February 23, 1980: “Disco in Los Angeles is awful”

Odds ‘N Bods

Greg Davies’s Disco Forum has yet to happen as this was written, but panelist Fred Dove has already gone on record saying that WEA’s disco promotion is no less successful since he cut his list from 360 DJ’s to just the elite few whose audiences are open to new material . . . Chris Hill was chuffed to find a 25 cent copy of the Rhythm Makers’ (early GQ) ‘Zone’ 12in at LA’s Record Depot . . . Sean French neither snored nor nodded to sleep, but the good buddy could be heard to mutter “breaker breaker one nine”! . . . Dartford Flicks holds a dance contest on Fridays through March for ordinary kids into their own funky steps and not the choreographed acrobatics that so often get called disco dancing – although Colin Hudd will have the appalling Ian Moore on hand to show how the pros don’t do it! . . . Motown are rightly re-promoting Smokey Robinson ‘Cruising’, currently huge in the US pop chart . . . Chris Britton has encouraged High Wycombe’s Venus Records shop in the Octagon to stock imports selected from his Tuesday playlist, with immediate results, while Mark Clark infos that every Wednesday at Abingdon Charters the Newbury Disco Centre sells all the latest jazz-funk from a record bar . . . UK limited 12in editions so rarely find their way to specialist stockists that it’s little wonder imports are now so important to the real disco market, which record companies mistakenly suppose is to be found in chart return record shops . . . Dave Middleton reports that Bletchley’s Bear Jazz bunch are finding venues hard to come by, which may explain their coach trip to Slough this Friday (22), details for funk fans from Scott Evenden on 0908-72982 (day) / 75391 (night) . . . Erik Jack’s Life Entertainment Services (0243-863840) successfully placed Stuart Barton as the DJ on the QE2 for Caribbean and world cruises, and could have some summer season work for others in the near future (so note the number) . . . Teesvalley Roadshow (Redcar 475854) say the street strike is hitting discos hard in the North-East, but they themselves tour Germany at Whitsun and need a few more dates . . . Scott Wilson is back at Tony’s Cellar Bar Euro-disco in Edinburgh on Fri/Saturdays . . . Big Phil and the mob at Whitehaven’s Whitehouse are pleading with A&M to release Gato Barbieri’s original ‘Theme From Firepower’ . . . Steve Wiggins (Barry Rugby Club), despairing of ever getting on Sally Ormsby’s DJ list after seventeen reply-less letters, wants at least to see a pic of the lady in Cheesecake Corner – how about it then, Sal? . . . Adrian Webb of the Wonderful World of Webb’s Wonder Tours won a thousand bucks during a quick detour to Las Vegas from LA, and last year discovered a similar bundle of “hot” money stuffed under a chair in his New York hotel room – anyone would think he didn’t make enough owning Southgate Royalty! . . . Capital Radio’s Roger Scott, the world’s biggest Beach Boys fan, had the shock of his life when reclusive Brian Wilson stepped out of a lift right in front of him just over the road from our hotel! . . . Los Angeles is so behind musically that expatriate Dick Sheppard of the Towards 2000 mobile disco and store actually reads about US releases in Record Mirror before he hears them in LA – where so many oldies get played that you could almost believe that disco is dead.

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It never rains in Southern California, but it pours, it really pours! Pan Am 121 landed at LAX, we were whisked away in a 9-door hatchback to the Avenue Of The Stars, and awoke next day (last Monday) to sweltering sunshine and the temperature in the 70s. Bright colourful flowers blanketed the ground, palm trees spouted everywhere and nearly everything was in leaf. February in Los Angeles. Wednesday was the day that the rains came down. And Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday too. Not that it was continuous on every day, for in fact we were able to do Disneyland half dry half wet and Knotts Berry Farm completely dry. As I drove our air-conditioned and completely power assisted Chevrolet Caprice down Sunset Strip on Saturday night, firemen were clearing the mud slides from the road that had tumbled off the overhanging escarpment of the Hollywood Hills, and on Sunday when we turned up the coast from Santa Monica the roads to Malibu were blocked. Even the unreal environment of the ridiculously pretty Beverly Hills was marred by burst embankments and ruptured fences. It had been wet, certainly, but to us it hadn’t seemed THAT wet. However in Southern California, the weather is good enough for long enough to encourage reckless architecture, and similarly hot enough to create cracks in concrete which then cannot contain water when it comes. If this was a disaster area, or even just the worst that the weather can do, then it’s no bad place to spend a week in winter.

