ / ‘Zeke The Freak’ (Polydor LP)
DIANA ROSS & MICHAEL JACKSON: ‘Ease On Down The Road’ (MCA 7”)
MUNICH MACHINE: ‘A Whiter Shade Of Pale’ (Oasis 12”) (BNDA debut 6/17/78)
FRANKIE VALLI: ‘Save Me Save Me’ (Warner Bros. 7”)
FAMILY AFFAIR: ‘Love Hustle’ (Pye 7”)
SWITCH: ‘There’ll Never Be’ (Motown 12”)
VELVELETTES: ‘Needle In A Haystack’ (Motown 7”)
BUNNY MALONEY: ‘Baby I’ve Been Missing You’ (Gull 12”)
EASTBOUND EXPRESSWAY: ‘Never Let Go’ (Pye 12”) (BNDA debut 10/28/78)
CHANSON: ‘Don’t Hold Back’ (Ariola 7”) (BNDA debut 10/14/78)
METROPOLIS: ‘New York Is My Kind Of Town’ (Salsoul 7”) (BNDA debut 10/7/78)
LIQUID GOLD: ‘Anyway You Do It’ (Creole 12”)
STEEL PULSE: ‘Prediction’ (Island 12”)
MACHO: ‘I’m A Man’ (EMI 12”) (BNDA debut 9/16/78)
Bubbling Under The Top 90 (Imports):
OLLIE BABA: ‘Stomp Your Feet’ / ‘Give Me A Break’ / ‘Do It Good’ (US Polydor LP)
EROTIC DRUM BAND: ‘Love Disco Style’ / ‘Plug Me To Death’ (US Prism LP) (BNDA debut 10/14/78)
PEACHES & HERB: ‘Shake Your Groove Thing’ (US Polydor LP) (BNDA debut 10/28/78)
RICHARD GROOVE HOLMES: ‘Let’s Groove’ (US Versatile LP)
JOHN DAVIS & THE MONSTER ORCHESTRA: ‘Ain’t That Enough For You’ (US SAM 12”) (BNDA debut 9/2/78)
WILTON FELDER: ‘Let’s Dance Together’ (US ABC LP)
PATRICE RUSHEN: ‘Let’s Sing A Song Of Love’ / ‘Play’ (US Elektra LP)
TWO MAN SOUND: ‘Que Tal America’ (French Vogue LP)
LOVE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: ‘Let Me Be Your Fantasy’ (US Penthouse LP)
GAZ: ‘Sing Sing’ / ‘Boogie Woman’ (US Salsoul LP)
CREATIVE SOURCE: ‘Who Is He And What Is He To You’ (US Paul Winley 12”)
SEA LEVEL: ‘Fifty-Four’ (US Capricorn LP)
MANDRILL: ‘Don’t Stop’ / ‘Stay Tonight’ / ‘When You Smile’ (US Arista LP)
WILLIE HUTCH: ‘Easy Does It’ (US Whitfield LP)
CAMEO: ‘Ugly Ego’ / ‘Insane’ (US Chocolate City LP)
GOLD BULLION BAND: ‘Baise Moi’ (US Channel 12”) (BNDA debut 11/18/78)
KEITH BARROW: ‘Turn Me Up’ (US Columbia LP) (BNDA debut 2/3/79)
DENNIS BROWN: ‘Money In My Pocket’ (US Gibbs 12”)
DAVID SIMMONS: ‘Will They Miss Me’ (US Fantasy/WMOT 12”)
SARAH DASH: ‘Sinner Man’ (US Kirshner 12”) (BNDA debut 11/11/78)
AL HUDSON: ‘Spread Love’ (US ABC 12”)
BIONIC BOOGIE: ‘Hot Butterfly’ / ‘Cream’ (US Polydor LP) (BNDA debut 11/11/78)
LAURA TAYLOR: ‘Dancing In My Feet’ (US TK 12”) (BNDA debut 9/23/78)
KIKROKOS: ‘Jungle DJ’ (US Polydor LP) (BNDA debut 9/30/78)
DOUBLE EXPOSURE: ‘Newsy Neighbors’ (US Salsoul 12”)
STUDIO 88: ‘Misirlou’ (US Warner Bros. 12”)
CHARO: ‘Ole Ole’ (US Salsoul 12”) (BNDA debut 12/2/78)
FAT LARRY’S BAND: ‘Boogie Town’ (US Fantasy LP)
FREE LIFE: ‘Second Coming’ (US Epic LP)
ADC BAND: ‘Long Stroke’ (US Cotillion LP)
BRIDES OF FUNKENSTEIN: ‘Disco To Go’ (US Atlantic 12”)
EVELYN KING: ‘I Don’t Know If It’s Right’ (US RCA 12”) (BNDA debut 2/3/79)
IDRIS MUHAMMAD: ‘Disco Man’ / ‘Doc’ (US Fantasy LP)
KINSMAN DAZZ: ‘Saturday Night’ / ‘Get To The Feeling’ (US 20th Century LP)
PARIS CONNECTION: ‘You’ve Lose That Loving Feeling’ (US Casablanca LP)
James Hamilton's Disco Page 