Odds ‘N Bods
MCA’s promo EP featuring the Crusaders’ solo stars is now ¡n circulation to just 1000 lucky jocks – conceived and segued by Sally “Minimix” Ormsby, it features Wilton Felder ‘Let’s Dance Together’ into Joe Sample ‘There Are Many Stops Along The Way’ and Stix Hooper ‘Cordon Bleu’ into Joe Sample ‘Carmel’ (the first pair being brill!) . . . Sheila B. Devotion’s 12in turns out to be 133-134-135bpm and mixes (minus intro) perfectly out of Isley Bros. while the instrumental break is long enough to take the Streisand/Summer slow intro through it . . . Peaches & Herb ‘I Pledge My Love’ / ‘Roller Skatin’ Mate’ is now on 12in (Polydor POSPX 86) . . . Pye have picked up Tony Rallo, not normally licensed to them for UK . . . Orville Sweeney, ex-RCA/ABC disco plugger, now heads DPC – Dancemusic Production Company (the chickens, why not call it Disco still?) – for Record Sales of 72 Newman Street, London W1 P3LA, and is working on Symarip ‘Skinhead Moonstomp’ . . . Hammersmith Palais this Sunday (16) hosts the Polydor/RSO sponsored National Association of Youth Clubs’ Steppin’ Out With Polydor Disco Dance Championship, the young teams having to dance to – surprise, surprise – Polydor product . . . Sunday (16) also sees Thames Valley DJ Assn members staging a DJ panto at their meeting in Chippenham Alexandras (nee Blues), starting around lunchtime . . . Chris Browne (with an “e”) has, together with Chris Brown (no “e”), become so fed up with smart alec promoters billing events as starring their namesake (real or otherwise) that he’s now changed his stage name to Chris Britton – but appears to be doing Purley! . . . Kris Hill, Robin Vincent, Shaun French, Thom Holland, Geoff Young, where are you? A fortune (all of two and sixpence) could be yours! . . . Froggy’s mixing really is mind-blowing these days so do try and catch him somewhere; this Thursday (13) at Erith he and I are going to end up with an alternating “follow that then” mixing battle! . . . I did Pirbright Guards Depot’s Captains & Subalterns dance last week, which had a fancydress Pimps & Tarts theme (wot, no Arabs!), and amongst the rock ‘n pop I introduced Lowrell with “if you go to a club full of real pimps and tarts, this is what you’ll find them dancing to” – to which a voice behind me remarked “that’s very true”! . . . 12in imports are in noticeably short supply these days following the US death of disco . . . 8 only out of the US Disco Top 30 are crossover pop hits, while here last week the ratio was 21 out of 30 . . . Craig Dawson (Edinburgh) infos that his 12in of Diana Ross’s ‘Love Hangover’ is a Dutch Motown import . . . Pop Ten (hit titles outside the Disco 90): 1. Police, 2. Queen, 3. Dooleys, 4. Tourists, 5. Jam, 6. KC, 7. Amii Stewart, 8. Matchbox, 9. Lori & Chameleons, 10. Pink Floyd.
UK Newies
PRINCE: ‘I Wanna Be Your Lover’ (Warner Bros. K 175371) (BNDA debut 11/10/79)
Michael Jackson/Emotions-like squeaky jolter, 119-116bpm on 7in but due on full length 12in with his exciting old ‘Just As Long As We’re Together’ as flip (full review when received).
CHIC: ‘Les Plus Grands Succes De Chic / Chic’s Greatest Hits’ LP (Atlantic K 50686)
Useful collection but subtly altered BPM ratings, this (long version) ‘Good Times’ being 111bpm (compared with the ‘Risque’ LP/US 12in at 113bpm and UK 12in at 118bpm) while the (short) ‘Dance Dance Dance’ at 125(intro)-124bpm and (long) ‘Everybody Dance’ at 129-128-129-131-132-130bpm are both 1bpm faster. The latter at least now gets within range of Isley Bros. ‘Disco Night’ for mixers, and ‘Good Times’ is enough for Sugarhill Gang. The other hits are ‘Le Freak’ (121bpm), ‘I Want Your Love’ (115bpm), ‘My Forbidden Lover’ (105bpm) and ‘My Feet Keep Dancing’ (109bpm) – this last again being a noticeable amount slower.
