Al Hudson & The Partners now appear to be calling themselves One Way . . . Stargard ‘Wear It Out’ is due next week, with Freddie James to follow . . . Teena Marie ‘Don’t Look Back’ on finally received 12in (Motown 12TMG 1158) runs at 118 (intro)-117-119 (break)-118bpm, chopping nicely with Paulinho da Costa . . . Atmosfear ‘Dancing In Outer Space’ is evidently hard to find, so tell your dealer to contact All Ears, 3 Library Parade, Craven Park Road, London NW10 (01-965 6041) . . . Positive Force ‘We Got The Funk’ really is shaping as a likely contender to THE Caister anthem! . . . Debbie Jacobs ‘Undercover Lover’, supposedly on “limited 1,500 only” 12in, is even turning up in Woolworths . . . EMI have signed Source for the UK, so Lee Moore can’t now be long . . . Orville Sweeney and other pluggers have been made redundant at RCA . . . Andy Stinton, ex-DJM/Creole and currently visiting from Canada, is now in the restaurant business, having applied his old Sundown jocking technique to Toronto’s Harbor Hilton to make it that city’s top disco . . . Greg Edwards’s Soul Spectrum on Capital Radio moves forward an hour to run from 5-8 pm this Saturday, while Fatman Graham Canter sits in for Robbie Vincent on Radio London earlier that morning . . . Liverpool funk jocks George “Clinton” Spence (Babalou) and Eric Hearn (Timepiece) keep the local P-funk tradition going with Funkadelic, Faze-O and Cameo at the top of their charts . . . Leon Mitchell gets even Nottingham, Kettering and Luton crowds at funky Leicester Scamps . . . Sunday, November 18th is red letter day for Whitehaven Whitehouse, when Chris Hill and his cohorts (myself included) journey to the Mecca of the North . . . Lowrell (‘Mellow Mellow Right On’) is a former member of Lost Generation, of 1970’s ‘The Sly, Slick & The Wicked’ fame . . . Stix Hooper ‘Cordon Bleu’ features a musette, which I think you’ll find is indeed a type of French accordion . . . Joseph Johnstone (Worthing) thinks it’s a pity I concentrate on disco records on this, the Disco page; anyone else of a similar opinion? . . . Billboard add to their New York and Los Angeles locations with a Disco Internationale forum in Monte Carlo on December 4-7, but it’s unlikely to be of as much interest to UK jocks . . . US radio ratings show that disco formatted stations may have slipped elsewhere, but in New York City the “Disco” stations are still tops, with a whopping 15.4 per cent of all listeners, beating “Beautiful Music” (13.2), “Contemporary” (12.0), News (9.7), Talk (9.2), Spanish (4.9), AOR (4.9), MOR (4.8) and other format categories – which proves what should be obvious, that disco is an urban music style, and may explain why Radio Luxembourg has back-pedalled to reduce its own disco format (Luxembourg – and Radio One – surely now having largely rural listeners?).
UK Newies
KOOL & THE GANG: ‘Ladies’ Night’ (Mercury KOOL 12) (BNDA debut 9/8/79)
What can one say about the hottest import in months that you don’t already know? Like a slower Al Hudson until the faster end, the 110-112-117bpm funk smash is now on UK 12in whereas it was only on US promo 12in and you had to buy the album – which, now out here too (Mercury 6372763), includes the slightly KC-like 121bpm ‘Tonight’s The Night’, ‘‘rocking’’ 118-124bpm ‘Hangin’ Out’ and 120bpm ‘If You Feel Like Dancin’, and jogging 105/53bpm ‘Too Hot’. Sure is!
Jupiter Beyond ‘The River Drive’ will be on the re-activated Pye International label in November, contracts now having been signed . . . Donna Summer & Barbra Streisand sing together on a disco duet due later this month, the 12in on CBS and 7in on Casablanca, while Donna’s ‘Dim All The Lights’ is now on 12in to make it sell better (CANL 162) . . . Kool & The Gang go back to next week . . . LPs on US Capitol but issued here in the over-stickered Tower series include the already reviewed Eddie Henderson (EST 11984) and Bobby Lyle (EST 11956) . . . Showstopper Promotions’ Adrian Webb announced at Frenchies Forum his plans for a “funk under canvas” National Soul Day to be held in 15,000 capacity interconnected gigantic circus bigtops at Knebworth next May Spring Bank Holiday, to follow on from the 2nd Caister weekender next Fri-Sun (12-14) and Perrin Sands overflow in Cornwall (Oct 26-28), a few tickets being left for the latter, incidentally . . . Erik-Jack of Life Entertainment Services (258 Chichester Road, Bognor Regis, Sussex PO21 5AX) invites experienced Southern-based pro (or prepared to go pro) jocks to contact his expanding agency, which amongst others recently placed local DJs on the QE II and in a 22 week Isle of Wight residency . . . Chris Dinnis’s jazz-funk import night at Sidmouth Winter Garden has moved from Tuesday to Saturday due to public demand . . . Chris Hill is raving about a brand new club in out-of-the-way Whitehaven (Lake District), the Whitehouse, filled by owners Ernie Priestman, Wayne Nicholls, Phil Haselhurst & Brian Brown with superb equipment, New York-style lighting and queues of hip kids, making it better than any club in London (sez Chris) – I can’t wait to visit it with him next month! . . . St Asaph’s Stables Disco in North Wales starts a weekly specialist jazz-funk night next Thursday (11), complimentary tickets for the first four weeks from DJ Alan Taylor, 26 Terrace Avenue, Rhyl. Clwyd LL18 10D . . . Nikki Peck, a regional runner-up in the recent DJ awards, has left Chatham Scamps for a series of gigs including Chatham Old Ash Tree (Mondays), Harrietsham Victorias (Thursdays) and various nights al Gillingham Joanna’s . . . John Lewis reports that as summer’s over it’s back to “no jeans” at Brighton Metro! . . . I may have been unused to the set-up at Southgate Royalty last Saturday but at least I didn’t take off a record while it was playing – unlike Froggy (whose superb equipment it was)! . . . Sadao Watanabe ‘Duo Creatics’ is on 7in next week, followed by Two Man Sound ‘Disco Samba’, a Mexican million-selling medley of South American hits . . . Blondie ‘Dreaming’ is 163bpm, and Chanson ‘Sing All Night’ 133-131bpm, not as printed last week . . . Leroy Hutson’s ‘Unforgettable’ import is dividing opinions, my own remaining that it’s too “disco” for my taste . . . Tricky Dicky of London’s gay Dicks Inn discos opines that pub jocks will sell more records at present as who really wants to pay for a fast dance-orientated “disco” 12in to play at home in the front room when the money could go towards an LP instead . . . Michele Freeman’s US LP sleeve makes it took as if she’s dreaming of being a disco star in her Maidenform bra while Aretha Franklin’s most definitely does NOT! . . . Trevor “Rasta” Chapman & Iain Borg (Croydon Foxy) confirm Rus Phillips’s view that Maltese discos are less Wally than they’d feared – and in fact Rus wants to hear from you guys, so give me an address next time, huh? . . . Brian Hutchinson (Broxbourne), poised to become one of his area’s top mobiles, will disappointed to learn that mobiles are not normally wanted by record company mailing lists (despite the good music they may play) as their promotional effect is hard to monitor – but he and partner Steve can be cheered up with Christmas bookings on Hoddesdon 65989/65135!
