Month: March 1980

Odds ‘N Bods

Blondie ‘Atomic’ hits the Disco Top 30 this week – if that many jocks are on it presumably even DOR is “disco”! – while the ‘Call Me’-featuring ‘American Gigolo’ LP is no longer delayed . . . Mystic Merlin ‘Just Can’t Give You Up’, Dr Hook ‘Sexy Eyes’ / ‘When You’re In Love With A Beautiful Woman’ and Hiroshima ‘Lion Dance’ are due now on UK 12in, but Pressure is NOT on 12in . . . Mass Production ‘Shante’, Chico Hamilton ‘Strut’, Roberta Flack ‘Back Together Again’, Twennynine ‘Peanut Butter’, Deodato ‘Whistle Bump’ (remix) / ‘Knights Of Fantasy’ / ‘Space Dust’, El Coco ‘Let’s Get It Together’ (remix) and Shalamar ‘Right In The Socket (remix) / ‘The Second Time Around’ are all coming on 12in, Shalamar in blue vinyl . . . Atlantic’s set of 10 four-track 7in soul classics (advertised last week) will be followed next month by Island issuing six 6-track 10in EPs – yes, 10in! – on their revived Sue label featuring soul classics originally on ¡t, the first being ‘Harlem Shuffle’ . . . Sharon Paige’s UK 12in has an instrumental flip and is faster by 2bpm than last week’s review . . . Delegation on 12in is 114bpm, and thanks to a gift from Fatman I can now reveal that Herbie Hancock’s direct-cut remake of ‘I Thought It Was You’ is 125-123-124-125-122-121-pause-125-123-124(vocoder break)-123-122-0bpm – the last part being dynamite! . . . DJ Federation (GB) have reduced their public liability insurance for members to £11 ea and are again accepting individual memberships at £10 ea from people in areas uncovered by affiliated associations (details from 01-348 3269) . . . Rush Release need another 70 jocks for their mailing list and also specialist reggae DJs for a different list – write ‘em at 8 Morton Gardens, Wallington, Surrey (01-669 0327/659 2701), and remember that when on a list you shouldn’t send us a chart full of free material unless it’s really happening for you (hyping doesn’t help anyone) . . . Southampton University’s Bootsie hold a student soul festival on Friday 2nd May and, while well supported already, want as many other universities, colleges and polys as possible to be represented to show the strength of soul among students nationally – cost is only 60p, free accommodation is available, so send cheque/PO (payable SUSU Events Dept) with SAE and quoting NUS number of similar, to Events Dept, Students Union, University of Southampton . . . Frenchie, Pete Haigh & Peter Paige go fancy dress on Monday (31) at their Caton (Lancaster) Scharthwaite Hotel jazz-funk night, coach party reservations on Morecambe 420796, Lancaster 61744, Cleveleys 824156 . . . Camberley Frenchies jazz-funks Thursdays from next week (3) with Johnnie Walker, Robin Nash and mafia guests . . . Chris Hill and myself are not partners nor co-owners of Canvey’s Goldmine, as mis-stated in Billboard’s belated Disco Forum report which of course ignored our main point that gay dominance is what killed US Disco – Billboard’s Hot 100 pop chart merely shows those records which frighten US radio programmers the least . . . Soho’s Groove Records has bought up all remaining stocks of the Leo’s Sunshipp LP (but then Groove found it originally) while owner Chris Palmer confirms that the gays who come into his shop rarely know the names of the records they’ve heard at their discos and have to hum the hooks! . . . Slim Tom Holland wants no more buns – he’s lost 1½ stone . . . GQ-like Liverpudlian 5-piece Natural High were an excellent disco dance band at Gullivers last week . . . Finchley Roads Les Elites has had a lavish and good-looking refit . . . Stone City Band ‘Little Runaway’ into Funkadelic ‘One Nation’ into Narada ‘Tonight’, clapping break into ditto of Chicago ‘Street Player’ into Mass Production ‘Shante’ is one of my current fave mixes – Stone City is an unjustly ignored monster! . . . Arbie (Retford MAYC) writes “Disco is NOT dead, only wally ‘dance music’ is – as the sales chart shows. How long since Boney M, Amii Stewart and Co had big hits?” Maybe so Arbie, but Liquid Gold are doing their best to keep the ‘Seaside Special’ tradition alive . . . MAKE IT FUNKY!