London’s Funk Mafia had arrived in Los Angeles supposedly to attend the re-titled Billboard International Dance Music Forum at the Century Plaza Hotel, which is where all fourteen of us stayed. Chris & Carol Hill, Robbie & Christine Vincent, Steve & Linda Froggy, Stan & Jayne Barrett (of Canvey Goldmine) were the couples, Sean French & myself shared too (not like that, dear), while from Southgate Royalty & Showstopper Productions the organisers were Adrian “Spider” Webb, John Morris, Roger Dance & Peter Baker. Divide that lot between four cars, and you’ll understand why we didn’t always see a lot of each other.

The first thing you have to realize about Los Angeles is that the place is unbelievably vast – you can drive for 50 miles and still be in the same conurbation. As Chris Hill observed, “it’s a suburb looking for a downtown”. Built on a plain ringed in turn by ocean or mountains, it spills over the mountains to the north in the most famous Hollywood, Beverly Hills and “canyon” area to begin again to spread across the mountain-surrounded plain of the San Fernando Valley, where in fact are situated the film studios of Warner Bros. (wonderful downtown Burbank, no less), Walt Disney and Universal.

The Universal Studios tour was our first real outing, on Tuesday, and was a disappointment while being very interesting to experience. Treated like dim sheep, the paying public are shepherded through a series of unconvincing sideshows that wouldn’t even tax the minds of the three-year-olds at which they seem aimed, while the things worth spending time to look at, like the permanent “street” sets, are rushed through. In fact it was a Hill carload who had the most impressive brush with Tinseltown when they drove by mistake into the 20th Century-Fox studio lot instead of the neighboring Century Plaza Hotel. Universal’s best attraction was the very amusing and exciting knockabout display by some western stuntmen. Worth doing, but I’m glad we did it first.

Disneyland, even when it rained, was a lot more like it, although I must confess to a feeling of disappointment that, as it turned out, all these themed amusement parks consist of little more the cleverly disguised roller-coaster rides. Surprisingly small in area, Disneyland is divided into Main Street USA, Tomorrowland, Fantasyland, Adventureland, Bear Country, Frontierland and New Orleans Square.

Buried beneath the latter was what proved to be the trip of the trip, Pirates of the Caribbean. Sitting in flat-bottomed boats, we seemingly drifted through a steamy and totally convincing nighttime setting on the bayous, surrounded by Spanish moss-dripping trees, glowing fireflies, burping bullfrogs and the subdued clatter of cutlery – for this preliminary stage also housed a classy gourmet restaurant, sharing the mysterious sights and sounds of a dimly lit verandah. Then the boats bumped round some corners, through some arches and straight out into the middle of a sea battle between a galleon and a pepperpot-towered fort, with the effect of cannonballs whizzing overhead to explode all around while a pirate captain exhorted his men to fight on. This pirate figure was but the first of a huge number of mechanically moving dummies, as we discovered when we were swept on through scenes of debauchery, fire and fighting in presumably Port Au Prince, where even the life-size chickens, pigs, cats and dogs were as life-like as the “humans”, many following us with their eyes, and one particular pirate pointing his pistol at us as the boat drifted slowly past. Was he really human? We ducked, regardless of reason! Of course, he wasn’t.

Anyway, what’s all this got to do with disco, maybe you’re asking? Not a lot, but it’s a lot better fun. Disco in Los Angeles is awful, and the forum proved that the American gay DJ’s are the prime culprits behind the death of disco . . . although they won’t admit it.