UK Newies
GLORIA GAYNOR: ‘Let Me Know (I Have A Right) (Polydor STEPX 5) (BNDA debut 10/6/79)
Melodically romping 127bpm 12in galloper, very much a faster ‘I Will Survive’ with similar cleverly crafted mass appeal.
GIBSON BROTHERS: ‘Que Sera Mi Vida (If You Should Go)’ (Island 12WIP 6525) (BNDA debut 7/12/80)
Excitingly whapping and zapping 130-129(break)-131bpm 12in galloper makes a Village People-ish change of pace.
CAMEO: ‘Find My Way’ (Casablanca CANL 166)
Exhilaratingly zipping and zinging 134bpm 12in remake of their ‘Thank God It’s Friday’-featured oldie (oddly, that original 126-123bpm version is the 7in now), with an exciting mix-in point at a rattling rhythm break if the first vocal third is too “disco” for some tastes. Double value flip features last year’s monster (but now dated) 122bpm ‘It’s Serious’. Continue reading “October 6, 1979: Gloria Gaynor, Gibson Brothers, Cameo, Hamilton Bohannon, Cognac”
Frenchies Forum, or the British Discotheque Convention as most people are not calling it, pulls top jocks and industry leaders to Camberley Cambridge Hotel on Tuesday (2) for an evening’s discussion and entertainment . . . Kool & The Gang ‘Ladies’ Night’ 12in is due next week, with Teddy Pendergrass ‘Do Me’, Melba Moore ‘Burn’, Risco Connection ‘Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now’ on 12in the following week and Isley Bros ‘It’s A Disco Night’, Force ‘Dirty Dog’ after that, Fat Larry’s Band ‘Center City’ 12in remix version, highly prized as you know, will finally be on FLB’s next LP . . . Herb Alpert’s ‘Rise’ does turn out to be on 33 1/3 rpm UK 12in, so speed-spins ARE possible still (though not necessarily recommended)! . . . Three Degrees ‘Jump The Gun’ (Ariola AROC 183), Barbra Streisand ‘The Main Event / Fight’ (CBS 12-7714), Inner Circle ‘We ‘A’ Rockers’ (Island 12XWIP 6498) are now on 12in . . . Jupiter Beyond ‘The River Drive’ is causing concern for record companies as not only Pye but also EMI LRD (and who else?) were confident they had the UK rights and were awaiting signed contracts! . . . Ronnie Milsap, the blind Country star, began the mid-‘60s as a totally convincing soul singer on Scepter, cutting the original ‘Let’s Go Get Stoned’ and many early Ashford & Simpson songs – and he’s now returned with a thudding slow funky 104bpm 12in bumper currently circulating on mystery white label promo . . . Blondie’s ABBA-esque ‘Dreaming’ clocks in at about 160bpm, if you’re interested . . . Ilford Room At The Top’s 9th Anniversary Fancy Dress Gala was won by Tony Smith who brilliantly dressed as an old man carrying a dustbin – except the old man was a dummy from the waist up, Tony’s upper half being hidden in the bin! . . . John Lewis says that if Joseph Johnstone could afford the petrol (or bus fare?) to get the 12 miles from Worthing to Brighton he’d find imports aplenty, and a lot more besides! . . . Russell Burtonshaw (Retford MAYC) reports the “rock” is already established in North Notts – accounting for his high chart placing of Gary Numan and Flying Lizards, who so far are preferred to Edwin Starr! . . . Britain’s provinces will capitulate in the end, the “rock” could be a new Twist! . . . Kev Hill (Brentwood) turns 21 on October 6th, and sent me a quid with which to drink his health (hic!), sho apart from shaying thanksh, I’m now open to similar bribes in return for birthday boy announcements (and 21 seems to be a popular age, huh, Paul & Steve?) . . . Ho ho ho!
UK Newies
STERLING: ‘Roll-Her, Skater’ (Motown 12TMG 1162)
Happily rattling and tootling Brian Holland-produced “rock” 12in with usefully choppable butch “one two three four DANCE, rock, freak – skate, dance, clap your hands” bits.
DIANA ROSS: ‘No One Gets The Prize’ (Motown 12TMG 1160) (BNDA debut 6/23/79)
‘Love Hangover’-style slow starting 117-119bpm 12in, better than ‘The Boss’.
Discotek ’79 was well run but seemed to lack a focal point and excitement, a frequent comment being that it didn’t show a wide enough range of “separates” for club installation . . . London’s Embassy Club came in for even more comment following the fiasco there when a Disco Awards ceremony was short of drink, food and a decent DJ, making many industry leaders very angry indeed . . . Mayfair Gullivers’ Graham “Fatman” Canter won the industry voted London Club DJ award (Steve Walsh runner-up), Guildford Cinderella-Rockorfella’s Big Al getting the regional prize . . . Gof Abbey replaces Pete Dyos as EMI GRD’s disco plugger . . . Morgan Khan is cutting Pye’s R&B mailing list from 480 to 220 DJ’s . . . Gonzalez ‘Move It To The Music’, previously withdrawn despite 12in promos going out, will now be released! . . . Buddah’s new LP by Osibisa & Beverley Johnson “featuring The Emotions” is due in six weeks . . . Shropshire DJ Assn meets Monday (24) at 8:30pm in the Oak Hotel Shelton, Shrewsbury, the fairly funky Thursday residency of Assn chairman Dave Thomas (details Shrewsbury 62895) . . . DJ Federation PRO Mike McLean now presents the weekend 2 to 6am nightowl shows on Radio Clyde, the three programmes (divided as rock-disco-jazz on different nights) giving him such a workload that he has resigned his chairmanship of the local Strathclyde DJ Assn . . . Gordon Stone has replaced the now London-based Phil Mitchell on BBC Radio Humberside’s Tuesday 8:45 soul news slot, which only lasts 10 minutes at the moment due to lack of response from the area’s apathetic soul fans . . . Robbie Vincent’s Radio London soul show two sunny Saturdays ago came live from the enormous Brent Fair, where “mafia” hit men Chris Brown, Sean French, Fatman, Brother Louie, Steve Walsh and various tribes went on to wreak havoc at a nice innocent little DJ competition for youth club members – which George Power seemed somehow to have entered several times! . . . Froggy blew £450 on some temporary Technics just so he’ll have vari-speed decks when I join him at Southgate Royalty next Saturday (29) – now there’s a friend! . . . Mike Tarbuck (formerly Mike Law of Blackburn Golden Palms, Cavendish Gallingreaves Hotel & Liverpool Romeo & Juliets) is now at Blackpool Tiffanys, and suggests a carefully scrutinised register of bona fide DJ’s to get specially discounted new disco product on an offers system as one way round current promotion problems . . . Tea Council Young DJ winner Graham Thornton now spins funk disco at Leeds Foxes on Mon-Wed-Thur-Fridays . . . Mayfair Gullivers was home away from home for the Crusaders during their recent tour . . . Phil Black (0222-595121, 592867, 567865) hopes to leave Cardiff for a few nights’ work in London at the end of the month and invites offers – pity he doesn’t dress up as a schoolgirl! . . . Early Riser Discotheque Services (01-520 3461) have combined equipment sales literature with a useful “forward planner”-type 1980 gig calendar for covering with coloured stickers . . . Houston oil man Don Perry reports a recently visited Cairo club was playing disco music off 78 rpm records – he became inquisitive when he heard the speed of the scratches and clicks! . . . Rob Harknett (Roydon Lovers Leap mobile), returned from a working holiday in Denmark, says over there the police raid clubs that play too loud, while record prices are £1.75 for 7in, £3 plus for 12in, £7 for LP . . . US 12in imports have settled at around £3.15 here of course . . . Gary Neal (Bristol Reeves) is so fed up with Just 4U’s Martin Starr issuing meaningless challenges to other funk clubs that he is ready to issue a challenge to Martin personally even though he doesn’t know what he’s challenging for – how about a joust at dawn? Chivalry ain’t dead, lads!