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No UK Newies this week.

Imports

MASS PRODUCTION: ‘Shante’ (from LP ‘Massterpiece’, US Cotillion SD 5218)
Last week’s lead review as should have been (the lack was not of my doing) has indeed leapt straight into the chart and is an amazingly War-like jazzy instrumental that builds with shifting solos in ‘Ghetto’ style from an expectant quiet 124bpm intro through 126-124-127-128bpm. The Whitehaven Whitehouse kids actually applauded when Chris Hill played it there on Sunday.

THE HEATH BROTHERS: ‘For The Public’ (from LP ‘Live At The Public Theater’, US Columbia FC 36374)
Madly catchy superb easily jogging relaxed saxy 91-90-91bpm instrumental jazz swayer with slight Alpert influence and useful applause intro/outro, this week’s lead review. Motoring back from Cumbria on Monday I heard BBC Radio Merseyside’s Terry Lennaine quote last week’s Liquid Gold comment from this page – he hates ‘em! – and an unidentified Piccadilly soul DJ doing some nice mixes.

ROBERTA FLACK: ‘Back Together Again’ (from LP ‘Featuring Donny Hathaway’, US Atlantic S 15013) (BNDA debut 4/5/80)
Terrific long languidly smacking 110(intro)-112bpm “rock” jogger largely sung by Donny piles on the tension as it progresses through simple repetition and will obviously be huge.  Continue reading “March 29, 1980: Mass Production, Heath Brothers, Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway, Jermaine Jackson, Community People”

Odds ‘N Bods

Atmosfear ‘Motivation’ has now also been picked up by MCA (MCAT 580) . . . Arista’s secret jazz-funk plan to promote their GRP Product involves disco DJ’s selling direct to their punters a special 4-track 12in EP featuring an uninspired selection by Jay Hoggard, Tom Browne, Dave Valentin & Angela Bofill – couldn’t it feature something fresher? . . . Casablanca’s next 4-track commercial 12in stars Loose Change & Parliament . . . Polydor have had to postpone their Blondie ‘Call Me’-featuring ‘American Gigolo’ soundtrack LP . . . SEDA 80 is the South Eastern Disco Assn’s annual equipment exhibition this Sunday (23) at the Great Danes Hotel, Hollingbourne (just off the southern end of the Maidstone bypass, M20), open from noon till 8pm . . . April 12/13 sees another exhibition in Aberdeen put on by Keith Main’s Atmosphere disco store at the Treetops Hotel, details on (0224) 572923 . . . Coral King, Radio Luxembourg “ladies only” DJ competition winner (she broadcasted on Tuesday evening), wants a good London residency – anyone interested contact me . . . Bob Jones, the mafia’s caretaker (he deps whenever the likes of Hill have to miss a gig), wants his own Fri/Saturday residency anywhere around London/Essex, call him on Chelmsford 62924 . . . Record Man of Rayleigh are amazingly selling Herbie Hancock’s ‘Directstep’ LP at £11.25 to the public, only £10 to bona fide jox . . . Malcolm Jones is delighted the policy has changed at Brentwood Elliotts (on the A127) enabling him to funk Fri/Saturdays for reasonably smart over-18s . . . Record Mirror sells out fast in North Wales, where I was holidaying last week – sorry Al Taylor I didn’t get to St Asaph Stables, but Bangor wasn’t worth the day trip! . . . Gavin Breck presumably now knows who the Brothers Johnson are, having been caught out when they visited his Sunday night at Mayfair Playboy! . . . Brum jock Sammy DeHavilland and wife Pamela’s new baby is called James – did they really name him after me? . . . Funkadelic ‘Knee Deep’ is a big numero uno in Ipswich for both the Utopia and Shaggy’s mobiles – why wasn’t it bigger elsewhere? . . . Liquid Gold prove, if proof was ever needed, that there are indeed a lot of wallys out there somewhere! . . . Craig Dawson (Edinburgh) says: “Disco is most definitely NOT dead – on the mobile scene disco records have if anything become more popular than ever, especially among older age groups, with Tony Rallo going down a storm at weddings” . . . Be-di-be-dibbadibbadah – MAKE IT FUNKY!!