RISCO CONNECTION & JOE ISAACS: ‘Good Times’ (Sound City SCD 003)
Great pitter-pattering new 116(intro)-114-115-114bpm 12in version starts off by echoing their ‘Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now’ melodically and then does a modified Charanga 79 while all the time ringing interesting changes on the still perfectly recognisable Chic smash.
DIANA ROSS: ‘It’s My House’ (Motown 12TMG 1169)
Extended 6:03 12in version of her current 102-103bpm hit while the flip considerably speeds up and edits her recent ‘No One Gets The Prize’ to segue it perfectly into ‘The Boss’, making the whole (from a slow start) 122-124-123-124-125-126bpm.
DANDY LIVINGSTONE: ‘Rudy, A Message To You’ (Maxi Trojan TMX 4008)
Timely re-release on 4-track maxi 7in of the 54/108bpm rock steady original of the Specials hit.
NATURE’S DIVINE: ‘I Just Can’t Control Myself’ (Infinity INFT 118)
Attractive plopping and tapping 81bpm soul slowie finally on long overdue commercial UK 12in coupled with a new 134bpm remix of ‘Nature Divine’ that was hardly worth the wait.
WILSON PICKETT: ‘I Want You’ LP (EMI America AML 3007)
One of the truly great soul voices sounds superb still on this lovely yet throat-searingly sung 53/106bpm title track swayer, while other tracks (reviewed on import) include a 5:52 version of the over fast and blatantly hyped ‘Groove City’.
THE WHISPERS: ‘White Christmas’ (from LP ‘Happy Holidays To You’, Solar FL 13489)
Good current-sounding 124-125-126bpm disco treatment complete with syndrums (and just a few sleighbells!), while an equally convincing 124-126bpm is the apt ‘Funky Christmas’.
RICK JAMES: ‘Love Gun’ (from LP ‘Fire It Up’, Motown STML 12128) (BNDA debut 11/24/79)
Bass-booming fast 122bpm chugging funk backbeat thumper didn’t prove to be a slayer on import so maybe I was right in originally preferring the bass-bumped thudding long 122-123bpm ‘Come Into My Life’ “rock” stamper, which builds through smooth jazzy sax and synthesizer.
LINTON KWESI JOHNSON: ‘Sonny’s Lettah’ (Island 12WIP 6528)
Great 72bpm 12in remix of the reggae poet’s powerful “letter from Brixton Prison” has War-like harmonica, several speaking pauses, and a dub version on the same side.
THE JODIMARS: ‘Well Now Dig This’ / ‘Dance The Bop’ (Bulldog BD 16)
Ex-members of Bill Haley’s original Comets with similarly styled exciting mid-50s rock ‘n roll.
DANA & GENE: ‘Dario, Can You Get Me Into Studio 54’ (Pinnacle PIN 26-12)
Bland 125bpm 12in “disco” ditty from last year about the notoriously selective doorman at Studio 54, big only in Edinburgh for the DJ Brothers Wilson.
No imports this week.
Hot Vinyl
Martin Starr & Dennis Richards (Bristol), who join Malc Haynes and jazz-fusion dancers Switch at Bristol Follies for a Just 4U Boxing Day Party, currently import tip:
RINDER & LEWIS: ‘Blue Steel’ (US AVI LP)
NATIVE SON: ‘Wind Surfing’ / ‘Super Safari’ (US Infinity LP)
CHARME: ‘Georgy Porgy’ (US RCA 12”)
MANOLO: ‘Got Some News For You’ (US A&M LP)
MICHAEL GREGORY JACKSON: ‘Falling Rock’ (US Novus/Arista LP)
9TH CREATION: ‘What’s Shakin’’ (US Hilltak LP)
LOOSE CHANGE: ‘I Wanna Hold On To You’ (US Casablanca LP)
DONALD BYRD: ‘Morning’ (US Elektra LP)
REN WOODS: ‘I Love The Way You Do It’ (US ARC LP)
Plus – as is often the case with them (they broke Atmosfear for instance) – an unheard of demo 12in, STOP ‘I Can Feel It’.