UK Newies
GAP BAND: ‘Baby Baba Boogie’ (Mercury 9198316) (BNDA debut 5/12/79)
Finally on UK 12in and likely to be big, the cleverly structured thumping flier winds up from a short 125bpm intro into 130-132bpm chix and thudding rhythm breaks with some Gene Chandler-ish “get down baby baba” bits before a clapping 133bpm fade. Jazzier heavy funk 102bpm B-side ‘Shake’ jiggler was big up North.
LOVE DE-LUXE: ‘Here Comes That Sound Again’ (Atlantic K 11359T) (BNDA debut 6/30/79)
Smash US remix 12in of the tritely simple but naggingly powerful 117bpm UK girlie group thudder, a nice chop-mixer with Al Hudson, out originally on limper 12in early this year (when it only hit Norfolk!).
POUSSEZ: ‘Come On And Do It’ (Vanguard VSL 5015) (BNDA debut 4/14/79)
Super-charged 12in remix of the buoyantly tripping 122bpm girlie group strutter now has sexy panting added (the 7in starts with it) after the bongo-backed breathily excited “where’d you learn to funk like that, c’est bon” bit. Lotsa fun! Continue reading “September 22, 1979: Gap Band, Love De-Luxe, Poussez, The Emotions, Three Degrees”
‘Sexy Cream’ by Slick has effectively been banned from radio play by the IBA, and probably BBC too . . . Derek Harriot ‘Born To Love You’, reviewed as a 7in last week, is now on 12in (Laser LAS 15T), while to complete the Lonnie Liston Smith import LP review, ‘Nightlife’ is a nice 120-122bpm gently jogging keyboard burbler but the 126-128bpm ‘Fruit Music’ works less well than the 126-124-126bpm ‘A Song For The Children’ title track (US Columbia JC 36141) . . . Miroslav Vitous ‘New York City’ (Warner Bros. 12in) turns out to be an accelerating 130-133-134-135-137-0bpm, now that I’ve checked my unwarped old LP version . . . Chic ‘My Forbidden Lover’ and Joe Sample ‘Carmel’ are due on 12in . . . I‘m pushing MCA for a UK 12in of Joe Sample’s old ‘There Are Many Stops Along The Way’, at 115bpm a great mate for ‘Street Life’, as at 112bpm is Deodato ‘Knights Of Fantasy’ – which could deserve UK issue now . . . Kool & The Gang’s jazz superstar-studded ‘Boogie Vibes’ promo did not end up on their new Deodato-produced LP after all – pity! . . . Heaven & Earth’s US Mercury LP is not set for UK release . . . British Discotheque Convention tickets are going so fast that the top jocks and disco pluggers this Frenchies-held bash is aimed at had better book now if they want to get in: contact Robin Nash (East Horsley 2531) and send your money! . . . Showstopper Promotions’ February Forum trip to Los Angeles (details last week) already has about 50 people booked and may end up with 150 – which could be a riot, the poor Americans not standing a chance! . . . Los Angeles-based expatriate Dick Sheppard is briefly back in Britain for BADEM’s Discotek 79 – over there he’s a top jock cos not only is he a good mixer, he can talk (something evidently gay Californian DJs are incapable of)! . . . Brighton funkateer Paul Clark (Brighton 698699) could do with a new Friday venue for his followers, while record companies interested in Papillon on Mondays for promotion nights should call him too . . . Strathclyde and other Scottish jocks seem to be reverting to rock ‘n pop in a big way, but are still the first to chart Donna Summer! . . . London’s Embassy Club opens an afternoon “Discoella” family show at Christmas – yes, that is indeed Cinderella goes Disco, a musical for kiddies (can you believe it?) . . . see you at BADEM (if I’m awake)!
DISCO DATES
WEDNESDAY (12) Hi-Tension’s hot tip Mirage funk Mayfair Gullivers, Froggy mixes US-style for teenagers at Southgate Royalty; FRIDAY (14) Steve Dee does Prestwood Village Hall, John DeSade does Faversham Youth Centre; SATURDAY (15) Rus Phillips’ flourishing Disco Dept at Manor Park Broadway’s ‘Ere For Music celebrates its first anniversary with free champers and everything marked down for the day, Robbie Vincent & Froggy funk Southgate Royalty, Radio Trent’s Dale Winton & Steve Young dish out freebies at South Normanton Storthfield Country Club (M1 exit 28), Ian Richards starts at Leicester’s New Cinderellas, Steve Dee does Tylers Green Village Hall; WEDNESDAY (19) Ilford Room At The Top celebrates its 9th Anniversary with a Gala fancy dress party featuring £200 prizes, half -price drinks all night and Page 3 models looking leggy — if it’s like last year’s it’ll be a gas!