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UK Newies

SHARON PAIGE: ‘Tonight’s The Night’ (Source 12SRC 103) (BNDA debut 2/16/80)
Harold Melvin & Blue Notes-prod/accompanied creamy clapping 118-119-120-121-122bpm 12in repetitive “rock” doodler with long instrumental intro, now evidently out here at last, is ultimately pretty insubstantial.

DR HOOK: ‘Sexy Eyes’ (Capitol CL 16127)
Excellent slinky 102-103bpm 7in jogger with Bee Gees/old Real Thing tempo and wide appeal.

LITTLE EVA: ‘The Loco Motion’ (London HL 9581)
Classic 131bpm 7in dance smash from 1962 (and 1972!) in her original LP’s picture sleeve.  Continue reading “March 22, 1980: Sharon Paige, Dr Hook, Little Eva, Viola Wills, Stevie Wonder”

Pye Records rather misguidedly change names next month to Precision Records and Tapes, making black product plugger Morgan Khan “the brat from PRAT”! Anyway, as previously mentioned, Morgan has copied the US DJ-bootlegged mixer medley idea by creating the first ever officially released UK version, out next month (CABP 1) as ‘Calibre Cuts’ and containing 32 cleverly juxtaposed snippets from 24 different tracks. Running for 6:47 and building from 93bpm to a flutter echo 132bpm finish, the rhythmically flowing cut-up includes moments from Lowrell, Chanson, Sugarhill Gang, Positive Force, ‘Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now’, Players Assn ‘I Like It’, ‘We Are Family’, Tony Rallo, ‘Bad Girls’, Two Man Sound, Black Ivory ‘Big Apple Rock’, L.A.X., Osibisa, Jupiter Beyond, Seventh Avenue ‘Miami Heatwave’, Real Thing, ‘HAPPY Radio’, ‘Boogie Wonderland’, El Coco, Players Assn ‘Everybody Dance’, ‘We Got The Groove’, Aquarian Dream ‘Phoenix’, ‘East 6th Street’ and Norman Connors ‘Captain Connors’ – some of them contributing just one beat! Mailed to DJ’s in increasing waves, at the moment there are only eighteen copies of the white label 12in in circulation (and Morgan’s numbered them so he knows who the jock is who’s already sold his!), although advance orders from shops already total more than 8,000. Incidentally, starting with ‘Calibre Cuts’, all future PRAT 12in promos will be at 33 1/3 rpm with just the commercial copies at 45rpm. Pity about the PRAT initials (it’ll actually be printed PRT), as Pye are currently anything but that!

Los Angeles differs drastically from New York in that the buzz of hearing brand new releases is totally lacking on radio (and in the clubs) . . . making radio less than compulsive listening. The only newies to be heard last month were some slowies on the mellow soul KJLH and some jazz-funk on KACE. Considering there are 31 FM and 31 AM stations servicing the area (along with 11 TV stations), this was disappointing to say the least. The first thing I actually recorded on air was a breakfast show playing – it seemed appropriate for LA – the Beach Boys ‘Fun Fun Fun’, which the DJ unbelievably came out of paraphrasing “drugs drugs drugs, until her daddy took the teaspoon away”! This was the Kenny Everett-ish Fraser Smith on KLOS, a rock FM station paired with the AM all-talk KABC and sharing the same building – as I discovered when accompanying Robbie Vincent, Radio London’s morning phone-in and interview man – and funnily enough it’s an expatriate BBC veteran who grabs over a million listeners daily with the same format in LA, Michael Jackson (no, not that one). A South African residency having added a Paddy Byrne-like tinge to his voice, Michael left the Beeb in 1959 and now only puts on his exaggeratedly British accent when reading hamburger commercials and the like! Sitting in a tiny studio in the extremely compact glass-walled jigsaw puzzle of on-air facilities, he interviewed TV chat show host Phil Donahue (himself on the Johnny Carson TV show only the night before) and Joan Baez while we were there, as well as answering several carefully vetted telephone calls . . . the switchboard though was decidedly unlit-up in comparison with my experience of Capital Radio. As well as talk, soul, jazz and rock, LA radio covers the usual spectrum from Spanish to classical, country to gospel (lots and lots of gospel!), the main ‘‘disco’’ stations seemingly being devoted still to David Naughton’s ‘Makin’ It’. The best thing I managed to record was, luckily while delayed at the airport on the way home, the legendary Dr Demento on KMET, his Sunday evening show featuring a strongly idiosyncratic 1920s/30s flavour even when the material is new . . . in his way the Charlie Gillett of Los Angeles.