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UK Newies

BROTHERS JOHNSON: ‘Stomp!’ (from LP ‘Light Up The Night’, A&M AMLK 53716) (BNDA debut 2/23/80)
To continue, this double dynamite set produced by Quincy Jones and largely penned by Rod Temperton is as strong as their Michael Jackson triumph. One of the few newies to be heard in Los Angeles last week, the full 6:24 of ‘Stomp!’ “rocks” from a deceptively laid-back intro to become a stomping 119½bpm piledriver, while ‘This Had To Be’ is like a mellower more complex 122-123bpm bass-bumped ‘Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough’ and is actually co-penned by and features squeaks from Michael Jackson. The title track is an ‘Off The Wall’-like 122bpm chugger, ‘You Make Me Wanna Wiggle’ a convoluted burbling 110bpm smacker, ‘Smilin’ On Ya’ a trickily attractive 114bpm jazz instrumental, ‘Celebrations’ a jauntily intensifying 144bpm jazz bubbler, ‘Closer To One That You Love’ a jittery slow 46/92bpm “half-stepper”, the 40bpm ‘Treasure’ and 42bpm ‘All About The Heaven’ both being tender smoochers. What a monster!

Also released here now are:
RONNIE LAWS: ‘Every Generation’ LP (UA UAG/TCK 30289)
EARTH, WIND & FIRE: ‘In The Stone’ / ‘Africano’ / ‘Biyo’ 12” (CBS 13-8252)
ATMOSFEAR: ‘Motivation’ / ‘Extract’ 12” (Elite DAZZ 2)
TRUSSEL: ‘Love Injection’ (Elektra K 12412T) (12” due) (BNDA debut 12/8/79)
GAP BAND: ‘I Don’t Believe You Want To Get Up And Dance’ / ‘The Boys Are Back In Town’ / ‘Steppin’ Out’ 12” (Mercury MERK 2) (BNDA debut 3/8/80)
MODERN SOUND CORPORATION: ‘Safari’ 12” (Epic EPC 13-8209)
DESTINATION: ‘Move On Up / Up Up Up’ 12” (Butterfly CHS 12/2409) (BNDA debut 8/25/79)
SPYRO GYRA: ‘Catching The Sun’ LP (MCA MCG 4009)
JAN AKKERMAN: ‘3’ LP (Atlantic K 50664)
STARGARD: ‘The Changing Of The Gard’ LP (Warner Bros. K 56745) (‘Wear It Out’ BNDA debut 10/6/79)
CHI-LITES: ‘Stay A Little Longer’ 12” (Pye 12P 5005)
CARLTON & HIS SHOES: ‘Love Me Forever’ 12” (DEB Music DEB 037)
And evidently the Gibson Bros 12”.

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Imports

KLEEER: ‘Close To You’ (from LP ‘Winners’, US Atlantic SD 19262) (BNDA debut 4/5/80)
Norman Durham’s starkly uncluttered bass dominates this creamily “rocking” smooth 117(intro)-119-117(break)-119bpm chugger, and then bumps into the sparse title-track “rock” thudder which keeps lurching through 117-118-117-118-117-118bpm into spells of Brass Construction-type rhythm. ‘Nothin’ Said’ is an Isleys-type smacking 122-123bpm burbler, ‘Rollin’ On’ a strange 127bpm swinger that’ll be hard to programme, and ‘Open Your Mind’ a stop-start attractive jazzy 57/114bpm jogger on which, as elsewhere on this very classily and cleanly controlled tight set, the guys are joined by girls. Other cuts are slowies.