CONFUSED, WORTHING
JOSEPH JOHNSTONE, mobile on Worthing 203561, has been confused by recent comments on this page. First off he writes, “I don’t know where John Lewis (Brighton Metro) is getting so-called support for a boycott of WEA products, as I’ve spoken to many DJs here who think differently, their usual response being what a bloody fool he’s made himself look.” Maybe so, but John Lewis is a guy who sticks to his principles regardless, and indeed he is not featuring any WEA records, UK or import. Joseph continues, “Regarding your comment about DJs not creating hit records, I’m afraid you must be out of touch with reality — who do you think made hits out of the Crusaders, Me And You, Dooleys, Spyro Gyra, Johnny Mathis, Bellamy Brothers, Frantique, FLB, Benelux & Nancy Dee? These are just a few whose success owed nothing to radio but got started by the bloody hard work of club DJs like me.” The comment was attributed to WEA’s thought on the matter and was not mine alone, although when it comes to the records you’ve just mentioned you have to be joking, surely? Frantique and FLB I’ll grant you came exclusively from disco play (the former has needed radio to climb the chart though), the Crusaders and Spyro Gyra were around at a hip import-orientated level in the clubs for months before radio finally picked up on them and the hits came, Me And You, Johnny Mathis and arguably Benelux & Nancy Dee were started by radio in as much as they were already getting established before disco jocks started reporting them, and as for the Dooleys and Bellamy Brothers . . . well! Certain types of disco may be playing them (they’re good records), but so far the former has never had enough of our chart DJs on it to be a Breaker while the Bellamys has yet to get even one mention! The fact remains that the vast majority of DJs are lumbered with audiences who just are not receptive to new records until they can be seen (and heard) to be “popular”. There’s an awful lot of Britain out there, and sadly the way in which the national sales chart is compiled prevents regional club-derived sales from showing up until they are reflected all over the country: hence the importance of Radio One still, and the homogeneous — if not downright Wally — nature of so many “disco” hits at the supposedly national level. Disco DJs are important in that by playing new records they can get a reaction (even initial sales) which shows a possible future potential, but it has to be concluded that in no way do they make the really big hits. Radio is the final arbiter of mass taste, unfortunately. Bear in mind that sales revenue derived from a record at the sort of chart position which most disco hits reach is scarcely enough to pay for the advertising, let alone a full disco promotion service! Finally, Joseph concludes, “Have YOU ever tried to buy imports down here on the South Coast? If you could get the good records, who’s foolish enough to pay £3 for a single 12in when most of us are just about earning £7 a night in clubs? I spend £25 a week, every week, on records — and with all the other expenses I just about break even.” Well Joseph, I’m sorry to say it, but who’s the fool? You’re running yourself into the ground for no reward merely to subsidise other people’s entertainment . . . and club managers’ businesses. You obviously enjoy what you do or you wouldn’t do it, while at the same time I’m sure that there is a “cowboy” who would love to get your gig (although at £7 a night, who’s wearing the spurs?!). What would be the result if all the jocks in your area who reckon they’re any good decided to withdraw their labour? Would the cowboys who presumably might fill their places be bad enough to make the managers come back to you with a more realistic financial offer? When all is said and done, nobody is holding a gun to your head and forcing you to be a DJ. If you can’t stand the heat get out of the fire, you make the bed that you lie in, etc, etc.
DJ TOP TEN
CHRIS BROWNE spins nothing but jazz on Tuesdays at High Wycombe Tuesdays, drawing 200 fans despite lack of local import shops, but his crazy “theme” nights on Wednesdays now grab around 450 funsters — it’s a “New Year” party next week (19) — while overall during the week he tends to feature around an hour of oldies every night — similar to these. Ah, nostalgia!
01 CRYSTAL WORLD, Crystal Glass (Philips)
02 INSIDE AMERICA, Juggy Jones (Contempo)
03 GET DOWN, Kay-Gees (US De-Lite)
04 LONDON EXPRESS, Oliver Sain (Contempo)
05 WICKY WACKY, Fatback Band (Polydor)
06 FUNKY STUFF, Kool & The Gang (Polydor)
07 CHECKMATE, Barrabas (Atlantic)
08 FUNKY NASSAU, Beginning Of The End (Atlantic)
09 SHACK UP, Banbarra (United Artists)
10 RUNNING AWAY, Roy Ayers (US Polydor 12in)
JOX YOX
COLIN DAY (Derby Tiffanys) treads a well worn path: “The other Friday, during one of my regular oldie spots, I segued the Bombers ‘Get Dancin’ into Voyage ‘Let’s Fly Away’ into Edwin Starr ‘Contact’ — a popular mix. What was the next request? Yes, you guessed it! ‘Er, could you play some fast funk, something oldish?’ I’m alright, it’s the rest of ’em!!” Yes, but though nice records (and as you say a good mix), those three aren’t really hard funk, are they?
CHEESECAKE CORNER — this is Bonnie Boyer, whose ‘Got To Give In To Love’ is at number 80 in the Disco chart. Born Bonalyn Karen Boyer in Reading, Pennsylvania, 27-year-old 5 foot 3 Bonnie counts astrology and dancing as her hobbies. She’s a Cancer.
MIX MASTER
DAVE JACKSON, currently doing MoR gigs through Sofiscodisc (Bradford 0274-661405), reconfirms my own point that you can mix within and between every type of music — but adds that as he’s the only MoR jock in his area that does mix, he’s viewed as a bit of an oddity … especially by other jocks! Two sequences that come to his mind are Darts ‘Duke Of Earl’ (Magnet) mixing anywhere into the first break of Gene Chandler ‘Get Down’ (20th Century 12in), and a special with Sparks ‘Beat The Clock’ (Virgin 12in) — which, while much requested, he finds is too complex with the drumming for his older dancers, so Dave starts off with Village People ‘YMCA’ (US Casablanca 12in remix) running the whole of Sparks’ intro in over the central rhythm break, then bringing up the middle break of Shalamar ‘Uptown Festival’ (RCA 12in) through Sparks’ own middle drum break, thus strengthening the beat. Ever chop mix waltzes, like I do, Dave?!
UK NEWIES
MICHAEL JACKSON: ‘Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough’ (Epic EPC 12-7763) (BNDA debut 8/18/79)
Heaven-sent 12in of the already huge and now speeded-up 121bpm rattling jittery jolter.
EDWIN STARR: ‘It’s Called The Rock’ (20th Century TCD 2420)
Infectiously bounding 125-128bpm 12in thumper that should hopefully establish the “rock” dance here – it’s the elbows and knees-bent sideways-swaying step that you must have seen by now.