UK Disco Top 90 – December 15, 1979
01 01 Kool & The Gang – Ladies’ Night – Mercury 12″
02 02 Sugarhill Gang – Rapper’s Delight – Sugarhill 12″
03 03 Michael Jackson – Off The Wall – Epic 7″
04 05 Isley Brothers – It’s A Disco Night – Epic 12″
05 04 Lowrell – Mellow, Mellow Right On – AVI 12″
06 11 Gibson Brothers – Que Sera Mi Vida – Island 12″
07 14 Barbra Streisand & Donna Summer – No More Tears (Enough Is Enough) – CBS 12″
08 06 Michael Jackson – Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough – Epic 12″
09 07 Atmosfear – Dancing In Outer Space – MCA 12″
10 08 Dynasty – I Don’t Want To Be A Freak – Solar 12″
11 13 Shalamar – The Second Time Around – Solar 12″
12 16 Positive Force – We Got The Funk – Sugarhill 12″
13 09 Stix Hooper – Cordon Bleu – MCA 12″
14 15 One Way feat. Al Hudson – Music – MCA 12″
15 12 Herb Alpert – Rise – A&M 12″
16 17 Jupiter Beyond – The River Drive – Pye 12″
17 10 Al Hudson & The Partners – You Can Do It – MCA 12″
18 21 Commodores – Still – Motown 7″/LP
19 18 Azymuth – Jazz Carnival – US Milestone LP
20 20 Viola Wills – Gonna Get Along Without You Now – Ariola Hansa 12″
21 26 Rose Royce – Is It Love You’re After – Whitfield 12″
22 19 Hudson People – Boogie On Downtown – Virgin 12″
23 27 Dan-I – Monkey Chop – Island 12″
24 23 Prince – I Wanna Be Your Lover – US Warner Bros. 12″
25 24 Stargard – Wear It Out – Warner Bros. 7″/US 12″
26 29 Freddie James – Get Up And Boogie – Warner Bros. 12″
27 22 Earth, Wind & Fire – Star – CBS 7″
28 25 Chic – My Forbidden Lover – Atlantic 12″
29 33 Robin Beck – Sweet Talk – Mercury 12″
30 32 Rufus & Chaka – Do You Love What You Feel – MCA 12″
31 68 Kurtis Blow – Christmas Rappin’ – Mercury 12″
32 28 Cognac – How High – Electric 12″
33 53 Sly & The Family Stone – Dance To The Music – Epic 12″
34 52 Deborah Washington – Rock It – Ariola 12″
35 31 Frantique – Strut Your Funky Stuff – Philadelphia Int’l 12″
36 50 Herb Alpert – Rotation – US A&M 12″
37 37 Phyllis Hyman – You Know How To Love Me – US Arista LP
38 30 Lonnie Liston Smith – Expansions – RCA 12″
39 39 Stevie Wonder – Send One Your Love – Motown 7″
40 45 Brass Construction – Brass Construction 5 (all cuts) – US UA LP
41 48 Delegation – Put A Little Love On Me – Ariola 12″
42 35 Shalamar – Right In The Socket / The Right Time For Us / Let’s Find The Time For Love – Solar LP
43 44 Kat Mandu – The Break – US TK 12″
44 85 Earth, Wind & Fire – Can’t Let Go – CBS 7″
45 67 Trussel – Love Injection – US Elektra 12″
46 41 Marvin Gaye – Ego Tripping Out – Motown 12″
47 36 Wayne Henderson – Dancin’ Love Affair – Polydor 12″
48 61 Kool & The Gang – Too Hot / Hangin’ Out / If You Feel Like Dancin’ / Tonight’s The Night – Mercury LP
49 55 Slave – Just A Touch Of Love / Are You Ready For Love / Funky Lady / Shine – US Cotillion LP
50 42 Errol Dunkley – OK Fred – Scope 12″