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Odds ‘N Bods

Fern Kinney (originally on US 7in in 1977) and Detroit Spinners are due on belated 12in, while Donna Summer and Niteflyte are now on 12in, with Kleeer ‘Close To You’ and a 4-track Randy Brown 12in to follow . . . 1968’s classic ‘This Is Soul’ sampler LP (as it was then) is out again on Atlantic . . . PRAT could be picking up which famous Philadelphia-based label? . . . Caroline Roadshow need two heavy metal DJs, apply in writing with full details and photo to them at BCM, Box 1962, London WC1 . . . Havering DJ Assn and potential members meet at Harold Hill Community Centre on Monday (17) at 7:45pm . . . Chris Britton (High Wycombe Tuesdays) actually said “yes” to a leap year proposal on Feb 29th – congrats! . . . Michael Jackson on TV recently came out of the closet, locked the door behind him and threw away the key – did anyone catch it? . . . USofA’s Reggie, David & Chris are all Viola Wills’s kids . . . Brian Sinclair, probably paranoid about Steve Walsh’s Wednesday publicity, confirms that he himself spins the very best in soul at Catford J. Arthur’s on Thurs/Fri/Saturdays . . . Dennis Brynner is delighted that conditions are funkier again at Southampton Barbarellas . . . London DJ Ian Brolin wants to know where to find Johnny Hammond’s old ‘Shifting Gears’ LP – Hill, what have you started?! . . . Paul Macey, at Kingston-On-Thames South Western Tavern on Fri/Sundays, followed up my mention of Erik Jack’s Life Entertainment Services and landed a summer season at Ladbrokes Nodes Point holiday camp . . . Bristol mafiosi Martin Starr & Dennis Richards (Just 4U/Turntable/Manhattans) are now attracting funksters from London, a crowd of 20 or so spending a week in Bristol going to all their venues . . . Alan Hughes reports that pubs in the Worcester area are cutting right back on discos – what, even the Wally ones? . . . Martin Sanders (Blackburn) may care to note that I paid with my own money to go to LA for a holiday, and not specifically for the forum which past experience had shown would be exactly as it indeed was . . . CBS & Polydor are mailing some strange material to DJ’s these days . . . Capital Radio must be helping London’s discotheques by making them the only place you can be sure of hearing so many established hits . . . Liquid Gold presumably fill a void for many people somewhere, so maybe “disco” isn’t dead at all? . . . US disco chart placings however have been largely discredited now it’s known they relate merely to those records that bring down drugged gays the least . . . Chris Jones (Cardiff) says “Disco isn’t dead, it’s just had a shot in the arm – a little variety does you good, as punters at large South Wales gigs prove by loving 2-Tone/Pretenders/Ska and booing the Nolans, the overriding aim surely being everybody has a good time” – hmm, it may be danceable but is it disco? . . . MAKE IT FUNKY!

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New Spins

BOBBY THURSTON: ‘Check Out The Groove’ (Epic EPC 13-8348) (BNDA debut 3/1/80)
Import LP smash now on UK 12in, this happily jumping Brass Construction-ish chugger built around a series of 16 bar progressions goes through 121-119-121-120-122-120(instr)-122-123 bpm to reach a 125-126 bpm rhythm break and outro. ‘Shakit’ chops perfectly out of the first half.

PLAYERS ASSOCIATION: ‘The Get-Down Mellow Sound’ (Vanguard VSL 5017) (BNDA debut 3/22/80)
Still temporarily printed as ‘Mellow Mellow’ (PRAT were confused by Lowrell) this is indeed the correct US title, and the steadily thumping and bumping brassy jogger is now on 115 bpm 12in which should mix even better with the Whispers.