BADEM’S Discotek 79 exhibition at London’s Bloomsbury Centre Hotel near Russell Square opens for trade visitors this coming Tuesday (11) from 1 to 8pm and Wednesday (12) from 10am to 5pm, at which time it’s then open to general visitors until 8pm, and likewise on Thursday (13) from 10am to 6pm . . . Record Mirror’s stand at the show will be out to shock you – be warned! . . . Showstopper Promotions’ round trip to the Billboard Disco Forum in Los Angeles is set for Sunday, February 10th-17th inclusive, at a cost (liable to currency fluctuation) of £350 to include air fare, top class accommodation and airport transfers, with a deposit of £100 being required now: if you have not yet done so, call 01-886 8141 for an application form . . . WEA’s Fred Dove has been able to create a new “super elite” list of sixty jocks to service while the main list’s suspended (or wasn’t I meant to tell you that?!) . . . Van McCoy ‘The Hustle’ remix 12in is due this week – much to the relief of “Ras Clot” Chapman? . . . Kleeer’s current 12in EP turns out of course to be in “kleeer” vinyl again, but what a pity it lacks ‘I Love To Dance’ . . . Jr Walker ‘Wishing On A Star’ (US Whitfield LP) surely deserves UK singles release? . . . Rus Phillips (01-590 2946) is talking another set of telephone numbers again – offering £35 in desperation for an old Fat Larry’s Band ‘Centre City’ 12in promo . . . Flying Lizards ‘Money’ was a three-times-nightly request at my mobile gigs back in July but still awaits any real attention from chart-contributing DJ’s (who seem keener on Cliff!) . . . Roy Gould (Streatham) infos that Spyro Gyra is a weed, commonly found in ponds!
UK Newies
MICHAEL JACKSON: ‘Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough’ (from LP ‘Off The Wall’, Epic EPC 83468) (BNDA debut 8/18/79)
Muttered 30/59bpm intro to a jolting moody 118/59bpm bumper that’s 6:02 on LP or 3:55 on 7in (EPC 7763) and already exploding. The Quincy Jones-produced set is sizzling hot all through, too, with the jittery 129bpm ‘Working Day And Night’ and bass-snapped rolling 123bpm ‘Get On The Floor’ “rockers”, Paul McCartney-penned 103bpm ‘Girlfriend’ jogger and Stevie Wonder-penned 50bpm ‘I Can’t Help It’ meanderer, while Rod Temperton penned the attractive 114bpm ‘Rock With You’ swayer, gentle 119bpm title-track loper and Heatwave-like 117½bpm ‘Burn This Disco Out’ lurcher. Wow!
ARCHIE BELL & THE DRELLS: ‘Strategy’ (Philadelphia Int’l PIR 7842)
Dynamite powerfully hypnotic, almost sinister, slinky 98bpm “sleaze” jogger – huge on US 12in but only a 3:28 7in here.
Brass Construction were the big discovery of the very first Billboard Disco Forum back in early ’76, so (having got to know them in the meantime) I have had an extra kick from the fact that each of my last two visits were made all the better by the guys in the group taking me to their own favourite out-of-the-way night spots. Big famous discos are all very well, but for a night out with friends you can’t beat a neighborhood club.
In February they took me to Le Cocu, on East 55th Street, which while basically a French student and au-pair type of club becomes on Thursdays an almost exclusively black rendezvous when DJ Emile Sanon spins a mixture of Latin and funkier disco. The place most reminded me of Mayfair Gullivers. It’s not a particularly large room but nevertheless the dance floor boasts a dazzling array of twirling helicopter lights, pencil beams and a mirror ball. Friendly and fun, with great music – the Latin element prompting Dexter, Costa Rican pal of the group’s Mickey Grudge, to promise me he’d send me tapes of a six hour Latin programme that’s evidently a must on radio every Sunday. I’m still waiting!
This July visit, Mickey along with Randy Muller and their respective ladies took myself, Radio One’s Tony Hale and EMI LRD’s Ray Edwards to Tribeca on North Moore Street down near the Holland Tunnel. Built on several layers, the spacious ground floor bar looks down two levels to the dance floor at the back, with two fat columns rising from the dance floor with greenery growing from the top at ground floor height. However, down on the dance floor, these columns tower upwards more like the rocket ships in ‘Moonraker’, while the intermediate floor forms a gallery – all this being on quite a small, cramped scale. None of which concerned us, for while the jock played Village People to keep the kids amused (it was a refreshingly young hetero audience), the menfolk of the party retired to the games room to be beaten (embarrassingly consistently!) by yours truly at pinball. Maybe the hours spent on the old machine in Capital Radio’s canteen weren’t wasted after all!
The Sunday of this visit, Brass Construction’s Joe Wong sacrificed six hours of driving time to ferry a crowd of us in his vast Cadillac Eldorado to and from a barbecue Mickey Grudge threw for us at his home out on the South Shore of Long Island. Not far from the perimeter of Kennedy Airport, his flat in a tower block condominium cluster is an amazing 1½ hour drive from central Mahattan, yet still in New York. The route goes under the Verrazano Bridge of Travolta film fame, while on the way we decided against calling in for a snack at Joe & Mary’s Italian-American Restaurant in nearby Brooklyn – Joe and his guest Carmine Galante had not made a good ad for the food, splashed bloodily across the front pages two days earlier. The food at Mickey’s was terrific, sweet succulent ham and exotic sausages served hero-style in French loaves, but hardly a barbecue as cooked in the kitchen and eaten on a balcony fourteen stories up, and shrouded in deep fog. Many thanks though, Mickey (and Joe), it was really great. Later I looked in at a Brass Construction recording session in producer Jeff Lane’s studio above Studio 54.