51 43 George Duke – I Want You For Myself / Look What Yound Find / Games – Epic LP
52 34 Paulinho Da Costa – Déjà Vu – Pablo 12″
53 51 Funkadelic – (Not Just) Knee Deep – Warner Bros. LP
54 74 War – The World Is A Ghetto – US UA LP
55 80 Three Degrees – My Simple Heart – Ariola 7″
56 69 Roy Ayers – Don’t Stop The Feeling – Polydor LP/US 12″ promo
57 65 Diana Ross – It’s My House – Motown 12″
58 38 Michael Jackson – Rock With You / Get On The Floor / Working Day And Night / Burn This Disco Out – Epic LP/US 7″
59 47 Patrice Rushen – Haven’t You Heard – US Elektra LP
60 77 Chic – My Feet Keep Dancing – Atlantic 12″
61 RE Dr. Hook – When You’re In Love With A Beautiful Woman – Capitol 7″/US 12″
62 49 Crusaders – Street Life – MCA 12″
63 70 Sheila & B. Devotion – Spacer / Don’t Go – Carrere 12″
64 82 Madness – One Step Beyond – Stiff 7″
65 64 Selecter – On My Radio – 2-Tone 7″
66 54 Herb Alpert – Street Life / 1980 / Behind The Rain – A&M LP
67 72 Chuck Cissel – Cisselin’ Hot – US Arista 12″
68 NE Prince – Sexy Dancer / Still Waiting – US Warner Bros. LP
69 66 ABBA – Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Man After Midnight) – Epic 7″
70 56 Jay Hoggard – West End Dancer – US GRP/Arista LP
71 59 Brass Construction – Movin’ – UA LP
72 46 Crème D’Cocoa – Doin’ The Dog / Doggin’ It – US Venture 12″/LP
73 63 Isaac Hayes – Don’t Let Go – Polydor 12″
74 40 Jean Carn – When I Find You Love (all cuts) – US Philadelphia Int’l LP
75 RE Specials – A Message To You Rudy – 2-Tone 7″
76 60 Sergio Mendes Brasil 88 – I’ll Tell You / A Dream Come True – US Elektra 12″/LP
77 71 Tony Rallo & The Midnite Band – Holdin’ On – US Casablanca LP
78 87 Anita Ward – Don’t Drop My Love – TK 12″
79 NE Narada Michael Walden – Tonight I’m Alright / I Shoulda Loved Ya / You’re Soo Good – US Atlantic LP
80 NE Janis Ian – Fly Too High – CBS 12″
81 RE Dan Hartman – Hands Down – Blue Sky 12″
82 NE Joe Bataan – Rap-O Clap-O – US Salsoul 12″
83 75 Real Thing – Give Me Your Love / You Can’t Force The Funk – Pye 12″
84 RE Ritchie Family – Put Your Feet To The Beat – Mercury 12″
85 84 Shadow – I Need Love / Love Lite / I Enjoy Ya – US Elektra 12″/LP
86 76 Nature’s Divine – I Just Can’t Control Myself / Nature Divine – Infinity 12″
87 RE Detroit Spinners – Body Language / With My Eyes / Disco Ride – Atlantic 7″/12″ promo/US LP
88 62 Chosen Few – Boogie Army (Boogie Down) – Ariola Hansa 12″
89 NE Billy Cobham – What Is Your Fantasy – US Columbia 12″
90 83 Discotheque – Intro Disco – Mercury 12″
Appeared in Billboard:
#1 (BNDA debut 9/8/79) / #2 (BNDA debut 10/13/79) / #4 (BNDA debut 8/25/79)
#6 (BNDA debut 7/12/80) / #7 (BNDA debut 10/27/79) / #8 (BNDA debut 8/18/79)
#10 (BNDA debut 9/22/79) / #11 (BNDA debut 3/22/80) / #12 (BNDA debut 1/12/80)
#14 (BNDA debut 11/3/79) / #15 (BNDA debut 7/28/79) / #17 (BNDA debut 6/16/79)