DONALD BYRD: ‘Dominoes’ (Blue Note 12-UP 622)
Attractive atmospheric lazily jiggling 106-104-105-104-103-102 bpm 12in jazz swayer from 1976 with tootling trumpet and chanting chaps is sadly not the even hotter ‘Live At The Roxy’ version.  Continue reading “March 15, 1980: Bobby Thurston, Players Association, Donald Byrd, Chico Hamilton, GQ”

Odds ‘N Bods

Reissued oldies include Locomotive ‘Rudi’s In Love’ (EMI 5033), Millie ‘My Boy Lollipop’ (Island WIP 6574), Desmond Dekker ‘Israelites’ (Creole CR 199), Pioneers ‘Long Shot Kick De Bucket’ / Harry J ‘Liquidator’ (Trojan TROT 9063), Michael Jackson ‘Ben’ (Motown TMG 1165), Billy Paul ‘Me & Mrs Jones’ (Philadelphia Int’l PIR 8202), Booker T & The MGs ‘Time Is Tight’ (Stax 2001), Johnny Johnson & The Bandwagon ‘Breaking Down The Walls Of Heartache’ (Epic EPC 8315) . . . Fern Kinney is 111bpm . . . Shalamar ‘Socket’ is also on a strange disjointed 7in-only remix . . . Motown plan a segued six hit Supremes 12in medley (hopefully they’ll not use the awful US version here) flipped by ‘Love Hangover’ . . . Roy Ayers ‘Running Away’ / ‘Can’t You See Me’ should be a UK 12in soon (and at last!) . . . Capitol are repromoting Domenic Troiano ‘We All Need Love’ 12in as they think the tempo is now right for today . . . Twennynine’s old 120bpm ‘Peanut Butter’ (now a US 7in hit) goes great with ‘Stomp’! . . . Eddy Grant’s upcoming newie is in the Bobby Thurston / Bros Johnson groove . . . Tom “Buns” Holland recommends the direct-cut re-recording of Lee Ritenour ‘Sugarland Express’ (JVC LP) . . . Sugarhill Gang’s visit seems to have been less than a success, what with their stage act being forcibly curtailed at certain venues, and temper tantrums a recurring feature . . . Greg Davies’s Disco Forum ‘80 is now set for Sunday, June 1 in an expanded form but still for £2 – and the emphasis on mailing lists seems to have increased (yawn) . . . Thames Valley DJA hold a Tenpin Bowling Tournament this Sunday afternoon (9) at Wokingham King of Clubs . . . Paul Anthony is running a coach to the Slough allniter on March 21 from Walsall and Birmingham, details on Walsall 28447 . . . Chris Hill mischievously having created a new Northern-type oldies demand, but this time for jazz, we can expect the likes of Donald Byrd and Lonnie Smith to be joined in the chart by other classic rarities . . . Martin Platts (Blackburn) has observed an increase in kids ballroom dancing to old big bands, which could tie in with a revival of tails as a male fashion . . . Chris Brown says thanks for the photos and he doesn’t need any more as the “Family Album” is now being printed to be ready in time for Knebworth . . . Peel’s latest Sponsor-Disc precedes the “get into Orbit – sugar free gum” jingle with Apollo 11’s moonshot countdown, but the featured music’s really naff this time – why not just do the jingles on their own? . . . Juliannas jockettes Nicky MacKenzie (Kensington Tingles) and Sally Wardle (Marylebone Cinecitta Roma) had a few of us home for pina coladas on Friday, whereupon Chris Brown lost his cigarettes (he said), Steve Walsh shrugged off his concrete overcoat to touch up his eye makeup, and Fatman snored off to sleep – still, their music choice was good! . . . Ken Norton starts spinning pop downstairs at Mayfair Gullivers this week . . . Phil Black funks Tonyrefall Meadow Vale Country Club in Glamorgan Wednesday thru Saturday now . . . Arbie sez Azymuth was never THAT popular in North Notts, and is now selling in Retford Woolies for 20p – where indeed was it truthfully THAT popular anyway? . . . G. Paul Sharpe (Elland George & Dragon) tried three record shops for Alton & Johnny and they all got a “no such number as yet” reply from Polygram’s computer . . . Tim Lott’s excellent article on Solar was worth reading last week . . . Carl Sutton says funk lives at Swansea Cinderellas on Fri/Saturdays, and he’s never mixed better since he put his records in BPM order last year following this page’s BPM advice . . . FUNK IS ALIVE!