Disco News
Discotek 79, BADEM’s big equipment exhibition at London’s Bloomsbury Centre Hotel near Russell Square, is running from Tuesday 11th to Thursday 13th and switches from trade-only to public admission at 5pm on Wednesday 12th. Look out for Record Mirror’s stand at Discotek 79, it’ll give you a buzz! . . . John Lewis (Brighton Metro) reports local DJ opinion as favouring a boycott of WEA product in retaliation against the mailing list suspension – but surely WEA’s reason is that the mailing list’s DJ’s don’t create hits anyway? . . . Pye’s Dave McAleer has seen the light and renamed the Disco Dept as the R&B Division to embrace jazz-funk, sophistisoul, Latin & reggae as well – which to many minds always have been Disco here . . . CBS’s Greg Lynn is the latest disco plugger to hint at cuts to come . . . US record companies now are gearing product that they hope will break in roller-discos, of which there are evidently thousands – though we’d probably call ‘em roller-rinks (and I seem to remember enthusing three years ago about DJ Paul Nice’s NY-style mixing for the rollerskating sessions at Edmonton’s Picketts Lock Leisure Centre!) . . . Dave Towry-Coker now features the ready-mixed US Disconet subscription-only 12in medleys (and other gay NY fodder) at the Monday roller-disco in London’s Covent Garden Jubilee Hall . . . David Bendeth of ‘Feel The Real’ import fame, though now working in Canada, is really from the Essex end of East London and used to gig regularly at the Speakeasy – shock, horror, gasp! . . . Cliff Richard ‘We Don’t Talk Anymore’ is 111 bpm, if you’re interested . . . Archie Bell ‘Strategy’ is due soon, but the Jones Girls’ follow-up will be ‘You Made Me Love You’ and not the already proven ‘Life Goes On’ LP track . . . Sarsie (01-980 2517) is looking for a new East London funk venue (emphasis on FUNK) following trouble with the kids at his last one – why can’t they behave? . . . Clive Southwell, who now adds weekends from Fri-thru-Monday at Angel Islington’s Blue Coat Boy to his gigs, reports the two far and away most popular requests at the recent Teen-Ex ‘79 teenagers’ exhibition were Slick ‘Space Bass’ and Jacksons ‘Shake Your Body’ . . . Decca’s Robert Blenman, fresh from accompanying Radio Luxembourg’s Roadshow, reports that South-Western DJs find disco product hard to get in local shops and have to contend with Wally requests – so what else is new? . . . Gary Oldis (Newton Aycliffe Gretna Green) is disgusted at the power of the (local) press following a recent visit to his club by a reporter who observed healthy disco activity through the bottom of a glass and went away to write lurid headlines about lechery and sex amongst the teenage set . . . Teesvalley Roadshow’s recently mentioned smart printed leather keyrings, handed out in place of business cards, have already brought in six extra bookings . . . David Emery (Newcastle) sez my plug for his promotion organizing service brought an immediate first day result, with Central Line’s agent ringing him to arrange local gigs – so you see it really does make sense to appear on this page! . . . Dave Else (Guildford Bridge) suggests funky silliness with Brother Bones ‘Sweet Georgia Brown’ – the Harlem Globetrotters’ old training song – which gets ‘em skipping all over the joint: only trouble is, ya gotta find it, as it’s on 1952 Oriole . . . Iain Borg & Trevor “Rasta” Chapman (Croydon Foxy) are briefly funking Malta at St Paul’s Bay Regals and The Villa Rossa – and their anticipation of Wally fodder being needed too is only half-confirmed by the just-returned Rus Phillips (Manor Park Ere For Music), who says it’s very “disco” but with some cool clubs there as well . . . Rus also kicks off a sorta Jox Yockettes finale: “I approached a Maltese DJ and asked ‘have you got Spyro Gyra?’ – he replied ‘why, does it show?’!” . . . Gary Allan (Liverpool McMillen’s): “A recent disco chart in the Daily Star made me realize I’d been introducing Diana Ross’s newie wrongly – they listed it as ‘The Boff’ (which is US slang for…)” (Enough! -Ed.) . . . Neil Fincham (Dunbar Goldenstones – and Monday late-niters at Gullane Old Clubhouse): “best request of the week – punter appears on stage, ‘can I have a request?’ ‘Sure, what?’ ‘Will you stop the music suddenly for about ten seconds so I can watch everybody looking silly?’ Answer unprintable.” (Thank God! -Ed.) . . . Sterling Vann (Bethnal Green Tipples): “Wally import newsflash – ‘Saturday Night Fever’ for imminent UK release! Latest Wally hit – ‘Polly Wolly Doodle’!” . . . Tom Wilson (Edinburgh Rutland): “Did you hear about the Irishman who had an artificial leg fitted? – his Wellie rejected it!”
UK Newies
DAVID BENDETH: ‘Feel The Real’ (Sidewalk 12SID 113)
Currently the disco chart’s biggest import, this gradually building 122-125 bpm 12in jazz-funk jiggler humps along with laid-back vocals suddenly spurting into a catchy staccato hook over the Canadian-based English guitarist’s chunky rhythm drive.
MIROSLAV VITOUS: ‘New York City’ (Warner Bros. K 17448T)
Much sought jazz-funk collectors’ item from ‘76 finally on 12in, the freaky 133 bpm bass burbler will have specialist appeal only but should go like hot cakes! Pity my copy’s warped.
Record executives are muttering about disco being the goose that laid a leaden egg, and the big backlash seems to be under way. Typically they only ever saw disco as a bandwagon on which to jump, and are to be blamed if the expected sales didn’t materialise.
In the USA, disco – or, as it ought to be, “Disco” – became the great white hope after radio stations found that by playing nothing but dance music their audience ratings improved dramatically. This is not so surprising in view of the appallingly dull state of normal US radio output – “disco” by virtue of being lively became the new rock ‘n roll.
In this country, thankfully, radio is more varied and jumbles in enough exciting records not to need disco as anything more than another lively link in its normal programming. However, thanks to the buzz caused Stateside by the “disco” radio ratings, the US record industry got geared up to flood the market with what it presumed was wanted . . . and this oversupply of “disco” product swept over into Britain too.
The trouble was, here we are less enamoured of US style “disco” and still like our dance music to have a root in good old US style “soul”. Further, the UK disco market is still only really capable of buying a hit into the 40s on the pop chart – the big chart disco hits are in fact often tainted with the dreaded “disco” zinginess but rely on Wally rather than club-goer sales. The British club-goer does exactly that, goes to clubs, dresses up and spends money on these activities probably in far greater proportion than on actually buying records.
Let’s face it, today’s disco records sound great at a club, but as so many of them are structured primarily for DJ’s to play and mix into others just like them, the average club-goer can not be blamed for preferring to hear them in their correct context rather than in all their naked thump-thump-thump isolation at home.
But when the shocking truth comes out, that a legitimate Top 10 hit in all the disco charts can’t even sell 4,000 copies (which was the recent case with one particular record), the blame must surely be directed at the nation’s disc-jockeys. When a record is evidently that popular, what the hell are all you 30, 60, or however many thousand DJ’s doing? Not buying it and catering to your dancers’ needs, it seems, and certainly not helping improve relations with the record companies.
No wonder that mailing lists are being suspended, pruned and chopped. It would be no bad thing if every company stopped sending out promos in one fell swoop. That would soon sort out the men from the boys, put up running costs, and force DJ’s to go out (as of course the vast majority do) to – horror of horrors! – actually BUY their records.
This could have two effects: it might finally raise the money earned by most DJ’s, and it might make them even more aware of imports. If you’re in an import-stocking record shop, the difference in price between a hot import 12in and its less-fresh UK version is not so great, especially when the UK version comes out weeks later.
Disco is not dead, whatever the record companies may think, but if in thinking that they reduce the number of their disco releases it should help everyone. Those who want a record badly enough can always get it on import, those who don’t want to spend their money can always get out of the disc-jockeying business and work for Leyland. If it means a rationalization and re-think, then I for one say, DISCO IS DEAD, LONG LIVE DISCO!
More clubs next week, but right now seems an appropriate point to talk about disco radio in New York City. You have to realise that there is a ludicrous number of radio stations beaming all sorts of programme formats at the population of New York (all US radio is local), with the result that if a station gets just 4 per cent of the available audience it’s probably the market leader. This is the sort of percentage that WKTU-FM gained when it switched formats to become WKTU (“Disco 92”) – it being at 92 on the dial – playing nothing but disco (and lots and lots of “disco”!). Also on FM, the more soul-orientated WBLS had been programming in a disco style for several years already, but with a blacker sound (it still remains by far the more listenable of the two!); however, it was the more blatantly white-orientated “disco” crud that won the ratings war for WKTU.