L.A. BOPPERS: ‘Watching Life’ (from LP ‘L.A. Boppers’, US Mercury SRM 1-3816)
Lovely lazy mainly instrumental 43/86bpm jogger which with its trombone and twittering bird effects is reminiscent of the similarly Wayne Henderson-produced old ‘Keep That Same Old Feeling’ by Side Effect. ‘Life Is What You Make It’ is a Rose Royce-ish 119-116(intro)-118-119-116-118-116bpm nervy rhythm chatterer, ‘Funk It Out’ being a 98bpm P-funk burbler, ‘Are We Wrong’ a nice 57/28bpm deep soul smoocher, and ‘Is This The Best (Bop-Doo-Wah)’ an attractive Dr Buzzard-ish slow jogging 98(intro)-96-97-98-99bpm “rock” swayer.

GIVENS FAMILY: ‘The Year Of The Child’ (US Venture VD-5010)
Tony Camillo-produced powerfully “rocking” tuneful 118-117-118-119bpm 12in smacker is immediately appealing, mainly because it copies with quite amazing blatancy the tune to ‘Ain’t No Stopping Us Now’.

CHUCK CISSEL: ‘Emergency’ (from LP ‘Just For You’, US Arista AB 4257) (‘Cisselin’ Hot’ BNDA debut 1/12/80)
When not ‘Cisselin’ Hot’ (included), Chuck’s voice is revealed as lightly quavering then soaring, yelping and wailing in the early soul style of such as Dee Clark. This smooth 124bpm soul jogger has pretty strings ‘n things. ‘Don’t Tell Me You’re Sorry’ is an attractive 121-122bpm loper that gets wailing, ‘Do You Believe’ is an easily rolling sweet 44/88bpm slowie with George Benson-ish scatting (it’s also the 12in flip).

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UK Disco Top 90 – February 23, 1980

