James Hamilton's Disco Page

Search though we may for original DJs, the fact remains that you can’t beat the boss – and the boss of the funky club jocks is still Chris Hill. Star of ‘Renta Santa’ and now ‘Bionic Santa’, Chris is resident most nights at Ilford’s Lacy Lady, out to the east of London, where he has a loyal crowd of freakily dressed dancers who lap up the clever way he changes the sound of every record with echoing flutes and spontaneous raps. (Sorry, there’s no swing revival this time around!)

Unfortunately, it’s the way that Chris’s crowds dress that attracts the attention of the media usually, so here is some warning of what the papers will be showing once ‘Bionic Santa’ is the hit it’s bound to be.

Everyone at the Lady is heavily into the Punk look, and many are festooned with chains, safety-pins, rubber dummies, scissors, and all sorts of things hanging from their earlobes. PVC ‘Flash Gordon’ tops tend to be paired with pegged “Ali Baba” pants, or with trousers turned into a plus-four effect by woollen knitted leg-warmers.

If they don’t get their PVC tops from Image in Chatham, many of them make T-shirts out of polythene dustbin liners – others wear pyjamas, while quite a few “Tiger Skin” tops with scooped necks are about. Winkle-pickers, wing-tips or fancy sandals complete the effect, which is topped for blokes by neatly parted and brushed back shortish hair.

I know, that sounds just like your mate round the corner – but that’s the point, isn’t it? But I’ll bet there’s thousands who have yet to even dream of looking like that!

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New Spins

WILLIE MITCHELL: ‘The Champion, Pts. 1 & 2’ (London HLU 10545)
Forget it – this much-sought old instrumental whomper stomper is a stone smash!  Try sitting still to this!

BARRABAS: ‘Checkmate’ (Atlantic K 10716) (Billboard chart debut 8/2/75)
Sprightly classic funker reactivated after a near miss earlier this year.  Do try it.

ULTRAFUNK: ‘Gotham City Boogie’ (Contempo CS 2100 / 12 incher CX 14) (Billboard chart debut 1/22/77)
Driving long 5:31 retread of the old Batman theme, full of fast funky rhythm like ‘Jaws’.  Continue reading “November 20, 1976: “The boss of the funky club jocks is still Chris Hill.””

New Spins

FOUR SEASONS: ‘We Can Work It Out’ (Warner Bros. K 16845)
Beatles go symphonic with Frankie and the guys punching through the tempo changes.

QUEEN: ‘Somebody To Love’ (EMI 2565)
Danceable pent-up but off-key slowie, already stale over-exposure on radio.

BRENDON: ‘Gimme Some’ (UK 158)
Simplified slightly faster version of Jimmy Bo Horne’s huge funky thumper (RCA 2585), pretty powerful.  Continue reading “November 13, 1976: Four Seasons, Queen, Brendon, KC & The Sunshine Band, Tommy Hunt”

New Spins

DONNA SUMMER: ‘Four Seasons Of Love’ LP (GTO GTLP 018) (Billboard chart debut 10/9/76)
‘Spring Affair’ is the best of the funky jumpers in her ‘Try Me’ groove, others being ‘Summer Fever‘, ‘Autumn Changes‘ and ‘Spring Reprise‘ (‘Winter Melody’ is slow). The tracks mix with over-long doodling breaks this time, spoiling the continuous flow.

BARRY WHITE: ‘Is This Whatcha Want’ LP (20th Century BTH 516) (Billboard chart debut 11/13/76)
As well as the new single. ‘Now I’m Gonna Make Love To You’ and ‘I’m Qualified To Satisfy You‘ move along with future hit potential, while the sexy slow ‘I Wanna Lay Down With You Baby‘ gets pretty risky!