Although both stations’ jocks do a certain amount of mixing, they are by no means up to club DJ standards, and the overall presentation is surprisingly slip-shod. The buzz for a British visitor is immense, though, as just by turning on the radio you can hear pretty well all the soul and disco material denied us on the airwaves here! 24 hours a day, in unending rotation! Yes, it actually wears off after a time, and by tuning along the FM band you then find WRVR playing nothing but jazz and jazz-funk, or some indecipherable Latin station (as well as all the rock, pop, MoR, religious, news, country, classical and minority interest stuff), while over on the heavily compressed and sizzling AM band are the sadly fallen from grace WWRL soul station (my fave in the ‘60s) and the great reggae/calypso/funk/jazz/disco of WLIB, aimed at New York’s large enough Caribbean population. Drool, drool?!?
UK Newies
ASHFORD & SIMPSON: ‘Found A Cure’ (Warner Bros. K 17422T) (BNDA debut 7/14/79)
Superb thumping strutting 124bpm 12in with searing soul wailing in bursts between intense instrumental sections.
IAN DURY & THE BLOCKHEADS: ‘Reasons To Be Cheerful, Pt. 3’ (Stiff 12BUY 50) (BNDA debut 10/20/79)
Foiled at every attempt to include this review, it’s less late than it looks! Thought you ought to know the funkily jittering 12in thudder is 122-123bpm, with sorta Instant Funk influence!
Fred Dove has suspended WEA’s mailing list and will concentrate on testing product around the clubs – where will the axe fall next? . . . Eddy Grant’s Ice label has signed with Virgin for distribution and not WEA as previously announced, his ‘Walking On Sunshine’ 12in being rush released and The Mexicano’s ‘Move Up Starsky’ blue vinyl 12in remix due soon . . . Chris Brown, currently sunning on the Riviera until the 24th, has mixed a four-track segued 12in jazz-funk EP for A&M, while similarly Steve Walsh has done one for Arista (the latter using old Breakwater and Mandrill material) . . . Kleeer and Herbie Mann each have a three-track 12in due next week, Miroslav Vitous ‘New York City’ finally being out next week, as is Alma Faye ‘Don’t Fall In Love’ . . . Gap Band ‘Baby Baba Boogie’ 12in has been postponed . . . Crusaders remix and David Bendeth import 12in are proving hard to find for many . . . Archie Bell ‘Strategy’, though less of a singalong, is being tipped by some as the next McFadden & Whitehead-type anthem, while the “wha-ohh-wah-ahh” chant from Isley Brothers ‘Shout’ oldie is already huge for Chris Hill and could just chart RCA’s imminent 12in version . . . Stan Barrett hosted a lavish party this last Sunday at his Canvey Island Goldmine to celebrate the notorious disco’s 7th birthday, attended by London’s “funk mafia” plus other select Thames Estuary jocks (and their ladies), Chris Hill then building the fancy-dressed punters up to the most amazing silly session party finale I’ve ever witnessed! Englishmen now abed will think themselves accursed they were not there, especially as Timmy Gover dolled up in white suit and complete rubber John Travolta head mask to fool the gawpers outside . . . August Bank Holiday starts on Sunday 26th at Brighton Papillon with Mick & Paul Clark’s funky beach party prior to the following day’s Great Brighton Beach Party with Chris Hill and the old Purley dodderers joining the same crew at the Top Rank: meanwhile, other Monday all-dayers include new boys Al “Purple Heart” Matthews, Steve Walsh and more at Purley Tiffanys; Colin Curtis, Mark Joenz, John Grant, Phil Kelly & Eric Hearn at Liverpool’s Romeo & Juliets; Robbie Stewart, Dave Middleton, Tony Charles & more at Bletchley Peaches; and indeed just about every pub with a back room seems to be getting in on the act . . . EMI disco plugger Pete Dyos is quitting on September 3rd to open a Brentwood-based studio, agency and freelance promotion service (0277-225110), applicants for his EMI job being invited to contact Jeff Atherton at Manchester Square . . . Phil Mitchell, compiling an all-time “Humberside Soul Poll” for local radio, wants the area’s funk fans to send in their fave soul Top Tens to him, c/o Paul Hunsley, Electric Wireless Show, Radio Humberside, 9 Chapel Street, Hull . . . Bob Jones soon starts a jazz-funk Tuesday at Southend’s Zero 6, where live jazz-fusion groups will also appear – and any groups interested in a gig should contact Colin at Record Man of Rayleigh (Rayleigh 779722) . . . Havering DJ Association have another Disco 79 dance at Barking’s Volunteer next Friday (24), the £1.50 tickets from HDJA Secretary (who potential DJ members should contact too), Brian Mead, at 18 Cowley Road, Romford . . . BBC local radio cutbacks, mainly achieved by an evening relay of Radio 2, must put many soul shows in danger – already Medway’s Tony “Shades” Valence has had his orders . . . TCOJ’s animated lead singer breaks bricks with his voice – beware! . . . EMI LRD are reportedly flirting with a major US soul label from a certain city of brotherly love . . . Groove Records in Soho’s Greek Street now stock a well up-front selection of hot import cassettes, worth checking . . . Nicki Peck (Chatham Scamps) writes a really rather good “Disco Pecking” section every Friday in the Medway area’s Evening Post . . . “Elvis – The Movie” is surprisingly excellent but because of its authenticity and quality is also frustrating to watch when you realise that another hour of it got edited out between US TV screening and UK cinema – what do we miss?! . . . James “Fish” Heron, who used to send charts regularly, is now Clyde Coast DJ Assn secretary as his predecessor resigned the post due to apathy . . . Martin Starr & Dennis Richards of Bristol’s Just 4U funk club have issued a challenge to meet Camberley Frenchies at any midway venue from September onwards – to do what, one wonders?
UK Newies
Next week there’ll be more New York report, but right now let’s get rid of some reviews . . . and there are so many goodies about!
CRUSADERS: ‘Street Life’ (MCA MCAT 513) (BNDA debut 9/29/79)
Terrific 12in remix, minus slow start and speeded up 3bpm so it’s now an ever-accelerating 108-116bpm. Try mixing into Joe Sample’s old ‘There Are Many Stops Along The Way’!
FLB: ‘Lookin’ For Love Tonight’ (Fantasy 12FTC 179) (BNDA debut 9/8/79)
GQ-style superb solid 123bpm 12in chugger, out here (as was Slick) ahead of the USA.
Last time the description of Studio 54 was incomplete. Housed in a converted theatre in the Ed Sullivan CBS TV building (where the Beatles taped a show), it still has the theatre balcony with the dancefloor being where front stalls and stage once were so that it is this great ceiling height that enables the previously mentioned mirrored light columns to drop down into the dancers from above. Other effects include a swinging illuminated heart on a pendulum scything above their heads and sudden artificial snowstorms billowing from the balcony, but it’s the backdrop area that houses the most spectacular – if rather limited – set of effects, which are raised and lowered with an interest-numbing regularity. These are mainly an Inca-type Sun God head and a crescent Man In The Moon who snorts coke from a spoon up his lightbulb-animated nostril – fun once, but dragsville the fourth time. In setting out to stun and then not maintaining the momentum, Studio 54 is a lot less exciting than its publicity would have one believe.