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UK Newies

EUGENE RECORD: ‘Fan The Fire’ (from LP ‘Welcome To My Fantasy’, Warner Bros. K 56639)
Long overdue UK release actually couldn’t be more timely as this dynamite 118-115-113-114-116-117 bpm backbeat smacker is bang in the Whispers/Walden/Prince-type bag and is now exploding anew so how about a 12in, then? Also useful are the slower smacking c. 104 bpm ‘Your Love (Ain’t Nothin’ Like It)’, fast 0-126-130-132 bpm ‘Where Are You’, accelerating 104-108 bpm ‘Pain For Pleasure’ and squeaky 122-125 bpm title track.

BRASS CONSTRUCTION: ‘Movin’’ (UA 12-UP 617)
Epoch-making monster from four years ago now for the first time on 12in, the 119-121-123-124-123 bpm groover (mixers should note the quiet 5 bar intro picks up the rhythm on the “3” beat) is flipped by the jerkier 108(intro)-111-112 bpm ‘Changin’’.

RONNIE LAWS: ‘Young Child’ (UA 12-UP 619)
The LP version turns out to have been edited together a few times to make this 8:51 12in of the now 0-134-132-130-134-132-130-134-130 bpm Isleys-type sax squawker.  Continue reading “March 8, 1980: Eugene Record, Brass Construction, Ronnie Laws, Wilbert Longmire, Mystic Merlin”

As mentioned last week, the gay jocks of America have successfully brought about the death of disco as the media know it, although the jocks themselves of course refute this. At the Billboard Dance Music Forum session which dealt with ‘Programming Today In The Club’, the British contingent were appalled to hear the moderator, supposedly respected New York DJ and famed disco remixer Jim Burgess, say without any note of irony that he was playing to “drugged gays” and if he varied the music it would bring them down, thus restricting him to an inflexible programme of fast tempo music for the whole night. This nugget was greeted with approval and understanding by the majority present, and another panellist – apropos of a discussion about using microphones – shrieked out the admission, “when I get really drugged I open the mike and scream!”

Obviously what’s right for some is not right for others, so these guys know what they’re doing in relation to their own audiences, but their ears seemed to be totally closed to any suggestions from outsiders whose own experience is surely just as valid.

The point that we rather heatedly were making is that their audience, in its drugged state and without any verbal (or even visual) contact with the DJ, was quite obviously not a likely market in which to sell enough records to influence the Hot 100 pop sales chart. A comparison between the US Disco and US Singles charts at the back of Record Mirror will bear this out – yet Billboard in compiling their Disco chart heavily weight their returns from the gay discos. In Atlanta, for instance, Billboard take charts from five clubs, of which four are gay – but fewer than half the clubs in the city are in fact gay.

In our fury with the way in which mechanical gay “disco” music was still being foisted onto the media as the real disco sound, the British contingent (Chris Hill, Froggy, Barmy Steve Haines, Stan Barrett and myself being the main spokesmen) were even being hissed . . . although afterwards a lot of people came up to say how much sense we were speaking, and that the situation was totally different outside the overly-influential gay clubs. Our point that we were playing funk, soul and jazz in Britain even seemed to be missed by many bunkered bigots in the audience, label owning Ray Caviano even saying that obviously what we were into was rock music!

In point of fact there seemed to be a lot of discussion about rock, in the form of the Flying Lizards and the B-52s, who appear to be getting played by some disco DJ’s almost out of a sense of duty as if they knew that a change was in order. But when the expression “DOR” was explained to me as meaning “Dance Orientated Rock” I knew it was pointless trying to talk to these idiots. Live and let live, to each his own . . . but don’t blame us when people say that disco is dead!