KC & THE SUNSHINE BAND: ‘KC & The Sunshine Band’ LP (Jay Boy JSL 12) (Billboard chart debut 10/30/76)
All the tracks are similar variations of a familiar funky formula, set by ‘Shake Your Booty’. Possible standouts include ‘Keep It Comin’ Love‘, ‘I Like To Do It‘ and ‘I’m Your Boogie Man‘ — but jocks will have their own ideas.  Continue reading “November 6, 1976: Donna Summer, Barry White, KC & The Sunshine Band, Clover, R. O’Casey”

New Spins

CAROL DOUGLAS: ‘Midnight Love Affair’ LP (Midland Int’l BKL 1-1798) (mentioned in Billboard column 7/31/76, Billboard chart debut 8/28/76)
Lovely Carol does a Donna Summer, making her current disco hit into one long unending album side by mixing in other similar songs.

GIORGIO: ‘Knights In White Satin’ LP (GTO GTLP 017) (Billboard chart debut 7/31/76)
And Donna’s own producer does likewise, stretching the Moodies’ song over one side and repeating the “coz I luv you” line.  Edited to a single (GTO GT 73), the sexy fast ‘I Wanna Funk With You Tonight‘ flip is good too.

ROSE ROYCE: ‘Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is’ (MCA 259) (Billboard chart debut 12/25/76)
Funky stuff from the ‘Car Wash’ crew.  Continue reading “October 30, 1976: Carol Douglas, Giorgio, Rose Royce, B.T. Express, Barry White”

The current Sex Pistols phenomenon is amazingly close to the Who situation in 1965. Back then, all the Mods identified with the Who because of the way they looked. However, apart from dabbling with James Brown and Motown numbers at live shows, the Who did not play music that the Mods danced to. As now, the kids were dancing to black American soul, the funk of the day. The Who represented their own life style.

The Pistols drew their following from modern funky fans at certain clubs, especially in the London area where the fashions get freakier but the music stays black. There, the kids go in for the torn T-shirts, chain from earlobe to nostril look that is outraging parents and forging a bond among the wearers. Sure, the Pistols have fans – as did the Who – that are only into white rock, but for the disco crowd, it’s the look that counts!

New Spins

TOWER OF POWER: ‘You Ought To Be Havin’ Fun’ (CBS 4675)
Choppy tighten up jiggler, with happy harmonies and proven appeal for funky jocks here, who already love it.

SHOWSTOPPERS: ‘Ain’t Nothing But A Houseparty’ (Cream CRM 5005)
Truly classic dancer from ’67, still a fave.

BARBARA PENNINGTON: ’24 Hours A Day’ (UA UP 36170) (Billboard chart debut 1/15/77)
Good churning thumper with catchy synthetic squawks and ultra-fast Northern flip.  Continue reading “October 23, 1976: “The current Sex Pistols phenomenon is amazingly close to the Who situation in 1965.””

New Spins

SANDPIPERS: ‘Hang On Sloopy’ (Satril SAT 114)
Suddenly everyone’s talking about this smooth fast hustling of the Vibrations’ oldie, by the ‘Guantanamera’ gang.

O’JAYS: ‘Message In Our Music’ (from LP ‘Message In The Music’, Philadelphia Int’l PIR 81460) (Billboard chart debut 9/11/76)
Infinitely superior to the single, the full 6:24 LP cut has some terrific breaks and is the one to use.

BANZAII: ‘Chinese Kung Fu’ (Contempo CX 12) (mentioned in Billboard column 6/28/75, Billboard chart debut 7/5/75)
Contempo are the first in Britain to put 12-inch disco 45s on sale to the public, the Tom Moulton re-mix here being flipped by ERNIE BUSH’s ‘Breakaway’.  Continue reading “October 16, 1976: Sandpipers, O’Jays, Banzaii, Armada Orchestra, Muscle Shoals Horns”

New Spins

PASADENA ROOF ORCHESTRA: ‘Cheek To Cheek’ (Transatlantic BIG 554)
Just made for MoR gigs, this is the best vintage-sounding version of the Fred Astaire quickstepper that I’ve ever heard.  Heaven!