01 01 Whispers – And The Beat Goes On – Solar 12″
02 02 Positive Force – We Got The Funk – Sugarhill 12″
03 08 Michael Jackson – Rock With You – Epic 12″
04 09 Phyllis Hyman – You Know How To Love Me – Arista 12″
05 07 Kool & The Gang – Too Hot / Tonight’s The Night – Mercury 12″
06 06 Azymuth – Jazz Carnival – Milestone 12″
07 03 Prince – I Wanna Be Your Lover – Warner Bros. 12″
08 04 Michael Jackson – Off The Wall – Epic 7″
09 05 Sugarhill Gang – Rapper’s Delight – Sugarhill 12″
10 11 Roy Ayers – Don’t Stop The Feeling – Polydor 12″
11 13 Brass Construction – Shakit / Music Makes You Feel Like Dancing – UA 12″
12 21 Jocko – Rhythm Talk – Philadelphia Int’l 12″
13 18 Players Association – We Got The Groove – Vanguard 12″
14 14 Tony Rallo & The Midnite Band – Holdin’ On / Burnin’ Alive – Calibre 12″
15 12 Narada Michael Walden – Tonight I’m Alright – Atlantic 12″
16 19 Billy Ocean – Are You Ready – GTO 12″
17 10 Rose Royce – Is It Love You’re After – Whitfield 12″
18 17 Sheila & B. Devotion – Spacer – Carrere 12″
19 23 Narada Michael Walden – I Shoulda Loved Ya / You’re Soo Good / Lovin’ You Madly – Atlantic LP
20 28 Patrice Rushen – Haven’t You Heard – Elektra 12″
21 16 Sister Sledge – Got To Love Somebody – Atlantic 12″
22 20 Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes – Prayin’ – Source 12″
23 34 War – The World Is A Ghetto – MCA 12″
24 27 Billy Preston & Syreeta – With You I’m Born Again / Sock-It Rocket – Motown 7″
25 30 Trussel – Love Injection – Elektra 7″/US 12″
26 41 Shalamar – Right In The Socket / The Right Time For Us – Solar 12″
27 37 Players Association – The Get Down Mellow Mellow Sound / Dance / We’re Almost There – Vanguard LP
28 69 GQ – Standing Ovation / Reasons For The Seasons – Arista 12″
29 24 Slave – Just A Touch Of Love / Are You Ready For Love – US Cotillion 7″/12″ promo/LP
30 47 Ronnie Laws – O.T.B.A. Law (Outta Be A Law) / Young Child / Every Generation / Tomorrow – UA LP
31 26 Shalamar – The Second Time Around – Solar 12″
32 22 George Duke – I Want You For Myself – Epic 7″/LP/US 12″ promo
33 29 Chain Reaction – Dance Freak – US Sound Of New York 12″
34 25 Chic – My Feet Keep Dancing – Atlantic 12″
35 39 Dan Hartman – Vertigo / Relight My Fire – Blue Sky 12″
36 73 Brothers Johnson – Stomp! – A&M 7″/LP/US 12″ promo
37 35 KC & The Sunshine Band – Please Don’t Go – TK 7″
38 15 Gibson Brothers – Que Sera Mi Vida – Island 12″
39 36 Chuck Cissel – Cisselin’ Hot – US Arista 12″
40 43 Booker T & The MGs – Green Onions – Atlantic 7″
41 33 One Way feat. Al Hudson – Music / Tonight – MCA 12″
42 44 Stop – I Can Feel It – Elite 12″
43 60 Fat Larry’s Band – Here Comes The Sun – Fantasy 12″
44 52 Funkadelic – (Not Just) Knee Deep – Warner Bros. 7″/LP
45 32 Isley Brothers – It’s A Disco Night – Epic 12″
46 31 Kool & The Gang – Ladies’ Night – Mercury 12″
47 49 Nolans – I’m In The Mood For Dancing – Epic 7″
48 42 Eddie Cheba – Lookin’ Good – US Tree Line 12″
49 48 Herb Alpert – Rotation – A&M 12″
50 NE Light Of The World – The Boys In Blue / This Is This – Ensign 12″
51 72 Donna Summer – On The Radio – Casablanca 7″/LP
52 56 Rick James – Love Gun – Motown 7″/LP
53 38 Stargard – Wear It Out – Warner Bros. 7″/US 12″
54 NE Bobby Thurston – Check Out The Groove / You Got What It Takes / I Wanna Do It With You – US Prelude LP
55 46 Diana Ross – It’s My House – Motown 12″
56 59 Bonnie Pointer – I Can’t Help Myself – Motown 7″/LP
57 51 Joe Bataan – Rap-O Clap-O – US Salsoul 12″
58 40 Earth, Wind & Fire – Can’t Let Go – CBS 12″
59 81 Jan Akkerman – She’s So Divine / Stingray – Atlantic 7″/LP
60 54 v/a – Four Hot Imports – Casablanca 12″
61 64 La Pregunta – Chameleon – US GNP Crescendo 12″
62 61 Rufus & Chaka – Do You Love What You Feel – MCA 12″
63 83 Gap Band – I Don’t Believe You Want To Get Up And Dance / Steppin’ Out – Mercury 12″
64 76 The Beat – Tears Of A Clown / Ranking Full Stop – 2-Tone 7″
65 71 Pretenders – Brass In Pocket – Real 7″
66 65 Deborah Washington – Rock It – Ariola 12″
67 NE Specials – Too Much Too Young / Guns Of Navarone – 2-Tone 7″
68 62 Prince – Sexy Dancer / Still Waiting – Warner Bros. LP
69 84 Gordon’s War – Got To Fan The Flame / The Rock Is Gonna Get You – US Stan-Jay 12″
70 RE Gibson Brothers – Cuba / Better Do It Salsa – Island 12″
71 NE Sharon Paige – Tonight’s The Night – US Source 12″
72 NE Leon Haywood – Don’t Push It Don’t Force It – US 20th Century 12″
73 68 Grey & Hanks – Now I’m Fine / Single Girls / Prime Time / Tired Of Taking Chances – US RCA LP
74 75 Whispers – Lady / My Girl / Can You Do The Boogie / Out The Box / A Song For Donny – US Solar LP
75 90 Merry Clayton – Emotion / When The World Turns Blue – US MCA LP
76 55 Commodores – Wonderland – Motown 7″
77 67 Invisible Man’s Band – All Night Thing – US Mango 12″
78 74 Maximum Penetration – Maximum Penetration – Sidewalk 12″
79 85 Fat Larry’s Band – Center City / Last Chance To Dance – Fantasy 12″ promo/LP
80 78 Styx – Babe – A&M 7″
81 66 Sylvester – Can’t Stop Dancing / In My Fantasy – Fantasy 12″
82 NE Freddie James – Hollywood / Crazy Disco Music – Warner Bros. LP
83 57 Mr. Q – Love And Time / Rapping Time – Canadian DK Sounds 12″
84 NE Spyro Gyra – Catching The Sun / Percolator / Lovin’ You / Cockatoo – MCA 12″/LP
85 NE Big Foot – I Apologize / Watch Your Step – US Sue Int’l 12″
86 NE Kleeer – Winners (all cuts) – US Atlantic LP
87 70 Wilson Pickett – Groove City – EMI America 12″
88 NE Jon Faddis – Good And Plenty / Razor Blade – US Arista LP
89 86 Zkiffz – (I Wanna) Boogie With You – UA 12″
90 NE John Lee & Gerry Brown – Chaser / Will It Last – US Columbia LP