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Odds ‘N Bods

After all that, Greg Davies’s disco forum was cancelled at the last minute for a variety of unconvincing excuses – maybe nobody is interested in yet another thrash about DJ mailing lists?! . . . Brothers Johnson ‘Stomp!’ turns out to be on 12in (AMSP 7509) at 120 bpm and chops nicely out of a suitable climax if you start at “everybody take it to the top”, the flip being a bumpy 126 bpm ‘Let s Swing’ instrumental . . . Toots & The Maytals ‘Chatty Chatty’ (12WIP 6544) and Don Armando ‘Deputy Of Love’ (12WIP 6557) are now on 12in, while up-coming are Brass Construction ‘Movin’’ / ‘Changin’’ (UA 12UP 617), Herb Alpert ‘Street Life’ (A&M AMSP 7511), One Way ‘Now That I Found You’ / ‘Rock’ (MCA MCAT 553) and Sharon Paige’s ‘Tonight’s The Night’ (Source) . . . Pye’s Morgan Khan, inspired by my US bootleg ‘Dedley Medley’ DJ cut-ups, has masterminded an official ‘Calibre Cuts’ due soon with white labels of the hit snippets-filled 12in out even earlier . . . Players Association’s US LP sleeve is much less MfP-like than ours, while the hot cut is there titled ‘The Get-Down Mellow Sound’ and all the printed BPM’s are wildly inaccurate! . . . Ensign could be issuing some very interesting oldies culled from other labels soon . . . ‘You Are My Friend’ will be Sylvester’s soulful slow next single . . . DJF Governing Council Meeting is up in the land of the wally jock at Stranraer Buck’s Head Hotel on Tuesday (4) at 10 am . . . Jerry Gilbert & Theo Loyla may find Friday lunchtime a good time of day to meet the “disco leaders”, though I and others still prefer 2am at Gullivers! . . . Eargasm ‘This Is Lovers Rock’, which seems to have ended up at Island, in fact features D. Tyrone, Snoopy & Denis Pinnock . . . Russell “Arbie” Burtonshaw (whose Mum I finally met the other day) has some ex-chart hits (pop not disco) to get rid of, so send an SAE to 53 Galway Crescent, Retford DN22 7XU . . . LA’s Record Depot of 1604 N. Highland Avenue (at Hawthorn) in Hollywood sells ridiculous disco bargains, my own snips being 10 cent 12in versions of Luther Rabb ‘Make A Little Move’, La Pregunta ‘Shangri La’ and – to annoy Robbie Vincent! – ‘Disco Bouzouki’ . . . Pete Tong is currently turning on the Mafia with Leo’s Sunshipp ‘We Need Each Other’ (US Lyons LP) from 1978, featuring some Finished Touch members in an earlier grouping, while Chris Hill’s hotsie is a direct-cut US Columbia re-recording of Herbie Hancock’s ‘I Thought It Was You’ on the ‘Direct Step’ LP . . . Bunny Mack ‘Love You Forever’ mixes on superbly into Stop ‘I Can Feel It’, while Kool ‘Too Hot’ into Jan Akkerman ‘She’s So Divine’ (LP version) into Slave ‘Just A Touch Of Love’ is another goodie . . . Whispers ‘And The Beat Goes On’ obviously can’t be disco – nor can 17 other chart entries – because after all, disco is dead!

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UK Newies

LEON HAYWOOD: ‘Don’t Push It Don’t Force It’ (20th Century TCD 2443) (BNDA debut 2/23/80)
Dynamite chart-leaping 114bpm 12in “rock” smacker that crosses ‘Ladies Night’ with Kellee Patterson to come out Al Hudson flavoured, with brassy bits borrowed from Blood, Sweat & Tears.

RONNIE LAWS: ‘OTBA Law (Outta Be A Law)’ (from LP ‘Every Generation’, UA UAG/TCK 30289)
Bass-snapped steadily pushing 115-113-114-113bpm instrumental jazz jiggler is currently hotter than the Isleys-like decelerating 134-129bpm ‘Young Child’ sax squawker, though the latter is now on slightly faster 12in (12-UP 619), while the title track at 35bpm and the 36bpm ‘Love’s Victory’ are gentle vocal slowies, ‘Tomorrow’ is a spurting 117(intro)-118bpm jiggler with chix, and ‘As One’ a 90bpm ‘Rise’-type jitterer.

SLAVE: ‘Just A Touch Of Love’ (Atlantic K 11442T) (BNDA debut 1/12/80)
Terrific solidly chugging monotonous thudder is finally on 112-110-111-110bpm 12in, so should now break nationally out of the South-East (where it’s been el monstro!).  Continue reading “March 1, 1980: “The gay jocks of America have successfully brought about the death of disco””