STEVIE WONDER: ‘Isn’t She Lovely?’ (from LP ‘Songs In The Key Of Life’, Tamla Motown TMSP 6002) (LP Billboard chart debut 10/30/76)
Happy harmonica handclapper, the brightest disco hit from the sprawling set.  Other disco goodies are ‘I Wish’, ‘Sir Duke’, ‘Another Star’, ‘Ebony Eyes’ and ‘As’.

FLASH CADILLAC: ‘Did You Boogie With Your Baby’ (Private Stock PVT 60)
Now that it’s a US hit, the still popular re-issued romper has Wolfman Jack’s great voice-overs on the commercial copies too.  Continue reading “October 9, 1976: Pasadena Roof Orchestra, Stevie Wonder, Flash Cadillac, Jermaine Jackson, D.C. Larue”

New Spins

ERNIE MARESCA: ‘Shout! Shout! (Knock Yourself Out)’ (Seville SEV 1019)
Ernie’s classic Twist-tempo rocker has grown in stature since ’62, until now there can be few who won’t recognize it.  An all-time disco great, it goes perfectly with Dion, ‘At The Hop’, and the other hit revivals.  Try it and see!

HANK C BURNETTE: ‘Spinning Rock Boogie’ (Sonet SON 2094)
The most frantic guitar instrumental ever, full of freaky effects, this Swedish rocker has already caused a stir in London after Capital Radio play.  Literally incredible!

TAVARES: ‘Don’t Take Away The Music’ (Capitol CL 15886) (mentioned in Billboard column 6/5/76, Billboard chart debut 6/19/76)
Faster than ‘Heaven’, with skipping rhythm, catchy clapping hook (especially on Part 2) and much Northern appeal.  Continue reading “October 2, 1976: Ernie Maresca, Hank C. Burnette, Tavares, The Whispers, Love Unlimited Orchestra”

New Spins

LALO SCHIFRIN: ‘Jaws’ (CTI CTSP 005) (mentioned in Billboard column 6/12/76, Billboard chart debut 7/17/76)
The biggest import since Brass Construction, this monotonous discotization buries the frightening movie theme in booming bass, rattling rhythms and sundry synthetics.  It’ll be a monster.

DR. BUZZARD’S ORIGINAL SAVANNAH BAND: ‘Cherchez La Femme’ / ‘Sour And Sweet‘ / ‘I’ll Play The Fool‘ (LP RCA RS 1072) (Billboard chart debut 6/26/76)
Huge in America, the long-awaited album’s a mixture of cooled-out Manhattan Transfer, big band and hustle sounds, very subtle and appealing.  Will it go here, though?  The last-named track’s a single (RCA 2736), with Thom Bell-type beat.

BONEY M.: ‘Baby Do You Wanna Bump’ (Creole CR 119)
Reactivated for all the Northern jocks who’ve latterly found this great ‘Al Capone’-like bumper, which is still big down South.  Continue reading “September 25, 1976: Lalo Schifrin, Dr. Buzzard, Boney M, Crusaders, Mighty Sparrow”

New Spins

DEAF SCHOOL: ‘What A Way To End It All’ (Warner Bros. K 16812)
Not immediately danceable, but believe me, this zany Sparks/Roxy-type pastiche is gonna be a smash!

GOLDEN FIDDLE ORCHESTRA: ‘The Golden Fiddle March’ (Mountain TOP 13)
Immensely useful for mobile jocks, it’s great “Och aye the noo” Gay Gordons-type music, with a flipside set of ‘Reels’ that’s the best I’ve ever heard on single.

JIMMY SHAND: ‘Bluebell Polka’ (EMI 2513)
More sedately jaunty, Scottish stuff (unfortunately a remake of his ’55 hit).  Continue reading “September 18, 1976: Deaf School, Golden Fiddle Orchestra, Jimmy Shand, Wild Cherry, Afric Simone”