Its close rival down near Times Square on West 43rd Street, the notorious Xenon is almost as hard to get into . . . and, following a fracas when a bunch of us weren’t even allowed in on our February visit although there were tickets for us inside, I didn’t try too hard this time. However, enthusiastic reports from money-flourishing Fatman suggest that DJ Tony Smith spins a superior range of varied and quite funky music, while the sound approaches Paradise Garage quality – and the effects include a near naked lady suddenly riding through on a real live white horse! Lasers evidently provide much of the lighting, used rather dangerously if you consider that, after three stark naked girls had jumped on top of some speaker stacks and started dancing, all the lights went out and the lasers zeroed in on three furry pussies!
Just as Paradise Garage has won awards for its sound system, so has The Ice Palace for its lighting. Situated on the salubrious corner of West 57th Street and Avenue of the Americas, the Palace is dead easy to get into . . . and full of young white guys dancing mainly with each other, to the most appalling variety of Euro and New York disco dreck, which (on the night I was there) wasn’t even mixed excitingly. And this is Ian Levine’s favourite disco in the whole world! As for the lighting, with a name like Ice Palace not surprisingly the whole place is walled with mirrors, giving a cold harsh atmosphere as flashing neon, strobes and helicopters reflect off every surface. At least with mid-week admission of £2.65 including two stiff drinks, it’s not expensive – but then drinks in all New York’s discos are surprisingly cheap.
More next week, but please note that the next Billboard Forum (not essential in itself) will be in Los Angeles during February, and Chris Hill is taking over a team of London funk mafia to play in a chain of LA clubs for ‘British Week’ to show the hopeless West Coast jocks how it’s done . . . and Adrian Webb of Showstopper Promotions (01-886 4112) really IS organising a cheap rate package trip, but needs to hear from you within the next fortnight if you’re planning to go (for whatever reason). It’ll be a ball, so y’all come, hear?
Disco News
Come hell, high water, and public holidays, when all about me falter, this Disco page is always in Record Mirror – right? – but last week my two final mobile gigs of the summer proved too much: I simply had to sleep. So, sorry if you missed it, but even you have a holiday sometimes . . . Camberley’s Frenchies is running an invitation-only British Disco Convention for selected top jocks on Tuesday, October 2nd, with a forum panel including Chris Hill, Froggy, promoter Adrian Webb, CBS’s Greg Lynn, a solicitor and myself, followed by buffet and cabaret, the emphasis being on entertainment and a chance to meet informally . . . Frenchies’s DJ team is now Chris Brown, Robin Nash, Jeff Young and Nick Halliday, alternating every Sunday at Camberley Cambridge Hotel and Cardiff Lloyds . . . Showstopper Productions’ Caister overflow funk weekender at Perrin Sands in Cornwall on 26/27/28 October (the earlier Weymouth venue now being scrapped) will feature all the Caister jocks except Greg Edwards and has a Mardi Gras fancy dress theme – as does Southgate Royalty’s 1st anniversary Chris Hill night next Friday (31) – while Showstopper and the Brighton Soul Society combine on August 27th Bank Holiday Monday for a Great Brighton Beach Party at Brighton Top Rank with all the old Purley jocks like Chris Hill, Robbie Vincent, Chris Brown, Sean French, Froggy and more . . . Ashford & Simpson ‘Found A Cure’, Con Funk Shun ‘Chase Me’, Raydio ‘Rock On’, Bryan Adams ‘Let Me Take You Dancing’ are due on 12in now, with Bonnie Boyer ‘Got To Give In To Love’, Bobby Rush ‘I Wanna Do The Do’, Isley Bros ‘Shout’, Van McCoy ‘The Hustle’, Bill Summers ‘Dancing Lady’, Slick ‘Sexy Cream’ out later this month . . . David Bendeth ‘Feel The Real’ is rumoured to be EMI’s for UK, while further hot poop has a segued three-track Heatwave promo 12in in circulation . . . Magnet’s Joanna Kochen retires next week for a pre-nuptial rest . . . London’s LODJ Assn jocks are providing music for a week from Saturday (11) at the National Teen-Ex 79 exhibition in Westminster Horticultural Halls . . . Norman Scott now jocks at London’s Sundown every Fri/Saturday, Bang on Mondays, and at Leicester Square Empire’s roller disco every Sunday afternoon . . . Iain Borg & Trevor Chapman with guests like Mick Clark funk Croydon’s Foxy in Lower Addiscombe Road every Fri/Sat/Sunday, and plan a soul weekend near Windsor Castle (not the Great Park, I hope!) . . . Dennis Brynner, Dave Van Seiger, Kim Perritt & Neville Tan, DJ team at Southampton’s new plus Barbarellas on the old Centre site, have to contend with an elevating DJ console that goes up and down the wall! . . . Clem Curtis, ex-Foundations, proved he’s been a soul singer all this time when he really wailed while singing over his ‘Unchained Melody/Need Your Love’ at Mayfair’s Gullivers – where, contrary to rumour, the “rock” dancing crowd are evidently too young to remember King Floyd’s 1970 original of Fern Kinney’s ‘Groove Me’ . . . David Emery (Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 813797) invites enquiries from record companies and other youth-market firms interested in running promotions on Tyneside . . . Capital Radio, with Mike Smith sounding like Graham Dene and now John Sachs sounding like Mike Allen, risks going the Radio One route where so many jocks (to these ears) sound like Tony Blackburn . . . Peter Sedgebeer (Tonbridge Hilden Manor/Rugby Club) points out rightly that with the pound so strong against the dollar, why the hell are imports still so expensive? . . . UK record companies could well be following their US counterparts in cutting back on disco promotion . . . Teesvalley Roadshow (Redcar 475854) have had some smart goldprinted leather key-rings run up at only £9.50 per 100, which works out at the same price as an ad in the local paper but by being handy permanent reminders could prove 100 times more effective when given to satisfied punters instead of a business card . . . Larry Foster (Canonbury Mildmay Tavern) suggests as a good mix to bridge from disco when rock is requested, Donna Summer ‘Bad Girls’ into ELO ‘Shine A Little Love’ into Rolling Stones ‘Miss You’ . . . Chris Hill fans beware: he’s currently inflicting Tiny Tim ‘The Happy Wanderer’ on his silly sessions! . . . Neil Fincham (Dunbar Goldenstones) asks, what’s green and turns red at the flick of a switch? – A frog in a liquidiser (is it Froggy’s eyes after a hard night?)! Either way, we don’t wish to know that – goodnight!
James Hamilton's Disco Page 