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Appeared in Billboard:
#1 (BNDA debut 1/12/80) / #2 (BNDA debut 1/12/80) / #3 (BNDA debut 8/18/79)
#4 (BNDA debut 11/10/79) / #5 (BNDA debut 9/8/79) / #7 (BNDA debut 11/10/79)
#9 (BNDA debut 10/13/79) / #10 (BNDA debut 12/22/79) / #11 (BNDA debut 5/31/80)
#13 (BNDA debut 3/22/80) / #14 (BNDA debut 1/5/80) / #15 (BNDA debut 12/22/79)
#16 (BNDA debut 12/13/80) / #18 (BNDA debut 5/10/80) / #19 (BNDA debut 12/22/79)
#20 (BNDA debut 12/15/79) / #21 (BNDA debut 1/26/80) / #25 (BNDA debut 12/8/79)
#26 (BNDA debut 3/22/80) / #27 (BNDA debut 3/22/80) / #28 (BNDA debut 3/1/80)
#29 (BNDA debut 1/12/80) / #31 (BNDA debut 3/22/80) / #32 (BNDA debut 12/15/79)
#34 (BNDA debut 6/23/79) / #35 (BNDA debut 11/10/79) / #36 (BNDA debut 2/23/80)
#38 (BNDA debut 7/12/80) / #39 (BNDA debut 1/12/80) / #41 (BNDA debut 11/3/79)
#43 (BNDA debut 2/9/80) / #44 (BNDA debut 10/13/79) / #45 (BNDA debut 8/25/79)
#46 (BNDA debut 9/8/79) / #49 (BNDA debut 12/22/79) / #51 (BNDA debut 11/17/79)
#52 (BNDA debut 11/24/79) / #53 (BNDA debut 10/6/79) / #54 (BNDA debut 3/1/80)
#56 (BNDA debut 1/5/80) / #57 (BNDA debut 12/1/79) / #60 (BNDA debut 9/8/79)
#62 (BNDA debut 11/17/79) / #63 (BNDA debut 3/8/80) / #65 (BNDA debut 4/5/80)
#68 (BNDA debut 11/10/79) / #70 (BNDA debut 4/7/79 & 9/8/79) / #71 (BNDA debut 2/16/80)
#72 (BNDA debut 2/23/80) / #73 (BNDA debut 3/8/80) / #74 (BNDA debut 1/12/80)
#77 (BNDA debut 1/26/80) / #81 (BNDA debut 11/17/79) / #86 (BNDA debut 4/5/80)

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Bubbling under the UK Disco Top 90 are:

THE YOUNGER GENERATION: ‘We Rap More Mellow’ (US Brass 12”)
INSTANT FUNK: ‘Bodyshine’ / ‘Slap Slap Lickedy Lap’ (US Salsoul 12”) (BNDA debut 11/24/79)
ISLEY BROTHERS: ‘Winner Takes All’ (Epic 7”)
DON ARMANDO’S 2ND AVENUE RHUMBA BAND: ‘Deputy of Love’ / ‘I’m An Indian Too’ (ZE 7”) (BNDA debut 9/22/79)
CANDIDO: ‘Candi’s Funk’ / ‘Samba Funk’ / ‘Do You Wanna Dance’ / ‘Super City’ (US Salsoul LP)
L.A. BOPPERS: ‘L.A. Boppers’ LP (US Mercury LP)
OSIBISA: ‘Pata Pata’ (Pye 12”)
THE REGULARS: ‘Don’t Stay Out Late’ (CBS 7”)
JORGE SANTANA: ‘Feeling Good’ (US Tomato LP)
MICK JACKSON: ‘You Don’t Light My Fire’ (CBS 12”)
BLOWFLY: ‘Rapp Dirty’ / ‘Blowfly’s Rapp’ (US TK 12”)
THREE DEGREES: ‘Without You’ (Ariola 7”)
GLORIA GAYNOR: ‘Tonight’ (Polydor 12”)
EARGASM: ‘This Is Lovers Rock’ (Venture 12”)
DETROIT SPINNERS: ‘Working My Way Back To You’ (Atlantic 7”) (BNDA debut 10/20/79)
PEACHES & HERB: ‘I Pledge My Love’ / ‘Roller Skatin’ Mate’ (Polydor 12”)
STARGARD: ‘Footstompin’ Music’ / ‘Runnin’ From The Law’ / ‘Take Me Back’ (Warner Bros. LP)
LIQUID GOLD: ‘Dance Yourself Dizzy’ (Polo 7”) (BNDA debut 11/17/79)
GIVENS FAMILY: ‘The Year Of The Child’ (US Venture 12”)
B.T. EXPRESS: ‘Give Up The Funk (Let’s Dance)’ (US Columbia 7”) (BNDA debut 4/19/80)
ROY AYERS: ‘No Stranger To Love’ (Polydor LP)
CHI-LITES: ‘Stay A Little Longer’ (Pye 12”)
SHOTGUN: ‘I Want You’ / ‘Come On With It’ / ‘Happy Feelin’’ (US MCA LP)
JOHNSON PRODUCTS: ‘Johnson Jumpin’’ (US Sound Of New York 12”)
JIMMY MESSINA: ‘Do You Want To Dance’ / ‘Love Is Here’ (US Columbia LP)
PHYLLIS HYMAN: ‘Heavenly’ / ‘Some Way’ / ‘Under Your Spell’ / ‘Give A Little More’ (US Arista LP)
DEBBIE JACOBS: ‘Hot Hot’ / ‘High On Your Love’ (US MCA LP) (BNDA debut 1/5/80)
EDDIE DANIELS: ‘Good Morning Bahia’ / ‘Hold Tight, Don’t Let Go’ / ‘Lost In The Rain’ (US Columbia LP)
FREQUENCY: ‘Loosen Up’ (US Hard Boiled 12”)
DONALD BYRD: ‘Dominoes’ (US Blue Note LP)
LE PAMPLEMOUSSE: ‘Creepin’’ / ‘Planet Of Love’ / ‘You Can Get Off On The Music’ (US AVI LP) (BNDA debut 3/8/80)

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Pop 15:
1. New Musik, 2. Joe Jackson, 3. Tourists (old), 4. Selecter, 5. Bee Gees, 6. Joe & Vangelis, 7. Errol Dunkley, 8. Symarip, 9. Shadows, 10. Keith Michell, 11. ABBA, 12. Fern Kinney, 13. Matchbox, 14. Amii Stewart, 15. Kenny Rogers.