#20 (BNDA debut 3/15/80) / #24 (BNDA debut 11/10/79) / #25 (BNDA debut 10/6/79)
#26 (BNDA debut 7/7/79) / #28 (BNDA debut 9/1/79) / #29 (BNDA debut 9/29/79)
#30 (BNDA debut 11/17/79) / #32 (BNDA debut 9/29/79) / #33 (BNDA debut 10/27/79)
#36 (BNDA debut 12/22/79) / #37 (BNDA debut 11/10/79) / #40 (BNDA debut 5/31/80)
#42 (BNDA debut 3/22/80) / #43 (BNDA debut 8/11/79) / #45 (BNDA debut 12/8/79)
#48 (BNDA debut 9/8/79) / #49 (BNDA debut 1/12/80) / #51 (BNDA debut 12/15/79)
#53 (BNDA debut 10/13/79) / #56 (BNDA debut 12/22/79) / #58 (BNDA debut 8/18/79)
#59 (BNDA debut 12/15/79) / #60 (BNDA debut 6/23/79) / #62 (BNDA debut 9/29/79)
#63 (BNDA debut 5/10/80) / #64 (BNDA debut 2/23/80) / #67 (BNDA debut 1/12/80)
#68 (BNDA debut 11/10/79) / #73 (BNDA debut 10/6/79) / #74 (BNDA debut 12/22/79)
#76 (BNDA debut 9/29/79) / #78 (BNDA debut 10/20/79) / #79 (BNDA debut 12/22/79)
#80 (BNDA debut 12/15/79) / #81 (BNDA debut 8/18/79) / #82 (BNDA debut 12/1/79)
#84 (BNDA debut 8/25/79)
Bubbling under the UK Disco Top 90 are:
CHAIN REACTION: ‘Dance Freak’ (US Sound Of New York 12”)
BAR-KAYS: ‘Move Your Boogie Body’ / ‘Up In Here’ (US Mercury LP)
FRANCE JOLI: ‘Come To Me’ (Ariola 12”) (BNDA debut 8/4/79)
BOOKER T & THE MGS: ‘Green Onions’ (Atlantic 7”)
HIROSHIMA: ‘Lion Dance’ (US Arista LP)
WILTON FELDER: ‘Let’s Dance Together’ (MCA 12” promo EP)
WEBSTER LEWIS: ‘You Deserve To Dance’ / ‘Go For It’ / ‘Give Me Some Emotion’ (US Epic LP)
GIORGIO MORODER: ‘What A Night’ / ‘E=MC2’ / ‘If You Weren’t Afraid’ (Oasis LP) (BNDA debut 9/8/79)
RUFUS & CHAKA: ‘Heaven Bound’ / ‘Walk The Rockway’ / ‘Masterjam’ / ‘What Am I Missing’ / ‘Live In Me’ / ‘Body Heat’ (US MCA LP)
EUGENE RECORD: ‘Fan The Fire’ / ‘Where Are You’ / ‘Help Yourself To Love’ (US Warner Bros. LP)
SHOBIZZ: ‘Do It In The Dark’ (US Capitol 12”)
HERBIE HANCOCK: ‘Doin’ It’ / ‘I Thought It Was You’ / ‘Chameleon’ (US Columbia LP) (BNDA debut 10/30/76)
MODERN SOUND CORPORATION: ‘Safari’ (US Sunshine Sound 12”)
O’JAYS: ‘Identify’ (Philadelphia Int’l 7”)
DAVE VALENTIN: ‘Do It Again’ / ‘Blackbird’ / ‘Marcosinho’ (US Arista/GRP LP)
BILLY OCEAN: ‘Are You Ready’ (GTO 12”) (BNDA debut 12/13/80)
DESTINATION: ‘Move On Up / Up Up Up’ (US Butterfly 12”) (BNDA debut 8/25/79)
MODS 79: ‘Green Onions’ (Casino Classics 7”)
MARTIN CIRCUS: ‘Shine Baby Shine’ (Pye 12”)
GLORIA GAYNOR: ‘Tonight’ (Polydor 12”)
STREET PLAYERS: ‘Like What You’re Doing’ / ‘Dancin’ Fever’ / ‘Boogie Down’ (US Ariola LP)
FRIENDSHIP: ‘Bullet Train’ (US Elektra LP)
VILLAGE PEOPLE: ‘Ready For The 80’s’ (Mercury 12”) (BNDA debut 10/13/79)
BUSTA JONES: ‘(You) Keep On Making Me Hot’ (US Spring 12”) (BNDA debut 11/10/79)
FRANK WILSON: ‘Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)’ (Tamla Motown 7”)
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